by Debby Giusti
She sounded clinical.
“Doc, you’re talking with your head instead of your heart.” Zach tasted the chili. “My compliments to the chef.”
“Thanks. My mother worked. I took over the kitchen at a younger age than most of my peers. Cooking was something I could do right.”
He glanced at her as he enjoyed another spoonful of her chili. He might not be as perceptive as the doc, but he sensed she came with some baggage, too.
Zach thought of his own past and the pain he still carried. Pain and guilt. Not that he had to go there, especially not tonight. He needed to turn the discussion to mundane matters of little consequence, instead of faith and lonely children who couldn’t find their way.
The conversation changed to lighthearted chatter that Zach enjoyed. How long had it been since he’d relaxed with a woman? Most of the ones he associated with were army types who talked about military topics, like the guys.
The doc wasn’t one of the guys, at least not tonight. Maybe in medical circles, when she was spouting facts about the pediatric needs of children, she might seem more focused on her career. Right now, sitting in her warm and welcoming kitchen, eating the hearty chili she had made, took him away from the investigation that had brought them together.
After coffee and a slice of apple pie that Levi’s wife had sent home with them, Zach looked at his watch and scooted back from the table.
“I don’t want to overstay my welcome.” He carried his soup bowl and silverware to the sink. “Let me do the dishes while you put the leftover chili away.”
“You know how to get on a woman’s good side.” Ella smiled as she placed her own bowl in the sink. “Just rinse the dishes, and I’ll get to them later.”
“No, ma’am. I’m not leaving you with dishes to wash.” He ran water in the sink and added soap. “I’ll have these done in a flash.”
“You could use the dishwasher.”
He nodded. “I could, but you’ll think more of me if I wash them by hand, then dry them and put them away. You’re exhausted and need a full night’s sleep, instead of spending time tidying up the kitchen.”
“I won’t argue with your logic, Mr. Swain.” She pulled a container from an overhead cabinet, transferred the rest of the chili and placed it in the refrigerator. “There’s enough left over for lunch, if you’re in the neighborhood.”
The invitation warmed his heart. Zach quickly washed and rinsed the dishes and then dried them and handed them to Ella, who put them in the proper places on the shelves.
Once that was done he wiped his hands on a dish towel. “Thanks for the chili and for the opportunity to relax a bit.”
“I enjoyed it, too.”
“You’ve got the number to my cell?”
She nodded. “It’s programmed into my phone. I’ve also got the number to contact Levi. Hopefully, I won’t need to call either of you.”
“I’ll go out through the clinic.”
He held the hallway door open, and she walked ahead of him. Returning to the scene of the attack brought them back to the reality of what had happened, and the levity Zach had felt in her kitchen came to an abrupt end.
Ella hesitated when they reached the waiting room. “I haven’t adequately thanked you, Zach, for taking me to the hospital. You stayed throughout the night. That meant a lot to me, and I know hospitals aren’t your favorite places to be.”
“That’s your perceptive nature. I hope I didn’t embarrass you when I quizzed the nurse about why the lab and X-ray results were taking so long.”
“I appreciated having a champion.” She placed her hand on his arm. Her touch was light, yet it had an effect on him. He stepped closer, seeing the openness of her gaze, the fullness of her lips. She leaned closer and for a moment he longed to touch his lips to hers.
Intellectually, he knew how foolish his reactions seemed, yet he couldn’t find the wherewithal to step away. Some unknown yet attractive force pulled him to her.
“You’re a good man, Zach.” Her voice was low and rich with resonance, as if she meant to say much more than the words themselves.
His chest swelled, and he felt taller and stronger and ready to slay giants or dragons or anything untoward that might come against her. For a moment, he was her champion, a man who would protect her from harm, who would give her his allegiance and—did he dare acknowledge an even deeper feeling?—give her his heart.
The office phone rang.
Ella blinked, as if some imaginary thread held them together and she wasn’t ready to cut free from its hold.
“I need to go,” Zach said, coming to his senses much too quickly. The world seemed to spin around him as he turned and headed for the door.
The phone continued to ring, but when he looked back, she remained in the middle of her office, staring in his direction, oblivious to the phone or anything else except him.
TWELVE
Ella couldn’t move. Her heart thumped hard and a knot had formed in her throat. Not from tears. She’d cried too many times after Quin had died, and she didn’t know how to rebuild her life.
The lump in her throat tonight was pure emotion that made her want to wrap her arms around the handsome special agent’s shoulders and have him pull her into his embrace, as he’d done yesterday in the hallway when she’d remembered the gun.
The gun?
All too clearly, she saw the glaring light that had almost blinded her and the assailant’s hand holding the revolver.
Earlier, as she sat in the kitchen with Zach, Ella had pushed everything that had happened the night before out of her mind. Now it flooded over her. Mary Kate’s scream, the pounding rain, her own attempt to come to the young mother’s rescue, only to find a man, bathed in shadow, standing at her desk.
She turned, seeing the desk again.
And heard the phone.
