He motioned for her and when the engine started up, she felt relieved as well as a little impressed. Then she remembered where he’d gotten his practice and decided God must have used that time in his life to prepare him for this. As thin as that reasoning was, it made her feel better.
She slid into the passenger’s seat and he roared off nearly before her door was closed.
“No one saw us,” she told him.
“I know. It was a clean getaway.”
He seemed pleased with himself—which rubbed her the wrong way—but when he cranked up the heater, she forgot everything except warming up. She held her hands in front of the vents and sank into the warmth of the air.
“Rub your hands together. It creates friction, which warms them faster. And check in the back seat. Maybe there’s a blanket, or jacket, or something you can use to get warm.”
She reached over the back of the seat and found a pair of gloves and an Arkansas Razorbacks fleece blanket. She felt fortunate to find that considering they were at the back end of summer.
He nodded. “You wrap up in the blanket.”
She saw him shiver and knew he was cold, too. “We’ll share it.”
She sat beside him on the bench seat and pulled the blanket over them both. It wasn’t a large blanket so she scooted closer to him and draped it over them both, allowing his arms to poke out so he could drive.
“It should be warming up in here soon,” he said with just a hint of hesitation in his voice. Did it bother him to have her so close? “What we need to do is get into some dry clothes,” he continued.
“Let’s go to my house,” she suggested. “I still have some of Jimmy’s clothes and I’m sure they’ll fit you. We can both get dry.”
“That’s not a good idea. Mason may have it staked out.”
“Or maybe he’s moved on already. It doesn’t hurt to try. Besides, we can park in my neighbor’s driveway on the next street over and cut through the backyard. They’ve gone out of town to visit their daughter for two weeks. If someone is watching the house, they’ll be watching the front. Besides, we have to go somewhere. We’ll be careful.”
He seemed to consider this for a moment then nodded his reluctant agreement.
She gave him directions and sat back as he drove, suddenly settling into a comfortable silence. As the pickup warmed up, and so did they, he seemed to relax. His hands loosened their grip on the steering wheel and his jaw eased. Holly was surprised by the way her skin prickled at being so close to him. The air in the cab warmed and her heart started beating a little faster at sitting right next to him. She wanted to know more about this man in whose hands she’d placed her life.
“So, you were a car thief, were you?” Her tone was light and teasing and the sly smile he gave her told her he knew she was only curious.
“In a manner of speaking. Part of my duties as an Army Ranger, along with my fellow Ranger, Garrett, was to disable any vehicles that could be used by the enemy to escape or chase us during a strike. Garrett was the one with the experience. When he was a teenager in foster care, he fell in with a crime ring that used to steal cars. Thankfully, the Army cleaned up his ways. He taught me everything I know about borrowing cars.”
She felt her face redden. She’d thought he’d been a car thief and he’d actually only been serving his country and protecting his Ranger squad. “Thank Garrett for me the next time you talk to him,” she said teasingly. “We’d still be icicles on the side of the road if it wasn’t for him schooling you.”
He grinned. “I’ll do that.” He turned on the blinker as he approached her subdivision and all the lightheartedness flowed out of him. His jaw clenched again and his shoulders squared as he prepared for a possible confrontation. “Maybe you should get down out of sight. I want to sweep around the block to see if there’s any surveillance on the house.”
She slid onto the floorboard and wrapped the fleece around her. She couldn’t see outside, but she could see Blake’s face as his gaze moved, seeking anything out of place. She was impressed with this man in a manner that surprised her. For a few moments there he’d felt more like a longtime friend than a near stranger. She liked the way his mouth had curved into a grin and his face had lightened for a moment.
But she’d also learned he was ex-military. Being a cop was dangerous enough, but he was used to taking risks in his duties as an Army Ranger and the last thing she needed in her life was to lose someone else. She couldn’t let her heart go there with Blake—no matter how drawn she was to him.
He turned into her neighbor’s driveway and put the pickup into Park. “I didn’t see anybody, but better safe than sorry. We’ll cut through the yard.”
She led the way but Blake remained close behind her, his gun drawn and ready for action. He’d also borrowed a rifle from the back window of the pickup.
She opened the gate to the backyard and walked to the back door. She usually kept it locked, but she doubted a lock would have stopped Blake or Mason from getting inside. She needn’t have bothered. The glass in her back window frame was broken and a peek inside showed the house had been ransacked.
Blake pushed open the door and rushed past her, gun raised as he searched the house for intruders.
Holly stood in the dining room and saw her grandmother’s china smashed against the floor. She gave in to the tears at the pure malicious intent—it wasn’t valuable, but Mason knew how much the china meant to her. They’d talked about it one evening when Mason had eaten dinner with them.
She stepped through the shards crunching beneath her feet and stared at her living room. It, too, was destroyed, the couch cushions cut open and stuffing covering the floor. Her framed family photos were broken and her television stand in pieces. The TV was on the floor, the screen shattered.
