Holiday Hideout (6 page)

Just who had he brought into his family’s home?

FIVE

A
bby scrolled through the medical pages in front of her. After her sister’s and niece’s deaths, she’d thrown herself into work. Staying late, entering information usually left to the administrative staff. Doing anything to keep from going home to be alone.

The other doctors had thought she was crazy. They’d seen her fatigue and grief. Offered unwanted and unhelpful advice about taking time off. They didn’t understand work was the only thing keeping her sane.

Long days of seeing patients and staying late at the office morphed into endless nights of crying and wondering what she could have done to save Keira and the baby.

Nothing, she reminded herself forcefully. Nothing. It wasn’t her fault. She’d yet to see an autopsy report, didn’t know if she’d be able to handle reading it when it came out. And so the guilt remained.

You did
nothing
wrong,
she argued with herself.

“Yeah, well, tell that to Reese,” she muttered out loud.

“Talking to yourself?” Cal asked.

Abby shrieked and spun, hand over the heart that threatened to rupture in her chest. “Oh, my, you scared me to death.”

The dimple in his left cheek appeared, and she stared at it. At him. Mesmerized by his presence. A strong compassionate man with eyes that made her melt and arms that could offer strength if she wanted to lean into them. Oh, she wanted to, she just wouldn’t.

Couldn’t.

He said, “I just came over to see if you were feeling any better.”

“Much, thanks.” She admired his handsome face. A face that said he was glad to see her. “Did you find anything about the man who tried to hurt me?”

His dimpled smile disappeared into a frown. “No. Sorry. He got away pretty fast.” He rubbed his chin and looked thoughtful. “I don’t think this was random, Abby. I think this guy has scoped the property, that he’s been watching things going on around here.”

Abby gulped. “Why do you say that?”

“Because he had it all planned out. He knew which house you were staying in and where to find you. He had the chloroform ready and he had his escape route down. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment attack.”

Fear speared her. Cal was right. It sounded like something Reese
could
do. Just not something he
would
do. Disbelief warred within her. But she knew Reese was an avid outdoorsman and he would have the equipment needed to stay out in the freezing weather. To watch, wait and make his move. She shivered and pressed a hand to her stomach that suddenly hurt.

And she couldn’t think of anyone else she’d made mad enough to want to hurt her.

“So what do I do?” She stood and started to pace. “I have to leave. I can’t let him come back here. If he does, he might decide to get really ugly and hurt anyone who crosses his path.”

Hysteria was welling up and threatening to burst through.

Then she felt his hands on her shoulders, pulling her to him. She froze and then let herself lean on him, taking in his scent, a mixture of outdoors and spicy cologne.

For a moment, she allowed herself to feel safe. When she lifted her eyes to his, she gulped to find her lips only a fraction from his.

Her heart thudded, her stomach flipped.

And then he gently set her from him and looked over her shoulder toward the computer. “What are you working on?”

Abby licked her lips, surprised at the disappointment racing through her. She’d wanted him to kiss her.

Focusing on his question, she seriously thought about dumping the whole mess on him. And then forced herself to keep those words buried deep. He was a cop. And she wasn’t fond of cops right now. Even one she wanted to kiss. She liked Cal, trusted him to keep her safe. For now. But if he found out she was running from a cop…where would his loyalties fall, then?

Instead of spilling her troubles, she said, “I was going on vacation, but I’m not one to leave work completely behind. I’m just working on some files that need updating.”

She clicked the screen closed, her tongue burning with the lie. But it wasn’t completely a lie. They were files from work and some of them did need updating. But for some reason, she didn’t want to tell him exactly what she did for a living. That information might lead him to ask more questions, to dig deeper. And she wasn’t ready to venture into that territory right now.

“Well, don’t let me interrupt.” His clean scent invaded her senses once again as he leaned in closer.

Looking up at him, she felt dwarfed by his towering height. As though sensing her feelings, he backed up a step.

“I have an extra laptop at home you can use if you need one throughout the day.”

His generous offer surprised her. “That would be wonderful.” She paused and bit her lip.

“What?” he asked reaching out his forefinger to release her bottom lip from her teeth.

The zing up her spine held her motionless for a moment. Her lip burned from his touch. Swallowing, she asked, “Why are you doing this?”

“Why not?”

Abby gave a small laugh. “Come on, Cal, in this day and age, people just don’t help each other anymore. Not like this. Taking in a sick woman, letting me stay here, offering the use of a spare computer.” She frowned, truly puzzled. “How do you know I won’t rob you blind? Or worse?”

Those cinnamon-colored eyes crinkled at the corners. “I don’t, which is why I’m keeping an eye on you.” The smile softened his words, but she could tell he was serious, too.

And he should be, but Abby didn’t know whether to laugh or be mad. “So why not take me to the nearest hotel and be done with me?”

He took his sweet time answering as he studied her. She shifted, uncomfortable with his probing stare. Then he smiled again, this time causing that dimple to wink at her. “Look, you were in bad shape and needed help. God seems to lead Mom to those people—or those people to Mom, however you want to look at it.” Pain took over the smile in his eyes. Grief flashed and she wondered at it. But instead of explaining his sorrow, he said, “The way I figure it, if God wants you here, who am I to turn you away?”

“God?” She sighed. “What’s He got to do with anything?”

Cal’s brows tightened over the bridge of his nose. “You don’t believe in God?”

“Oh, I believe in Him. I just don’t know that I trust Him anymore.” She couldn’t keep the bitter words from spewing out. But she regretted them the moment they hit his ears. “I’m sorry. I guess God and I have some unresolved issues.”

“Sounds like it.”

