Her Mistletoe Protector (10 page)

“He has the money, what more could he want?” she asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure he planned to kill you both,” he rasped out.

Before Rachel could respond, Joey shouted, “There’s the cabin!”

Sure enough, Nick could make out the familiar log cabin through the bare tree branches. The place looked smaller than he remembered, but as long as the wood-burning stove worked, he thought they’d be fine.

“We’ll need to discuss this more, later,” he said quietly to Rachel. “For now, let’s get settled, okay?”

When she nodded, he lengthened his stride to catch up to Joey. Rachel didn’t want to believe she and Joey were still in danger, but he knew they were. And he vowed to do whatever it took to keep them safe.

* * *

Rachel explored the small kitchen area inside the cabin, relieved to note that there were plenty of canned goods, soups and stew for them to eat. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust, but nothing was outdated or spoiled. She frowned, knowing that the place needed to be cleaned but that it would be impossible without water.

“First we’ll build a fire to make it warm in here,” Nick was telling Joey. “Then we’re going to prime the pump outside.”

“What does that mean?” Joey asked, hovering near Nick as he stacked wood in the large wood-burning stove in the center of the room. There were dried leaves and twigs, too, and soon he had a roaring fire going.

“The well has to be closed up in the winter, or else the pipes will freeze,” Nick explained. “We’ll prime the pump to get the water running again. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

Rachel watched Joey and Nick interact with a distinct male camaraderie. She knew her son longed for a male role model, which was one of the reasons she’d gotten him involved in sports like basketball. At least his coach was a decent role model for her son.

But to see Joey bond with Nick like this was worrisome. What would happen once this nightmare was over? When Nick went back to his job, leaving her and Joey to make a new life for themselves? She and her son might even have to move in order for her to find work.

The last thing she wanted was for Joey to be hurt again. He’d already suffered so much. The image of the way he’d reacted when Morales ripped the hood off his head was seared into her memory.

Granted, Nick wasn’t going to hurt her son on purpose, not the way Morales had. But she knew, with deep certainty, that her son would eventually be hurt just the same.

This was exactly why she hadn’t dated or tried to form any relationships with men. And even though she knew most men weren’t connected with the Mafia, she wasn’t sure she was ready to think about a relationship of any sort. Friendship, yes. But she’d stayed alone because she knew Joey was at a vulnerable and impressionable age. Avoiding relationships was easier than allowing Joey to get close to someone, only to be hurt if the relationship didn’t work out. When Nick and Joey went back outside to work on the pump, she grabbed several cans of stew and set them on the counter.

Nick wanted to talk later, and that was just fine with her. Because she wanted to talk to him, too. He had to understand that he needed to keep his distance from Joey.

For her son’s sake.

The interior of the cabin warmed up to the point she could take off the bulky jacket and the dark sweatshirt, wearing just the long-sleeved crew neck T-shirt. She stripped off the sheets draping the furniture, sneezing as the dust ticked her nose.

When Nick and Joey returned a few minutes later, they were both grinning from ear to ear. “We did it, Mom!” Joey exclaimed as he and Nick stamped their feet on the mat inside the doorway. “We primed the pump and now we have water.”

“Great,” she said, forcing a smile when her son looked up at her. “I’m going to clean the place up a bit, and then I thought we’d have the canned beef stew for dinner.” Lowering her voice, she slanted a quick glance Nick’s way. “Don’t forget, we need to change the bandage on your arm, too.”

“Plenty of time for that... Let’s eat first,” Nick said. “We’re lucky to have electricity. Apparently my parents are still paying the bills.”

“The cabin belongs to your parents?” she asked, curious in spite of herself.

“To my mother,” Nick corrected. “I’m going to hike back to the car to get my laptop.”

“Can I come, too?” Joey asked.

She opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted by the sound of Nick’s phone ringing. He scowled at the display and then walked down the hall, obviously seeking privacy as he answered. “Yeah?”

She couldn’t hear much of the conversation and was still trying to figure out a way to prevent Joey from following Nick around like a lost puppy, when Nick came back to the main room, his expression grim.

She tensed, fearing more bad news. “What’s wrong?”