Blake entered, putting away his weapon. “No one is here. They must have been looking for something. Any clue what it was?”
Jimmy’s journal.
“I have a pretty good idea.”
She walked into the bedroom and opened her closet. Most of her belongings were also strewn about. She held her breath, wondering if Mason had found the secret compartment and already retrieved the journal. Relief flooded her when she saw that the wood was untouched. They hadn’t known about the secret compartment—and hadn’t stumbled across it as they’d ripped her home to shreds.
She pushed at the wall and the piece popped out.
Blake sucked in an audible breath. “A nice little hiding place. Very cool.”
“I found it a few days ago. I was finally packing up Jimmy’s side of the closet and tripped. I hit the wall and fell. And when I did, this panel popped open.” She reached inside, grateful when she felt her hand touch the familiar leather. She took it out and showed it to Blake. “This is what I found inside.”
He took it and skimmed through the pages.
“It’s notes about Mason and other members of the force. Jimmy was investigating crooked cops.”
Blake locked eyes with Holly. “Just like me.”
She nodded. “Just like you. Only, he’s dead.” The tremor in her voice surprised even her. She hadn’t realized until just this moment how frightened she was that something might happen to Blake and she would once again be all alone, only this time with a maniac out to get her.
“May I read this?” he asked.
The request was so sincere that she actually believed he might put it back into the wall if she said no.
She nodded. “I haven’t read much of it. I copied some pages when I realized what it was and showed them to Chief Waggoner.”
“The chief knows about this journal?”
She nodded again and felt tears slip down her face. “I thought he was someone I could trust. The moment I discovered this journal, everything I knew about my life and my community shattered.”
“What did he say?”
“He tried to shrug it off like it was nothing. He said it was notes for an investigation Jimmy had been working on. He asked me to bring him the journal and gave me some spin about Jimmy helping to end injustice even from the grave.”
“Then what happened?”
“Well, Mason tried to kill me the next day—so I guess he didn’t think I believed him.” She sighed. “Something just didn’t feel right, but I thought he was only upset about corruption on his force. I should have seen it. He was so concerned about getting his hands on that book. He even offered to drive to the house with me right then to get it. I told him I was on my way to work and was finally able to put him off for a while by telling him I would get it once my shift was over.”
“You have good instincts, Holly. You should learn to trust them more.”
She reached for a box and opened it, pulling out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “These were Jimmy’s, but you’re about the same size. They should fit you.”
He reached for the clothes and his hand stroked hers, sending a buzz of electricity through her. It stunned her. She shouldn’t be feeling these things in this house, in this room she’d shared with her husband—especially while she was handing his clothes to another man. Yet it seemed perfectly natural to have Blake there and to trust him—with not only her safety, but also with Jimmy’s last thoughts.
“I’ll take good care of this,” he said, holding up the journal, and she believed him. He turned and walked out of the room.
Holly found some clean, dry clothes among the rubble and quickly changed. She even found an overnight bag and stuffed in a few things. When she came out, Blake was in the living room, standing at the window, keeping watch. Her heart beat a little faster at his protective stance.
Stop it, Holly. She refused to think of Blake that way. She wasn’t ready to consider any man that way, but especially not a risk-taker like Blake Michaels. One look at the portrait of her and her husband was all the reminder she needed. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t—live with someone she would worry about every time he left the house.
“Maybe we should stay here,” she said. “They’ve come and gone. They probably won’t return, right?”
“Mason is smart. He knows we jumped into the water so he’ll know we need to change clothes and that our options are limited. He might sweep back by here just in case.”
“Well, we have time to grab a bite, don’t we? I have some leftover lasagna in the refrigerator.” She turned to go into the kitchen then realized the refrigerator wasn’t upright. She turned back to Blake. “A little help, please?”
He righted the appliance and Holly removed a pan of lasagna that had somehow survived the tip-over. She grabbed two forks, handed him one and then poured them each a glass of iced tea.
“I hope you don’t mind cold lasagna.”
“Absolutely not,” Blake said as he dug in. “This is good.”
“Thank you. I enjoy it. Lately, I’ve been making way too much food. I haven’t figured out this cooking-for-one thing just yet.”
He gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it with time.”
She nodded but suddenly felt like crying into her lasagna. “They say time heals all wounds. It’s been over a year and I’m still waiting.”
He lowered his head and whispered, “I know what you mean.”
Her mind zeroed in on that ring she knew was in his wallet. His fiancée’s? She saw the same heartache she knew so well mirrored in his expression. Yes, indeed, he knew the pain of loss.
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand and she clasped her fingers into his without hesitation, marveling that sitting in the kitchen eating cold lasagna could feel so right.
Headlights hit the front window and Blake tensed and drew his hand away. He walked to the window and peeked out.
“They’re here.”
