“I’m sorry for whatever I may have said about Dagger Lake. The truth is, I like living in this town, and I have nothing but respect for its citizens. One, in particular, stands out above the rest. She took on a perp twice her size with a serving tray and delivered a baby in the back room of a bank. Not to mention the fact that she saved my life on more than one occasion. I won’t mention any names, but I think you know who I’m talking about.”
She could feel herself blushing. She hadn’t been expecting such a heartfelt admission. “Well, the feelings go both ways. I should have been more up-front about my attempts to adopt Davey and not left you waiting alone in the restaurant.”
A mischievous glint flicked in Cal’s eyes. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I guess we should talk about that kiss. I suppose I could apologize for that, as well, but I’m just not feeling it. My dad always told me that drastic times call for drastic measures. So, when it hit me that I might die without ever getting to kiss you, that seemed like a pity. And I went for it.”
He went for it? That didn’t sound romantic. More pragmatic than quixotic. She offered a confused smile. “Okay.”
“Right,” he said with a brisk nod. There was a moment of silence as they stared through the glass at their namesake.
Cal cleared his throat. “I just realized that I never even asked how you were doing. That final moment with Ricky must have been terrifying.”
“I was standing there, praying, and then there you were. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see someone in my entire life. I’m grateful that you found me.” She stretched on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
His gaze dropped to meet hers, and she hastened to pull back. But his arm was suddenly wrapped around her waist¸ pulling her into an embrace.
“I had to find you. I love you, Abby,” he said.
He loved her. A pang of joy ricocheted through her brain. “I love you, too, Cal. For a moment there, I was afraid that I’d never have the chance to tell you.”
He gazed down at her and shook his head. “I never doubted we’d make it through.”
“Um... Cal? You do realize that you’ve just messed up your excuse for stealing that kiss.”
He bent to cup her chin in his hand. “So I did,” he said with a smile. “I guess I’ll have to remember that when I tell the story to our kids.”
She pulled back, reality hitting her. Kids. Davey.
Cal gave her a questioning smile. “What’s wrong?”
She took a deep breath, but before she could speak, he interrupted her. “I hope you’re about to tell me that you already know who our eldest son is going to be.”
Happy tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. “I finally heard from the agency. The adoption was approved.”
Her heart somersaulted as he closed the gap between them. A kiss to mark a new beginning. And a new life together as a family.
EPILOGUE
Cal looked around the restaurant, his heart overflowing with love and gratitude to all his family and friends gathered together today. There was Isobel, chatting with Abby’s brother, Gideon, and his wife, Dani, whose baby bump was just beginning to show beneath her flowing dress. Isobel was holding baby Calvin Marshall, who at six months was beginning to roll over and scoot. Looking at the little tyke in his green overalls, grinning and proudly showing off his two teeth, Cal found it hard to believe that he was the same child who had seemed so small and fragile just a few months ago.
Clustered on the other side of the tables were his four sisters who had arrived earlier in the week with their families in tow. His nieces and nephews were currently chasing one another around the private dining room, dodging through chairs and the other guests, while his brothers-in-law stood behind their wives, monitoring the children. In theory, at least. His own parents were in the corner, deep in conversation with his former police captain from Saint Cloud and Mayor Hovland. They all seemed to have quite a lot to say.
His eyes continued to scan the crowd. Was that Mr. Ratten beside Linette? And the entire paramedic squad still wearing their uniforms? Between Abby’s extended family, coworkers and friends, it seemed as if almost all of Dagger Lake was squeezed into the pizzeria. The only one missing was Abby’s mother. Abby and Gideon had tried to talk her into attending, but she had dismissed the invitation, claiming she had something better to do.
“Tomorrow’s the big day, huh?” A hand clapped him on the back.
Cal turned around to see Gideon, Abby’s younger brother. “I had to break away from the females. Isobel and Dani have begun comparing pregnancy notes and discussing the best baby food and when to start introducing solids. I say, let’s just wait until the little guy arrives before we worry about what we’re feeding him.”
Cal smiled at Gideon’s comment. Gideon might pretend to be uninterested in his wife’s condition, but he knew full well that his friend was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a dad.
“Speaking of females,” Gideon continued, “where is that sister of mine? She owes me a dance tonight before I give her away tomorrow.”
“Thanks again for doing that,” Cal said. He understood and appreciated the significance of Gideon’s role in the ceremony and why it was so important for Abby to have her brother walk her down the aisle. For a long time, it had been just the two of them taking care of each other. And it was right and proper that Gideon should stand in the place of their father.
“The thing is, she was the one who always looked out for me. She had to play Mom and Dad as well as provider when she was still just a kid.” Gideon brushed the back of his hand against his eye, pushing back some mistiness. “I’m glad she found you. It’s time that there was someone to finally take care of Abby.”
“You know that I’ll always do my best by her.” Cal’s voice sounded thick to his own ears. If he couldn’t get through tonight, how was he ever going to make it through tomorrow?
