Poppy’s door was ajar, and he could see her fast asleep in bed, Hercules curled up protectively at her feet. Mark breathed out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding in. Then, instructing Hercules to stay, he carried on towards the nursery, where he stopped and cocked his head to one side. Well that was a bloody relief. Tugging his collar loose, Mark listened for a second at the partially open door before going in. It seemed they did have a new babysitter, and she sang like an angel.
‘Hush, little baby, don't say a word,’ came a melodic voice from inside. ‘Mama's going to buy you a mockingbird. If that mockingbird won't sing, Mama's going to buy you a diamond ring.’ Mark pushed the door open, and then, noting she had her back towards him, Evie nestled on her shoulder, he waited again rather than frighten her. He was mildly amused when she skipped straight to the last verse, obviously not knowing the words in between: ‘Hush, little baby, don't you cry, Daddy loves you and so do I.’
Smiling, Mark tapped on the door as she started the lullaby over. Jade spun around, the alarmed look on her face making it clear he had scared her, despite his efforts not to.
Shit. Mark stepped forward. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I should have called up from the hall, but I thought the kids might be asleep. Are you okay?’
‘Yes, sorry. My fault. I should have been paying attention.’
‘You were.’ Mark smiled. ‘To Evie.’ He nodded towards his baby girl, who was awake but sleepy, and perfectly content on Jade’s shoulder. ‘I’ll make sure to announce myself in future.’
Jade smiled back, though she still looked rather flustered at him looming in the doorway. With good reason. Averting his gaze, Mark stopped short of moving further into the room to say hello to Evie. That possibly wouldn’t be a prudent move, what with Jade wearing a strappy top and pyjama shorts under her dressing gown. Obviously she was staying with them, which given her circumstances was fine, but… Christ, this was awkward. Mark really wished he’d remembered to plug his phone in earlier.
‘She’s been as good as gold,’ Jade said, stepping towards him. ‘Haven’t you, angel?’
Pressing a kiss to Evie’s soft downy head, she looked back to Mark. ‘I was just about to pop her down for a nap before Melissa gets back, but I’m assuming you want to have a quick cuddle? Sorry about being in my PJs, by the way,’ she said, handing Evie gently to him. ‘I needed to wash the smoke out of my hair, so I grabbed a quick shower before I fed her.’
And Mark felt like a bit of an idiot. Clearly, he was the only one feeling uncomfortable. And clearly it showed. ‘Thank you, I would very much like a quick cuddle,’ he said softly, marvelling afresh at the perfect wonder of his tiny child as he gathered her close.
Eight
JADE
Making sure Evie was safe in his arms, Jade nodded towards the door. ‘I’ll just go and sort a few things out,’ she said to Mark, offering him another bright smile as she took her leave.
Once on the landing, she looked back, her heart flipping and her pelvis dipping as she watched this tall, dark, broad-shouldered man nestling his baby close.
He didn’t yet know who she was, of course. Jade had made sure he wouldn’t. She’d thought it better that way initially. He was fundamentally a good man, after all. She wouldn’t want him to do anything that went against his nature. He would have to be persuaded gently that the life he was living was all a fa?ade. That, as much as he loved his children, he could never be fulfilled living with a woman who’d used those children to trap him. He’d sensed her, though. It had been obvious from the appreciative look in his eye as he’d glanced at her figure – which Melissa’s pyjama set enhanced quite nicely. He, too, felt the undeniable chemistry between them.
In time, he would know. Smiling fondly, she turned to the bedroom the bitch wife had said she could use. Soon, Mark would realise they were two souls connected, destined to be together forever.
Nine
MELISSA
Mark almost bowled into Melissa as he came out of the front door – on his way back to work, she assumed. ‘Hey.’ He smiled. ‘How’s the new male exhibitionist?’
‘Excellent,’ Melissa said, with a mischievous wink.
‘That good, hey?’ Despite his best efforts to look annoyed, Mark’s mouth twitched up at the corners. ‘A lesser man might feel threatened, you know.’
Melissa leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek, allowing her hand to stray around back to clutch a handful of his very pleasingly toned rear as she did. ‘Good job you’re a bigger man then, isn’t it, DI Cain?’
Mark furrowed his brow at that. ‘Er, thanks. I think.’
‘I take it this was a flying visit?’ Melissa eased back to eye him seriously.
Mark nodded regretfully. ‘Afraid so. Sorry.’
‘No progress then?’ Melissa asked, a shiver of apprehension running through her as she read Mark’s gloomy expression.
‘Not much, no,’ he said, sighing wearily. ‘I have to get back to the station. Organise available bodies for searches come first light.’
He really did look tired. Melissa noted the shadows under his eyes as he leaned to brush her lips with a kiss and move around her. She wished he could stay.
She wondered if they would despatch police divers to the river. Organise fingertip searches in fields and woods? She knew from experience how these things progressed.
‘I’ll see you soon. Take care,’ she said, as he climbed into his car. It would be useless saying what she really meant: remember to eat, and try to get some sleep somewhere along the line. Learning the missing girl was around Poppy’s age and knowing Mark as she did, she very much doubted he would be doing much of either.
‘Oh, and Mark,’ she called, as he reached for his door. ‘I sent you a text earlier. Did you see it?’
‘No, sorry. Mobile wasn’t charged.’
‘Jade’s staying for a while. I thought I’d better let you know in case you run into her wandering around upstairs when you get back.’
‘I’ve already had the pleasure.’ Mark smiled wryly. ‘She’s qualified, presumably?’
‘Abundantly,’ Melissa assured him. ‘She did a childcare course at college. I thought she might able to help out with the girls.’
‘Have you checked out her references?’
‘Of course.’ Actually, she hadn’t, but she could have hardly done that this evening. She’d do it first thing tomorrow. ‘Mark Cain, you’re not questioning my judgement, are you?’ Melissa cocked her head to one side, eyeing him pseudo-disparagingly.
‘Never. Wouldn’t dare.’
Melissa laughed as Mark cringed in mock-terror and hurriedly closed his door. Watching him drive away, she turned to let herself in, trying not to mind that he was dashing off again. Policing was what he did, and she loved him for it, loved that he cared enough to want to try to make the world a safer place – but she missed him. And she worried incessantly for him, more so when he was dealing with cases involving children. With his own abysmal childhood, he seemed to feel their every hurt. But she wished he wouldn’t blame himself when he couldn’t fix that hurt. When he couldn’t make their world a safer place.
He would slip out at night, sometimes, when sleep eluded him. Walking the streets, Melissa guessed, trying to get into the mind of a young child who might be a runaway, understanding why they might have run. He’d been reluctant to share his past secrets with her at first, imagining himself less of a man for admitting that his childhood ghosts haunted him still. He really was an enigma: strong and macho on the outside, yet deeply caring on the inside.
It had taken them a while to find each other again after Jacob. For her to come back to him. Mark had been patient – there to hold her when she’d needed holding, to catch her if she fell. And instinctively, no words necessary, he’d known when she’d needed him to move beyond holding. His lovemaking had been so gentle, so perceptive of her needs. And when she’d finally allowed herself to reach that sweet climax, he’d held her again while she sobbed in his arms. Held her like he might never let go.
She’d loved him more than she’d thought possible that night.