Wyatt paced the living room, trying to get his head together. The Christmas tree still twinkled and carols still played softly in the background in juxtaposition with the troubled family talking among themselves in subdued tones. Connie alternated between Spanish prayers and declaring her belief in Marley’s innocence.

He wished he had her confidence.

He’d been in tough situations plenty of times before, but this one had almost gutted him. He still couldn’t believe it. Marley, arrested, accused of a crime.

So many things about her made sense now. Sleeping in her car. The “lost” credit cards. The need to pay cash. Her fear of losing Braden. And none of it had a thing to do with her ex.

Thank God Emily had been present to take charge for social services. He didn’t know what would happen from this point, but at least, for the time being, Braden was with people he knew, people like him who cared about the boy. Fact of the matter, Wyatt was pretty crazy about the sweet kid. As he had with the mother, he’d begun to want the four-year-old in his life on a permanent basis.

Fat chance of that happening now.

Whitney rose from an armchair and curled her slender fingers around his biceps. “I’ll take the kids upstairs to play so the rest of you can talk and figure this out.”

He nodded gratefully. “I’m sorry. You and Nate didn’t get the chance—”

“The announcement can wait.” She squeezed his arm. “This can’t.”

No wonder his brother adored this pretty redhead. “Thanks.”

Wyatt offered Braden a hug, reassuring him that everything would be okay. “Soldiers protect people, remember?”

Though his eyes were as big and chocolate as doughnuts, the child nodded and followed Whitney and the twins up the stairs, hugging the toy pickup truck to his chest. Such a good kid. He deserved better than this from his mother.

Wyatt scraped a hand over the top of his head to keep to it from flying off. Dozens of emotions rained down on him. Confusion, anxiety, concern for the boy, and if he was truthful, fear for Marley.

Marley Bannon. He’d handed her his heart, and he didn’t even know her name.

What would he have done if his family hadn’t been on that porch with him? His initial reaction had been to punch a good friend, grab Marley and run. But running hadn’t worked out too well for her.

Reaction number two had been shock and betrayal. How could a man with his IQ be this easily fooled? Worse, how could Marley do this to Braden?

She wouldn’t. Not to her son. Not if she had a choice.

A battle raged in his head. He was a suspicious sort, knew the cunning dishonesty people were capable of.

But not Marley. Not when her son was at stake.

He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to still the opposing voices. Was she innocent? Or was she a conniving, lying woman who’d used him as a shield?

Now, he understood why she’d been worried about someone taking Braden away. That someone had been the sheriff, not the biological father.

“Did you know about this?” Ace asked.

“About the criminal charges against Marley? No.”

“I wondered. You’ve had something on your mind ever since you’ve been home. I just thought—”

“Wasn’t this.” And now was the not the time to spill his guts about Dallas.

His lanky, green-eyed brother studied him for a beat but didn’t ask. Instead he said, “So, are we going to stand around here and cry in our eggnog or go bail her out?”

“Can’t. I talked to Lawson. No bail. After she bolted from Tulsa, Marley’s considered a flight risk.”

Ace emitted a low growl. “Lousy deal.”

“Yeah.” He’d followed Lawson to the SUV, arguing with the lawman, guaranteeing Marley wouldn’t run again, but the sheriff hadn’t budged. The revoking of bail had come from a Tulsa judge, not from Lawson. He’d had no choice but to uphold the law. Wyatt understood it, but he didn’t have to like it.

Nate, his brow furrowed in concern, joined the conversation. “You all right?”

“No. But I’m not the important one here. She is. Braden is.”

“Figured you’d say that. Love does that to a man.”

“Braden, maybe.” He couldn’t deny that. The kid would need them all in the days ahead, especially him. And he planned to be here. “I don’t even know her.”

“Sure you do,” Nate said. “Maybe not her last name, but you know her.”

“You don’t hide something this serious from someone you care about.” His own words bounced back to him. Was that what he was doing with Dallas? No. He hadn’t lied. He’d simply kept the problem locked up in his head until the appropriate time.

“Did you ever stop to think she was protecting that boy up there?” Ace tilted his chin toward the stairs.

Marley loved Braden enough to run, to lie. He got that. She wasn’t running for herself. She was running to protect Braden from foster care.

But that didn’t erase the lies she’d told to Wyatt. Though he’d given her plenty of opportunities to tell him the truth, she hadn’t trusted him. Didn’t she realize he would have helped her?

Nate put a beefy hand on his shoulder. “You should talk to her. Hear her out.”

He touched the necklace at his throat. Her emotion tonight had been as real as his.

Hadn’t it?