In his eyes, she saw compassion, a warmth that floored her. No judgment, just concern. Who was this man? What made him tick? Why did she thrill at his nearness even as she threw up the barriers to keep him at arm’s length?

Mainly because he was a cop, yes. But also because she felt almost guilty being attracted to him, which made no sense.

But it didn’t matter.

The bottom line was that she couldn’t confide in him. Cops protected each other—even when one of their own was in the wrong. At least that had been her experience. Realistically, she knew that not all cops were like the ones she’d had to deal with, but how could you tell the difference?

And she didn’t like learning things the hard way. With a sigh, she rose and walked to the window to stare out at the snow. “How many inches are you supposed to get?”

“Just a couple today. More later.” He let her distract him from the intense conversation, but his eyes said they’d revisit it at a later time. “But it’s supposed to freeze tonight. So until it warms up later in the afternoon, we’ll be kind of stuck in the morning.”

She whirled. “What about Fiona? What if the baby decides to come early?” Panic clawed at her throat in spite of Fiona’s earlier reassurances.

“Hey.” His hands came up to rest on her shoulders. “It’s okay. We’ll get her to the hospital one way or another. She’ll be fine.” He shrugged. “Or if she has to have the baby here, Mom’s all prepared for that happening.”

“But you just said we’d be stuck. Exactly how would she get to the hospital?” She ignored the comment about Fiona having the baby here. That just couldn’t be an option.

“Stuck as in not taking any unnecessary chances. If Fiona needs to get to the hospital, we’ll get her there. As to the how–” he shrugged “—we’ll figure something out.”

Abby swallowed hard. No, no, no. That wasn’t good enough. She needed him to have a plan, to be ready to put it into action if the baby came early.

But he was saying, “Besides, Mom was a nurse. She can deliver the baby if push comes to shove.” He paused, then grinned as his words registered. “Pun intended.”

Abby groaned. Not at the pun, but at the thought of Fiona having a home birth.

“Seriously, Fiona will be fine.”

His calm confidence caused the overwhelming dread to subside. “Okay, if you say so.”

“Why the panic?”

She swallowed, the weight of his hands burning into her shoulders. And feeling right. Good. “That obvious, huh?”

He nodded.

Abby shuddered. “My sister died in childbirth, a home birth,” she whispered. “She refused to go to a hospital. When she was seventeen, she was in a horrible car wreck and spent months in the hospital. She’s had a crazy fear of them ever since. And she…died. In childbirth. While all I could do was stand there and watch.”

A low sound came from him and then his arms were around her pulling her close into his strong embrace. She inhaled the scent that she’d decided belonged exclusively to him and let him offer her comfort. Tried to soak in the peace that exuded from him.

For a moment neither of them moved. Then Abby felt the guilt stab her for taking comfort from Cal when her sister was dead.

Who was holding Reese? Who was offering him solace?

She pulled away and from the corner of her eye caught sight of a flash. She blinked and looked out the window again.

Another flash. Her stomach twisted. “Did you see that?”

Cal looked. “What?”

“There was a flash of something, like the sun reflecting off a metal object. I’ve noticed it a couple of times today.”

He followed her gaze and frowned. “I didn’t see anything. You sure?”

She shrugged. “It’s probably nothing.”

Then they both saw it and Cal jerked her away from the window. Then reached over and closed the blinds.

“What is it?” she asked, alarm spreading through her at his obvious concern.

“I may be overreacting, but I think after your attack, you need to stay away from windows.”

“Why?”

“Because until I discover differently, I want you to assume the man who came after you will be back.”

Abby gulped as Cal pulled his cell phone from his pocket and pressed a speed dial number. From off to the side, phone pressed to his ear, he used a finger to lift one of the blinds. His eyes intense, he stared out the window. “Zane, check the north pasture up by the ridge where the trees are. See if you find anything—and be careful. I think someone was up there watching the house—either with binoculars or a high-powered rifle scope.”

The next morning, when he wanted to be sitting in church worshipping, Cal stared down at the pile of fresh snow covering the tracks that led from trees shading the area in the north pasture. He could see no evidence of it now, but Zane had reported that by the time he got here yesterday, horse tracks had led from the area.

Cal’s stomach tightened as he looked toward Fiona’s house. Squatting, he had a perfect view of the kitchen window. With the blinds open and a pair of binoculars, he’d have no trouble seeing straight inside.

Foreboding filled him. He had a feeling whoever had been up here watching had more on his mind than spying.

Just like before, he was scoping, watching, learning the routine.

Cal rubbed his jaw as he considered how to best defend his family, his land—and Abby.

He’d had his fair share of trouble in the past. He’d arrested would-be horse thieves once. Run off a few harmless vagrants looking for a place to set up camp for a while. But for the most part, his ranch was a peaceful place.

And he intended to keep it that way.

After Abby’s incident yesterday, Cal had called in to request some time off. Fortunately, the sheriff’s department was fully staffed right now and taking this personal time wouldn’t be a hardship on the other deputies who would cover his shift.

Eli Brody, sheriff of Rose Mountain and a good friend to Cal and his family, promised to keep an eye out for someone who didn’t fit in. Although he’d given a snort of disgust and said, “Of course you know how it is this time of year. So many strangers in town I might not spot the guy you’re after.”

“I know. He might not even be in town. He could be camping out somewhere on my property and I’d never know it unless I stumbled over him by accident. Three-thousand acres is a lot of ground to cover, but I’ve got the guys out there, watching. It’s all we can do right now.”

“Well, just be careful. Let me know if you need any backup.”

“Will do.”

Armed with the knowledge that Eli was keeping his eyes open in town, Cal hung up only to have his phone buzz once more.