Appalachian Prey (Lavender Mountain Book 1; Appalachian Magic)

by Debbie Herbert

  He regarded her evenly. J.D. could be an ass. Could her dislike for him be coloring her opinion of his integrity? “Go on. Why?”

  “Just the other day I saw Uncle Thad give a him a large roll of money. They were pulled over to the side of the road in an area overgrown with trees and brush—an area sheltered from public view.”

  Harlan frowned. “Maybe J.D. bought something from him?”

  “The only thing I saw exchange hands was my uncle handing him money and then J.D. slipped him an envelope.”

  That didn’t sound good. A local sheriff receiving money from a known moonshiner? Still, he had to be fair. “I’ll ask J.D. about it. He might have bought a large-ticket item from Thad and then your uncle gave him a receipt. Something explainable.”

  “More likely J.D.’s on the take to turn a blind eye.”

  If his boss was accepting money to keep quiet about moonshining, what was to keep him from doing the same with illegal drug operations? Could he be the one tipping off the distributors before a raid? If he was, they had a real mess on their hands.

  Lilah’s mouth twisted. “Can you leave my name out of it when you ask J.D. about the money? He’s already unhappy with me. Makes me uneasy to tick off the sheriff.”

  “Don’t worry,” he admonished, wanting her to relax and have a good night’s rest after her ordeal. Everything else could wait until morning. “All’s well. You have the sheriff’s deputy wrapped around your little finger.”

  “Do I?” she asked wistfully, cocking her head to the side.

  “How can you not know that?” he asked roughly. He’d opened his home to her, despite the fact it was probably the worst thing in the world for him career-wise.

  Her lips tugged at the corners and she held up both hands, ticking off the reasons why on her fingers. “One: because you’ve never told me you loved me. Two: because I’m bad news for your dream job. And three: because I’m pregnant.”

  All true. And yet, he couldn’t deny that she sent his emotions on a tailspin like no other woman had ever done.

  “I love you, Harlan,” she said simply. Her eyes shone like pewter.

  “I—I care about you.” He closed his eyes and tried to order his jumbled thoughts. Could he make this work? Marry a Tedder—one possibly pregnant by another man of all things—and still win the election?

  But even if he became the next sheriff, without Lilah by his side, it would be a hollow victory. He was confused, yes, but he knew one thing: he wanted her here with him. To protect her from any harm. Forever.

  Only one way to do that. He slid down the mattress and planted one knee on the floor.

  “Marry me, Lilah.”

  She sucked in air and a hand flew to her chest. “But...” She glanced down at her belly.

  “I don’t care who the father is. I mean, yes, I care, but even if the baby’s not mine, I want you, Lilah. What do you say?”

  In less than a heartbeat, she was in his arms, her fingers raking his hair, pulling him toward her in a kiss. Her mouth was urgent and pliant against his. The press of her body and the smell of her skin mixed with the soap and the shampoo were like a drug. He could never get enough of Lilah. Not ever. Their bodies sank onto the bed and he leaned on his elbows, taking in the sight of her flushed with passion.

  “I take it that’s a yes?”

  * * *

  A THOUSAND TIMES YES.

  In answer, she kissed him again and wiggled her hips against his erection. He might not be able to say the words yet, but he loved her. Whatever messed up hell his dad had put him through growing up, Harlan had a great capacity for love. He’d just proved it by asking her to marry him when he believed her pregnant by another. One day, he would recognize his feelings for what they truly were.

  His mouth captured one of her nipples and he suckled while one hand traveled up her inner thigh, hot and demanding. She gasped as one of his fingers entered her core and began moving in and out. He knew just where to touch, where to press and how hard. Lilah broke away and quickly helped him tug out of his jeans. He was as ready as she was and he thrust inside her, the tension building between them in a familiar intimate storm. She came first, and then she floated back down, watching the tense lines of his face and the darkening of his eyes as he reached his own climax.

