If only she could wave or give some kind of distress signal. They were less than fifteen feet from the checkpoint with only two cars ahead of them.
Assuming that her captor was delivering an explanation for his presence and planning to pass through without stopping again, Kaitlin’s spirits plummeted. All she could do at this point was bang on the windows or shout when she was closer. The way things looked, her captor was right. Efforts as feeble as those were bound to be ignored.
And then she saw him. He never slowed, never looked aside to check on her, yet she knew exactly who was limping past. Somehow, Daniel had found her and was on his way to end this nightmare.
As long as her kidnappers didn’t notice him in time to interfere, he had a good chance of making it all the way to the troopers.
Clasping her hands and throwing herself on the mercy of her heavenly Father, Kaitlin began to pray for all she was worth. Tears rolled down as pleas rose up. Specific words were less important than the condition of her heart, her wounded spirit. She was counting on her Savior for His promised intercession.
Realizing it was out of her hands she began to whisper, “Thank You, Jesus,” over and over.
The driver returned. The patrol car started to roll forward.
Kaitlin refused to concede defeat.
* * *
“That’s right,” Daniel was telling one of the men at the barricade. “Chief Broderhaven can vouch for me.” He pointed. “The woman in the rear of that unit is being kidnapped. She’s not an official police prisoner.”
It was all he could do to stop trying to explain and let the other lawmen puzzle it out. As long as they had doubts they’d have to act.
One of them left the line and returned to his car. Daniel watched him using his radio. Although he appeared no less confused when he came back, at least he wasn’t laughing.
“The sergeant says to take charge of this guy and the other prisoner and hold everybody until he can sort this out.”
Daniel presented his wrists to be cuffed. “Good idea. I think it would also be smart if you checked the IDs on those cops who have my friend, Kaitlin.”
“We can do our jobs,” the younger trooper blurted.
The more seasoned officer, however, was nodding. He rested his palm on the grip of his pistol as he sauntered up to the city unit and motioned for the occupants to get out.
Daniel held his breath. Resistance leading to an armed confrontation was the last thing he wanted.
The front car doors swung open. Two burly men exited. Now that Daniel could see their faces clearly he realized that at least one was an impostor. Apparently the trooper in charge had come to the same conclusion because he cuffed the driver while signaling to his partner to secure the other man.
The rear door popped open. Kaitlin clambered to her feet. Met his gaze. And ran straight into his arms.
All Daniel could do was loop his joined hands over her head and hold her. Words failed him, even words of comfort. This was the beginning of the end.
This was also the beginning of a new beginning, providing he didn’t mess it up. He couldn’t tell if she was crying or laughing or just gasping for breath. It didn’t matter as long as she was safe—and stayed that way.
As they were escorted to a waiting state vehicle he asked, “Did you speak with Broderhaven?”
“My commanding officer just did. I’m supposed to take you into custody—for your own protection.” Pausing beside his car, the trooper removed both sets of handcuffs then held the door open for them. “Hop in. I’ll be back ASAP.”
Sliding across the seat, Kaitlin gave him so little room he barely fit. That was a good sign. A very good sign. She also leaned into him as soon as he slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“I am now.” She joined in the embrace. “I was afraid you’d lost track of me.”
“I had. If we hadn’t stumbled into this roadblock...”
“We?”
“Yeah. I met another old boy like Barney. This one, Jim, volunteered to drive me.”
Snuggling closer, Kaitlin sighed, then chuckled softly. “I guess one of those names will do, but I really wish you’d made friends with somebody like a Kurt or Justin.”
“Why?” Totally puzzled, Daniel hooked a finger under her chin and raised her face so he could look into those amazing blue eyes while he tried to figure her out.
A blush rose. She grinned up at him. “Because,” Kaitlin drawled, “I intended to name our firstborn son after one of the strangers who was so wonderful to us.”
Daniel choked. Coughed. Finally regained his senses. “I—I haven’t even proposed yet and already you’re naming the kids?”
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” Kaitlin said. “We have a lot of little details to work out, such as making sure no more hit men are lurking in the bushes, but we will. I know we will.”
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Um-hum.”
She leaned in closer. Daniel dipped his head. His lips brushed hers, then settled as if they had always belonged there. Life with this woman was going to be an adventure, all right, but he was more than ready for it to begin.
And judging by the way she was kissing him back, Kaitlin was, too.
EPILOGUE
Kaitlin had returned to Paradise and finished her paramedic studies by the time Daniel was ready to relocate. She’d spoken to the police chief in her little home town and a position was waiting for him. That left only his personal safety to worry about.
