A Love for Safekeeping (8 page)

The picnic tables were crowded with people nibbling on doughnuts and candy apples. Kyle tucked Jane’s hand more firmly in his, and they worked their way to the long line where the heavy scent of apple pulp filled the air.

A bee whizzed past Jane’s eyes and tangled in her hair. “Get it out,” she yelled, feeling the bee droning near her scalp. She shook her head like a hairy wet dog.

“If you’d quit wiggling, I could,” Kyle said, trying to hold her head in place.

She squeezed shut her eyes, and Kyle tugged at her strands of hair as the bee struggled loose and flew away.

He slid his arm around her shoulders. “You shouldn’t panic. Bees like sweet places to alight on.” He reached up and nuzzled her cheek.

“They scare me to death.”

As the words left her, a familiar voice called her name, and Jane swung around.

Celia waved, guiding a tall, trim man toward them.

“Celia,” Jane called back, eyeing the good-looking stranger.

“You mentioned the cider mill yesterday, and I suggested it to Len.” She gestured to the man at her side. “Len, this is Jane. I’ve told you so much about her, and this is Kyle.” Celia caught the fellow’s arm. “This is Len Hirsch.”

Len nodded and shook their hands. “Feel like I know you already, Jane. Celia keeps me posted on your exciting life.”

“Too exciting for my taste,” Jane said. “It’s nice to meet you. Now I have a face to go with the name.”

Celia glanced behind her at the growing crowd and gave his arm a tug. “Maybe we’ll see you later. We need to get in line.” With a wave, Celia and Len hurried off.

Jane wiggled her eyebrows at Kyle. “Finally I got to meet the wonderful Len Hirsch.”

“He’s the new friend?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she said as the line moved forward, taking them from the sunlight into the mill.

Inside, the scent of deep-fried doughnuts filled the
room. Her taste buds awakening, Jane remembered the delectable crunchy outer coating of the fried cakes. When they exited the mill, Kyle carried a jug of cider, and Jane, a small bag of crisp, greasy doughnuts.

“Let’s find a spot along the stream. You can lay claim while I run back for the picnic basket.”

He grabbed her hand, and they followed the stream to a quiet area beneath the trees. Jane sank to the seat, stretching her legs along the bench as Kyle trotted back down the path to the car.

She pulled two plastic cups from her jacket and set them on the table, then poured some cider into one. Taking a long drink, she quenched her thirst with the tangy juice. “This is the life,” she said to the trees.

Hearing a bee humming past her ear, Jane ducked and watched it land on the bottle cap. It rose again and buzzed around the cup in her hand. She swished away the pest, then swigged down the cider and turned the used cup upside down on the bottleneck.

The bee droned toward her again.

“Silly bee, go away.”

Jane jumped away from the table and wandered along the bank of the stream. Only the hushed sound of the water and an occasional birdcall filled the silence. The noisier crowd at the mill was cut off by the blockade of trees and distance.

A low concrete wall serving as a barricade rose beside a steeper embankment, and she slid onto the rough surface, watching the stream hurry past below her while the pesky bee attacked the cider jug.

With her elbows balanced on her legs, Jane rested her chin on her laced fingers, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. The sunlight shimmered through the
trees, dropping diamond sparkles on the swift-running water.

She loved summer, but autumn filled her with a warm, homey feeling, reminding her of bonfire singalongs, roasted hot dogs and harvest moons. And now that Kyle had stepped into her life, her days seemed warmer and cozier than they’d ever been.

Hearing the crack of a twig underfoot, Jane glanced over her shoulder. “Kyle?”

She waited, searching for the sign of Kyle or an unseen squirrel, at least. She shot a look up the empty path, then scrutinized the trees and brush. Nothing.

“Kyle? Is that you?” Her silly jitters again. How many times had she jumped at nothing but her imagination? With one last inspection, she turned back to the water.

She wondered what was taking him so long. Tension rose up her neck, and she glanced behind her again. Jane shook her head at her foolishness.

Peering down the stream, she wondered how far she was from the mill and parking lot, but foliage blocked her view. She leaned toward the water, stretched forward and clung to the edge of the concrete, her hands clutching awkwardly behind her.

