THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

by Ginna Gray

  "Hold tight. I'm going to lower you now," he yelled.

  The whole rig gave a little jerk when the carriage began to descend, and despite Dan's warning Maggie shrieked.

  It seemed to take forever to reach the floor. Maggie's hands were raw and stinging from scrabbling around on the rough pallet and her arms felt as though they were going to pull right out of their sockets.

  Her toes finally touched the floor, but before her heels could follow Dan jumped out of the cab and snatched her into his arms.

  "Thank God! Thank God!" He held her close and rocked her, his hands clutching her as though he'd never let go. Beneath her ear, Maggie heard his heart thundering wildly. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Holding her slightly away from him he ran his hands up and down her arms, over her head and shoulders and back, all the while looking her over. Maggie knew that her face and hair, like her hands, were covered with soot.

  "I'm okay." She looked up and cried out. Flames were visible in her office now, greedily climbing the walls and spreading over the ceiling. "We have to do something! C'mon. We have fire extinguishers every twenty-five feet along the walls. We'd grab some and go around the outside to the main entrance. We can get up to the offices from there. Let's go!"

  Before Dan could stop her she darted past him and snatched an extinguisher off the wall beneath the burning offices.

  Dan ran after her as she raced toward the next extinguisher. "Maggie, wait! I called the fire department. They're on their way. Listen. You can hear the sirens now."

  He could have saved his breath. With an extinguisher hanging from each hand, Maggie ran for the side door.

  "Dammit, Maggie, stop!"

  The air outside felt wonderfully cool and fresh sliding into her parched lungs. Maggie sucked in great gulps as she ran the short distance to the main entrance. As she had hoped, Rupert had been in too much of a hurry to lock the doors behind him when he left. Barely breaking stride, she shouldered open the doors into the small lobby, but before she could climb the stairs, a strong arm hooked around her waist, jerking her to a halt. "Let go of me. Let go!"

  "Not on your life!" Dan shouted, hauling her, kicking and bucking, back out the door. "You're not going back into that fire, you little idiot!"

  "But my office! I can't just let it burn!"

  "You don't have the gear or the know-how to put out that inferno. Leave it to the pros."

  Right on cue, two fire trucks roared into the parking lot, sirens clanging, followed by an ambulance, the sheriff's cruiser and Dr. Sanderson's car. The men of the Ruby Falls Volunteer Fire Department, dressed in yellow slickers and gas masks, hit the ground running. Only Cris Patterson, their leader, paused long enough to be sure they were okay. When satisfied, he ordered them to get clear of the building and dashed in after the others, who were already dragging a fire hose through the lobby doors and up the stairs.

  Neil, Charley, Jo Beth, Nan and Lily had already climbed from the doctor's car when Maggie and Dan staggered over to them. She halted abruptly when she spotted Jacob sitting propped up with pillows and covered up to his chin with blankets in the back seat.

  "Have you all lost your minds?" she demanded. "Why in heaven's name did you bring him here? He shouldn't be out in the cold night air. And he certainly doesn't need to see this."

  "Maggie? Is that you?" Lily asked. "Oh, my word! It is you. Oh, dearest, are you all right?"

  Neither Maggie nor Dr. Sanderson paid her any heed.

  "I'm afraid I'm to blame for bringing him, Maggie," Neil answered. "When he heard the sirens approaching he got so agitated nothing would do but he come see what was going on. I figured he'd be better off here with us than working himself into a frenzy at home."

  A back window on the sedan lowered and Jacob stuck his head out. "What're you doing with those fire extinguishers, Katherine?"

  "What?" Maggie looked down, surprised to see that she still gripped an extinguisher in each hand. She had forgotten she had them. "I, uh…"

  "She was about to rush back inside and fight the fire single-handed," Dan supplied, prying the cylinders out of her hands and tossing them aside. "She fought me like the devil, but I wouldn't let her go back into that blaze. She barely escaped being burned to death once already tonight."

  "Good God, girl! What were you thinking? You could've been killed!"

  Neil stepped close to her, instantly switching from family friend to medical professional. "How're you feeling, Maggie? Any pain anywhere? Trouble breathing?"

  "I…" Without warning, as though her bones had suddenly turned to mush, Maggie's knees gave way beneath her and she sank to the pavement, landing hard on her rear end.

