The Summit (33 page)

She stared at him through eyes he knew as well as the ones he saw every day in the mirror.

“I prayed to God that He would send someone to save me,” she said. “This time He heard my prayer.”

He tried not to think how many times she must have prayed to go home but no one had ever come for her.

“What…what about Eli?” she asked turning to look down at him.

Ben's jaw hardened. He forced himself not to think of the pain he had seen in her blue eyes and spoke instead to Autumn. “We need to tie him up. In the morning we'll head down the mountain. In the meantime—”

The sentence died on his lips, cut off by the earsplitting sound of a chopper. A blinding light pierced the windows of the cabin as a helicopter circled overhead. An instant later, the door burst open and three men wearing FBI vests, guns drawn, crashed into the room, dropped from the chopper, Ben figured, somewhere close to the cabin.

Ben was damned glad to see them, even if their arrival was a little late.

The men spotted Eli Beecher, bloody and unconscious, and began to holster their weapons as they realized the scene had already been secured.

“I take it you're McKenzie,” one of the agents said, young, dark-haired and eager. “Everybody here okay?”

Ben nodded. “That's Beecher. He isn't dead, I'm sorry to say. He just looks that way.”

“We'll take care of Beecher.” The young agent smiled. “You just take care of your family.”

His family.
Two of the people he loved most in the world.

“Then again, it looks like you've been doing a pretty fair job of that already.”

Ben looked over at Beecher. “He's lucky I didn't kill him.” Would have if Beecher had given him the slightest excuse. But there was Molly to think of.

And Autumn.

It wasn't time to speak to Autumn about the future, not yet, but soon the time would come. He just hoped he meant half as much to her as she meant to him.

He returned his attention to his daughter. “Are you doing all right, angel?”

Molly watched the agents handcuff Eli, haul him to his feet and out the door.

“Is Eli going to jail?” she asked.

“Yes, Molly. For a very long time.”

“If I go home with you, what will happen to Sarah? Who's going to take care of her and the baby?”

She had always been loving, even as a little girl. He wanted to hold her so badly. He needed to reassure himself she was really alive and there with him now. “We'll make sure Sarah and her baby get everything they need, okay?”

One of the agents walked back in, carrying a handheld radio. “The pilot got lucky. He located a spot not too far from here that was wide enough he could set the chopper down. He's waiting for us there. One of the men can show you the way whenever you're ready to leave.”

Ben turned back to Molly. “Everything's going to be all right,” he said. “I promise.”

“Okay.”

“Let's get out of here.” He couldn't resist catching her hand to lead her out the door. When Molly didn't pull away, hope blossomed inside him. She was his little girl and in time she would know how much he loved her.

It was a beginning.

A new beginning with Molly was a gift from God—and Autumn Sommers—Ben never thought he'd have.

A
utumn sat across from Terri Markham at O'Shaunessy's. She hadn't seen Ben in more than two weeks, not since the night they'd been choppered off the top of Angel's Peak.

He'd called every few days, which didn't surprise her. In the weeks they'd searched for Molly, they had become good friends. And there was the debt Ben felt he owed her for helping him find his little girl. That's the way he would think of it, she was sure. Ben was an honorable man. Honorable and caring, among the many other qualities she had come to admire in him.

The reasons she had fallen so deeply in love with him.

Her heart squeezed. Dear God, she missed him.

Autumn looked across the table at Terri. Her friend hadn't said more than a couple of words since they had climbed up on the stools at the small round table.

The ghost of a smile curved Terri's lips. “You're thinking of Ben.”

“Actually, I'm trying not to think of Ben.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, it isn't all that easy.” She took a sip of the Cosmo she had ordered instead of the white wine she usually drank.

“You're in love with him, aren't you?”

Autumn ran a finger through the mist on the side of her glass. “I tried not to be. It didn't do any good.”

“How does Ben feel?”

“I don't know. Right now his most important concern is his daughter.”

Terri shook back her thick dark hair. “Yeah, it must be tough trying to put things back together with Molly after so many years.”

“He's making progress. That's what he said when he phoned.” She took another sip of her drink and changed the subject. “What about you? You look a little down in the mouth today. What handsome male has managed to get you brooding over him? It's not an easy thing to do.”

Terri took a drink from the frosty, long-stemmed glass in front of her. “Actually, I was thinking about Josh.”

“Josh Kendall?”

Terri nodded. “I asked him out but he turned me down. I didn't tell you. My ego wouldn't let me.”

“You asked Josh out on a date?”