Kyle’s hurried footsteps sounded behind her. “Finally,” she said, hoisting herself forward to a safer position on the ledge.

Before she could turn to face him, two hands propelled her forward, and in one black moment, she tumbled from her perch and ricocheted through the tall grass down the jagged embankment.

F
ear didn’t catch up with Jane until she hit the bottom. She skidded down the rocky incline and caught herself against a low scrub bush before skidding into the water. The fall assailed her like a nightmare, and she struggled to face the shocking truth.

Coiled into a protective ball, Jane lay a few feet from the bank, trembling with fear. A throbbing pain shot from her ankle up her leg, and she fought back tears that rushed to her eyes.

Confusion and fright bound her to the hard, cold ground like leg cuffs. Struggling for courage, she looked toward the incline, fearing her enemy would be descending the embankment after her. But she saw no one. The cement ledge and upper bank were empty.

With quivering limbs, she raised herself on hands and knees, testing her throbbing ankle. Hearing sounds above her, she trembled until she detected Kyle’s voice.

“Jane?”

She let out a whimpering cry.

“Dear Lord, Jane.” She saw him making his way with caution down the steep embankment. “What happened?”

Her tears flowed, and her words were muffled in the hiccuping sobs. He eased her from the ground and wrapped her in his protective arms. She clung against his chest, feeling his heart pounding against her own. Struggling to speak, she opened her mouth again.

“I can’t understand you.” He bent his ear toward her face. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

She tugged the words from her throat. “Someone pushed me.”

“Pushed you?” He eyed the embankment. “Who? Did you see who it was?”

She shook her head, unable to speak.

“Are you hurt?”

She pushed back the welling tears. The pain knifed into her foot. “Just my ankle.”

He crouched and pulled up her pant leg, inspecting her ankle while she braced herself against his back. His fingers gently probed the lower leg and ankle bone, and she flinched with his cautious touch.

Voices sounded above them, and Jane jerked her head upward. “What happened?” Celia leaned over the cement wall, her eyes wide. Len stood beside her.

“She took a tumble,” Kyle called. “I’ll explain later.”

He straightened her jeans, then stood and captured her shoulders in his hands. “I’m sorry I took so long. I invited Celia and Len to join us, and I waited to show them the way. I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t know.” She looked into his eyes through a blur of tears. “And neither did I, or I
wouldn’t have turned my back.” She thought of him, the way he was always on guard.

“Can you put weight on your ankle?”

“I’ll try.” When she lowered her foot flat on the ground, the throbbing increased up her leg.

Kyle slid an arm around her supporting her weight at the shoulder, then looked up the embankment. “Len, can you come down and give us a hand? I’d like to keep pressure off this ankle.”

Len grabbed the rough ledge for balance, then turned and edged down the incline sideways. “How’d you fall?” he asked as he neared the bottom.

Jane shivered. “Someone pushed me off that ledge.”

He scowled. “Someone what?” His voice rose in disbelief. “Kids, huh?”

“I didn’t see who it was.” Tears pressed against the back of her eyes, and she squeezed her lids closed, controlling the torrent that struggled for release.

“Grab her under the other arm like I’m doing,” Kyle instructed. “We can keep some of the pressure off the foot.”

Jane stared up the steep embankment, wondering how they would keep from tumbling back down again. But they supported her arms and eased her off the ground, keeping her weight from the ankle. They pressed forward, stepped, then paused, until they reached the top.

As soon as they set her down, Celia threw her arms around Jane’s neck. “It’s terrible. When will it end?”

“I wish I knew,” Jane murmured, still unbelieving.

As if on the job, Kyle took charge. “Could you grab the stuff—the cider and cooler—while I get her to the car?”

Celia and Len responded and gathered the gear while Kyle shouldered Jane to the parking lot.

Before reaching Kyle’s car, Len stopped and motioned to his. “Mine’s right here. I’ll throw your stuff inside, and we’ll follow you. Hospital or where?”

Jane stiffened at the word
hospital.
“No, I’ll be fine. Let’s go to the house. If something’s really wrong, I promise I’ll go then. I want to get out of these dirty clothes, and—”

“And you want your doughnut,” he said, maneuvering her into the seat.