How long had it been ringing?
Tripping over herself, she raced to her desk and lifted the handset to her ear.
A dial tone sounded.
She tapped in star 69 to recapture the caller’s number. A number she recognized. Nancy Vaughn, director of the Harrisburg Genetic Research Center.
Pulling in a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, Ella tugged on the curtain and watched through the window as Zach drove out onto the main road. She stared after him as his taillights disappeared into the night.
A sense of sadness washed over her, bringing with it a nervous anxiety that made her scurry to the front door of her clinic. She checked the lock and engaged the dead bolt, refusing to dwell on what could happen if the locks didn’t hold. Stepping back into her office, she checked the side door to her clinic, then the kitchen and main doors to her house.
Satisfied with the extra protection the dead bolts provided, Ella returned to her office and called the director.
“I thought something might have happened when you didn’t answer,” the woman said, sounding breathless. “I was worried about you.”
Ella tried to laugh off her concern. “I was in the other room.”
“You were going through Quin’s things?”
“No, why would you think that?” she asked.
“One of the times we talked, you mentioned that you still had boxes from his office to unpack.”
“You’re right, but that wasn’t what I was doing.” Ella rubbed her free hand over her face. The spot where she’d been struck was tender to the touch. “I’m returning your call, Dr. Vaughn. Was there something you needed?”
“It’s time to stop with the formality. I’m Nancy, and I called to let you know that I reserved a room for you at the hotel. Even if you can’t make the afternoon symposium, be sure to join us at the benefit that evening. It’s what Quin would want.”
Quin had never been a black-tie type of guy. In fact, Ella had had to con
vince him to wear a suit to their wedding.
“I appreciate the offer, Nancy, but I just don’t think—”
“Let’s talk in the morning. Sometimes things look brighter in the light of day.”
But this had nothing to do with daylight or sunshine.
“Have you heard from Ross Underwood recently?” the director asked. “He was extremely distraught when Quin died. I know the two men were close.”
“Ross called soon after I opened the Children’s Care Clinic and asked if there was anything I needed. I appreciated his thoughtfulness.”
“He was worried about you, Ella. We all were. As I mentioned at Quin’s funeral, I would have liked you to join the team.”
“Research isn’t my interest, Nancy, but I was grateful for the offer. Quin’s work was the main focus of his life. He felt strongly about the good that was being done, especially with the Amish Project.”
“We share those feelings, of course. I won’t keep you tonight, but I’m counting on you to join us on Friday. I’ll be in touch.”
Ella stared at the invitation after she disconnected, feeling even more confused. Over the last twenty-four hours, she had experienced a gamut of emotions. Everything from grief for Quin to a surprising attraction for another man.
She flipped off the light and returned to the kitchen, locking the door to the hallway behind her. Peering out of the side window, she was relieved to see a faint glow coming from the Miller home.
Sarah and Levi were probably sitting in their kitchen, the room lit by a gaslight.
Her cell rang.
Surprised, she smiled when she saw Zach’s name on the monitor. “I hope nothing is wrong,” she said in greeting.
“I’m at Special Agent Zimmerman’s house. Just wanted to let you know that I’m not far away. Don’t hesitate to call me.”
A warmth filled her chest. “You’re being cautious, which I appreciate. The assailant was probably after meds. Nonmedical folks think that doctors stockpile drugs. That’s why he came back today.”
“Let’s hope that’s what he was looking for. Did you set your security alarm?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
“Don’t hesitate to call me,” Zach repeated.
She disconnected, armed the security alarm and walked into her bedroom. Knowing he was close by was reassuring. The assailant wouldn’t come back. At least not tonight. She’d sleep soundly and wake refreshed in the morning.
Peering out the rear window into the darkness, she felt a ripple of anxiety stir within her.
At least she hoped she would be able to sleep.
* * *
Zach hadn’t planned to call. He had said goodbye to Ella less than five minutes earlier, yet as he’d pulled into Tyler’s driveway, he was tapping the call prompt and raising the phone to his ear.
Was it important for Ella to know he wasn’t far away, or was it important for him to hear her voice again? Either way, the call hadn’t been necessary, although he had heard concern in her voice when she asked if anything was wrong. Nothing was wrong on his end, and in a way, everything seemed right. Except that was glossing over a very real problem about an attack against two women and an assailant still on the loose.
Zach stepped from his car and grabbed his gym bag and extra clothing. The spare outfits would get him to the weekend. Perhaps the investigation would be solved by then.
Tyler opened the front door before Zach could pull the house key from his pocket. “Welcome to rural life.” He motioned Zach inside. “I picked up pizza on the way home, by the way. I wasn’t sure when you’d get here.”
“Thanks, buddy, but I ate at Ella’s.”
Tyler smirked with surprise. “Since when did Dr. Jacobsen become Ella?”
“You know her?”
“I know of her, and it’s all good. She’s treated my neighbors’ son, and they give her high praise.”
“We spent a number of hours together at the ER last night,” Zach explained, “while waiting for her test results.”
