“Thanks for not being a serial killer.” Everly held out her hand to shake Duke’s. “And thanks for rescuing us.”
“No problem.” He waved as she turned and walked toward the SUV, fishing out the keys we’d put in her backpack.
I scanned the parking lot, taking note of the trees and the signs, looking anywhere but at Duke until it was time for the inevitable goodbye.
“Pleasure to meet you, Jade Morgan.” He extended his hand, and I slipped mine into his grip.
Tingles raced across my skin as the rough callouses on his palm scraped lightly against my fingers. I met his gaze, soaking up the azure blue. “Take care, Duke.”
He inched closer, not letting go as I’d expected. Instead, he held my hand, tugging me in as his focus dropped to my lips. Like maybe he’d kiss me.
Maybe I wanted him to.
But then he blinked, the moment broken, and the heat of his hand disappeared.
I plastered on a smile to mask the disappointment.
It was better this way, right? Cops asked questions and I doubted Duke would be satisfied with partial answers. For me to truly start over at twenty-eight-years old, the smartest thing was for me to avoid men and attention and that included hot sheriffs who were in the spotlight.
Still, I’d wonder about Duke. I’d wonder what might have been.
“Drive safe.” With a tip of his hat, he turned and walked toward a large white truck parked beneath a towering evergreen.
I stood, rooted in place, as he climbed in and drove away.
“Goodbye, Duke Evans.”
That really was a great name.
• • •
“I can’t believe when I get home you won’t be there.” Everly sniffled. “This weekend went way too fast.”
“But I’m glad we did it.”
She wiped away a tear. “Me too.”
The two of us looked human again after long showers and sleeping in an actual bed. While camping out two nights with a long hike in between had been an experience neither of us would forget, I wasn’t in a hurry to see the inside of a tent again soon.
When we’d arrived at the Madison Campground after the hike, we’d been exhausted. Everly and I had barely mustered the energy to set up our tent and sleeping bags before we’d collapsed.
The next morning, we’d woken up early, packed our things and hit the road. After collecting her rental car from the trailhead, we’d driven to West Yellowstone, where a hotel room and spa appointment had been waiting.
I’d soaked up one last day and night with my best friend before we’d trudged outside to say goodbye.
Everly was driving to the airport.
I was heading to Calamity.
“Call me when you get home?” I asked.
She nodded. “I will. If you need anything at all, I’m just a plane ride away.”
I hugged her, squeezing tight. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too.”
My entire life, Everly had lived less than one block away from me. We’d lived together in Nashville for the past ten years. And now she’d be across the country, chasing her dream.
While I was moving to a new town, a new state, and a new home, hoping to find a new dream.
Hoping to find that elusive peace.
“Thanks for this,” I said. “For the weekend. For coming out here with me. For keeping this a secret.”
“I hope it stays that way.” Her brown eyes filled with worry. “Are you sure about this?”
“No, but I have to try.”
“You know your secret is safe with me, but Lu . . . at some point, someone is going to figure it out.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I know I can’t hide here forever.”
That wasn’t going to stop me from trying.
“Just take care of yourself, okay?” She hugged me again. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” I stood beside my car, watching her drive away. It wasn’t until her taillights disappeared down the highway that I finally unglued my feet.
And started a new chapter.
• • •
“Oh, hell.” I glanced at my watch and abandoned my lazy pace.
Maybe tomorrow I’d learn how not to be perpetually late. Today was clearly not that day.
As I scurried down the sidewalk, I sent my realtor a text, apologizing for being late and promising to be there soon. Then I tucked my phone away, pinned my purse beneath an elbow, and ran toward my car.
Mom had always teased me for getting lost in my own head and misplacing time. Dad had been the same way.
Except I hadn’t been lost in my head.
I’d been lost in Calamity.
Located in the heart of Southwest Montana, my new hometown had charmed me instantly. Calamity was nestled in a mountain valley, surrounded in all directions by towering indigo peaks. There wasn’t much to the town itself, as my realtor had promised—I’d driven from one end to the other in less than five minutes.
But I didn’t need a sprawling metropolis. After an hour of walking up and down Main Street, I’d realized that quaint rural setting suited me fine.
I’d instantly fallen in love with the easy pace. No one rushed down the sidewalks. People smiled as you passed. In every store I’d explored today, the clerks had welcomed me to town and asked for my name.
My realtor had promised Calamity was a friendly place. She’d boasted about the stunning, short summers and sunny, albeit, cold winters. How everyone would be so happy to have a young, fresh face in their community. I’d thought she’d been blowing smoke up my ass, just trying to earn a commission.