  "Dammit, Red," Dan barked, and hunkered down beside her.

  Lily cried out, and Nan took a concerned step forward, but Ned waved them both back and knelt by Maggie's other side. Dazed, she looked around in confusion and began to shake.

  "Delayed reaction," Neil said. "I'll go get some blankets from the ambulance. And some oxygen—just in case."

  "Hang on, honey." Dan moved in close and wrapped his arms around her, chafing his hands up and down her arms.

  Neil returned and wrapped a blanket around her, then draped a fireman's slicker over it. Kneeling beside her again, he poured coffee from a thermos. "Here, I got this from the paramedics. They carry it for shock victims. It's sickeningly sweet, but it's good for what ails you."

  Maggie held the cup with both hands, but she was shaking so hard she couldn't bring it to her mouth without assistance from Dan. She nearly gagged at the sweet taste, but the hot brew felt wonderful sliding down her throat, and within a few minutes the bone-rattling shakes tapered off.

  Sheriff Dunwitty came over and hunkered down in front of her. "You okay, Maggie?"

  She huddled deeper into the blanket and slicker and nodded.

  "Well, now … y'all will be glad to know that the boys have the fire under control. It should be out soon. They managed to contain it to two offices and a small section of hallway."

  They all expressed their relief, but Sheriff Dunwitty's expression remained grave. "The thing is … Cris says the fire looks like arson. You know anything about that, Maggie?"

  "Dammit, Woodrow!" Jacob thundered from the back seat of the car. "Are you accusing Katherine of deliberately setting that fire. You fool. She was nearly killed tonight."

  "Now, Jacob, I have to ask—"

  "No, it's okay," Maggie said. "Actually, Sheriff, I do know who set the fire." In detail, Maggie recounted the events of the evening. Several times her story drew shocked gasps from the others. By the time she was done they were outraged.

  "Why would Rupert do such a thing?" Nan asked.

  "All I know for certain is he and Martin were trying to force us to sell to Bountiful Foods. When I figured out what Martin was up to and put a stop to the negotiating, it infuriated Rupert. He figured if I was out of the way, Martin could salvage the deal and push it through. Why they wanted the sale so badly, I have no idea. In the long run, Martin stood to gain more if Malone's remained in the family." Maggie shook her head. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

  "Well, all I know is it's sure gonna do my heart good to slap the cuffs on ole Rupert," the sheriff drawled. "Never could abide the arrogant little pissant."

  "Speak of the devil," Jo Beth muttered. "Look who just drove up."

  All eyes swung toward the maroon Mercedes that cruised to a stop behind the ambulance and fire trucks. Rupert climbed out and stopped to speak to the paramedics and a passing fireman before heading their way.

  "I don't believe it!" Nan snapped.

  "He's got one helluva nerve, showing up here," Jacob growled.

  Dan surged to his feet. "Son of a bitch! I'll kill the bast—"

  "Whoa. Take it easy. Let me handle this," the sheriff cautioned, putting a restraining hand on Dan's shoulder. "Everybody keep quiet and let's see what he has to say. Give an arrogant fool enough rope and he'll usually hang himself."

  Rupert headed
straight for the car when he spotted Jacob. "Jacob, I came as soon as I heard the sirens."

  Sitting huddled on the ground, Maggie watched the two men from beneath the cover of the blanket. Jacob's face looked as though it were carved from granite.

  "You've got some nerve showing your face around here, Rupert."

  "Now, now, Jacob. I know you're angry with that boy of mine right now, but you and I have been friends too long to let our children's spats come between us." He sighed and assumed a tragic expression. "I heard about Maggie and I had to come offer my condolences. Even if she isn't your flesh and blood, you raised her. You and Lily must be devastated. To perish in a fire that way … well, it's tragic. Just tragic. You have my sympathy."

  Maggie could keep quiet no longer. She tossed the blanket off her head and stood up. "They don't need sympathy. Especially from the man who tried to murder me."

  Rupert could not have looked more shocked if she had risen out of a grave. "Maggie! How did you—"

  "Sheriff, I want you to arrest Mr. Howe for attempted murder. He filled the locks on my office doors with glue to trap me inside, then set the fire."