“I’ve heard some recent complaints about the local hospital.”
“If what we experienced is any indication of their competence...” Zach shrugged. “But then, I’ve never been a fan of anything medical. In all fairness, the nurse and the doctor said they were short staffed.”
Tyler pointed to the hallway. “Guest room is on the left. The bathroom is to the right. The coffeepot is programmed for 6:00 a.m., if that works for you.”
“Sounds good.”
“Colas are in the fridge, or I can brew a pot of decaf.”
Zach held up his hand. “Thanks, but I need to hit the sack.”
“I’m right behind you,” Tyler said. “Tomorrow afternoon, the chief is headed to Fort Belvoir. He assigned me to go with him. It’s last minute, but that’s typical.”
“Have a safe trip.”
“Will do, but I’ll see you in the morning.”
Once in the bedroom, Zach placed his cell on the nightstand and checked the volume. If Ella phoned, he wanted to be sure to hear the call.
If only he had met her before the assailant broke into her clinic. Then he could have invited her out to dinner and they could have called it a date.
He would have liked that.
His eyelids grew heavy. The last things he thought about were Ella’s blue eyes and the way her laughter touched a lonely portion of his heart.
THIRTEEN
The night had never seemed so dark, nor had Ella been so aware of sounds. She heard the throaty croak of bullfrogs and the incessant chirp of cicadas, but other noises—a tree branch brushing against the house, a groan as the hardwood floors settled, the heat turning on and the freezer emptying a tray of ice cubes into the holding container—seemed especially annoying tonight. Even the ticktock of her alarm clock grated on her nerves.
She draped one arm over her eyes in an attempt to blot out the world, but tired as she was, she couldn’t sleep. With a frustrated sign, she flipped onto her side, buried her head in the pillow and, at some point, drifted off.
In the middle of the night, her eyes blinked open. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand: 2:00 a.m.
What had awakened her?
Ella raised up and listened, unable to decipher a sound that came from the side of the house.
A scratching. Surely not a rodent?
She stepped from her bed and grabbed her robe off the nearby chair. Slipping into the thick flannel, she toed on her slippers and pulled back the curtain ever so slightly. Peering outside, she couldn’t identify anything, yet the sound continued. She grabbed her cell off the nightstand and stepped into the living area, where she stopped again and listened.
The noise sounded like a chisel, biting into wood.
Her kitchen door!
Before she could hit the prompt to call Levi, the back door opened. Fear swept over her. Seconds later, the security alarm blared a warning.
The sound filled the house.
Heart pounding, Ella ran back to her bedroom and hesitated. The assailant would expect to find her there, so she scurried across the hall to the guest room, closed and locked the door and entered the attached bath, grateful for the night light that illuminated the room ever so slightly. She shut the bathroom door and turned the lock, but felt little sense of protection.
With trembling hands, she tapped Levi’s number. Voice mail.
What had happened? He knew she was alone.
A swell of panic filled her chest. Had Levi ignored her call for help because he was in her house? Footsteps sounded. She backed up against the bathroom door.
Not Levi. It couldn’t be Levi.
She fumbled with her phone. It slipped through her fingers. She caught it in midair, her heart in her throat.
Hitting speed dial, she called Zach.
The phone rang in her ear. Why didn’t he pick up?
The assailant broke through the locked guest room door.
Oh, God, she silently prayed.
“Ella?” Zach’s voice.
The security alarm continued to scream. She pushed the phone closer to her ear. “He’s in the bedroom.”
“I’m on the way. Gouge out his eyes, jam your hand up under his chin, knee him where it hurts.”
Inwardly, she screamed for Zach to hurry. She didn’t have time for lessons on self-defense.
Heavy footsteps crossed the bedroom.
She glanced down as the doorknob jiggled.
“I know you’re in there.” A gruff voice, muffled as if he was speaking through a handkerchief. Did he have an accent?
If she recognized the voice, she could warn Zach. Then, even if—
She couldn’t go there.
“The police are on the way,” she shouted, trying to sound assertive and in control. “They’ll apprehend you. You won’t get away with this.”
The doorknob stopped moving. Had she scared him off?
Please, Lord.
She pressed her ear against the door, trying to make out the sound. A faint swish, barely audible over the peal of the security alarm, as if—
Even before her mind processed the sound, she leaped into the bathtub and screamed as round after round of gunfire splintered the door. Fragments of wood flew through the air, stinging her back and peppering her hands, which she’d wrapped protectively around her neck.
Ella trembled with fear. In a matter of seconds, he would push through the shattered doorway and turn his weapon on her where she huddled like a terrified child, hiding in the protective steel tub.
A siren mixed with the shrill of the alarm. Was her mind playing tricks on her?
Footsteps. Running toward her or away?
“Ella.” Another voice.
Her heart lurched. “Zach!”
He was there, reaching for her, pulling her up and into his arms. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, struggled to speak and then fell against his chest and gasped for air, realizing she hadn’t breathed since the door exploded.