As it was, Calamity was everything she’d pledged and more.
Which was why I’d spent much too long exploring instead of meeting her on time to pick up the keys to my house.
Sweat beaded at my temples by the time I reached my car and hopped inside, rolling down the windows in favor of the air conditioning. Then I reversed out of my spot like my wheels were on fire and raced down the road.
The air whipped through my hair. The sun warmed my face. And the smile that tugged on my lips was of sheer excitement.
This is going to work. I felt it in my bones.
Calamity was located two hours from the nearest town of any size. It would be easy for me to hide here, living as Jade Morgan. In all my wandering, I hadn’t seen a flicker of recognition on anyone’s face.
According to my internet research, there were roughly a thousand people living in Calamity and the surrounding area. I could convince a thousand people that I was a nobody. That I was just a single woman, new to Calamity, who’d bought a two-bedroom home on the outskirts of town. I didn’t have to find a job because I was planning on telling everyone I worked from home. I’d pay cash whenever possible and simply blend in.
My foot pressed into the accelerator as I glanced between the road and my GPS. In one mile, I’d take a left and in less than three minutes I’d be—
The wail of a siren filled my ears. Blue and red lights greeted me in the rearview mirror. My foot lifted off the gas pedal, but it was too late. As I slowed and veered for the shoulder, so did the imposing police truck behind me.
“Shit. Why am I so stupid?”
This was bad. This was really, really bad.
My heart pounded as I came to a stop, shoving the Rover into park. With trembling hands, I reached for my purse in the passenger seat and rifled through it until I found my wallet.
Why couldn’t I have just been on time for once in my life? A speeding ticket my first day in Calamity was not blending in. If my name ended up in the local police report, my stay here would be much, much shorter than planned.
The officer’s footsteps approached my door cautiously. Through the side mirror, I couldn’t get a good look at his face, but I didn’t miss the black gun on one hip and shining badge on the other.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted the second he was close enough to my open window to hear. “I was late and—”
The words disappeared as I looked up and saw blue.
“Jade?”
I blinked. “Duke? What are you doing here? I thought you were from Wyoming.”
“I grew up in Wyoming, but I live in Calamity.” He shook his head, clearing the disbelief from his expression. Then his gaze narrowed and intensified. “License, registration and insurance, please.”
“Right.” I pretended like the sharp, impassive edge to his voice didn’t sting.
Maybe I’d misread that parting moment in the park. Maybe he’d just been a nice guy, helping two tourists to their car, and the attraction here was one-sided.
My fingers fumbled with the plastic as I yanked my license out of my wallet, and I nearly dropped it as I handed it over.
“I’m sorry I was speeding.” Please, please don’t notice. I gave him my most innocent eyes, silently pleading for him to hand me back my driver’s license and forget this whole thing.
No such luck.
Duke studied my license, his eyes flickering between me and the plastic card. Then his jaw ticked and he put both of his hands on the windowsill. “Ms. Morgan. Lajade, right? Or should I call you Lucy Ross? As in the famous country singer, Lucy Ross.”
I cringed. “I can explain.”
“Yeah. I think you’d better start talking.”
“Sheriff Evans.” I gave him my sweetest smile. “What would you say to a bribe?”
• • •
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LEAP OF FAITH
* * *
JACI WHEELER
ONE
“ONE MORE STEP would mean certain death.”
Elliot jumps, startled by the deep voice behind him, causing the ground to break and crumble beneath his feet. He thought he was alone up here and about craps his pants at the intrusion. Watching the stones tumble down the mountain to their demise, he can’t help the anger that boils within, knowing that should be him scattered on the ground.
He turns his head slowly to see a tall, broad man leaning against a nearby tree, looking completely relaxed and at ease. No, this can’t be happening, not again. I was actually going to go through with it this time, Elliot screams inside his head. It’s like some cosmic plan to keep him from his ultimate goal. Too bad Elliot doesn’t believe in a higher power. If he did, he might actually believe there was someone out there who wanted him alive.
Elliot stares at the man in disbelief for a few moments. He hasn’t seen a single soul for his entire six-hour climb. He purposely waited until midafternoon to even start his trek, choosing a route off the beaten path so he didn’t have to worry about this very thing happening.
How dare this man interrupt this moment? He didn’t drain his entire bank account to fly across country, taking two buses and a six-hour hike to get to the top of this mountain, just to back out now.
Elliot takes a deep breath and clears his mind of all fear and rationalization. With one last breath, he shifts his weight to the balls of his feet, bends at the knees, and jumps.
