Rock Harbor Series - 03 - Into the Deep (18 page)

“You make it sound easy. Have you seen how he hardly looks at me?”

Donovan nodded and shrugged. “And I’ve seen the way you cater to him—Bree too. Almost as if he is in charge.
You
be in charge, Kade. In a loving but firm way.”

Kade leaned back in his chair and let the front legs come off the ground. “You’ve given me a lot to think about,” he said.

“Don’t just think about it.
Do
it. Now. Today. Naomi and the rest of the team are meeting Bree at the training center about now to help with the search.” He gave Kade’s chair a good-natured kick, forcing Kade upright again. “So quit sitting around and get out there.”

Donovan’s intense blue eyes boring into him made him feel he could do anything. What did he have to lose, really? He was getting nowhere by doing what he thought Bree wanted.

“Okay,” he said finally. “I’ll give it a shot.”

Every muscle in Bree’s body ached from her earnest trek through the woods today. Fruitless, just as every search had been so far. She’d stopped to pick up Davy from Anu’s and had distracted him by having him help her clean the yard in front of the SAR building. Davy scooped the debris into a small wheelbarrow and carted it to the ditch along the back of the property, where it could safely decompose. The physical work helped in another way as well—it helped keep her thoughts about Samson at bay.

“How about something to drink?” she asked Davy.

“Juice?”

“I’ve got some in the fridge. You want to run get it?”

“Okay. Come on, Charley. You can help.”

Bree watched Davy link his fingers under Charley’s collar and stroll toward the building. Bless Naomi for letting Davy spend so much time with her dog. She didn’t know how he would have gotten through the trauma of losing Samson without Charley’s slobbery comfort. Her son had come so far, and she feared this setback. He’d started to make occasional midnight forays into her bed again.

As she put the rake away, Bree heard a vehicle’s tires crunching along the macadam road that led back to the training center. It was a bit
early for the rest of the team. She shielded her eyes from the warm July sunshine as she waited to see who was paying her a visit. A surge of adrenaline quickened her pulse when she recognized Kade’s truck. He must have gotten off work a little early.

She mentally shook her head at the way she still tracked his movements. It was time she got over that. Thrusting her hands in her pockets, she waited for him by the bench near the parking lot.

Bree’s gaze lingered on his broad shoulders and the way his muscles flexed against his shirt when he slammed the truck door and came toward her. “Hi!”

“Hi yourself.” He walked straight to her and embraced her.

Her arms went around him, and she laid her head on his chest. He smoothed her hair, then tipped her chin up and kissed her. Breathing in the scent of his skin, a warm masculine aroma, she felt a tingle that started in her toes and moved up to her chest in a wave of heat.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

She managed to regain her composure and pull away enough to catch her breath. “You just saw me.” She laughed and wondered if he heard the shakiness in her voice.

“I mean I’ve missed being with you like this. I want to talk to you,” he said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him on the bench.

“You seem very, uh, eager,” she said. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Everything is right.” He splayed her hand out and ran his fingers across her palm.

Every nerve in her hand seemed to spring to life at his touch. She pulled her hand away and tucked it into her lap. “What’s going on?” She eyed him.

His smile was wide and confident. “I figured out what I want, and I’m going to work to get it.”

Her heart sank. He was moving to California, taking that promotion he’d been offered once before. She swallowed and tried to think of something positive to say when all she wanted to do was burst into tears.

“Aren’t you going to ask what it is?” He reached over and took her hand again.

“Sure. What’s up?” she managed to say.

“You and Davy. You’re what I want. So I’m giving you fair notice right now. I’m going to woo you. Fletcher isn’t going to win you by default. I’ve been stupid, but I’m finally waking up. I thought you needed space, so I was trying to give it to you. But it’s separated us for long enough. It’s time for us to make plans for the future. Plans together. Losing Samson and watching you hurt makes me want to take care of you, to share your burdens.”

She stood, needing to pace to relieve some of the tension building in her chest. He kissed her hand and pulled her down onto his lap. She hesitated, then went willingly.

“I know we have some problems to work out, but I know we can do it, Bree. I love you. I’ve loved you for months.”

The
love
word, what she’d been longing to hear. “So why are you just now saying it?”

