by Jean Oram
“Why?”
“For letting him speak so poorly to me.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Mom.”
“I know. But it’s how I feel. And anyway, I think you’re dad basically figured it out.”
“But don’t you worry that he thinks you don’t trust him?”
“No.” Her mother bent down to pick up a white shell. “We’re also a lot stronger now than we were back then. We’ve had time to build a foundation of trust and honesty. We look out for each other. But that doesn’t mean it’s all black-and-white.” She swatted at the air as though batting the topic away. “Anyway, he’d probably laugh and call me a silly goose for worrying about it after all this time. It’s so minor.”
Was that all she and Ashton needed? Time? Time to build more trust in each other?
She thought of Ashton, and how he’d said he was trying to protect her. Maybe she’d deliberately blinded herself to his intentions, taking her past wounds and making the moment about them and her fears instead of what was really happening—the way he was sheltering her from possible danger.
That was something you did for someone you loved.
Zoe had been so certain she was right, but maybe Ashton was, too.
“Do you think I pulled the trigger too quickly?” she asked her mom, wincing as she waited for the answer.
“Of course I do. You’re single and regretting it, are you not?”
And that she was. It was just a matter of what to do about it.
Officer Ben Andrews was standing in the cottage living room, speaking into his radio. After a series of “yups,” he faced Ashton.
“Time to move.” He gave a quick smile, revealing a dimple in his right cheek. “Ready?”
“Where are we going?” Ashton stepped toward the bags he’d packed after his call to the man in the driveway earlier. Officer Andrews had urged him to pack, stating that when it was time to leave, that was it. You were gone.
“We feel it’s best to put you in a safe house until we have a better handle on what sort of threat we’re facing.”
“A safe house?”
“There’s a child involved.” He nodded toward the stroller, where Jaelyn was sleeping soundly.
“And Zoe? Is she coming?”
“A patrol unit will continue to keep an eye on her, and we’ve alerted the resort’s security team.”
“But Morty might try to get to Quentin through me via her. We dated for a while.”
“That’s been taken into consideration.” The cop gave that dimpled smile again—surely he thought it was disarming, but all it did was frustrate Ashton. “We feel you and the child are at greatest risk right now. We may move Zoe as well, but we try to create as few disturbances in the lives of civilians as we can in situations like this.”
“I think she needs protection.”
“She has some, and we’re analyzing—”
“More.”
“We’re looking into it,” he replied patiently.
Jaelyn began fussing, then outright shrieking until Ashton moved into her line of sight. She stretched her arms to him, her panic palpable.
“I’m here, I’m here,” he said, trying to soothe her as he picked her up.
Looking at her, and struck again by how much she’d grown, he realized just how fast life moved on. He’d lost so much in the past few months, but this little child had lost so much more. Her mother, then him, then her birth father. And home after home after home.
She needed stability and love.
He needed stability and love.
“She’s got some serious separation anxiety,” Officer Andrews commented, as Jaelyn clung to Ashton, her sobs settling. “You said you’re her adoptive father?” He’d given Ben the full lowdown on their situation. “Because I’d say she’s bonded with you just fine. Is this all you need?” He gestured to Ashton’s bags.
“Yes.”
“We’ll have an escort here in a minute. Things are going to move fast. Just do as we say and trust us.” He braced a hand on Ashton’s shoulder. “Can you do that?”
“Yes, Officer.” He gave a solemn nod. “And thank you.”
The man released him and spoke into the radio clipped to his lapel. “Ready to move.”
Ashton feared his disappearance would put more of a target on Zoe, and he opened his mouth to say so, but the officer was peeking around the curtain he’d closed upon arrival. He gestured toward the door. Ashton couldn’t carry much with Jaelyn clinging to him, so he took the largest bag he could. Several officers came through the door, their expressions serious as they wordlessly took the stack of belongings before ushering Ashton and the baby out the door to the waiting vehicles.