  "What nonsense! I did nothing of the kind." He sent Sheriff Dunwitty an indignant glare when he started toward him, unclipping the handcuffs hanging from his belt. "See, here, Sheriff, you can't arrest me. It's her word against mine."

  "Not quite, Rupert," Maggie said with hard satisfaction. "The security cameras I recently had installed caught the whole thing on tape. They're in fireproof casings, so I'm sure they'll provide all the evidence I need to back up my story."

  "You bitch! I should have shot you while I had the chance!"

  "Okay, that's all I need. Come along. I got a nice cell waiting for you right alongside your son's." The sheriff shoved Rupert up against the car and snapped the handcuffs on his wrists before he realized what was happening. "Rupert Howe, you're under arrest for attempted murder and arson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will…"

  "I'll get you for this! You see if I don't! You're dead, bitch! You hear me! Dead!"

  Grabbing Rupert by the back of his shirt collar, the sheriff led him away, continuing to recite his Miranda rights over the invectives Rupert shouted at Maggie.

  "Lord have mercy, what a day this turned out to be," Nan said as they watched the sheriff's car roll out of the parking lot.

  "Yes," Maggie agreed. She turned to look at the smoke-blackened building. "It's just lucky for me that Dan happened to be working tonight."

  "Lucky, hell." Dan grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Luck had nothing to do with it. I've been here every night that you worked late."

  Maggie blinked, shocked by his anger and the fierce emotion in his eyes. "You were here? But … why?"

  "Why? Because I love you, dammit. No matter what you believe. Did you think I'd just walk away when there was a lunatic threatening you? He put a dead rat in your bed, for Christ's sake. Slashed your tires, sprayed obscenities on your car. It was just a matter of time until he came after you personally."

  "What's this? What's this about a rat?" Jacob demanded. "And attacks on your car? Why wasn't I informed?"

  Maggie's gaze darted from Dan to Jacob and back. "You didn't tell him?"

  "No. I tried to explain before, my reports to Jacob ended when I fell in love with you."

  Maggie's heart thumped painfully. She gazed into Dan's harsh face, wanting to believe him. Because she so desperately wanted to believe, she held back, not trusting her love-starved heart to guide her. "And when, exactly, did you start loving me?"

  Dan's mouth quirked with a hint of a grin. "I began to suspect that night you announced to Martin that you were taking over. I knew for certain the day you kicked butt in the café, then sashayed across the square to do the same to Leland." His face grew serious again. "You're one helluva woman, Maggie Malone, and I will love you until the day I die."

  Maggie's heart did a slow roll in her chest. Emotions filled her, and as she stared into those silvery eyes, glittering like diamonds, she wondered how she could ever have doubted him.

  "Oh, Dan," she said in a quavery murmur, and stepped into his arms.

  It was like coming home. He held her tight, the way a drowning man clutched a lifeline. Maggie slipped her arms around his middle and rested her cheek against his chest, smiling as she heard the thunderous beat of his heart beneath her ear.

  Dr. Sanderson cleared his throat. "Well, now, I hate to break this up, but I think Maggie should go with the paramedics to the hospital in Tyler and get checked out. You may need to be treated for smoke inhalation."

  She looked at the young doctor over her shoulder and shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Really. I just want to go home." She looked up at Dan with her heart in her eyes. "Back to the cottage. Where I belong."

  Dan needed no second urging. With an abrupt "We'll see you tomorrow" for the others, he swooped her up in his arms and headed for his pickup.

  Neither said a word on the short ride. A frightful fatigue settled over Maggie, and she was content to simply rest her head on Dan's shoulder. She sensed the coiled tension inside him, and knew he was holding his emotions in check because of all she'd been through.

  Inside the cottage he led her straight to the bathroom. "First a shower, then it's bed for you," he announced, stripping away her ruined clothing as though she were a small child. After hurriedly removing his own he stepped with her into the shower.

  Dan proceeded to wash away the soot and grime that covered her, muttering to himself when his scrubbing reddened her skin and cursing when he saw the splinters in her palms. "Damn, even your hair is black," he grumbled.

  All the time, docile as a lamb, Maggie watched him through half-closed lids, both amused and touched by his fierce concern. She balked, however, when they stepped from the shower and he grabbed a towel off the rack to dry her.