“They found the Jeep and, Morales, uh, is no longer a threat,” he said carefully, glancing at Joey in a way that told her the man who’d kidnapped her son was dead. “But I’m afraid there’s no sign of the duffel bag or the cash.”

Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and she couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Unfortunately,” Nick continued, “whoever hired Morales appears to have gotten away with it.”

TEN

N
ick mentally kicked himself as Rachel’s expression froze at the news. He felt helpless knowing that Morales had been killed and all of Rachel’s money was gone. The chance of finding out who had set up the kidnapping was slim to none at this point, now that their best lead— Morales—had just become, literally, a dead end.

After a long moment, Rachel let out a sigh and shrugged, avoiding his direct gaze. He knew she had to be upset at losing her company like this, but if that was the case, she didn’t let on. “I’m glad Morales won’t be able to hurt anyone else ever again,” she murmured. “Maybe it’s wrong, but I can’t help thinking he ended up getting exactly what he deserved.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to explain how God expected them to forgive those who trespassed against them, but there was a tiny part of him that tended to agree with her. He could forgive Morales and even the guy who’d hired him, but he also knew that those who sinned often paid the price.

If they were alone, he’d go into more detail about the crime scene, but since Joey was listening, he chose his words carefully. “The man behind all this is a professional, but we can’t give up. We’ll figure out who it is sooner or later.”

“I know,” she agreed, although her expression didn’t exactly radiate confidence.

“Do you want to come for a walk with us to the car?” he offered. Oddly enough, he didn’t want to leave her here in the cabin alone, especially after giving her such depressing news. “Shouldn’t take us more than fifteen minutes or so.”

She hesitated but then nodded. She put both her sweatshirt and the jacket back on and crossed over to join them. He held the door as they trooped outside, and he sniffed, appreciating the woodsy scent intermingled with fireplace smoke that lingered in the air, bringing back fond memories of the good times he’d spent up here with Uncle Wally and with his family.

Joey grabbed a small branch that had fallen from one of the trees and swatted the brush as they walked. Rachel stayed next to Nick, and his hand accidently brushed hers, making him wonder what she would say if he took her hand in his. She’d never said a word about the kiss, although he hadn’t mentioned it, either.

But he’d certainly thought about it. Too much. He wanted to kiss her again. But this wasn’t the time or the place.

“Are you okay?” he asked under his breath when Joey had gotten far enough ahead of them that he couldn’t hear them.

“Fine,” she said, kicking a rock with the toe of her athletic shoe. “I knew the risk, right from the start. As I told you before, getting Joey back safe and sound was worth every penny.”

Nick couldn’t help playing the what-if game. What if he’d insisted on getting the FBI involved? Would they have gotten Joey back and still have Rachel’s cash, too? Would they have caught the guy who’d killed Morales? Would Rachel and Joey be safe at home where they belonged?

As much as he wanted Rachel and Joey to be okay, it bothered him to think about the fact that once this was over, he wouldn’t be seeing either of them again. Immediately, he felt guilty for even considering replacing Becky and Sophie with Rachel and Joey.

No, he couldn’t do it. As much as he cared about Rachel and her son, he and Rachel would be much better off if they simply remained friends once this was over. Maybe he could be sort of a big brother to Joey. Do things like taking him to ball games or just playing catch. Surely, Rachel wouldn’t mind having some downtime—being a single mother couldn’t be easy.

The more he thought about the possibility of staying in touch with Joey, the more he liked it.

But, first, he had to keep Rachel and Joey safe, while figuring out a way to get her company back.

“I’m going to need your help in order to keep investigating all the possibilities,” he murmured.

“I’m not sure how much help I’ll be,” she protested wearily. “And what’s the point of getting your computer? I can’t imagine there’s any internet available up here.”

“The last time I came up with Uncle Wally, I was able to get a signal from someone else’s internet tower as they didn’t have it secured with a password.” He caught her surprised gaze and shrugged. “Figured it was worth a shot to see if the signal is still available.”

“There’s the car,” Joey shouted, running forward as if they were in a race. “Open the trunk, Nick!”

