Secret Agent Father

And regardless of who Alex was, he had a right to know about his son.

“I don’t know, Cody. I hope so. We’ll see.”

Instantly his face crumpled. “I don’t wanna go back to the marina! I don’t like it there. I wanna stay with you.”

“Shh. Hey now.” Shelby reached her arm back around the seat to rub his leg. Trina and Stephan had lived near the marina. It didn’t make sense that he was so afraid of going back there. “Cody, don’t cry. I love you. I’ll stay with you no matter what. I promise.” She wished she could pull him into her arms, inhaling the sweet scent of his baby shampoo. But they needed to get to the truck stop as soon as possible. “I love you,” she repeated. “I’ll stay with you always. Okay?”

Cody swiped at his eyes and nodded, stifling his tears.

It was a rash promise but she didn’t care. Because even if Alex claimed custody of his son, she wasn’t leaving Cody. Alex would just have to deal with her being an important part of Cody’s life, whether he liked it or not. She was not letting this boy go without a fight.

At the truck stop, she called Alex again on Trina’s phone.

“I’m sure I wasn’t followed,” she told him. “No cars stayed behind me and I passed the exit, before doubling back.”

“I’m sure you weren’t followed, either.”

She frowned, wondering how he could be so certain, but listened intently as he gave her specific instructions on how to get to the bed-and-breakfast where he was staying.

“I’ll see you soon.” Shelby snapped Trina’s phone shut.

The sun was high in the sky when she turned onto Oakdale Road. Covered with freshly fallen snow, there were no recent signs of a snowplow. She hoped her lightweight, fuel-efficient car wouldn’t get stuck.

She pulled into the bed-and-breakfast driveway, winding through the trees until she saw the house. She gaped in surprise at a huge log home lined with numerous windows. A massive deck encircled the house giving rooms on the second floor access to the outside. The grandness of the place intimidated her. This was a bed-and-breakfast in the north woods? She’d expected something smaller. Quaint. Cozy.

With a sigh, Shelby hefted Cody into her arms since he was without snow boots. Her jeans were quickly covered in snow up to her knees as she trudged up to the house.

A tall, rugged, dark-haired man answered her knock and seemed surprised to see her standing there with a child. His piercing green eyes weren’t at all welcoming.

“Alex McCade?” She shifted Cody’s weight on her hip.

“Yes.” A deep frown furrowed his brow.

“I’m Shelby.”

He hesitated, his eyes darting to the boy before he opened the door wider. “Come in.”

A welcoming scent of pine surrounded her as she stepped into a warm great room with a huge stone fireplace lining one wall. Through an arched doorway to the right, Shelby saw several tables draped with bright red and white checkered tablecloths. For a bed-and-breakfast, the place was notably vacant.

She stomped her feet on the braided rug, trying to dislodge as much snow as possible. Cody wiggled impatiently in her arms, so she set him on his feet beside her. Now that she was face-to-face with Alex McCade, she couldn’t seem to find the right words to tell him about his son. Especially since his tall, broad presence was more than a little intimidating. She cleared her throat. “My name is Shelby,” she said again. “And this is Cody.”

Cody suddenly clutched her leg, hiding his face against her jeans as he wailed. “No! I don’t wanna visit my other dad!”

She winced and tried to untangle Cody from her leg, casting Alex an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.”

For a heart-stopping moment, the man stared at Cody. Then his cold, furious gaze cut to hers. “Is this some sort of sick joke?”

Swallowing hard, she thrust her jaw defiantly. “No, this isn’t a joke. Cody is your son and I need your help to keep him safe.”

TWO

His son? Alex stared at the woman, seconds stretching into a full minute. His heart froze in his chest. His stunned gaze fell to the child clutching the woman as if his life depended on her. The woman moved gracefully as she bent toward the crying child, quietly beautiful in a wholesome way, he noted as he continued to stare in shock.

Rational thought quickly soothed his initial panic. Her claim couldn’t possibly be true. Tall and reed thin, with long curly blond hair and bright blue eyes, she looked familiar. But not to the point where he could have possibly fathered a child with her.

“You’re lying.” He glared at her, as if willing her to tell the truth. “Was this why you called? To make these ridiculous accusations? I thought you needed help?”

