Page 1 of Trapped (Sheppard & Sons Investigations #6)

Ashley

I f you’d asked me a year ago if I’d come crawling back to Weatherford, TX, the small town I grew up in, my answer would’ve been a hard no. I’d loved everything about my life in Dallas. My job, my apartment, my active social life.

Two weeks ago, I got fired from my job. For no logical reason.

One week ago, I got evicted. For no logical reason.

Plus, my period was late. I fluctuated from month to month, and sometimes even skipped a month, so I hadn’t worried about it until I realized it’d been two months since my last cycle.

At least there was a logical, though improbable, reason for the pregnancy.

I always made Finn suit up, but it could still happen.

Ninety-nine percent effective means one percent ineffective.

And wouldn’t it be my dumb luck that I had a one percent result with a guy who had more red flags than a parade in China.

Two weeks before dumping his ass.

Fuck my life.

At least moving back home meant I’d be able to hang out with my best friend more. Emily Taylor, now Sheppard, had married her high school crush—the still super-hot, eldest Sheppard son, Jamie. They went through hell before finding each other. Jamie’s first wife was murdered, and Em’s ex hit her.

Who would’ve thought they’d fall in love when Emily’s big brother hired Jamie, his best friend, to protect her? Not me, and definitely not her big brother. He legit punched Jamie, but he came around. He even shed a tear during the ceremony, though he still refuses to admit it .

The timing of my streak of bad luck couldn’t be worse.

A month before I got fired, my grandmother, the woman who’d raised me after my parents died when I was a little girl, fell and broke her hip.

She’d needed surgery and still needed months of physical therapy.

Her insurance covered most of the hospital bills and some of the therapy, but not the in-home help she needed.

It was just us, so I had to hire a home nurse until she was strong enough to support herself again.

Gran had argued, but I refused to let her go into debt. I made good money and could afford it.

Well, I could until I lost my job and got evicted.

Afraid of depleting my savings account, I moved back home and took over her care.

When it rains, it fucking pours .

“Look on the bright side, Ashley. You’re living rent-free and spending quality time with your grandmother while you look for another job,” I said to myself while pulling my dark brown hair into a high ponytail.

Being Monday, I hoped I’d get some responses from the dozens of resumes I’d sent last week.

“Gran, will you be okay for a few hours if I go to Grannie’s Coffee Bar?” I asked as I walked into the living room.

“Of course, I’ve got my knitting, and I may nap in front of the TV for a bit. Will you be back for lunch?”

“Yes.”

“Should I make something?”

“No, I will when I come back.”

“What will you make?” she asked, her voice thick with skepticism. I wasn’t a great cook, and Gran wasn’t shy about letting me know.

My skills were above those of a bachelor, but I’d lived alone and eaten out or ordered delivery most days. My skills were rusty. If I put my heart into it, I could follow a recipe and make an amazing meal. I’d just never felt like it. That was changing as I helped Gran with our meals.

“How about turkey burgers with goat cheese and a salad?” I asked. I’d rather have a cheeseburger and fries, but Gran had to watch her cholesterol.

“That sounds good.”

I pulled a pound of ground turkey out of the freezer to thaw before leaving.

“Here’s your phone.” Gran was old school and often forgot to bring her phone with her when she changed rooms. “Call me if you need me.”

“I won’t need you.” Gran was fiercely independent. A trait I both admired and despised. A trait I inherited.

“Gran,” I said, drawing out the ‘a’ while putting my hands on my hips.

“Okay, okay, if I need you, I’ll call.”

I’d swear there were times Gran channeled her inner teenager just to fuck with me. I shook my head, grinned, and kissed her on the cheek before saying goodbye.

Despite feeling like I was running late, I made great time because it never took long to get anywhere in Weatherford. After parking, I rushed through the door to Grannie’s, making the bell ring and drawing attention to myself.

Another perk of being back home, I could have Grannie’s coffee as often as I could afford it. I breathed in, loving the smell of freshly brewed coffee that permeated the place.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, hugging Emily.

“No worries.” She laughed.

“My God, Em, you’re literally glowing with happiness.” And a nice tan courtesy of her Caribbean cruise honeymoon.

She blushed. “Thanks. Go get a coffee. I’m dying to talk to you.”

That sounded like a perfect plan. I soaked in the kitschy mix of cowboy saloon and coffee house decor, loving how it gave Grannie’s a unique vibe that welcomed locals and tourists alike.

“Thanks, Mary.” Mary was the owner of Grannie’s and Emily’s new mother-in-law.

It occurred to me after I took the first sip of my vanilla latte that I should switch to decaf. But it was too late. One more coffee couldn’t hurt. Can it?

No way. Lots of women drank coffee for weeks before finding out they were pregnant, and their kids were just fine. Besides, I wasn’t ready to explain why I suddenly wanted decaf when I practically mainlined the regular stuff.

“You’re welcome. Are you coming to Craft and Booze tomorrow night?” Mary asked.

“I’ll be there.”

“Can you make a batch of that sangria you brought to the BBQ?” Beth, Mary’s best friend and manager at Grannie’s, asked.

“Of course.” I laughed. “I’ll bring a non-alcoholic version for Meg, too.” I’d made a red, white, and blue sangria for the Fourth of July BBQ this year, and everyone loved it. Well, the girls all did. It was a little on the sweet side for the guys. They preferred beer.