She could only nod, trying to change her grimace to a grin. He closed the door, and Jane rested her head against the seat back. When they were on the highway heading home, Jane related the whole story, beginning with the cider and the irritating bee.

After she finished her tale, Kyle remained silent. His hands gripped the steering wheel, and she figured he was concluding what she was. “I’d like to think this is a coincidence, Jane, but…”

“I know. The thought’s been going through my mind. But why? What have I done to cause someone so much hatred? Even in my past, I can’t imagine anything.”

“Don’t look for anything sensible. What happened before you were pushed?”

Recalling the moment, her chest tightened. “I thought it was you. From the footsteps.” Visions she didn’t want to imagine crashed through her mind.

Kyle stared at the road. “Size? Any impression? Could it have been a woman?”

A woman? Celia? Was she a suspect? Impossible. “No, not a woman. The person was too strong. The footsteps too heavy.”

“Heavy because the person was running? A man or woman hitting you with a running force could jettison you over the edge without a problem.”

“Maybe, but….”

Kyle’s line of questioning faded. “I’m just brainstorming, Jane.”

“Be honest, Kyle. Are you thinking it’s Celia? I can’t believe that.”

He glanced at her. “Not really. I’d been talking to her minutes earlier, but she knows your comings and goings.”

“Impossible. And she has no motive.” Confusion addled her thinking. “No. Absolutely not.”

“How about her friend?”

“Len? I don’t even know him. I met him today. Anyway, you were with him, you said.”

“I was, until he ran their cider to the car.” He shook his head. “Forget it. I’m a cop, Jane. Everyone’s a suspect. It could be anyone.”

She shifted in the seat, lifting her foot higher on the car floor and hoping to relieve some of the throbbing.

Kyle eyed her movement. “Foot hurt?”

She told another of her whopping untruths. “Just a little.” If she didn’t hurt so badly, his tender expression would have touched her, but she could barely think.

“Do you have one of those elastic wraps at home? I want to wrap your ankle.”

“I don’t know.” Jane forced herself to focus on bandages. “No, I don’t think so.” Instead of thinking of foot wrappings, her thoughts were jumping from Skylar to Celia, then to Len and Sam Malik. Finally, to Charlie.

For a moment, even Kyle was suspect. She released
a jagged breath, forcing away the tears that pressed behind her eyes.

“Pain?” Kyle asked, his face etched with worry.

“Everything,” she said, wondering when it might end. She shifted her head against the headrest. Should she admit to Kyle that he could be a suspect, too? She had to think things through. Set traps?

Laughter and tears pervaded her at the same time. Traps? How could she think such a thing. Kyle’s father was a pastor. But hadn’t Kyle said he wasn’t like his father? Her nails dug into her clenched fists. She unwound her fingers, stretching them in her lap.

“When we get to your place, I’ll get some ice on your ankle, and then I’ll run out and pick up an elastic bandage. That should help. If it’s a break, I’ll take you to Emergency.”

“It’s not that bad, Kyle. I can see my doctor on Monday.”

“I know the difference between a sprain and a break. Boys in blue are ready for everything. We help little ol’ ladies across the road, we deliver babies and we catch criminals. We can even bandage a sprain.”

Studying his concerned profile, Jane dismissed her suspect thoughts. Kyle cared about her.

She looked out the window and was grateful they were nearly home. Kyle pulled into the driveway, and Len parked behind him. As they hurried from the car, Kyle apologized. “I’ll need to get out, Len. After I get Jane inside, I want to pick up an elastic wrap for her.”

Len glanced at his car. “Look, I’m parked behind you. Let me go. I saw a pharmacy right up the road. You and Celia can get Jane inside.”

The decision made, Len pulled away while Kyle scooped Jane into his arms and headed for the porch.
He lifted her as easily as a child, and she felt like one cradled lovingly in his arms.

“Door key?” He braced her weight against his knee.

“In my…” Concern smacked her. “Did someone pick up my purse?”

“Sure did,” Celia said, then grimaced. “All the stuff’s in Len’s car.”