When he attended her paramedic badge-pinning ceremony he brought the news they had both been waiting for.
“The Feds raided the gang’s headquarters just outside St. Louis and were met with armed resistance.”
“Oh, no!” She slipped her arms around his waist.
“It’s not that bad for law enforcement but the leaders who had put out the contract on me are out of the picture. I guess they figured dying in a shootout was better than going to prison for the rest of their lives.”
“It’s really over?” she asked, sounding both relieved and doubtful.
“It’s really over. And I haven’t had any nightmares since I decided to move to your hometown.” Daniel gave her a kiss before he added, “So, are you ready to marry me?”
“We’ve had almost a year to really get to know each other. You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
“No. Have you?”
She stepped into his embrace. “No way.”
He held her close. “The only thing that bothers me is those boys names you mentioned, honey. When we do decide to start a family, do you suppose you’d reconsider?”
Cupping his cheeks she looked up at him with a grin and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Sure. Besides, all twelve kids may be girls.”
His jaw dropped. “Twelve? Twelve, really?”
Kaitlin was laughing so hard she didn’t act as if she’d heard a word he said. That was his Kaitlin. His future wife. His beloved. Life with her was certainly not going to be dull.
* * *
If you loved this story, be sure to pick up the first book from Valerie Hansen’s Emergency Responders miniseries:
Fatal Threat
And check out these books from her The Defenders miniseries:
Nightwatch
Threat of Darkness
Standing Guard
A Trace of Memory
Small Town Justice
Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from Lost Rodeo Memories by Jenna Night.
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Dear Reader,
I come from a family filled with firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and nurses. My stint as an EMT was a short one but it taught me a lot about the rigors of that life. As Kaitlin and Daniel observed in this story, it takes a special kind of person to put themselves out for others, over and over again, with no expectation of reward or praise. They burn out. They struggle against unmerited guilt for failing to save every victim. They remember years later what a suffering child may have said to them in the midst of a terrible wreck and it haunts them.
So the next time you see or hear an emergency vehicle, please stop and pray for the ones aboard and the people they are racing to help. And if you harbor any doubts about your prayerful connections to the Lord, start by asking Him to accept you into His, into our, family.
I love to hear from readers! Visit me at my website, valeriehansen.com, or email me directly at [email protected].
May you be blessed and thankful for it every day.
Valerie Hansen
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Lost Rodeo Memories
by Jenna Night
ONE
“She’s alive!”
Melanie Graham wasn’t sure if she just heard someone yell something, or if she’d been asleep and dreaming. Feeling groggy, she lifted her heavy eyelids and found herself gazing at a dark night sky, dotted with spiky silver stars. Her view was silhouetted with pine-tree branches high overhead that shifted back and forth in the cool, swirling breeze.
That was odd.
When she’d gone to sleep last night, it was in a bed in a hotel room. Her lodgings were across the street from the Community Attractions Arena in Leopold, Wyoming. After three hectic days the Wild Ride Rodeo had come to an end. She’d carefully packaged up all the jewelry she had left in the sales booth she’d rented in the merchandise-and-concessions area—and there wasn’t much left over, as sales had been good—and then she’d gone to her hotel to relax and get a good night’s sleep. She distinctly remembered setting her alarm so she could wake up early and start the four-hundred-mile drive back home to Bowen, Idaho, just as the sun came up. So what was she doing lying on the ground?
“Ma’am, are you Melanie Graham?”
She shifted her gaze to look at the young man kneeling on the ground beside her. He was holding a flashlight and wearing a jacket with the words Event Security written across the front in big silvery reflective letters.
Apparently he’d been talking since she’d first opened her eyes, but his words hadn’t registered. The sound of them was like hearing someone speak on TV, in another room, when she wasn’t watching the program. It felt like what he was saying had nothing to do with her.
Except, maybe it did. Whatever was happening right now wasn’t a dream. It was real.
A jolt of terror shot through her chest, and she sat up, screaming and trying to crawl backward, away from the man, even though she wasn’t sure why. The sudden movement made her head spin, throwing off her balance until she found herself pathetically crawling on her side, tearing her hands on exposed rock and pine cones and tree roots, but she didn’t care. From deep inside something screamed at her that she had to get away.
A second man stepped through the trees, into the small clearing. He was bigger than the event security guy. He, too, carried a flashlight. When he got closer, she could see the light shining on a badge, and that he wore the uniform of a Miles County, Idaho, deputy sheriff. The county where her home was located. It was one more thing that didn’t make sense.