Mary’s eyes sparkled as she thanked me for looking out for her other daughter-in-law, the one who’d give Mary her first grandchild in December.

I didn’t mind making two; it’d be easier to hide the fact that I wasn’t drinking. I might not worry about an occasional cup of caffeinated coffee, but until I took a pregnancy test, I needed to be alcohol-free.

Something else that wasn’t normal for me, so I had to be careful. And make enough of both that no one would notice the virgin sangria draining as fast as the whorish one.

“You okay?” Emily asked, as I slid into the booth opposite hers.

“Yeah, why?”

“You seem frazzled.” She waved her hand in my general direction.

“Yeah, about that. After you tell me your news, I have a confession.”

“Do you want to go first?”

“No, I didn’t rush in here like a freak for nothing. Spill it.”

“I’m pregnant.”

I squealed with joy as I jumped up and ran around to hug her again. The look of bliss on Mary’s face as she hugged Beth told me she already knew but enjoyed celebrating the good news again.

“Oh, Em, this is so exciting. How are you feeling?” I looked down at her still-flat belly. “When are you due? Is Jamie happy? Are you throwing up a lot?” I fired off questions like a game show host on cocaine.

She laughed and pulled away. “I’m fine. Due in late January. And Jamie’s thrilled. He’s already rearranging the spare room.”

“Guess it’s a good thing Jay moved out.” Jay, the youngest Sheppard, who’d recently returned from the Marines, oozed raw sexuality with his bad boy attitude, inked up arms, and muscles on top of muscles.

If I hadn’t already done the friends with benefits thing with AJ, a private investigator at Sheppard they weren’t the type to force a family member out of the house.

Not wanting to live with his parents, Jay had crashed with Jamie and Emily while he looked for his own place. Instead, he moved in with his girlfriend Cate, who’s now his fiancée, just before Jamie and Emily’s wedding.

As much as it disappointed me to see Jay off the market, I knew Cate Maxwell was perfect for him.

They butted heads at first, but that changed when they got kidnapped looking for a missing girl.

Cate was the calm Jay’s storm needed, and he was the chaos her order needed.

Besides, I never expected to find my happily ever after with Jay, and not just because I’d slept with AJ.

Jay and I were both chaotic good; we had good hearts, but we liked to do our own thing and challenge authority. We might’ve had a few mind-blowing nights, but we wouldn’t balance each other the way he and Cate did. She soothed his flames; I’d add fuel just to watch them burn brighter.

Thinking of Jay reminded me of Scott, aka Casper the Fucking Ghost, and the night that never happened. I shoved everyone out of my head and focused on Emily.

“Are you getting sick yet?”

Emily deserved all the happiness life could give her after everything Asshat Craig, her abusive ex, put her through.

He was the reason we had a blip in our otherwise lifelong best-friends-forever friendship.

The memory of the split-heart necklaces we wore in junior high flashed across my mind.

Mine said, Best. Hers said, Friends. We’d stopped wearing them in high school because we were more grown up or some other stupid shit, but our friendship never faltered.

The Craig-forced pause didn’t count. He didn’t want Emily hanging out with me or even talking to me because I was vocal about not trusting him. Isolating her made it easier for him to get away with the abuse. He’ll never hit anyone again .

Putting him out of my mind, I focused on the present.

The only upside to being pregnant now, if I were, was that I’d have my baby about the same time as Em, and only a little after Meg. Our kids would grow up like siblings.

Only I’d be a struggling single mom, and they’d have the support of their gorgeous, protective, alpha male husbands.

Meg was married to Jack, the middle Sheppard son.

We met when Emily needed help from SSI a little over a year ago and became fast friends.

Fast forward to today, and the three of us were like the three musketeers.

We loved laughing late into the night, comparing the men of SSI to the hero in whatever romance we were reading.

Jamie’s favorite word when describing our antics was shenanigans.

Meg and Emily were happily married and would be great moms. I couldn’t find a good guy to save my life, and doubted my ability to raise a child on my own.

I wanted an alpha male for myself, but didn’t think I’d ever find one. I dated around for a reason—I had shit taste in men. Finding a bad boy who was fun for a night or two was easier than finding a good man to be my forever.

When I tried something new, looking for a decent guy who didn’t give off bad boy vibes, I ended up with Red Flag Finn. He was nice enough in the beginning, but it turned out he wasn’t half the man I thought he was.

“No, but I probably will soon. Meg says it sucks.” No doubt. Meg struggled with morning sickness morning, noon, and night.

Emily told me about her amazing honeymoon before changing the subject.

“So, what do you have to confess? Did you find the love of your life?”

I laughed. Just the opposite .

“No, after Red Flag Finn, I’m taking a break from dating.” I looked at the table and dropped the news without fanfare. “I lost my job.”

“What, why?” Em reached across the table and took my hand. “I’m so sorry, Ashley.”

“That’s just it; there wasn’t a reason. My boss called me into his office and told me he had to let me go for budgetary reasons.

” The timing was suspect, because I’d just broken up with his nephew, the one and only Red Flag Finn.

“He gave me a month’s severance and sent me on my way. A week later, I got evicted.”

“Are you serious? What the hell?”

I shrugged, hiding my emotions behind my coffee cup.

“That’s the real reason I came home. I can’t get a new apartment without a job, and I can’t afford Gran’s nurse anymore.”

She squeezed my hand. “Let me know what I can do to help.”

“Is your company hiring?” My nervous laugh negated my attempt to sound unfazed.