“You’ve tried to hold me at arm’s length because you weren’t sure you were ready to hear it. I won’t be put off any longer. I know you love me, even if you’re afraid to admit it to yourself. I’m going to show you your trust isn’t misplaced. I’m not like your father, Bree. I won’t leave you.”

Bree felt overwhelmed, but a part of her was powerfully drawn to this new Kade, this man with fire in his gaze and determination in his voice.

He held her gently. “Don’t run from this, Bree. That’s what you usually do. You run off and hide somewhere so you don’t have to admit your feelings. You’re afraid, and it’s okay to be afraid. I’m scared too. But I’m not letting that stop me anymore.”

Panic flared in her chest and she felt almost desperate to get away. She wriggled away. “Let go, Kade. I can’t think about this now. Davy needs me.” She knew she was being irrational, but she seemed helpless to stop herself.

The light in his eyes faded, and he let her go. She sprang to her feet and took a step backward.

“Look at me, Bree.”

Her heart seemed about to pound out of her chest, and she raised her gaze to meet his. She swallowed.

“Look in my eyes. I won’t leave you. Tell me you don’t love me and I’ll go.”

The love in his eyes brought stinging moisture to her eyes. “I . . . I can’t.”

“Then tell me you love me.”

“I’m not ready yet, Kade.”

He stood. “Then I’m going to be here when you are. But I’m not going to make it easy for you to keep putting me off. You need someone who will love you forever, who will be there when Davy wakes with a bad dream, when you’re sick or scared. Davy needs a little brother or sister. We belong together. I think you know that.”

The funny thing was, she
did
know that. She’d always known it. So why did she run from him? Was it something in her genes—some fault she’d inherited from her mother? She didn’t want Davy to have to carry her baggage. But she didn’t know how to let go and trust Kade.

“Mommy, here’s your juice.” Carrying two glasses, Davy came across the yard.

“Hey, buddy.” Kade squatted to eye level with Davy and held out his hand for a shake.

He was smiling with a confidence Bree had never seen before. This new Kade was thrilling but disconcerting.

“Hi, Kade.” Davy looked at Bree, then cautiously took the hand Kade was holding out.

“Hey, you’re breaking my fingers! When did you get so strong?” Kade winced and shook his fingers as if they hurt.

Davy’s half-frown turned to a genuine grin. “Look at my muscles.” He pushed up the sleeve of his T-shirt and flexed his arm.

Kade felt it and raised his eyebrows. “That’s a bicep. And it’s a
beauty.” He pressed again. “Rock hard. I can’t even push it in. Want to see how to make it even bigger?”

“Yeah!” Davy’s eyes went wide.

“Let’s see how many pull-ups you can do.” Without waiting for Davy’s answer, Kade hoisted him to a tree branch. “Grab hold there, big guy.”

Davy grabbed the tree branch, and Kade explained what to do. Bree watched, almost not believing her eyes. She didn’t know what had brought about the change, but it stirred her heart in a way she’d never felt.

14

J
onelle hated to do errands like this. The envelope with the money inside almost seemed to radiate heat from the passenger seat. What if she got stopped? How would she explain all that money? Zane never should have put her in this position. She should have refused to go, but she wanted to get to a phone and call her mother.

She’d managed a quick pat on Samson’s head before she left, and the mournful look in his eyes broke her heart. Sometimes she was tempted to call his owner and tell her to come get him. But she couldn’t do that. Zane would end up in jail, and where would that leave her and the baby?

Her nerves felt stretched as tight as the skins drying in the racks on her back porch. She saw Simik’s car parked by the Tastee Freeze at the edge of town and pulled the truck in beside him. Simik made her nervous even when Zane was around. He was married, but the look in his eyes when he saw her didn’t seem as though he was remembering the ring on his finger.

His gaze flickered over her when she walked toward his car, and his oily smile made her want to run.

He ran his window down. “Get in the car, and we’ll talk.”

“Zane sent you this.” She thrust the bulging envelope in his hand. “I don’t need to get in.”

“I need to count it. Get in.” His voice brooked no argument.

Sighing, Jonelle went around the car and got in on the passenger side. The rich leather upholstery welcomed her like an old friend. When she was growing up, her dad had always had fancy cars like this one. She rubbed her hand over the downy soft seat.