Confusion made her head pound. And then she realized something else was making her head pound. It actually felt sore.
“Confirm, we’ve found Melanie Graham,” the deputy said in a deep voice into his collar mic. “Get emergency medical services moving toward my location.”
At the same time Melanie reached up to touch her sore, aching head. Her hair felt damp. Even before she looked at her fingertips in the glow of the two flashlights, she knew by the coppery scent that she’d touched blood.
What had happened to her?
Her body began to tremble. Her head started to spin even faster. She couldn’t catch her breath.
“Melanie.” She heard the deputy say her name, but she couldn’t stop staring at the blood on her fingers. Couldn’t stop trying to peer past the shrouded memories in her mind and figure it out. How did she get here?
“Melanie.” The deputy’s deep voice was louder now and it broke through her trance. She turned to him. He crouched beside her. Dark hair, dark eyes, the expression on his face focused and thoughtful, yet compassionate at the same time. “You’re safe,” he said.
Safe from what?
“I’m Lieutenant Luke Baxter,” he said. “I’m a deputy sheriff.” He reached out his hand, but didn’t actually touch her. He waited for her to make the first move.
Finally she took his hand. “What happened?” she asked, struggling to sit up.
“Wait,” he cautioned, while holding up his other hand in a staying gesture. “It would be better for you to wait until the medic checks you out before you start moving around too much.”
“What happened to me?” she repeated.
He lifted an eyebrow. “I was hoping you could tell me.”
“I don’t even know where I am.” Her voice caught and she could hear a sob rising up in her throat. She’d never felt so lost in her life.
The deputy squeezed her hand a little tighter. His touch, along with the feeling of calm and strength emanating from him, made her feel a little less panicked. “You’ve obviously sustained a substantial blow to your head,” he said. “That can leave anybody addled. We’ll get you to a doctor as soon as we can.”
She heard tree branches snapping, boots stomping on hard-packed dirt, and people talking, and then an emergency medical crew stepped through the trees and into the clearing.
“What’s the last thing you can remember?” the deputy asked.
Melanie got the impression he was in more of a hurry now. That he wanted to get all of the information he could from her before the paramedics transported her to the hospital.
She tried hard to think back, but the last thing she could remember was being in the hotel in Wyoming. A flare of panic threatened to push the sobs she’d been swallowing back up to the surface again. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She squeezed the deputy’s hand a little harder, because right now he seemed like the only certain thing in her life. The only anchor she could hold on to.
Which was crazy, because she’d only just met the man. But she didn’t want to face any more strangers right now. Didn’t want to feel any more bewildered and overwhelmed than she already did.
“Oh, dear Lord,” she began to pray softly, uncertain what she would say
next. And immediately the thought came to her. I will be with you always.
She was never alone, even if she felt alone. How many times had she reminded herself of that over the last couple of years, as she’d pieced her life back together? Lots of times. Her lungs were tight with fear, but she managed to take a deep breath and blow it out. She loosened her grip on the deputy’s hand without actually letting go of him and answered the paramedic’s questions as best she could.
During pauses in her conversation with the medic, Melanie spoke to the deputy. “The last thing I remember is going to sleep in my hotel room in Wyoming.”
By his long silence she could guess he was trying to decide what he should say to her.
“I realize I must be back home in Miles County,” she said.
“Where do you live?”
“In Bowen.” The biggest city in the county. Which didn’t mean it actually was a big city. Some people probably wouldn’t call it a city at all.
They were interrupted while one of the medics talked to her, shined a pen light in her eyes several times and felt around for any apparent broken bones. Her head still pounded, but at least the dizziness had subsided.
“You aren’t far from town,” Luke said while the medic called in to the county hospital’s emergency room, with an update on Melanie and a request for further directions. “You’re in the woods just south of the county fairgrounds.”
“Oh, that’s a weird coincidence,” she said. “I’m going to have a booth there, where I’ll sell my jewelry during the rodeo in a couple of weeks.”
“Tonight was the last night,” Luke said.
“Of the rodeo? How can that be? It’s two weeks in the future.”
“It ran this past week, as scheduled.”
So she’d lost two weeks of her life? That wasn’t possible. Panic started to raise its ugly head again. She could feel her heartbeat speeding up. Her face getting warmer.
“How did you know to come out here, into the woods, looking for me?” she asked, not certain she wanted to hear the answer.
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