  "Darling, I can do that. I'm not an invalid, you know."

  "You've had a bad shock and you're still shaky."

  "Yes, but I'm fine now."

  He hesitated, frowning, but finally handed over the towel. "Okay, I'll go get the first-aid kit while you finish. But sit down if you feel weak."

  When he returned she sat on the edge of the bed wrapped in a towel and gritted her teeth while he plucked more than two dozen splinters from her palms, then blew on them after applying disinfectant.

  "You don't have a nightgown here anymore. You can sleep in one of my shirts."

  "Why bother?" She took the first-aid kit from him and placed it on the nightstand. Giving him a sultry look, she ran her hand over his bare chest, twining her fingers through the mat of silky hair. "You'll just have to take it off." She flicked a tiny nipple with her fingernail and smiled when he jerked.

  He scowled and grabbed her hand. "Maggie, cut that out. You need to rest."

  Leaning forward, she nuzzled her face against his chest. "I need you more," she murmured against his skin. She blew on the silky thatch, and a hard shudder rippled through Dan.

  "Maggie … stop," he ordered weakly, even as the hand holding hers tightened and he cupped the back of her head with the other.

  "Oh, my love. I've missed you so much." With the tip of her tongue, she traced a wet pattern over his skin. "Make love to me. Now. Tonight. I need to feel alive. And loved."

  "Maggie—" Arching his back, Dan squeezed his eyes shut as she continued the delightful torment. Running her hand down his flat belly, she deftly unfastened the loosely knotted towel wrapped around his hips. Her fingers closed around him in a delicate grip, and Dan moaned. "Ah, Maggie. Maggie."

  * * *

  Nineteen

  « ^

  The ringing telephone jarred Maggie from a sound sleep. "Wha…?"

  Like a startled deer, she raised her head off Dan's shoulder, but before she could sit up his arm tightened around her. "Take it easy, I'll get it."

  Holding her snuggled against his side, he reached out with his other hand and snagged
the telephone off the nightstand. "Hello."

  Maggie felt Dan's body tauten, and she knew instantly that something was wrong. "What is it? What's happened?" she demanded, scrambling to her knees beside him.

  "Right. We're on our way." He slammed the receiver down and looked at Maggie, and an icy sensation feathered down her spine. "It's Jacob," he said simply.

  "No." Tears welled in Maggie's eyes. "No."

  "He's asking for you, Maggie. We have to hurry. Dr. Sanderson says he won't last much longer."

  When they entered Jacob's room only moments later everyone was there. Lily, with Nan beside her, stood beside the bed holding his hand, weeping softly. On the other side Laurel sat in a chair in her bathrobe, her bruised and swollen face streaming with tears. At the foot of the bed, Jo Beth sobbed against Ida Lou's amble bosom while the old woman murmured to her quietly, her own eyes misty, her face scrunched in grief. Dr. Sanderson and Charley hovered discreetly by the door.

  As Maggie and Dan approached the bed, Jacob's eyes fluttered open. "Kath-Katherine? Is that … you?"

  Laurel scooted her chair back to make room for them to step close to the bed. "Yes, it's me," Maggie murmured.

  Jacob reached out a trembling hand to her, and she closed her own around it. The tightness of his grasp surprised her.

  In his other hand he clutched a white envelope in the same crushing grip. Maggie idly glanced at the return address, then did a double take, her eyes widening.

  It was from the clinic doing the DNA testing.

  Her gaze flew to her mother, then to Nan. Her aunt nodded. "It came a short while ago."

  Jacob tugged on Maggie's hand, and she leaned closer. The look in his eyes was one she'd never seen directed at her before, and her heart began to pound.

  "Katherine. My beautiful … beautiful … Katherine."

  He closed his eyes, and she could see unbearable pain in his face. "I've been a … fool. So many wasted years. My fault. My fault. I'm sor…sorry, Kath— Ma-Maggie. So sorry. Forgive me. I … beg you. Forgive me. Please…"

  Maggie chin began to wobble. Her throat felt as though she'd swallowed an apple whole and it had lodged partway down. Unable to speak past the painful tightness, she stared at his blurry image through the wall of tears banking against her lower eyelids.