Anger ripped through her, overriding any fear she felt at the moment. Couldn’t she have a few minutes without Mason hunting them down? She gave a weary sigh then grabbed her bag at Blake’s urging and headed for the back door. He moved behind her as she ran across the yard and through the gate.
He started the engine as she pulled the seat belt over her. The whirl of police sirens filled the air and she saw the glowing lights across the night sky as they drove away from the house she’d shared with Jimmy.
* * *
Blake gripped the steering wheel. He couldn’t wait to get on with reading that journal, but he also couldn’t get that moment in Holly’s kitchen out of his mind. He’d felt her shiver when he’d touched her hand and he’d loved the wave of electricity that flitted up his arm. Attraction wasn’t the issue. Of course he was attracted to her. She was knockout gorgeous, but he was discovering there was so much more to her than her looks.
“Where are we going now?” she asked. He saw the trust in her eyes—looking to him to provide. He could sense how much she hated leaving her home. Now he had to find another place for them to stay tonight, somewhere safe and private where he could spend a few hours reading through the journal.
“I have an idea.” He picked up the burner phone and dialed the number of his pastor and friend, Dave Talbert. He hated to impose on anyone but felt certain Dave would never believe the lies Mason was spreading about him and would be quick to offer his help.
When the pastor answered, Blake explained the situation and, as expected, Dave offered them a safe place to sleep for the night.
As they pulled up to his house, Blake noticed that he’d left the garage door open. He quickly drove the stolen pickup inside, knowing the pastor would have a lot to answer for if anyone saw an unfamiliar vehicle parked outside his house. Blake had to make certain they weren’t spotted.
Dave appeared in the doorway that led from the garage to the kitchen. Pressing a button on a panel on the wall, he lowered the garage door as Blake and Holly exited the pickup.
He offered his hand and Blake shook it, gratefully. “Thank you for your help,” he said. “This is Holly Mathis. She’s a nurse at NMC.”
Dave reached out to shake Holly’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Holly. I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“Me, too. Thank you for letting us stay here.”
“Not a problem. I’ve known Blake for a while now and I know these accusations against him must be false.”
“Yes, they are,” she assured him. “Blake saved me. He’s definitely one of the good guys.”
She glanced at Blake and he felt his face redden. He wasn’t used to being lauded, but it felt good to hear her say nice things about him.
“Well, let’s get inside, shall we?”
He led them into the house and motioned to Holly. “The spare room is down that hall. I thought you could take it. And, Blake, you can take the couch.”
“That’s fine,” Blake said, nodding as he led Holly down the hall to the spare room. She seemed hesitant, so he rubbed her shoulders. “It’ll be fine,” he assured her. “We’re safe here. I trust Dave.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure who I can trust anymore.” She turned to look at him and smiled. “Except for you. I trust you, Blake. If you say we’re safe, then I believe you.”
She suddenly stepped forward and leaned into his chest, catching him off guard. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
The scent of her hair wafted to him and his head spun with the lovely fragrance. He was suddenly unsure of what to do with his hands. Should he embrace her? Pat her shoulder? What?
Finally he placed his hand on her back and it felt so good. His voice was choked when he spoke again. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Holly. We will get through this.”
She stared up at him, her green eyes again searching for
answers, for protection.
His heart lurched as he stroked her arm. It felt so good to be close to someone. It had been so long since he’d touched soft skin and delicate features or gazed into wide, wondering eyes looking to him to make everything better.
He took a deep, fortifying breath and removed his hands from her back. He couldn’t go down that road. He’d already gotten too close to her, his mind racing with thoughts about her. She was smart and capable and somehow he’d let her wiggle in under his guard and pierce the armor he hid behind.
She stared up into his face and sighed, then pulled away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I’ve made you uncomfortable.”
“No, you didn’t. It’s fine.” He couldn’t help the roar of attraction he felt for her—but had it been so obvious that she’d noticed? He hoped not. He had to keep reminding himself that love and romance were not in his future.
“I’ll let you get some sleep. Don’t worry. I’ll be standing guard.”
Once she disappeared into the bedroom, he ran his hand over his stubbly chin. This was getting way out of hand. He had to take control of this attraction he felt for her. It was downright dangerous for him to get so close.
Lord, I can’t do this again.
He walked into the den and lowered himself onto the couch.
The aroma of coffee wafted through the room and he spotted Dave standing there in the doorway holding two mugs.
Blake grinned and took the one he offered. “Thank you. And not just for the coffee.”
“My pleasure.” He pulled up a chair and straddled it. “Now, let’s talk.”
Blake took a sip of coffee then set it down. “You want to know if I did the things they’re saying. I thought you said you knew me better than that?”
“This isn’t about the news or even about the girl. It’s about you.”
“What about me?”
“I don’t know, Blake. We’ve become friends over the past few months. We’ve discussed your fiancée and her betrayal. I feel like I should know you very well—only there’s always been this part of you that you held back. I think it’s about time you told me who you really are.”
Mission Undercover Page 6