“We do need your help. Cody’s in danger. But I wouldn’t lie. Not about this. I’m sorry, I know this must be a terrible shock to you.” The troubled expression in her eyes bothered him, as if she really cared what he thought and how he felt. “You have to believe Cody is your son.”

He didn’t have to believe anything. Alex’s steely control over his anger slipped. “Look, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not amused.”

“No game.” The woman sighed and placed a protective arm around the boy. “Let me start at the beginning. My name is Shelby Jacobson and this is Cody. We live in Green Bay and…”

“Wait a minute.” The pieces to this jumbled puzzle were finally sliding into place. He should have realized it sooner. Shelby Jacobson was Trina’s sister. He knew Trina and Stephan had a son but he didn’t know Shelby had a child, too. Not that he’d paid much attention to Trina’s younger sister, since Shelby wasn’t involved in the marina or the shipping business. She ran some sort of Christian day care center. “You’re Trina’s sister. That’s why she gave you her phone to call me, right? Did she tell you she was in trouble?”

Shelby nodded, looking relieved. “Yes. But we’re all in trouble, now. Trina promised you’d keep us safe. And she said you’d tell me what’s going on. Trina mentioned you’re her contact. What is she involved in? What’s going on at the marina? Exactly what is the source of the danger?”

He curled the fingers of his injured hand experimentally. The pain was better now. He wasn’t completely useless but he’d probably need to call Rafe if they were in danger. “I’ll answer your questions the best I can but right now, you might know more than I do.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but he quickly interrupted. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here,” he assured her gruffly. “I’d never turn away a woman and her child, no matter who the father is.”

Her gaze narrowed with annoyance, but he pivoted and gestured toward the great room. His eyes fell once more on the boy, who stopped crying long enough to stare at him with wide green eyes, identical to his own. A sick feeling settled in his gut. Irritably, he thrust it away. “Come in and take off your coats.”

“Thank you,” Shelby murmured helping Cody remove his bulky jacket before shrugging out of hers. She tossed them over a nearby chair and then crossed over to the wide sofa facing the tall fireplace.

Alex sent Rafe, his coast guard liaison, a quick text message telling him that he’d be in touch soon. Rafe was on standby, after having checked out Shelby at the truck stop to make sure she hadn’t been followed, but Alex wouldn’t require backup yet. He needed time to figure out what happened to Trina that forced her to give her sister the code phrase and her phone.

The boy climbed up next to Shelby on the couch and pressed against her. She put a protective arm around his shoulders. The two shared the same golden shade of blond hair and the same stubborn chin.

His sister Kayla came into the great room, sending him a wary glance before greeting Shelby. “Hi, I’m Kayla. I don’t want to interrupt, but I just finished making a batch of chocolate chip cookies.” She flashed Cody a warm smile. “Are you interested in sampling a few?”

Cody eagerly looked up, then hesitated and shook his head, scooting closer to Shelby. Alex frowned. What was the boy so afraid of? He tried to wipe the scowl from his features. “Kayla’s cookies are the best. And you’d better get a couple, before Clyde finds them.”

Cody threw him a puzzled look. “Clyde?”

“Our new cocker spaniel puppy, although no matter how many times we tell him that he’s a puppy, he still thinks he’s a boy, spending his entire day trying to eat people food.” Alex wrinkled his face in mock disgust as he sat in a nearby chair.

The lure of a puppy who liked people food was too much to resist. Cody’s gaze shifted between Alex and Shelby, his tiny brow furrowed as if leaving Shelby’s side was a monumental decision.

“It’s okay, Cody. I promise I won’t leave without you. Go ahead and see the puppy.” She let him off the hook, seemingly relieved at having him out of the way. Alex understood she was scared and wanted answers. But what exactly did Shelby have to gain by claiming the boy was his son?

She’d claimed they were in danger, but he needed to know exactly what happened, what had brought them here. After all, Trina had been his inside contact, not Shelby.

“Okay,” Cody agreed readily enough but moved reluctantly away from her.

Kayla held out her hand. Cody trustingly took it. “You know, I have a daughter about your age. Her name is Brianna and she’s spending the day with her grandmother. Maybe if you’re still here later this afternoon, you’ll get to meet her.” Kayla chatted to the boy as she led him into the kitchen.