He caught a glimpse of annoyance in Rachel’s gaze and tried to figure out what he’d done to upset her as he pushed the button on his key fob, making the truck spring open. Joey grabbed his computer case and proudly brought it over to him. “Here you go,” he announced.

“Thanks, Joey,” he said, looping the strap over his shoulder. Before he could say anything more, the boy ran back to shut the trunk for him, too. Nick grabbed the first-aid kit from the front seat and then locked the car.

“We need to talk later,” Rachel whispered as Joey made his way back over to where they waited.

“Okay,” he agreed, even though deep down he could tell by her tone that, whatever she wanted to talk about, it wasn’t going to be good.

* * *

Rachel knew she was overreacting to Joey’s eagerness to assist Nick, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. As they made their way back to the cabin, she quickened her pace to keep up with her son rather than lagging behind with Nick.

“Hey, stop here a minute and look up at the stars,” she said to Joey. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Wow, there’s so many,” Joey whispered in awe.

“Out here in the country it’s easier to see them,” she explained. “Back home, the lights from the city tend to get in the way.”

Nick came up to stand beside them, tipping his head back to enjoy the view, as well. For a moment, she could almost pretend they were a family, rather than hiding up here fearing for their lives.

This was what Anthony had stolen from her all those years ago. And she hadn’t even really understood how much she’d missed what she’d never had, until now.

A loud noise, like a tree branch snapping in two, made her jump, and she instinctively reached out to grab Joey’s hand. “Stay with me,” she whispered, drawing him close.

“Rachel, take Joey and this stuff back to the cabin,” Nick said in a low voice.

A shiver snaked down her spine and she glanced around warily. They were surrounded by trees, which wasn’t reassuring, since she couldn’t see much in the darkness. She took the computer case from him and slung it over her shoulder. She held the first-aid kit tight to her chest. Despite being irked with Nick earlier, she was loath to leave him now. “Come with us,” she urged softly.

“Could be nothing more than a deer or some other animal,” he assured her. “Go inside and lock the door. I’m going to take a look around.”

Nick was armed and could probably take care of himself, yet it was still difficult to leave him alone. But now that she had her son back, she wasn’t about to risk losing him again, so she gave a jerky nod.

“Come on, Joey,” she whispered, shielding him as best as she could as they quickly ran in the direction of the cabin. Even after getting safely inside, she couldn’t relax. She secured the dead bolt lock into place, set down the laptop and the first-aid kit on the rough-hewn kitchen table and then doused the lights. She hoped the darkness would shield them from anyone watching from outside, although there wasn’t much she could do about the yellow glow of the fire.

“I thought the bad man was gone?” Joey asked fearfully.

“He is gone,” she said, trying to smile. “You heard what Nick said—I’m sure the noise was probably from a deer. Nick is being extra careful because he’s a police detective and that’s what policemen do. Come sit on the sofa in front of the fire with me.”

Joey went over to the sofa and she desperately searched for something to use as a weapon. A kitchen knife would only work if the thug came in close, so she bypassed that option. Her gaze fell on the trio of fireplace instruments Nick had used earlier to help start the fire. The poker was long, made of cast iron and was pointy on the end. Since the poker gave her the best chance to protect herself and Joey, she carried the stand of fireplace instruments to the right side of the sofa and set the poker so that it was well within reach, before she snuggled in next to her son.

“I’m scared,” Joey whimpered beside her.

Her heart squeezed in her chest. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, sweetie, and neither will Nick,” she said. “You’re not alone anymore. We’re safe here inside the cabin with Nick protecting us.”

He responded by burying his face against her arm, clinging tight. She hugged him close, a wave of helpless despair washing over her. How much more could the poor kid take? He’d already been through so much. More than any child should have to bear.

She’d thought that getting Joey back would solve all her problems, but she was wrong. Because they were here, cowering in the darkness of the cabin, fearing the worst.

Nick was right—they needed to keep investigating in order to find the person who’d set up the kidnapping. Because they wouldn’t be safe until they knew the truth.

Tense with fear and worry, she stared at the front door of the cabin, hoping and praying Nick would return soon.