Simik’s pudgy fingers rippled through the bills in the envelope. “All here,” he said. He stuffed the envelope into the dash pocket. A paper fell onto the floor, but he was smiling at Jonelle and didn’t notice. “I’ve been watching you, Jonelle. You’re too good to be stuck in that hole.”

“Zane’s good to me,” she said, her fingers creeping to the door handle. If he made a move, she’d bolt.

“Want some ice cream?”

Her stomach rumbled, and she realized she hadn’t eaten all morning. It was nearly eleven now. “Okay,” she said. “Superman.”

He laughed. “Just like a kid. I’ll be right back.” He got out of the car and went to the counter.

Jonelle looked around the car curiously. Simik was an enigma to her. Smooth and suave but with rough edges. She saw the paper that had fallen onto the floor. Glancing to make sure he was still occupied, she picked it up and unfolded it.

Scanning it quickly, it seemed to describe a job offering a great deal of money to a Philip Taylor. She’d heard that name before, but where? Chewing on her lip, she glanced out the window and saw Simik coming toward the car. She stuffed the paper into her jacket pocket.

“Here you go.” Simik handed her a triple-size cone.

“I can’t eat all that,” she protested. She took the cone and hoped he didn’t notice her hands shaking.

“You could use a little fattening up.” He got in beside her and began to eat his cone.

The flavor proved how boring he was. Vanilla. Who ate vanilla these days when there were so many flavors to choose from? Jonelle took a lick of her cone. How quickly could she get out of here?

“How did someone like you get hooked up with Zane? He’s just a good ol’ boy, and you’re too good for him.”

Sometimes Jonelle wondered the same thing. She shrugged. “The usual story. He was the high school jock, and I was the head cheerleader. We thought he’d go on to pro football, but he blew out his knee. My parents tried to stop me from marrying him, but I loved him. I still do,
of course,” she added hastily. She wiped her sticky fingers on her jeans. “I’ve got to go. Thanks for the ice cream.” She slipped out of the car before he could stop her.

Only when she was back in her truck did she realize she still had the letter.

Naomi felt at the end of her rope. She’d searched with Bree yesterday afternoon, and she was still too tired today to deal with this. Timmy had been impossible all morning. One minute he was lethargic and tearful and the next he was running around the house in circles. She was ready to toss him in the backyard. If Charley had been home to play with, she might have done it too. Timmy seemed to get mad about nothing today, and she wondered if Marika’s appearance had affected him as much as it had Emily.

“That’s it—no more,” she told him when he suddenly shrieked at the top of his lungs and lunged at Emily for getting a cookie without getting him one. Naomi picked him up by the waist. Kicking and screaming, he fought her.

She carried him to the living room. “You sit here until you calm down.”

He looked at her piteously. “I don’t feel good, Mom. My stomach hurts.”

Naomi felt Timmy’s head. His skin felt cold and clammy under her fingers. “Are you getting sick on me?” she asked.

He nodded listlessly. “Maybe.”

“We’d better check your blood sugar.” She went to the kitchen and got the supplies down off the high shelf. He’d had his shot this morning, but his agitation and quarrelsome nature clicked in anyway. It looked, smelled, and acted like a sugar reaction. She told herself it might be a cold or the flu, but his sudden lethargy was beginning to scare her.

Timmy began to cry when he saw the tester.

“This is the new one, remember? It doesn’t really hurt,” she soothed. “Just don’t look and you won’t even feel it.”

He continued to sniffle. Naomi evaluated his color and didn’t like what she saw. He looked pasty. Was he trembling? She couldn’t tell if it was from fear or because he was sick. The test over, she glanced at the results and nearly gasped. His sugar was dangerously low, lower than she’d ever seen it. She wasn’t sure what to do.

She grabbed orange juice from the refrigerator. “Here, sweetie, see if this makes you feel better. We’d better take you to see the doctor.” The juice might help, but with his symptoms and his blood sugar this low, she wasn’t about to take any chances.

Timmy drank the juice. After about fifteen minutes, a bit of color began to come back to his face. Naomi dialed the phone and explained to the nurse what had happened.