Shelby turned toward him with a look of abject horror etched on her face. “You have a daughter about the same age as Cody?”

Alex hissed a long breath between his teeth. “Kayla is my sister, not my wife. And let me make one thing perfectly clear. You and I did not create a child together.”

Her eyes widened in frank dismay. “Of course we didn’t. Cody is Trina’s son.”

For a moment he was taken aback. Then he scowled. “You mean he’s Trina and Stephan’s son.”

“Trina told me you were his biological father.” Shelby twisted her hands in her lap although he admired how she kept her voice steady. “Cody was born September tenth, roughly four years and six months ago. And Trina gave me this.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper.

Alex took the scrap of paper from her and stared at his own handwriting in shock. This was the initial note he’d given Trina all those years ago, after their night together.

“She told me that once you knew about Cody being your son, you’d help keep him safe.”

Unable to sit still, Alex jumped up to pace the length of the room. How was this possible?

One night. They were only together for one night. He swallowed hard. “Okay, but if that’s true, why wouldn’t Trina have told me that she was pregnant? Why marry Stephan?”

“I don’t know. Trina didn’t confide in me, either.”

He jammed his fingers through his hair in frustration. Alex met Trina shortly after arriving in Green Bay. He’d been trying to dig up information on a tip about possible drug trafficking in the area. Trina seemed to know all about the boats entering and leaving the harbor so he had asked her out a few times to see if she’d let anything slip.

He hadn’t meant for things to go so far. He wasn’t proud of his actions, and had distanced himself from her after the night they’d spent together.

“I knew Trina had a child, but when Trina married Stephan a few months after the boy was born, I assumed the child was his,” he admitted in a low tone. “Frankly, I was relieved that she’d moved on to someone else after our night together.” And he’d never made the mistake of getting too close to anyone on the job ever again. “So why have you decided to spring this news on me now?”

“Because Cody’s in danger. And Trina obviously thought you needed to know he was your son, in order to protect him. Early this morning, Trina called and asked me to meet her down at the marina. She asked me to take Cody and made me promise to call you. She was going to come with us, but then…” her voice trailed off.

A chill snaked down his spine and he stopped in the center of the room, slowly turning to face her. On the phone she’d mentioned something about a man with a gun. “And then what? What happened?”

Shelby hesitated, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. He glanced at her upset expression, feeling an uncharacteristic spurt of sympathy for her, before abruptly turning away. Don’t go there, he warned himself. He’d help Cody and Shelby but becoming emotionally involved was out of the question.

“On the way to my car, Trina spotted someone. She told me to run and she took off, heading back toward the marina. I caught a glimpse of a man with a gun. I—I grabbed Cody and ran.”

“And Trina?” Alex forced himself to ask, although he could guess what happened next by the stricken look in Shelby’s gaze.

“I think he killed her.” Shelby’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I dialed 9–1–1 but…”

Alex winced, unable to bear the frank pain in her eyes, crossing over to where Shelby sat on the edge of the sofa. He couldn’t imagine how terrified she must have felt—witnessing an attack on her sister.

“She risked her life to save us,” Shelby continued, her eyes welling with tears. “She drew the gunman away, sacrificing herself to safe her son. Your son.”

Awkwardly, he sat beside her and placed his injured arm around her shoulders. For a moment she held herself stiff, but then sank against him, burying her face in his chest. Muffled sobs reached his ears and his shirt became damp with tears, but still he held her close. He murmured soothingly even as his hand delved into the softness of her hair. The sweet, spicy scent of it teased his nostrils. Holding her soothed him, too. Trina’s death was a shock. She’d put her life on the line for them, to help bring the drug smugglers to justice. Who had killed her?

“I’m sorry.” Shelby sniffled loudly and pulled away from his embrace. “It’s just that every time I think of trying to tell Cody that his mother might never come home, I get all choked up. How do you tell a four-year-old something like that?”

Stunned, the full implication of her statement hit him like a snow-laden log falling on his head. If Trina was dead, and if he was the boy’s father, then he was the child’s only living parent. Ten minutes ago he hadn’t known he had a son, much less one he might be solely responsible for. “Wait a minute, maybe there’s some mistake….”