* * *

Nick melted into the trees, moving slowly and carefully, the way Uncle Wally had taught him all those years ago. He hadn’t liked hunting deer the way Uncle Wally had, but he’d learned enough from his uncle to move quietly through the woods. He held his gun ready, in case he stumbled across a man or wild beast.

White-tailed deer tended to feed in the early morning or early evening, so there was a good possibility that a buck or a doe moving through the woods had made the noise. There weren’t bears in the area, at least not that he knew about. The snapped branch had seemed too loud for a small animal like a raccoon or a skunk, although possums could grow to a fairly good size. Maybe one had fallen out of a tree?

Nick was sure he hadn’t been followed on the ride up to the cabin, so he found it hard to believe the kidnapper could have found them. Even if the kidnapper had the brains and the means to track him here, it would take a lot of expert digging to connect the cabin to him.

He made a slow, wide circle around the cabin. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, no signs of anyone lurking around. He came across a deer bed about twenty yards behind the cabin, which made him relax. Deer were close by, so it was likely that’s what they’d heard.

There was a small structure back there, too, and he moved forward cautiously. When he got closer, he wrinkled his nose at the smell, realizing this was the old outhouse that Uncle Wally had used before installing the well and the small but functional bathroom. He opened the door and flashed his small penlight inside, to make sure it was indeed empty. Then he made his way back around to the front of the cabin.

The lights were off inside, although he could see the flickering flames from the fireplace. He stood on the porch for another few minutes, straining to listen. When he didn’t hear anything, he tapped lightly on the door. “Rachel? Open up, it’s me, Nick.”

After a few minutes, he heard her disengage the lock and open the door. “Did you find anything?” she asked.

“Just a deer bed in back of the cabin,” he said cheerfully. He closed the door and relocked it. “Not only does that prove that deer are close by, but also that they’ve felt safe enough to make a bed here.”

Rachel’s smile was strained as she nodded and glanced over at her son, who was burrowed into a corner of the sofa. “Did you hear that, Joey? There’s a deer bed behind the cabin.”

“What kind of bed?” Joey asked, a puzzled frown furrowing his brow.

“Deer like to sleep in tall grass. Not only is the grass soft, but it also keeps the deer hidden during the day. In the early-evening hours they get up and move through the trees, looking for something to eat.”

“What do they eat?” Joey asked.

“Speaking of eating, how about I heat up our supper?” Rachel suggested, heading over to the kitchen area.

He crossed over to sit beside Joey. “White-tailed deer are vegetarian, meaning they eat grass, leaves and berries. In the winter, when there aren’t as many leaves, they eat the bark off the trees.” He remembered his uncle Wally explaining that culling the herd of deer by hunting them in season was better than letting them starve to death. Logically he agreed, but that didn’t make it any easier to kill the beautiful, graceful animals.

Joey continued to ask questions and he patiently answered them, figuring that the more they talked, the more the child would be able to relax and feel safe.

“Dinner’s ready,” Rachel called a few minutes later. Joey crawled out from his spot on the sofa to cross over to the kitchen table. Nick threw another log on the fire and then joined them.

He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. “Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing us food and shelter tonight, and we ask that You continue to watch over us, keeping us safe from harm. Amen.”

“Amen,” Rachel echoed.

After a brief moment, Joey, too, said, “Amen.”

Nick lifted his head and smiled at them both. “Thanks for praying with me. And this looks great, Rachel, I appreciate you cooking dinner.”

“All I did was heat up the beef stew in a pot on the electric burner,” she protested. “I don’t think that counts as cooking.”

“It does in my book,” he said. The hearty beef stew hit the spot and Rachel and Joey must have been hungry too, because between the three of them, they finished every bite.

“I’ll clean up,” he said, carrying his and Joey’s empty bowls over to the sink.

Rachel looked as if she might protest but then must have decided to take the opportunity to spend time with her son. He heard them exploring the cabin, although since it wasn’t very big, it didn’t take them long. Rachel brought a quilt with her from the back bedroom and covered them with it as they sat on the sofa, staring into the fire.

Seeing Rachel snuggled up next to Joey filled him with bittersweet longing. If he were alone, he’d probably think about Becky, but right now, he found himself captivated by the way the light from the fire flickered over Rachel’s hair.