was beautiful. Shelby had heard it all her life—Lauren was the smart one and Mia was the pretty one. Apparently, Shelby was neither.
That was okay. What she lacked in beauty and brains, she’d always made up for in ambition. And determination.
She planted her hands on her hips. “Chloe’s going home with me.”
If Ryan McConnell thought otherwise, he was in for a fight.
* * *
Ryan tamped down the annoyance building inside him. As soon as the Navy had assigned him to Naval Base Kitsap, across the bay from his hometown of Seattle, he’d started prodding his brother to do the right thing. Mia had been six months pregnant then.
By the time Chloe was born, he’d given up. His younger brother never dealt with the consequences of his actions, so Ryan had resolved to be a fixture in his niece’s life from day one.
That was more than he could say for the woman in front of him.
“You’re Chloe’s aunt. Where do you live?”
“North Bend.”
“That close. As often as I’m here, our paths should have crossed.”
The determination on her face seemed to waver. He knew exactly who Shelby was. Mia had told him about her siblings, both of whom had pretty much severed ties with their younger sister. Now that Mia was gone, one of those sisters was on her doorstep, ready to take away his niece. Not in this lifetime.
He pressed a kiss to the top of Chloe’s head. “Let’s be frank. When was the last time you saw your niece?”
She lifted her chin. “Two weeks ago.”
“Your aunt’s funeral.” Mia had told him about that, too. “Before that?”
She looked away briefly, then jerked her gaze back to his. Keeping her eyes fixed on him seemed to require some effort. “That’s irrelevant.”
“I’d say it’s quite relevant. Chloe just lost her mother.” She might have even witnessed the murder.
He glanced at Addy, but she was staring past him, down the hall. The muscles in the side of her face tensed. She probably felt the same way about Chloe’s absentee aunt as he did. She brushed past him and mumbled, “Excuse me,” then stalked down the hall. At the end, she pulled open the door to the stairs and let it swing closed behind her.
Since he had Chloe, she was probably taking advantage of her first opportunity to be alone. She had to be reeling. He certainly was.
When he drew his gaze back to Shelby, she stood with her arms crossed. The determination was back full force. “Chloe needs care and love. Those are things I can provide.”
“She needs to be surrounded by people she knows, not taken away by a virtual stranger.”
She pursed her lips. At first glance, she was a toned-down, natural version of Mia. They had the same slope to their jaws and the same high cheekbones. Shelby’s shoulder-length hair was the same deep auburn shade as her sister’s, at least when Mia wasn’t wearing one of the multitude of wigs that were part of her showgirl persona.
But the similarities ended there. First was the age spread. Mia had said there were six-year spans between the three sisters. As the middle child, Shelby would be twenty-seven.
Next was their makeup. Mia dolled herself up almost as much for a trip to the grocery store as a shift at the club. If Shelby was wearing cosmetics at all, they were understated.
The biggest difference was in their eyes. Though the same golden green as Mia’s, Shelby’s held seriousness in their depths, even wisdom, as if her life experience exceeded her age. As if she’d been forced to grow up too quickly.
He sighed. “Why are you here?”
“Mia and Chloe and I had dinner plans.”
He lifted an eyebrow. He was supposed to believe that? “Dinner plans. Tonight.”
“Yes.”
“Why? You’ve hardly said boo to Mia since you left home.”
She narrowed her eyes. “My relationship with my sister isn’t the issue. All that matters is doing what’s best for her little girl.”
At least they agreed on something. “And that’s staying with me.”
She heaved a sigh. “Since we’re being frank, let me lay it out. I own a diner. I live in a small town where neighbors still say ‘hi’ to one another. My living quarters are upstairs from where I work. I can pop in anytime to check on Chloe. I’ll hire a good babysitter—preferably Addy, if she’s willing.”
Yeah, she’d be willing. She was crazy about Chloe. And Chloe was just as attached to her. Regardless of how Addy felt about him, her presence was good for Chloe. So Ryan would make sure she stayed on once he got custody. And he was going to get custody, whatever it took.
Shelby continued, “I’m not wealthy, but I can provide a good, wholesome environment. Besides the love I’ll give her, she’ll have the influences of my aunt’s church and our friends.”
“I can provide the same thing.” He’d even consider church attendance for Chloe’s sake.
Shelby lifted one arched brow. “Your family owns a bunch of gentlemen’s clubs. That’s hardly the environment for a little girl to grow up in.”
He clenched his teeth. The woman was judging him for his father’s activities after she’d had nothing to do with Chloe because she was too busy or too snooty or just plain didn’t care.
When he spoke, ice edged his tone. “I’m not my family.” At least not his father’s side. Instead, he’d been closer to his mother, especially after his parents divorced when he was seven. At age twelve, he’d found a father figure through his best friend. A recently retired military man, Kyle’s dad had adored his wife and made his children the center of his life. Ryan’s ideals had been on an increasingly separate path from his father’s ever since.
A detective holding a small notepad approached from inside the apartment. He glanced at them both, then focused on Ryan. “What is your relationship with Mia Adair?”
“I’m the baby’s uncle. My brother is the father.” At the detective’s request, he provided his contact information.
“How often did you see Mia?”
“Three or four times a week.”
“Where?”
“Here. I’d pick up Chloe and take her to the park and places.” He’d call Mia and let her know he was on the way. She was always fine with it. Except today she hadn’t answered. Since he’d already been in Seattle on another errand, he figured he’d give it a shot.
“Have you and Ms. Adair ever dated?”
“We’ve never been more than friends.” If not for Chloe, she wouldn’t have even been that. She was too shallow to be someone with whom he’d seek out a friendship.
“Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt her?”
“No. I didn’t think she had enemies. She seemed to get along with everybody.”
At the end of the hall, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Addy stepped off and approached. The detective gave her a brief glance, then continued his questions. Once finished, he turned to Shelby.
“What about you? What is your relationship with Ms. Adair?”
“Her sister.”
While he jotted her name, address and phone number in his pad, Ryan smoothed Chloe’s curls, so soft against his palm. She lifted her eyes to his. They were green with gold flecks, just like her mother’s. Like her aunt’s, too.
“Are you aware of anyone who’d