“So we wait,” Kyle said with a look of distress.

Jane hesitated. She kept a key hidden outside for such occasions, but distrust bogged her disclosure. Could Celia or Kyle…? Her heart answered her question.

“Problem solved,” Jane said. “I have a house key in one of those fake rocks under the shrubs there.” She gestured to the landscaping beneath her front picture window. “It looks real but the bottom slides.”

Celia stooped down and, in a moment, pulled out the artificial rock. “This? It’s the biggest one here.”

“Looks like it,” Jane said.

Celia turned the stonelike object over and slid the back away. “Voilà,” she said, exposing the key.

Celia unlocked the door, and by the time Len returned, Jane was sitting with her foot propped on a stool, her ankle packed with ice.

Wilcox sauntered up to Len with a plaintive meow.

“Who’s your friend?” Len asked, handing Kyle the pharmacy bag. He bent down and nuzzled the cat’s fur.

“Wilcox,” Jane said, feeling relief from the numbing ice. “He thinks he’s family.”

Len gave her a knowing nod. “Family is family.” He grinned at her ice-weighted ankle. “How does it feel?”

“Better.”

“Good.” He took a step toward the doorway. “I’ll get the rest of your stuff, and then Celia and I’ll leave you guys alone.”

Kyle dropped his hand on Len’s shoulder. “Don’t run off. We still have a picnic.”

Celia moved to Len’s side. “No, Jane’s been through enough. We’ll bring the stuff in and be on our way.”

“Appreciate your help,” Jane said from the confines of her chair.

“That’s what friends are for,” Celia said with the shake of her head. “Sorry things turned out this way.”

When the supplies were inside and they’d gone, Kyle fixed Jane a sandwich and poured her a glass of cider.

Though she’d felt hungry earlier, Jane’s appetite had faded. She nibbled on a crust, feeling helpless.

Kyle had no problem. While he chomped on his three-decker concoction, she watched him, grateful for his friendship. In the past weeks, she’d grown to care about him more than she wanted to admit. Her restless nights were filled with memories of their first cautious kiss.

Now it was different. He slipped his arm around her with natural ease, and often his eyes sought hers, filled with a look that melted her heart.

Motivated by memories, she’d struggled to control her feelings, but she was losing the battle. Though she’d made a promise long ago to steer clear of cops, when she met Kyle, she’d broken the promise.

His face filled with question, Kyle broke the silence. “What’s on your mind?”

She faltered, knowing how he always knew her thoughts. “Just thinking,” she said.

“Me, too. I want you to get a cell phone. Everyone has them…and right now, you need one.”

Her spirit lifted at his concern. “Good idea. I suppose I’m old-fashioned not owning one.”

“You said it.” He gave her a toying wink, then clamped his mouth around the last bite of sandwich.

Her thought slipped back to the cider mill. “I’d thought today would be so different.” She felt embarrassed now at her earlier romantic visions. She’d pictured them nestled on a bench, eating doughnuts and—

“Me, too. In more ways than one,” he said, reaching across the table to capture her hand.

His touch surprised her. “What do you mean?” she asked, but praying he’d say what she’d been thinking.

Amusement curved his lips. “Better yet, I’ll demonstrate.”

“Demonstrate?” Her heart swelled, recognizing his familiar prattle.

He rose, bracing his weight on the chair arms and lowered his lips to hers.

Jane met his mouth. Yielding to his tenderness, she lingered there before drawing away.

“Well?” Kyle asked, hovering above her, their lips so near, she could feel his breath brush against her skin. “We may get that right with practice.”

Pleasure rippled down Jane’s spine.

Kyle straightened his back. “Not quite the way I’d imagined it, but very nice all the same. So now, how about a greasy doughnut?”

“Why not?” she said, savoring the taste of his lips above her long-awaited fried cake.

He tugged open the grease-soaked bag and reached inside. A scrap of paper came out with the doughnut. Kyle hesitated, then unfolded it, scanned the message and handed it to Jane. His face told the story.

Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks. When she saw the words, the horror cut through her heart.
Look! Look! Look! See Jane fall.