Johnny’s phone rang.

He pulled it out and his mouth got tight at the name on the screen.

He took the call and put the phone to his ear.

“Norma,” he began, “not sure what this is but—”

“I know,” she cut him off, “everyone knows, word about what’s happening spread through Home like a wildfire, ’spect it’s doing the same all through Matlock. So I’ll make this quick, son.”

“Obliged,” he muttered.

“I’m in my car. Sally’s in hers. We’re on the way to your woman’s place.”

Johnny did not like that at all.

“Norma—”

She spoke over him. “Folks are thinkin’ best way to help is get on the roads lookin’ for Stu. I can’t stop that. Others think best way to help is go see to your women. Sally and me disagree so just to say, we’re heading out to Eliza’s acres and we’re gonna park across her lane and send people on their way. Make sure they got privacy while you’re handlin’ this situation.”

Johnny hadn’t thought about word getting out or what that would mean.

But now confronted with it, he decided Sally was going to get much bigger tips from now until the last drink he drank at Home, and he didn’t know what he’d do for Norma, but it would be something.

“That’d be appreciated, Norma,” he replied. “But you hear anyone talking, they find Stu, they call me first. Don’t know what’s in his head, never did, but think he’ll react better he sees me or I can call Shandra in and he’ll listen to her.”

“Gotcha,” Norma replied. “I’ll spread that word. Find him, Johnny. Now letting you go.”

And then she did just that, disconnecting.

When Johnny took his phone from his ear, Charlie asked, “What was that?”

“Townsfolk of Matlock are getting in the hunt, which I can’t think about right now. But some are also thinking of heading out to make sure Adeline and Eliza are okay. Norma, woman who owns Home, is heading out with her bartender to barricade Izzy’s lane and shut that down.”

“Good,” Charlie murmured.

He drove.

Johnny sat next to him, trying to keep his shit together.

His phone rang.

Johnny lifted it and his heart squeezed at the name on the screen.

He took the call and put the phone to his ear.

“This better be what I want to hear.”

Mercifully, Shandra told him what he wanted to hear.

“Meet me at the shack. I have the baby. I’m so sorry, Jo—”

He cut her off. “My shack?”

“Yes,” she said softly.

“Stu took him to my shack?”

“I’m so, so sorry, Jo—”

“He there?”

“No.”

This was probably good.

“We’ll be there in twenty,” he told her.

“Okay.”

He hung up. “Swing a left at the first light in Bellevue. Shandra’s got Brooks. I’ll make the call to Dave and Toby but I’m not calling Izzy or the cops until we’ve got Brooks.”

“Jesus. Holy Christ. Lord, Lord, Lord,” Charlie whispered.

Johnny closed his eyes and focused on settling his heart.

This failed so he opened his eyes and said, “Can you go faster?”

Charlie was bigger than him and driving, so even though they both ran flat out, Johnny had his door open and was out of the truck before Charlie had come to a full stop, which meant he beat him to the porch.

He vaguely noticed the glass in the window of the door of the shack was busted.

He just ran in.

Shandra was standing five feet in, holding a fretting Brooks.

Johnny went right to her and pulled him out of her arms.

Brooks looked at him, hooked an arm around one side of his neck and buried his face in the other side.

He might be eight months old but he wasn’t dumb.

Johnny wrapped both arms around him and held him close.

“You’re home, son. It’s good,” he murmured.

Brooks nuzzled his face in Johnny’s neck like Izzy did to his chest.

And only then did Johnny’s heart settle.

Charlie was standing behind him and Johnny turned to him.

“Call them. Tell them he’s safe and we’re bringing him home.”

Charlie nodded, shot a dark look at Shandra and walked out.

“Johnny,” she said.

He turned to her.

“This isn’t on you,” he said.

“I still feel—”

“But swear to Christ, Shandra, if you don’t impress on him that me, Izzy, Addie, Toby, Margot, Dave, anyone who has dick to do with me as well as the entire town of Matlock is off limits to him, I will hunt him down myself and I’ll make sure that message is received and then I’ll deliver his ass to the goddamned police.”

“He’s in a spot.”

Was she fucking serious?

“I don’t give a fuck.”

“I’m not defending him,” she returned. “I told you we were done. This wasn’t the last straw. That already happened. I’ve already called the police and told them what happened and where I suspect he’ll go. He handed over the baby and took off. If I thought I could get the baby safe and keep him here, I would have done it so they could arrest him here. But I had to look after the baby and he knows you. He didn’t hang around.”

“Your brother kidnapped a baby to hold him for ransom.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Get out of Matlock, Shandra. Not for me. Not so you won’t have to watch what’s gonna happen next with me and Eliza. For you. Scrape your brother off, your folks off and find something for you. You don’t, they’ll find ways to keep dragging you down while tearing pieces from you and you’ll be buried in shit with nothing left.”

“I should never have gone with him,” she whispered, tears wetting her cheeks.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Johnny agreed.

And still holding Brooks close, he turned and walked out of the shack.

Norma saw them coming and she ran to her truck while Sally jogged to her car to jump in and then pull them back so they could drive right in.

Toby and Dave were already there.

Everyone was hanging on the front porch, but it was only Addie who came racing off it toward Charlie’s truck.

Charlie swung a sharp left and stopped a truck-length away from the other vehicles in order not to hit her.

Johnny opened his door and had barely stepped out before Brooks was pulled from his arms.

Brooks did exactly what he did with Johnny to his mother as she cupped the back of his head, held him tight, and swung him side to side, her lips to his baby fuzz, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Come on, darlin’, come on, child,” Margot whispered, arms around Addie, gently pulling her around. “Let’s get this precious bundle inside, give him a once-over and get some food in his belly. Come, come, come on, my beautiful girl.”

Addie moved with her and Margot’s gaze lifted to Johnny’s. Relief and pride were stamped in it.

They walked away and Izzy touched her sister’s hair as Addie passed her.

Johnny slammed his door, walked to his woman and stopped.

He looked down at her face.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks too.

“I love you,” he said.

Sunlight and moonshine and honey and song and love shone in her face.