  He rolled off her and she snuggled against his side. Together, their labored breathing relaxed to normal. Lilah traced the strong plane of his jaw and cheekbones.

  Now was the time.

  “Harlan?” she began tentatively, suddenly nervous.

  In response, he took her hand and kissed her fingers, his gaze intense.

  “I have something to tell you.”

  “Go on.”

  “The baby’s yours,” she whispered.

  He didn’t move, other than the widening of his eyes.

  She’d expected more. A smile, a hug...something. “Is that okay?” she asked nervously.

  Harlan eased back and propped up on his elbows, studying her.

  She bit her lip. “There hasn’t been anyone else for me, either. I didn’t want to tell you earlier because, well, I didn’t want you to feel like you had to marry me.”

  “You lied to me.” His voice was hard and unbending. “All this time. You left me wondering. Do you have any idea what it’s been like?”

  Oh, hell. She’d ruined everything. “I’m sorry. Can we—maybe start over again?”

  Harlan was out of the bed in a heartbeat, picking up his tossed clothes in angry swiping movements. She’d never seen him like this before, as if he couldn’t even bear to look at her.

  “Just wipe the slate clean, huh?” he snapped. “Forget you lied to me?”

  She sat up, gathering the bedsheet over her breasts. “I’m willing if you are.”

  He glared at her. “I bet.”

  Her own temper rose. “You haven’t exactly been blameless yourself. You broke off with me because you didn’t think I was good enough for you.”

  “Not true.”

  His face flushed, whether from anger or guilt she couldn’t say.

  “It is true,” she insisted. “You as much as admitted it the other day.”

  “My qualm wasn’t with you, it was with your family.”

  “Same thing.”

  He walked out.

  Lilah hugged her knees to her chest, feeling as disoriented as when she’d been lost in the woods. To go from the happiest moment of her life to the silent aftermath of a fight left her shaken.

  It’s going to be okay, she promised herself. He just needs to cool off a bit and come to grips with the news. After all, she’d had weeks to come to terms with the situation. By morning, this may well have blown over.

  Chapter Twelve

  It hadn’t blown over.

  Breakfast had been civil, but decidedly cool. He’d left for work and returned home a couple of hours later, offering to take her to the cave with him. A peace offering, she’d hoped. But on the drive out, Harlan looked about as solemn as she’d ever seen. Maybe coming along to the cave wasn’t such a hot idea. “You want another cup of coffee?” she asked, holding up the thermos like an olive branch.

  “No more caffeine. I just want to throttle your cousin Lavon. That’s all.”

  At least he was directing his ire elsewhere. “I always feel that way about him. I take it you talked to him this morning?”

  “Tried to. He denied shooting at you. Claimed he was nowhere near the cave yesterday.”

  Doubts assailed her mind. Had she been wrong? She’d been distraught last night. Maybe her dislike of Lavon had tainted her judgment. “Let it go, then. I can’t prove it and there’s a chance I’m wrong.”

  “I’m not letting it go. No way. Told Lavon I was keeping an eye on him and if he ever came at you again that... Well, never mind the details. At least I managed to
shake up his smug expression a little near the end. Said he was telling his dad that I’d harassed him.” Harlan snorted. “As if I’m scared of Thaddeus Tedder.”

  She wished she’d kept her mouth shut about her suspicions. Now things would be all awkward with Aunt Vi and Uncle Thad. Lilah sighed and looked out the car window for the rest of the drive.

  “Sure you want to go back out there?” Harlan pulled off the road at the Mossy Creek Trail entrance.

  “Positive.”

  Anything was better than sitting around fretting. She’d give her aunt and uncle a few days to simmer down about this mess and then pay them a visit. She unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the cruiser.

  A few strewn cigarette butts and some tossed plastic cups near the trail opening were a reminder of last night’s ordeal. Lilah took a deep breath and headed into the woods. She was damn lucky to be alive and walking this same path.