Ashton quickly installed Jaelyn’s car seat, and he looked into her eyes as he buckled her in. She smiled around the pacifier in her mouth, her whole face lighting up as he climbed in beside her.
Forgiveness.
She had forgiven him for leaving her. But it still impacted her, filling her with doubt. Just like Zoe. She’d been afraid of him leaving her again.
And now he was.
He’d shut her out when Morty had arrived, and was about to vanish again for who knew how long.
But he still hadn’t changed, had he? He hadn’t let her all the way in. He was still holding her at arms reach at times.
Ashton realized that while he’d seen forgiveness in Zoe’s eyes, he had never truly forgiven himself. Deep down, he felt as though he didn’t deserve a second chance for the way he’d abandoned her, for the way he hadn’t found a solution to help everyone.
He had to stop shutting her out.
They moved through the quiet streets of Indigo Bay, collecting curious looks from early morning joggers who knew something was up as soon as they spotted the three cars driving in tandem, one a police cruiser, the others unmarked, but still identifiable due to their present company.
One car peeled off down the street that led toward Zoe’s.
“What time is it?” Ashton asked. Shouldn’t she be at work by now?
She should be coming with them.
“Please,” he said, clinging to the seat in front of him, “whatever you do, protect Zoe.”
Chapter 9
“I’m sorry. What?” Zoe stared groggily at the large man standing on her front step, trying to make sense of his words. She’d come home from her walk on the beach with her mom and had changed into her pj’s, then crashed on her bed to think. She’d fallen asleep for what felt like hours, but her clock said it was only a little after nine in the morning.
“We believe your life is in danger, and we need to move you to a safe house.”
“A safe house.” Zoe seriously needed some coffee to sort this one out. She had crawled out of her cocoon of sleep only because she was worried someone’s house was burning down, given the incessant knocking. Well, that and the fact that Logan Stone, Ginger’s husband, had phoned her to tell her to answer the door.
“Ashton Wallace mentioned a threat has been made against you.”
“How do you know? Who are you?”
The man shifted his weight from foot to foot. He was antsy, that was for certain.
“I’m Zach Forrester.”
She blinked at the large man. He was built like a cage fighter and had the scars to back up the image. But there was a gentle confidence to him that put her at ease.
“Logan Stone’s associate,” he added, his voice as uneven as the cut of his rumpled, dirty blond hair.
“Oh.” Zoe rubbed her face. “Why are you here?”
“I hacked into the surveillance at the resort where you work. Morty Gallagher has been keeping tabs on you.”
“I think I need to eat something. I don’t feel so good.”
“We feel it’s best to move you somewhere safer until we can neutralize the threat.”
Zoe involuntarily took a step back, pressing a hand to her throat.
Neutralize the threat.
Houdini tore past her feet and
into the yard. She ran after him, Zach attempting to snag both of them on the way by, and failing. The stones of the walkway were cold under her bare feet, the cat a gray blur as he streaked off.
“Ms. Ward!” Zach called.
“I need to catch him!” Houdini ran into the street, where a black SUV screeched to a halt to avoid the collision.
Grateful, Zoe met the driver’s eye as she reached the curb, then jumped back. It was Morty Gallagher, and he was getting out of his vehicle.
Hours ago, when Ashton and Jaelyn had been placed in a small airplane, he had asked where they were going and where Zoe was. He hadn’t received an answer. As the plane landed in what seemed to be the middle of a hot and dry nowhere, he was still clueless.
Back in Indigo Bay, the officers had picked up the pace shortly after one of the vehicles had peeled off toward Zoe’s. Everything had ticked faster then, the officers wordlessly zipping things into place. Ashton and Jaelyn had been shuffled out of town, taken to a private airport and sent on their way.