“I don’t think so.” Shelby misunderstood his murmured comment and took a deep shuddering breath. “I saw the guy aim at her and shoot. She fell to the ground and didn’t get up.”

Alex fought back a surge of panic. A father? No. This couldn’t be happening. He wasn’t father material. Look at the role model he’d had. His old man drank too much and hadn’t hesitated to lash out if he and Kayla said the wrong thing. Alex had vowed he’d never have children.

Yet, Cody had his green eyes.

Taking a deep breath he concentrated on identifying one problem at a time. It had been dark and Shelby only thought she saw her sister get shot. Even if she fell to the ground, Trina may have survived. Trina knew how to take care of herself.

He focused his attention on the problem at hand. Shelby and Cody needed protection from whomever had attacked Trina. Trina had been leaking information to the coast guard and DEA for the past two years, playing a very dangerous role. Someone on the drug smuggler’s payroll must have caught onto her. She may have gotten careless, digging too hard to find proof that Alex was targeting the wrong suspect. Whatever she’d found, he could only imagine she’d been shot to keep her mouth shut. He couldn’t help but wonder what she’d learned, and if her theory had been right. She’d vowed her father was innocent, but Alex had never been totally convinced.

Drugs were coming in on Russ Jacobson’s ships and Alex believed that Jacobson had to know what was going on right under his nose. In Alex’s opinion, Jacobson himself could be the mastermind behind the entire drug smuggling operation.

But did that mean Russ Jacobson was capable of having his own daughter killed? It was a stretch, but without proof one way or the other, he had no way of knowing for sure.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Shelby pleaded.

“It’s complicated,” he warned. “But first, are you sure the person with the gun was a man? Did you see him clearly?”

“No, I couldn’t see him much at all, but I’m pretty sure he was a man.” Shelby stared at him, her brow furrowed. “And in the car when we were driving away, Cody asked me if the bad man hurt his mom.”

“What? You mean Cody actually saw the guy?” This news changed everything. The danger was worse than he’d imagined if Cody was a witness to the potential leader behind the smuggling.

Alex eased away, trying to unobtrusively disentangle his hand from her hair. The silky strands seemingly had a will of their own as they clung to his fingers. He glanced toward the kitchen where the boy had disappeared. “I need to talk to him.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Shelby’s tone was sharp and she tugged on his arm when he moved to get up. He hid a wince as a tender nerve zinged with a shaft of pain. “Not until you tell me what’s going on. Besides, Cody has been through an awful ordeal. He practically saw his mother being murdered. I don’t want him to relive the horror all over again so soon.”

“But if he’s seen the bad guy, maybe we can get a description or at least something to go on.” Alex understood her reluctance to expose the boy to more distress, but this was a possible murder investigation. Not to mention, a potential lead to the organizer behind the drug smuggling ring. Trina’s murder was obviously linked to his case. Or rather, to Rafe’s case.

“Maybe you can talk to him later,” she hedged. She stood up and walked closer to the fireplace, as if needing the warmth. “I brought him here so that you’d keep him safe. We need to protect him, not traumatize him.”

Alex frowned, understanding her logic to a certain extent. But decided to let the subject go for now when Kayla and Cody emerged from the kitchen trailed by the clumsy puppy.

“Shelby, look at Clyde,” Cody said happily. “Isn’t he great?”

“He sure is.” Shelby’s face softened into a warm smile and Alex couldn’t dismiss her obvious love for the boy.

In a daze, Alex did the mental math and came to the conclusion that the timing was right for him to have fathered Cody, although for all he knew Trina could have been sleeping with both him and Stephan at the same time. He’d request a DNA test at the very least, so that he would know for sure.

During the time he’d been undercover as a longshoreman, he hadn’t seen Trina’s son at all. Wisely, she’d kept him far away from the unsavory characters who had often hung out at the docks.

One look at Cody now, though, told him almost as much as a DNA test. At first he was so focused on Cody’s blond hair, he hadn’t really looked at the rest of his facial features. He could see that aside from the hair and the stubborn chin, Cody was the mirror image of himself at that age. Kayla had a box full of their baby pictures in the attic to prove it. The kid’s green eyes haunted him.

