Page 62 of Floodgates

“I guess that’s where he was born, but they moved to Vermont before he started kindergarten.”

“You know more about his family than I do.”

“No, I simply spoke to Inspector Nolan before you this morning and heard the plan.”

“Go on.”

“Well, so he thinks that we should all go to Vermont to visit Breckin’s parents and there, with us all together, he can protect us and draw out the killer.”

“That’s awful risky for Breckin’s folks and his family.”

“I guess the inspector has already spoken with them and they gave him the green light on it. I guess they’re not too scared—pretty big in their community, apparently.”

“Which does what for them? Is their house made of Kevlar?”

“I don’t—” She looked flustered. “They’re not worried, that’s all I know.”

“I wonder why.”

“Like I said,” she sighed, “I’m not sure. Inspector Nolan assured me that he will have a lot of local help. He seems okay with it, so I’m confident.”

“Inspector Nolan makes you feel safe?”

“Ohmygod, yes. Doesn’t he do the same for you?”

“Yeah,” I answered thoughtfully, “he does.” There was no denying that with Cord in the room, I felt protected. “So you’re really okay with going?”

“I can’t continue on like this,” she told me seriously. “I’m having a baby. I will not have whoever is out there coming after my son. I need this to be over. I have a life to go on with. I have friends and family I want to spend time with, and I need to come to some sort of an agreement with your boyfriend about how he plans to help or not help with this child. If it’s nothing, then it’s nothing, but I need to know.”

I nodded. “That’s between you and him.”

“No,” she said, raising her voice for the first time. “It’s between the three of us if you plan to stay with him. You have a say too.”

“Dr.—”

She cut me off. “Celia. We should at least have that.”

It was stupid not to. “Celia,” I repeated, “I—”

“Listen,” she began hesitantly, her voice trembling a bit. “I know it’s hard, but I think if you told him to leave you that he would do the right thing and help me raise my son and be a husband and father.”

“I already told him to do that,” I informed her, rising from the chair.

“You did?” She was obviously shocked—the way the color drained from her face told me so.

“I did. You can ask him yourself if you don’t believe me.”

“Why would I not believe anything you say?” she asked sincerely. “You have been nothing but honest with me.”

“Here’s the thing: I know you want him. I’m telling you now that you should try hard to make it happen. Pull out all the stops; make him feel like he wants to be a daddy. You guys should be together. I firmly believe that.”

“Tracy, I don’t know what to—”

“Don’t say anything. It’s not necessary. Just know that your way is clear to him; I’m completely out of the picture.”

She looked stunned. “You’re amazing.”

I was done was what I was.