Im sorry, sir. I cant give out that information.
Gage pinched the bridge of his nose. He was losing valuable time arguing bank policy with the woman. All right, all right. Thanks anyway. Thanks for nothing.
He thumbed the disconnect key, and his shoulders sagged. He was getting nowhere, while somewhere in Las Vegas, Zoey was alone, pregnant, broke and quite possibly in danger.
He had to act. He couldnt sit here and wait for word from her that might never come. Already nearly an hour had passed since her call.
Riley Sinclair owed him a couple days from the last time Gage had covered Rileys shifts at the fire station. If he could
Yuck! Pet shouted from the kitchen. Raisins are gross!
Damn. Even if he could get the time off, what was he supposed to do with Pet?
Another firefighter at the station, Cal Walters, had referred him to a babysitter that he used on the days he worked. Because his schedule at the fire station meant he was gone overnight, his sitter, Rani Ogatini, was used to extended stays with Pet.
Uncle Gage!
He pulled his address book out of a stack of bills on his desk and flipped through it, looking for Ranis number. We dont have anything else until we go to the store. Eat the cereal.
Pet gave a theatrical groan of discontent. Drama queen. Like someone else he knew.
Except this time. Hed heard real fear, real misery, real desperation in Zoeys voice when shed called.
Zoey needed him. Now. Time to act.
Punching Ranis number into his cell, Gage set his plan in motion.
Zoey curled into a ball on the bed at the emergency shelter and tried to shut out the noise from the street. Shed cried so much in the past twenty-four hours that shed wondered if her contacts might float away. Then shed be blind as a bat on top of everything else. Her stomach growled, even though shed had breakfast in the shelters dining hall. The baby apparently needed to be fed every two hours or her hunger and nausea returned. Shed gone out earlier today looking for a jobanything she could do for a few weeks, until she could earn enough money to get back to Lagniappebut found nothing. Shed called to have her Visa account canceled so that Viper couldnt run up charges on it, and because of her shaky credit history, a new account would take up to three business days to be approved. She was flat-broke until then.
Knowing Viper could come back to the motel room at any time and knowing she needed food and shelter, for her baby if nothing else, shed swallowed her pride and headed to the address for an emergency-aid shelter shed seen at a bus stop. Per the rules of the shelter, she could stay only two nights before finding another place to stay. But for at least one more day she had a place to regroup, a base from which she could look for work and a kitchen where she could get a hot meal. A charity shelter felt like a last resort, but because of her baby, she knew she needed nourishing meals and safe housing. She had that here. For now.
When she thought of going home, her tail between her legs, hoping her father would forgive her foolishness, a bubble of wounded pride swelled in her chest. Admitting shed been wrong about Derek hurt. Letting her family see how low shed sunk grated. But like the prodigal son of the Bible, if she didnt find a job soon, shed have to dig up some humility and face the I-told-you-sos. For her baby.
The last thing she wanted was to hurt her family. She hated the idea that her recklessness would bring shame to the Bancroft name and give her parents more reason to be disappointed with her. If she had other options, shed jump on them. But she was at a dead end.
Her pregnancy reared its head with seesawing nausea, and she wrapped her arm around her middle and groaned. Please, little one, Mommys got enough to deal with without you making me sick. How could she be hungry and nauseous at the same time? Yet she was.
A loud pounding on her rooms door reverberated off the thin walls. Zoey sat up, holding her breath, her heart racing.
Zoey? a male voice called.
She froze. It sounded like
Rolling off the bed and clambering to her feet, Zoey raced to the door and tore it open. Without hesitation, she launched herself at the man standing across the threshold.
Gage! Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she wrapped a tight hug around his shouldersshoulders far broader than she remembered. In high school, hed been downright spindly.
He stumbled back a step before catching his balance.
Oh, thank God, Zee! Are you all right? Youre not hurt or sick or
He squeezed her tighter, and she felt the shudder that raced through him. Wiggling free of his zealous embrace, she nodded and swiped at the moisture in her eyes. Im so glad to see you! I would have called you this morning, but they have some kind of block on the house phone so you cant call long distance, and that cretin Viper smashed my cell phone, she gushed without taking a breath. I didnt have enough money for a meal, much less a bus ticket home, so I had no choice but to come here. Ive been so alone. So scared. But now Excitement spiked in her again. Now youre here and ohmigod, Im so glad to see you! But she paused and blinked her confusion, h-how did you find me here?