“I called him, invited him out to dinner. I told you I was going to—or at least I was thinking about it. Josh agreed. We were supposed to go out that Saturday. I picked a place I thought he'd like, you know, something not too sophisticated. I figured that would be best.”

“Josh can hold his own pretty much anywhere. His family's got plenty of money. He just doesn't enjoy that kind of thing very much.”

“Yeah, that's what I figured.”

“So what happened?”

“That Saturday morning, he phoned me. He said he'd changed his mind, that he was seriously dating Courtney Roland. He said he'd finally figured out what he wanted in life.” She looked up, a soft, sad smile on her lips. “Apparently, it wasn't me.”

Autumn couldn't believe it. Josh had been in love with Terri for as long as Autumn could remember. “I'm proud of him, Terri. I know that isn't what you want to hear, but it's true.”

“I know. In a way, so am I. Josh finally figured out what's important, that finding someone you love who truly loves you is what really counts. I only wish that would happen to me.”

Autumn reached over and caught her hand. “I think you're on your way—I really do.”

Terri smiled. “I kind of think so too.” She took a sip of her drink. “So what about you? Have you figured out what it is you really want?”

I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to ache for Ben, to think of him every minute and miss him every hour of the day.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I had my fling. Now it's over. I'm resigned, I suppose. I still feel like shit.”

Terri laughed. “You're in love with him. If he's in love with you—”

“I told you—I have no idea what Ben feels for me. Mostly, I think he feels grateful.”

“Yeah, I imagine he does.”

A noise came from behind them. Autumn turned at the sound of a familiar deep voice.

“I'll always be grateful for what you did, Autumn.” Ben stood beside her, his dark eyes soft on her face. In the noisy room, she hadn't heard him walk up to the table. “But gratitude isn't all I feel for you. I'm in love with you, Autumn. I have been for a very long time.”

Autumn's heart twisted. It wasn't true. She didn't dare let herself believe it. “I—I suppose you might think something like that. Love and gratitude…they can get mixed up in your head. In time—”

“Time won't change the way I feel. I love you and I want you to marry me. I didn't plan to ask you standing in the middle of O'Shaunessy's but I heard what you said and I can see that if I don't ask now, I might not get another chance. I love you. Say you'll marry me, Autumn.”

Autumn stared at him as if she couldn't have heard him correctly. Part of her had longed to have him say those words. Another part thought of her father and mother and how terrible their marriage had been, thought of Steven Elliot and how she had been stupid enough to believe he loved her and wound up with a broken heart. She remembered how women loved Ben and how he was sure to get tired of her and move on to someone else.

Tears filled her eyes as she stood up from the table and looked into his beloved face. “I can't marry you, Ben. It would never work out. Surely you can see that.” She cast a desperate glance at the door. “I have to go now. I have to leave.” And then she was running, brushing past busy tables, hurrying toward the door leading out to the street.

She could hear Ben calling her name from somewhere behind her, but she didn't stop. Tears blurred her vision, but she just kept running, frantic to escape. As she raced along the sidewalk, she was terrified Ben would follow, but when she glanced back, she saw him standing on the corner staring after her, a grim look on his face.

It was over. She had known it the moment they had left the tiny log cabin on Angel's Peak. It was over—even if Ben wasn't ready to accept it.

 

Ben jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and watched the woman he loved running for her life to escape him. He hadn't seen Autumn in what seemed like forever but was only a little over two weeks. There had been so much to do, so much to take care of.

As soon as he had arrived back in Seattle with Molly, he had phoned Joanne. He'd asked to speak to John, afraid of what the shock of finding Molly alive might do to her mother. He had trusted John to gently break the news, to warn Joanne that Molly had been found and that Ben was bringing her home.

Joanne had been weeping when she finally came on the line.

“Is it true? Tell me it's really true.”

“It's true, Joanne. I'm bringing our little girl home.” He went on to explain that Molly had few memories of the family she had been stolen away from, but in time that would change.

“She'll need our help,” Ben said. “Along with Katie's and John's.”
And Autumn's,
he had thought.

He looked up the crowded street, watched her disappear among the throng of people on the sidewalk, knew she was making her way back to the safety of her condo. He should have known she would run. She was afraid to trust him with her future, afraid to take a chance on making a life with him.

Afraid to believe in happily every after.

Ben wasn't afraid. The only thing he was afraid of was that Autumn wouldn't be able to trust him enough for their marriage to work. That was the reason he had let her go. He needed her to be sure of him, certain of his commitment to her and the future they would make together.