Not the kid, he admonished himself. My son. I’d better get used to the fact that Cody could really be my son.

Shelby knelt beside Cody and scratched the pup behind the ears. “So how were the cookies? Did Clyde get any?”

Cody giggled as he petted the puppy. “No. Dogs can’t eat people food. It’s bad for them, ’specially chocolate. The cookies were good, but not as good as yours,” he loyally added.

“I can show you to your rooms.” Kayla’s intensely curious gaze bounced back and forth between the three of them. “That way you’ll have some time to freshen up or to take a nap, if you prefer, before dinner.”

“Oh, well—” Shelby’s hesitant gaze swung around to collide with Alex’s.

Alex raised a brow at her dismay. Clearly Shelby hadn’t thought any further than tracking him down. Logically, he knew he should turn both of them over to Rafe. But now that they were here, he’d rather keep them close at hand. At least, until he’d gotten a chance to talk to Cody.

“Kay’s right. You’re both safe here, so there’s no point in you leaving to go somewhere else. Especially when this place has more than enough room.” He flashed a crooked smile, waving a hand at the various rooms overhead. “There’s plenty of privacy, I’m the only guest at the moment.”

Shelby drew in a long breath, reaching up to rub at her temple. “All right, then,” she agreed slowly. She stabbed him with a fierce glance. “But we still need to talk.”

Alex hesitated, glancing down at Cody who was watching them both curiously. “We will, but for now, why don’t you get settled into your rooms. I have some phone calls to make.”

“Me, too,” she said with a frown.

“That’s not a good idea. You can’t tell anyone you’re here or what you’ve seen,” he warned. “I’ll explain more later.”

He could tell she wasn’t happy with being put off, but she also clearly didn’t want to say much in front of Cody. Obviously she took her role of being the boy’s protector very seriously.

Slowly she nodded. “All right.” She turned to Cody. “Should we check out our rooms, partner?”

The boy nodded, although his attention was focused on Clyde who jumped up on him, trying to lick him in the face. Within moments the two were rolling on the floor with Cody giggling madly over the puppy’s enthusiastic affection.

Alex felt his chest tighten at the sight. He glanced up to find Shelby staring at him intently. For a long moment, they exchanged a look full of understanding. Hers reinforced that she would protect Cody at all costs. His admitted the need to take things slow, so he didn’t scare the boy.

He watched them walk up the stairs, grappling with the knowledge that he could deny the truth all he wanted, but he was likely Cody’s father.

What he was going to do about it, he had no clue.

Shelby’s earlier fear slowly began to fade as she gazed at her surroundings, while Kayla gave them the nickel tour. They mounted the staircase to the second story. The log home was even more impressive inside. A cathedral ceiling towered overhead giving an expansive view over the great room from the loft encircling the second floor. When Kayla showed them two adjoining rooms, Shelby saw that her earlier assumption was correct. Each room contained patio doors leading out onto the snow-covered deck.

“The shared bathroom is through this door here.” Kayla crossed the room to demonstrate. “And you can leave the connecting door open, if you prefer.”

“You have a beautiful home.” Shelby admired how the furnishings in the room had a rustic look, from the overstuffed chairs to the pine, sleigh-shaped bed frame. For the first time since leaving the marina in a mad rush, fully expecting the gunman to come after them, she felt safe. Secure. Because of Alex?

Kayla’s mouth formed a sad smile. “Thank you. My husband had a hand in building it himself, before he died.”

“I’m sorry.” Shelby inwardly winced at her blunder. She couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for a woman to raise a child alone after her husband’s death.

“That’s all right.” Kayla straightened, shaking off the despondency. “He died nearly two years ago, but he was a wonderful man. And I’m not totally alone, his mother helps me by watching over Brianna when I’m busy working. Well, here I am jabbering in your ear, when all you want to do is relax for a bit. Dinner will be ready about six. If you’re hungry before that, just come down to the kitchen. There’s always plenty to eat.”

“Thank you.” When Kayla left, Shelby closed the door behind her and glanced over at Cody. He didn’t usually take naps, but his eyelids drooped as a result of his interrupted night. She wasn’t feeling too perky herself and the white down comforter on the bed looked soft and inviting. “So, partner, how about we lie down for a few minutes?”