Ashton climbed down the plane’s narrow steps, his stomach growling, the sun high in the sky and Jaelyn asleep on his shoulder. Low rolling hills surrounded the tiny airport. Private hangers lined the single strip of asphalt that served as a runway, with a gravel road running parallel. At the end of the runway he was pretty sure he spied barbed-wire fencing and a herd of cattle grazing in the scruffy underbrush.
“Where are we?” he asked a man who looked like a typical small-town sheriff, all hat, friendly smile and bit of a gut, no doubt thanks to some hearty home-cooked meals.
“Texas,” he replied simply. “You’re staying in a safe house.” The pilot had climbed out of the plane and was loading Ashton’s belongings into the back of a pickup truck that was likely as old as the cracked and heaved tarmac beneath his feet.
“How long?”
“Reckon nobody knows. Hours? Weeks? Time’ll tell.”
The sheriff began pushing him toward the pickup, where a woman in a cowboy hat was waiting. Ashton shifted the child in his arms and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, stopping him. “Where’s Zoe Ward? Is she okay?”
“I heard there was a complication back in Indigo Bay, and that private agencies are now involved.” He avoided making eye contact. “The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”
“What? No. No, don’t tell me that.”
“I’ll let you know more when I’m authorized to do so.”
Ashton felt the world sway. He had a hollow feeling in his gut that refused to go away. Numbly, he climbed into the truck and, once seated, closed his eyes for a moment, pulling himself together. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Zoe.
The woman at the wheel reached across Jaelyn’s car seat, which had already been installed on the regular cab’s one bench seat, her hand outstretched. “Alexa McTavish. Pleased to meet you. Gonna buckle up that little one?”
Ashton snapped out of his daze and settled Jaelyn for the trip.
“Are you an officer?” he asked the woman.
“Nah, I just know some people out in Indigo Bay; and with my rifle skills and new ranch out in the middle of nowhere, they figured I could keep someone safe.” She winked as she pulled out of the grassy parking lot.
Ashton looked behind and saw the sheriff following them.
“Don’t worry,” Alexa said, “there will be twenty-four-hour police surveillance.”
“Is this a real safe house? Like you see in the movies?”
“I don’t know what kind of movies you watch, but I’m guessing no. But we’ll keep you safe.”
Ashton supposed that was about all he could ask for at the moment.
Zoe blinked from her spot on the pavement, her head throbbing from a surprise hit. It was cold beneath her, the asphalt under her palms surprisingly gritty. She could see Houdini hiding under a bush across the street, his eyes catching the morning light and his tail twitching.
To her right was Morty, flat out on his back, blinking slowly. His SUV door was still open, the engine running, and Zoe struggled to piece together the flurry of activity that had happened after she’d run into the street. She hadn’t been hit by the car, but rather had been clobbered by Morty as he’d tried to abduct her.
Beside her, Zach pounced on the stunned thug, flipping him over as though he weighed nothing, placing his knee squarely on the man’s lower back, then whipping his hands behind him and cuffing them.
Several thin wires were strung across the pavement, and Zoe realized Zach had Tased Morty with darts from his spot several feet away.
Thank goodness for Logan’s associates. Namely, Zach Forrester. Especially since from nearly half a block away she could see Indigo Bay’s most annoying officer, Paul Moore, hoofing it toward them. His so-called surveillance had been a little too discreet, putting him far from the action and definitely too late to play a part in her rescue.
Zoe groaned as she picked herself off the street. Her knees and hands were aching with road rash, and the back of her head was screaming.
If Zach had Morty, did that mean the danger Ashton thought she was in had ended? And what about Ashton?
Zoe’s neighbors, Bob and Mary, came rushing out of their home. “Are you okay?” Bob called.
“Stay back!” Zach yelled, hand extended in the classic Stop! position.
Paul had run back for his car, an unmarked sedan, and now he parked it, angled across the street, with a squeal. The light on its dash flashed red and blue, and he jumped out, gun drawn.
“Check the vehicle for more people,” Zach commanded.