It was the only way their marriage could succeed.

Ben sighed as he started along the street on his way back to his apartment. He would give her some time, let her mull over what he had said, then try again.

He wasn't about to give up—not yet. But neither could he marry a woman who wasn't able to trust him. And there was only so much he could do.

He remembered the incredible confidence it had taken for her to guide him to the top of Angel's Peak. If only she had that kind of confidence in herself as a woman. If only she knew how much he needed her, how much he loved her.

If only Autumn realized that with her in his life, he would never stray.

 

Two days passed but Autumn didn't hear from Ben. By now, he had surely come to his senses, realized how foolish it was for a man like him to think of marriage. Ben could never be happy with only one woman. Why should he be, when women threw themselves at him on a daily basis?

Sitting in her condo, Autumn stared dully out at the city. It was raining today, damp, dark and dismal. Exactly the way she felt.

God, loving someone hurt. She ached with a physical pain that crushed down on her like a heavy stone and yet she knew if she weakened it would only get worse. She told herself eventually she would get over it. Relationships ended all the time.

And in truth, they had never had a real relationship. A wild physical attraction to each other, yes. But aside from that, they were just two people thrown together in a desperate situation, two people searching for a lost little girl.

Autumn thought of Molly and a brief, sad smile touched her lips. Molly and Katie were wonderful children. Being part of their lives would be a privilege.

She couldn't risk it. Katie had suffered one broken home. Molly had known even worse.

She dragged herself up from the sofa, barely able to make her feet move toward the kitchen. A good strong cup of tea would make her feel better. In less than a month, school would start and working again was bound to help keep her mind off Ben.

She was reaching for the teapot when the intercom buzzed. “It's your pop,” said a familiar voice coming from the lobby. “Let me in.”

She pressed the button to admit him though she didn't really want to see him. A few minutes later, Max walked into the condo.

“Where the hell have you been?”

She couldn't look at him. Didn't dare. “Hi Dad.”

“I asked you a question.” He was furious. She hadn't seen him this angry in years.

“I…ah…I've been a little under the weather.”

“Is that so? I've been calling for the last five days. You never returned even one of my calls.”

“Like I said—”

“That's a load of bull and we both know it. What happened between you and McKenzie? It was all over the news, you and him finding his daughter. You two break up?”

She set the teapot on the stove and turned on the heat, hoping he wouldn't notice her hand was trembling. “I guess you could say that.”

“What happened?”

She turned to face him. “Look, Dad, I appreciate your concern, but this really isn't any of your business.”

His mouth flattened out. “Well, little girl, I'm making it my business. I've never seen you look at a man the way you looked at Ben. I figure you're bad in love with him. Thing is, I think he's in love with you just the same. Now tell me what the hell is going on.”

She tried not to tear up, but she couldn't help it. “I fell in love with him, Dad. I didn't mean to. God, I tried so hard not to.”

“What about Ben? Looked pretty lovesick to me the night he brought you up to the hospital.”

She shook her head, swallowed past the lump in her throat. “He thinks he loves me, but…”

“But what? The man ought to know if he loves you or not.”

“He's grateful, Dad. I helped him find Molly. He feels like he owes me.”

“More bullshit. Why'd he stop seeing you?”

“He didn't. I mean, he was busy at first with his daughter, but then…well, I stopped seeing him.”

“Why, for the love of Pete?”

“Because he asked me to marry him.”

The teapot whistled, cutting off whatever tirade Max started to make. He scratched his gray head. “I'm confused here, little girl. If Ben asked you to marry him, why the hell are you crying?”

“Because I can't do it. I can't marry a man like Ben.”

He blew out a breath. “I guess I'm missing something here. What the devil's wrong with him? Seemed like a fine enough fellow to me.”

Autumn squared her shoulders, looked him straight in the face. “Ben's a lot like you, Dad. Women love him and he loves them. I could never be enough for him.”

Max frowned. “Tell me this ain't because of me and your mother.”

She glanced away. “I know how men are, Dad. They can't be faithful. It isn't in their nature.”

Max's busy eyebrows came together. “Well, you've had a belly full of losers, that's for sure. But if a man loves a woman—really loves her—it isn't hard to be faithful.”

She snorted a laugh. “Yeah, sure.”

Max caught her hand, led her into the living room, sat her down on the sofa, then took a seat in the overstuffed chair. “I never thought to say this. I didn't want to hurt you. Now I see it has to be said.”