TWO

      An hour later, the last police car had left, and Holly locked the door. She used to feel safe in this house, but that was when she was a child and her parents were still alive. Now, with Ruth gone, too, the house was a sad reminder of what had once been a happy home. She doubted if she would ever experience the feeling again that she’d had growing up here.

      The house she’d bought in Nashville had proved to be just that—a house, not a home—since she was seldom there. She had a maid, a cook and a gardener who took care of everything, and sometimes it seemed more like a hotel than a place where she belonged. Then there was her security team who hovered over her everywhere she went and a driver who was well trained in tactical driving that helped to avoid fans intent on following her.

      At the thought of her security team, she grimaced. Bert Conley, the head of the team, had been upset that she’d insisted on going to Jackson Springs by herself. He’d wanted to send some men with her, but she’d refused. Now she wished she’d given in. At least she wouldn’t have felt so alone.

      Thoughts of Cole hit her, and she closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected to see him tonight. Of course, Ruth had told her that he was now a detective with the sheriff’s department, but she was surprised that he’d come instead of letting someone else take the report.

      For a few minutes, she stood there thinking about the man she’d known ever since she could remember. Cole Jackson, whose ancestors had founded Jackson Springs in the early 1800s, had been a part of her life since he declared himself her boyfriend in first grade. Through the years, that bond had grown into love that came into full bloom during high school.

      Everybody in town had expected them to get married as soon as they graduated, but she’d had other plans. The country-music band that she and Cole had started had whetted her appetite for something bigger than local one-night gigs, and she’d wanted them to go to Nashville and try to make it. Cole, however, had no interest in leaving Jackson Springs. He had told her he expected to spend all his life there. That was when she knew they had different goals for the future, and she’d left to make it on her own.

      And make it she had. Now she was at the top of the charts and booked on another tour. All she had to do was keep convincing herself that she’d gotten what she wanted. She’d thought she had, until Ruth’s death made her realize how important family was. She missed her sister and the telephone calls that lasted for hours sometimes. Ruth had always been her compass to guide her, and now she was left to provide that for Ruth’s children. The thought that she wasn’t up to the task troubled her. She practically lived on a tour bus—what kind of life was that for two small children? Leaving them behind didn’t seem like an option, either. She didn’t want to see them just in snatches between tours. And what about other issues? She had become somewhat accustomed to the constant presence of someone, whether a paparazzo or a fan, bent on taking her picture. She didn’t want Emma and Ethan exposed to that. It was overwhelming, even when the people on the other end of it were well-intentioned. And when they weren’t...

      Tonight had just reinforced those concerns. The thought of the baby carrier the man wore sent chills down her spine. There could only be one reason for that—he had come to kidnap the twins. She could tell from the way Cole had avoided her gaze when she told him about the intruder having one that he thought so, too. This was no ordinary robbery. It had to have been an attempted kidnapping. Nothing appeared to have been touched in the house, and the intruder’s attention seemed to have been focused on the twins.

      A shiver ran up her spine, and she wrapped her arms around her waist. She needed to check all the doors once more before going back to bed, but she wasn’t going to turn the lights off. She hurried to take care of that before heading back upstairs.

      Five minutes later, she tiptoed back into the nursery. Emma’s quiet snuffle drifted across the room, and she smiled. She was grateful April had been one of the responding officers tonight. She’d been able to calm both children and get them asleep by the time she had to leave. Now they both slept soundly.

      She, however, wasn’t willing to go back to her room and leave them. She turned the lock on the door, grabbed a quilt from the closet and settled herself in the rocking chair. As she pulled the cover up over herself, the memory of trying to ward off their attacker returned, and she blinked back tears. She had no idea where the strength came from to do that. It had taken over her body and filled her with a fierce resolve to protect her family. She could only hope that it would be enough to keep them safe—at least for tonight. Settling down in the chair, she closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep.

      Hours later, she still sat there wide-eyed and unable to relax. All through the night, she’d watched the glow from the “Hickory Dickory Dock” clock on the wall, as the hands shaped like mice displayed the time. Now it was 6:00 a.m. and still too early for Mandy to be up, but she needed to speak with her.

      Easing quietly from her chair, she unlocked the door and walked back to her bedroom. Once inside, she pulled her cell phone from her robe pocket and dialed the number of her assistant. It rang several times before Mandy answered.

      “Hello.” The gravelly tone of Mandy’s sleep-filled voice came over the phone.

      “Mandy, this is Holly. I’ve had a problem here in Jackson Springs. I know you’re visiting your parents and that today’s your mother’s birthday, but I wondered if you could come today when the party is over. I really need your help.”

      She could hear the squeak of bedsprings as Mandy sat up. “What’s wrong, Holly?”

      The fear she’d felt during the night returned as she related what had transpired. When she’d finished, she spoke again. “I shouldn’t have come here alone. I need you to help me with the twins, and I need the security team in place.”

      “I’ll get in touch with Bert right away, and I’ll be there tonight.” Mandy spoke with the efficiency she’d displayed ever since Holly had hired her three years ago. “Do you want me to call Aiden, too? He’s in Chicago today finishing up the details of your concert there.”

      Holly bit down on her lip at the mention of her manager, Aiden Hudson, and thought for a moment before she responded. “You can call him to update him on the situation, but tell him to get everything worked out in Chicago. If you can get here and Bert can get security in place, we should be okay.”

      “Okay,