“Who are you?” shouted Moore.
“Paul, just do it,” Zoe snapped. She’d known him since they were kids, and was still surprised he’d not only passed the rigorous training, but had been hired to keep the town safe. He had a thing for procedures, rules and regulations, which sometimes prevented him from doing what was needed—such as watching her house from a close enough distance to be useful.
Paul quickly complied, finding the vehicle empty.
Zach placed Morty in the back of the unmarked police car as if he owned it, making Paul squirm and fidget as though trying to sort out how to jump in and be useful. Zoe watched as Zach and he had words, with Paul just about saluting him at the end.
Zach came over to where Zoe was sitting on the curb, gingerly plucking bits of sand and gravel out of her scraped knees. He helped her up with a surprising tenderness for a man of his size.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Let’s see.” He tipped Zoe’s head down to check it. “You’re going to need stitches.”
She touched the back of her head, surprised to find it wet.
Zach waved to the officer, making gestures Zoe didn’t understand. Seconds later Paul pulled away, with Morty in his custody.
“What about Ashton?” Zoe asked. “Can someone check on him? Morty was looking for him.”
“He’s in safe hands.”
Zoe was weakened by the relief that rushed through her.
“Let’s get you taken care of.”
“I have to get my cat first.” Zoe looked up, hoping to find Houdini still in the bushes. Instead she found Mary, her neighbor, holding the escapee, eyes wide.
“I’ve got him, Zoe,” she said, her voice higher pitched than usual.
“Can you watch him and the rest of the gang for…” She looked to Zach for an answer on how long she might be gone.
“However long is needed?” he asked firmly, on her behalf.
“Of course, of course.” Mary hurried across the street in her slippers and bathrobe, heading toward Zoe’s house, where the door was still wide open, the cats scattered through the yard, taking advantage of their freedom.
Zoe thought of all that could have happened during the past five minutes, and turned to the nearest shrub to empty her stomach.
Chapter 10
Dr. Browning stood under the fluorescent lights in the Ind
igo Bay police station and stitched up the laceration on the back of Zoe’s head, where she’d been struck by Morty. He’d been called in as the officers didn’t want her out in public—even with them at her side—if it could be helped. And with it being a small town, the doctor was more than happy to make a house call.
“All fixed up,” he declared, as he removed the gloves he’d been wearing. “The stitches will dissolve on their own, so no need to come in and have them removed.”
“Can she fly?” Zach asked. He was standing by the door of the interrogation room, arms crossed. He’d been asking the doctor more questions than Officer Tara Powell, making Zoe curious about who was in charge. If Zach didn’t have jurisdiction here he was certainly acting as though he did.
“Fly?” Zoe repeated.
“Yes,” Dr. Browning told Zach. “Luckily, it’s only a minor concussion.” He smiled warmly at Zoe. “You may feel your symptoms a little more acutely, is all. Take good care of yourself.”
“I will. Thanks.”
The man picked up his doctor’s bag and exited the room.
“Thanks for coming in,” Tara said, seeing him out. She turned to Zach. “You’re cleared to take Zoe to the safe house.”
“But isn’t the danger over?” Zoe asked. “You have Morty in custody.”
Zach checked the clip on his gun, a move Zoe found intimidating. He caught her look, but said nothing.
“Men like Morty don’t work alone,” Tara explained. “Just because we’ve waylaid him doesn’t mean the danger has passed.”
Zach added, “Sometimes it means quite the opposite.”
Zoe shivered.
“You cold?”
She nodded. Cold, and scared out of her mind. Her only solace was that Ashton was tucked away somewhere safe.
“I’ll find you some clothes,” Tara said.
Zoe looked down at what she was wearing. Her pajama T-shirt and shorts.
“Will I see Ashton?”
The officer smiled before she slipped from the room. “We’ll see.” But the way she lifted her eyebrows told Zoe all she needed to know. She was going wherever he was.
