Parks started poking around the living room as if we could hide a cub under the couch cushions. He walked across the foyer into the kitchen.

I could feel the nervous energy washing off Gabi. I didn’t know how to steady her. I didn’t know how to keep the cub from being discovered, or either of us from being arrested. We were fucked.

“How long have you been in town, ma’am?” His Virginia drawl was noticeable as he talked to Gabi.

“Just a few days,” she answered.

“Do you usually bring your daughter with you on work trips?” He opened the laundry room door, then the pantry.

“Only if I can take her somewhere as pretty as Twilight Hollow.” She smiled weakly.

I eyed her. I’d never known Clarence Parks to fall for a pretty woman’s charms, but maybe my mate would be the first. She had me wrapped around her little finger in the first thirty seconds we met.

He peeked his head in the garage. “What’s her name?” he asked.

“Hmm?”

He stopped in the middle of the kitchen. “Your daughter?”

Gabi laughed. “Oh. My daughter’s name. I don’t know why I was confused.” I could tell she was stretching the seconds, trying to figure something out.

“Sheriff, this is enough, don’t you think?” I intervened.

But he wasn’t distracted. “Ma’am?”

“Willa. Her name is Willa.”

“I’d like to see her,” he announced.

“She’s still sleeping,” Gabi protested. “I really don’t want her to be disturbed.”

“Right. Right. Because of the fever?” He raised his eyebrows.

I put my hands on Gabi’s shoulders. There wasn’t anything we could do.

“She’s down the hall.” I pointed to the last room beyond the staircase.

“But please don’t wake her up.” Gabi attempted to lurch forward, but I slid my fingers through hers.

Whatever happened, I wanted her to know we were in this together. I would do whatever I could to make sure she was safe. I’d make sure Clarence didn’t charge her with anything. She shouldn’t have to pay for something I forced her to do.

We stood several feet behind Clarence. He opened the door. The room was dark. Gabi must have closed the blinds and curtains when she put the cub down for her nap. I peered past the sheriff’s shoulders. My eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly.

Gabi squeezed my hand and didn’t let go. I could feel her rapid pulse beat against the flesh of my palm. Damn. She was terrified.

The sheriff took a step inside.

“Please don’t let him take her,” Gabi whispered. “He can’t take her, can he?”

“Shh.” I watched as Clarence moved to the other side of the bed to study the girl’s face. Her back was to us. She must have known we were there because her eyes opened and she started to cry.

“Mama,” she wailed. “Mama.”

Sheriff Parks looked uncomfortable. “Now don’t do that.” He waved his hands in front of her. It only terrified the cub more.

Gabi ran to the bed, scooping up the cub. “Shh. Shh. Mama’s got you. You’re ok, Willa. You’re ok. It was just a bad dream.”

Damn. The woman was fast on her feet and smart as hell. The cub wrapped her hands around Gabi’s neck and buried her face in her shoulder, muffling her sobs.

“I think that’s enough, Parks. Don’t you?” I looked at him from the other side of the bed.

He huffed. “I guess so. I’m sorry to have awakened your daughter, Ms. Aprils.”

Gabi ran her fingers through Willa’s hair. “I think you should leave, Sheriff.”

I’d never seen that man hang his head before, but that’s exactly what happened as we walked out of the room. I knew he hadn’t had a chance to see her face, but Clarence Parks wasn’t the kind of man to admit he was wrong. Or that he was ever bad at his job.

“I’ll show you out,” I volunteered.

Clarence returned his hat to the top of his head on the porch. “That child might not be the missing bear kid I’m looking for, but I still have a job to do.”

“Understood. I’ll ask my clan. If I hear anything I’ll let you know.”

He stopped at the top of the stairs, leaning hard on the hand railing. “I didn’t mean to scare her. Will you tell Ms. Aprils that for me?”

I folded my arms. “I will. I better get back inside.”

“You do that.” He took another step and sauntered to his patrol car. I waited until he had disappeared in the tree line before I walked back inside.

I found Gabi wiping away more tears.

“He’s gone,” I explained. I turned on a lamp close to the door.

“I can’t believe it.” Gabi looked at me. “I can’t believe any of this. That was so close. He didn’t see her face.”

I shook my head. “No. He didn’t.”

“If he has a missing child report that means there are going to be pictures of her in town. I can’t take her there. How am I supposed to keep her disguised in Twilight Hollow?”

I rubbed my beard. My eyes fell on hers.

“You can’t. I guess you’re going to have to stay here.”