  Harlan stepped beside her, his expression still somber. He seemed so...remote and official, wearing his stiff brown uniform. Unapproachable, even.

  She forced some cheer into her voice. “This might be fun. Who knows what we’ll find in that cave? Jimmy, Darla and me were convinced it held treasure.”

  “When you were still old enough to believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus?” A trace of a smile hovered on his lips.

  “Not just any old treasure. Pirate’s treasure—gold, swords, doubloons.”

  “Those were some crazy lost pirates if they wandered from shore all the way to the North Georgia Mountains.”

  Nothing seemed impossible when they had been little. Her throat closed shut remembering Darla’s face when she’d found a necklace Jimmy had planted for her in the cave. She’d squealed in excitement, dancing a jig and laughing. She always had liked pretty baubles. A shame she hadn’t owned more of them in her short life.

  Lilah fanned her face. It was warming up quick. How could Harlan stand walking around in that hot uniform?

  “Oh, there’s the old still down in the draw if you want to take a look at it,” she said, pointing at the location.

  “Might as well.”

  They walked down to the creek and she led him to it, fighting back a bit of guilt. If her father could see her now... But he was dead. Maybe exposing all their dirty family secrets would lead to finding his and Darla’s killer.

  Harlan bent down and picked up the plastic water bottle. “This yours?”

  “Yeah. I stopped to tie my shoelaces when I heard the first shot. Forgot all about the water and hightailed it that way.” She pointed eastward.

  “Doesn’t the main trail take you to the cave?”

  “I was in a bit of a hurry,” she said drily.

  “Of course. I want to retrace your steps, though. You don’t need to go through these brambles. I can meet you at the cave.”

  “No way,” she said with a snort. “I’m not walking there alone.”

  “Fine, you can help me. Keep your eyes peeled for shotgun shells. Which way did you run after you dropped the bottle?”

  She pointed straight ahead and he walked forward, with Lilah in tow. Nearly a hundred feet later, he retrieved a plastic casing from the ground. “Here’s one of them.”

  “Will it do you any good?”

  “Some. We can check the firing ping marks on the shotgun shell’s primer for microscopic identification—see if it matches a particular shotgun.”

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” Now they were getting somewhere.

  “Don’t get too excited. All it can really do, legally, is exclude certain guns.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Then what good is it?”

  “We can get a search warrant for Lavon’s guns and run a ballistics test. If the firing pin markings match up, then I’d say we have our first circumstantial evidence pointing to your cousin. Not that we can arrest him without other proof.”

  “At least we’re headed in the right direction.”

  Through a thick layer of pine needles, her right foot stepped on something hard. Lilah bent and brushed away the needles, picking up another shell. The plastic casing sent tremors up her arm and made her heart skitter. How close had she come to serious injury or death—a couple feet? A few inches? She placed her hands over her stomach.

  “You okay?”

  Harlan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his palms covering her fingers. There, together, their hands lay entwined against her belly where their unborn child grew. Peace washed over her and with it, last night’s sorrow. Lilah squeezed her eyes shut and soaked in the sacred intimacy of the moment. She and their baby were safe. Harlan might not recognize his own feelings yet, but this was love. As pure as it got. Eventually, he would realize it on his own.

  “I’m fine, Harlan.” She turned and pressed her face into his chest a moment before stepping away. “Let’s get this guy. Both of them. Maybe today will be the first real break in the case.”

  He held up crossed fingers. “Your optimism’s rubbing off. Could be we get lucky and find something else in the cave.”

  She high-fived him and they picked their way through the shrubs for several minutes. The stone walls of the cave appeared suddenly.

  “There it is. Hideout Hideaway.”

  “Good thing Jasper led us here last night. Even on the main trail, it’s not easy to see behind those huge spruce and river birches.” Harlan handed her a flashlight. “Ready?”