“Didn’t I tell you?” Gideon jabbed him in the ribs. “I always knew that you and my sis would make a good team.”
Too true. All the matchmakers had been proven right.
“There’s my sister.” Gideon pointed across the room. “I’m going to go and claim some time before you come in and steal her away.”
Cal watched as Gideon walked toward Abby, who was standing by the buffet, talking to one of the servers. His breath hitched as Abby turned and caught his stare. She was so beautiful. Her dark hair hung loose down past her shoulders, skimming the top of her ivory sundress. Her mouth formed a warm smile as she gave a little wave in his direction before turning toward her brother and pulling him into a tight embrace.
How could God have blessed him so abundantly? Cal felt humbled and unworthy when he thought back to the many gifts that God had granted in the days and weeks following the bank heist and failed kidnapping. There was, of course, the health and well-being of Isobel and her baby. It still struck him as amazing that Abby had delivered little Calvin Marshall in the break room of the bank and that the newborn had withstood a trek through a blizzard, a treacherous ride on a sled and a snowmobile, not to mention a couple of narrow escapes. And yet somehow God kept him safe from harm.
But there would be no happy ending for Isobel’s now-ex-husband, Ricky. Cal made it a point to keep tabs on the case, and the last he heard, Max and Martina were negotiating a plea deal, agreeing to testify against their boss on the charges of attempted murder and kidnapping. And now Isobel would no longer have to fear the long shadow of Ricky as she struggled to make a new life for herself and her son.
Blessings abounded. And then there was Davey. Abby’s application had been granted and Davey had been able to move out of the temporary shelter and into Abby’s home a few days after their escape. The adoption had been made official just last month. And tomorrow Davey would stand beside him as the best man in their wedding. It was only right that the little boy would play a
major role in the ceremony since he was such an essential part of their life. Right now, he was legally Abby’s son. But the day after the wedding, Cal would be filing his own petition to the court to formally adopt Davey as well. The papers were already drawn up, and he had explained to Davey how much he wanted to be his father in name as well as deed.
His eyes skimmed across the crowd of family and friends, looking for the little boy. Although Davey had adjusted well to life with Abby, he sometimes retreated into himself when he felt overwhelmed. A large gathering like this was just the type of situation that might cause him to slip away into a quiet corner for a moment of solitude.
Cal circled back around the restaurant, but there was no sign of Davey anywhere. A jolt of anxiety crashed through his veins. Where could the little boy be? He had seen him less than fifteen minutes earlier over by the counter, lining up for dessert. Wait a minute. The toe of a familiar, navy blue Croc peeked out from under the table. Cal lifted the white cloth covering and checked underneath. And there was Davey, finishing off a crumbly piece of chocolate cake.
“How are you doing, buddy?” he said, scooting down on his knees to join him under the table.
“Pretty good.” The little boy licked the last of the icing off his fingers and shrugged. “But I keep thinking about what I’m supposed to wear tomorrow to the wedding.”
“Your tuxedo? What about it?”
Davey frowned. “It makes me look like a penguin.”
Cal hid the smile forming on his lips. “I never thought of that. But I’m wearing the same thing, so I suppose I’ll be looking like a penguin, too.”
“Sheriff and Davey Penguin.” An arm twined around his waist as Abby slid next to them on the floor. “I kind of like the sound of it.”
Davey nodded, his eyes serious. “Yeah. I guess it’s okay since Cal and I are going to match. I’m still a little hungry. Is it okay if I get another piece of cake?”
“Just a small one.” Abby smiled at the little boy as he pushed himself up from the floor and watched as Davey walked over to the buffet table at the other end of the room. She then turned to Cal. “This time tomorrow, we’ll be husband and wife. Can you believe it?”
Believe it? He’d only been waiting the last six months for this moment.
“It’s about time,” he growled back, his lips grazing her jaw in a quick kiss.
Abby laughed and pulled away. “Your family is wonderful. I can’t believe so many people came out for the rehearsal dinner.”
“So much for limiting it to family and out-of-town guests,” Cal pretended to grumble. “Now I’m starting to worry that we won’t have enough food for tomorrow.”
“Oh, there’ll be plenty,” Abby said. “How did your fishing expedition go this morning?”
“Well, Davey and my dad were the only ones who caught anything. And they sure enjoyed rubbing it in.” Cal laughed, remembering the boy’s look of surprise and pride when Davey had reeled in the first catch of the day. “I snapped a couple pictures of the two of them showing off their success.”
A warmth spread across his chest as he thought back to his “bachelor” party of a few hours ago. The men in the two families had woken up while it was still dark, trekked down to the lake and then hung their rods in the water and watched the sunrise. How unbelievable to think that just a few months ago he had planned to go ice fishing and ended up locked inside the bank with Abby instead. He hadn’t caught any walleye or perch that weekend, either.
No. Instead he’d snagged something so much better. And there was going to be no catch and release. He’d finally found the woman of his dreams and the family he had always hoped for.
* * *
If you enjoyed Rescue on the Run,pick up these other thrilling stories from Jaycee Bullard:
Framed for Christmas
Fatal Ranch Reunion
Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from Deadly Cargo by Jodie Bailey.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining me on a journey that has been very near and dear to my heart since Abby and Cal made their first appearance in my debut LIS book, Framed for Christmas. I knew as soon as I wrote that short bit of banter between the crabby sheriff and no-nonsense paramedic that these two feisty characters had a story to tell. And, indeed they did. This has been my very favorite book to write; but it was also the hardest to plot and frame. I owe endless thanks to my editor, Dina, for her guidance and support through the multiple drafts and revisions! I hope you enjoyed spending time with Cal and Abby as much as I enjoyed telling their tale!
I love hearing from my readers. You can contact me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jaycee.bullard.1 or Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jceebullard/?hl=en.
Jaycee Bullard
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Deadly Cargo
by Jodie Bailey
ONE
She would beat that storm to the airstrip even if it killed her.
Jasmine Jefferson drew her lips between her teeth and glanced out the right window of her twin-engine aircraft, where dark banks of clouds dumped undulating sheets of rain that already obscured the horizon.
Check that. Failure to beat the storm might be what actually killed her.
It would definitely be ironic if she died doing a job she’d taken under the identity the government had given her in order to protect her from a murderer.
She hated irony.
A sudden gust shoved the Twin Otter sideways. Jasmine fought the urge to grip the yoke tighter and glanced at her gauges. With a slight nudge, she drew the plane back on course and peered out the front window as she raised the airspeed to account for the variation in wind gusts. She should be able to see the small landing strip at Nemeti, where the “ground crew” was waiting for the cargo she was flying in from Fairbanks.
Landing was going to be tough today. Doubly so because the load she’d picked up this morning was heavier than usual after a freak summer storm had leveled half of a small survival camp forty-five minutes from the remote airstrip. A combination of ferocious wind and flooding rain had nearly wiped out two cabins, and they had to rebuild fast, before the beast of winter roared in.
In this part of Alaska, August was the start of the change. It might be in the sixties today, but the first snowfall was coming up quickly. “Termination snow,” when the summer tourist season ended and Alaska winter set in.
Jasmine pulled her head from side to side to stretch out her tight neck muscles. She had to land this plane and land it well, not only for her survival, but also for the sake of those who counted on her to get supplies to them.
Out the front window, the landscape rested flat between the mountains, greener than most people imagined Alaska could be.
There. The airstrip stood out as a straight brown slash in the summer-green brush. At least she didn’t have to land off-airport here. With the sudden storm closing in fast, a brush landing was a creature she wouldn’t want to tame. She spoke into her radio. “Nevada five-seven-five-xray-romeo. I’m about two minutes out and coming in at forty-two knots. Looks like the mountains to the east are blocking the wind on the runway. Confirm?”
“Confirmed. We have the wind sock up for verification.” Maya Carter’s voice in her ear was calm, but it held an unusual tension. The owner of the small frontier airstrip was usually chatty and friendly, even in the most dire situations.
Her curt demeanor now drew Jasmine’s eyebrows together. “Anything else I need to know?”
The radio was silent for long seconds. “No. You’ve handled worse. You’ll be
fine.”
There it was again. A brusque answer. No cordiality. No teasing about the flight. No “can’t wait to have some girl talk” gab. As the lone female on the small airstrip made up of a dirt runway, a small office/maintenance building and a separate locked cargo shed, Maya was usually ready and waiting for Jasmine’s visits.
As another gust shook the plane, Jasmine jerked her attention back to the controls. This wasn’t the time to worry about what had put her friend on edge. This was the time to set this Twin Otter down safely. With another glance at the gauges, she turned her nose into the wind, crabbing sideways to keep her flight path centered on the runway. The transition from wind to relative calm was coming up as soon as she got the mountain range to her right, and she had to be ready to adjust for the sudden decrease in winds. The drop in wind speed could drop the plane like a boulder if she wasn’t ready.
She upped her airspeed to compensate. With one eye on her gauges and the other on the mountains, she finessed the controls until—
With a rush that brought her stomach into her throat, the plane jerked and threatened to plummet belly first as the mountains blocked the wind. But she was ready. She’d flown this route enough times to know its peculiarities, even in a storm. Reaching up, she adjusted the throttle down to control her altitude, and straightened up slightly to side slip the landing, using the rudder to align the nose with the airstrip’s imaginary center line. Then she drifted off center and banked the plane slightly to stay on her ground track, adjusting the left rudder and the right aileron.
“I saw that.” The radio opened with Maya’s voice. “Nice job.”
Once again, the tone was different than the words. Something was definitely off. Jasmine held her line and scanned the airport, looking for trouble. Had someone crashed? Tried to rob the airstrip? Been busted flying in illegal drugs?
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