  In answer, she turned on the flashlight and walked inside. The drop in temperature felt refreshing, although yesterday evening it had gotten a bit chilly. Thank heavens she hadn’t been forced to spend the night here.

  “What’s this?”

  Harlan strode to the west side where faint red markings splattered the wall.

  “I can’t believe it’s still there!” Lilah laughed and shone her flashlight on it. “Take three kids and a can of red paint. We had a blast until Dad collected us to go home.” She ran a finger over the faint marks. “There’s my initials.”

  Harlan squinted. “Yeah, I see it now. Cool. But show me those side passages you mentioned.”

  “You’re going to get your uniform all messed up,” she warned.

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  She led him back to the first passage. “This is the smallest one. You’d have to crawl through it. I never did, but Jimmy went a little ways in it once.”

  Harlan shone the flashlight. “Hmm. Don’t see anything here. Doesn’t look promising. I’ll come back later with Sammy for this one and bring rope. Where’s another one?”

  “This one’s the largest,” she said, taking him farther into the cave’s recesses. “It’s narrow but tall. We won’t even have to stoop to walk to the end of the passage.”

  Harlan led the way and came to an abrupt halt. “Well, looka here.”

  He stooped down and she peered over his bent figure. A dozen empty plastic baggies littered the ground.

  “Looks like trash to me.”

  “If it’s what I think it is...” He put on a pair of gloves and picked one up. Little crumbles of dried leaf and buds were tucked in the corners.

  “Is that—” she began.

  “Yup. Marijuana.”

  He shone the flashlight farther into the rock tunnel. “I see a bigger bundle.”

  He went over and picked up a book-sized package wrapped in cardboard and bundled in twine.

  “Open it,” she breathed, skin tingling with anticipation.

  “Nope. Going to take this back to work, open it there and get it logged into the chain of evidence.”

  “So that’s why those men shot at me. I got too close to their drugs.”

  “Must be a big-time operation for them to go to those lengths. I suspect this cave’s a temporary holding place until transport. Ideally, you’d store marijuana in a dry
room.”

  He directed the flashlight beam at the wet ground where the mud was imprinted with large footprints. “Bet at the crack of dawn they were in here and removed all they could.”

  Lilah shuddered, suddenly eager to get away. She’d had enough excitement for one day—for a lifetime, actually.

  * * *

  J.D.’S FACE WAS nearly purple with anger.

  “What the hell have you been up to this morning, Harlan? First, I get a call from Thaddeus Tedder threatening legal action against our office for harassing his son, and now you tell me you’ve been trampling through the woods with a civilian?”

  This wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Not at all. He didn’t think J.D. would be happy that he’d struck out on his own this morning, but he had found drug evidence they’d been searching for these past couple of years. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

  “I was careful. Everything was done by the book. Now that we know what’s out there—”

  “By the book? Are you kidding me?” J.D. shoved the cardboard bundle away from him. “This is worthless to us now.”

  “I followed protocol,” Harlan said stiffly. “I used gloves, took a couple photos with my cell phone and then bagged the evidence. I’ll have it all in my report.”

  J.D. clutched the edge of his desk, white-knuckled. “Forget the report. I’ll head out there myself with the narcotics dogs and a team. Meanwhile, I want you to take a week off work. Effective immediately.”

  What the hell? Harlan blinked. “I don’t want a vacation. I want to work this case.”

  “At this point, I don’t care what you want. That time off wasn’t a suggestion, it’s an order.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “You’re letting that woman run you in circles. You’re so in lust that you’ve lost your judgment and any sense of perspective.” He shook his head in disgust. “Running all over the mountain accusing people of crimes on nothing but hearsay, then striking out on your own at a crime scene and taking your girlfriend along with you. Take a week off and think about it.”

  “I don’t need to think about.” Harlan worked to keep his voice down. J.D. was still his boss after all. “Lavon Tedder is a punk. Look at his juvenile record and—”