Well, that was supposed to be what happened. In reality, what happens is he clears his mind, bends his knees, and just about leaps when he is grabbed from behind and flung backward, away from the ledge. He lands, limbs akimbo, hoodie half over his face, and his glasses hanging off the end of his nose as he glares up at the menace.
“What the hell, man?” Elliot screams at the stranger, who is back to looking relaxed again, like he didn’t just foil months of planning. “You need to mind your own damn business.” Elliot tries for bravado, but the crack in his voice, along with the tremor in his hands, completely give him away. He’s such a failure he can’t even do this right.
He tries to take a calming breath, quickly glancing over the edge. It’s such a high drop-off, with nothing but sharp rocks and trees to break his fall. All he needs to do is run and fling himself off. The stranger must have read his mind, because he casually steps right in front of Elliot, blocking his view.
“Look, man, I don’t know who you are, and frankly, I don’t care. But I need you to leave me alone right now,” he says with as much bluster as he can force. Who’s he kidding, though? He eyes the hulk of a man who stands before him. He could eat Elliot for lunch. He’s got at least half a foot and a hundred pounds of muscle on him.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“Why not? You’ve got some sort of God complex or something? This isn’t up to you. It’s my choice.”
“It may be your choice to take your own life, but it’s my choice not to sit by and let you. Navy SEALs never leave a man behind.”
Of course, the guy is a freaking Navy SEAL, because that makes perfect sense on the top of a damn mountain with no water in sight. Elliot is so close to tears he doesn’t know what to do. He finds himself collapsing against a tree, trying to swallow the scream that is firmly lodged in his throat. He made sure his plan was foolproof this time. There is no turning back; he has nothing left.
• • •
(48 hours earlier)
Elliot stands in his empty apartment and looks around at the white walls. Even when it was full of his things, it felt empty. The emptiness now just happens to be valid. It only took about an hour for the Salvation Army to erase his entire life from this small, depressing place. He removes his checklist from his pocket and checks off number two—Salvation pick-up.
His last attempt was thwarted by the neighbor’s dog, Brownie. He was just about to swallow a bottle of pills when there was a knock at his door. He ignored it until the incessant sound finally got to him, and he put the open bottle on the coffee table and went to answer it. It was his elderly neighbor, Rose, asking him to watch her precious Brownie while she went to her doctor’s appointment. The dog was all she had, and she hated to leave him alone, so Elliot, like always, agreed.
Brownie came bounding into the room and knocked the bottle over with his tail, sending the pills flying. Terrified the dog would consume any of them, he quickly got the vacuum and cleaned them up, watching as his relief literally went down the tube.
It’s almost funny how inept Elliot is. It’s ironic, really, that he fails at everything so splendidly that he can’t even succeed at ending his life.
After the second failed attempt, he decided enough was enough. He would give away every single thing he had, spend every dime left to his name, and fly across the country so there was no backup plan left. This time it had to work.
TWO
SNAPPING OUT OF his musings, Elliot takes in his current situation. He doesn’t believe in fate or karma or any of that nonsense. Yet, looking over at the large Navy SEAL to his right, he has to wonder if some superior being is just messing with him now. No way could a third failed attempt be coincidence.
If it wasn’t for the fact that he had nothing left, he might even think of this as a sign. No. He pushes that thought out of his head as soon as it enters. Somehow, he must go through with this. He can’t fail at this too. Life can’t be that cruel, can it?
The tightness in his chest returns fiercely. His breathing is shallow and piercing. Of course he would have a panic attack at this moment, sitting next to the strongest man he’s ever encountered. As if he didn’t already know what a weakling he was.
“Come on, now, take a deep breath. Put your head between your legs and copy my breathing.”
The stranger has such confidence in his voice. Elliot is positive this man has never had a panic attack in his life.
“Good, that’s good. Just breathe slow and steady. You’re doing great. Have some water.” The man offers him a bottle of water, which Elliot reluctantly takes.
“Why are you doing this? You don’t even know me.”
“I don’t know most of the people I’ve saved,
but that doesn’t matter, because all lives have value.”
Elliot scoffs out a bitter laugh. “Maybe for someone like you. My life has never held any value…to anyone at all.”
“That’s just the depression talking, son. Everyone has value. There is always something to do to help others. If only people took their eyes off their own problems, they could see how much they’re needed.”
Elliot glares at the man. How dare he judge him, especially today of all days? The only value that could ever come from Elliot’s life is being an organ donor. He taps his front pocket, making sure the donor card is still where he placed it.
It’s not like Elliott came up with this plan rashly. He’s been planning it for the last three months. He’s already failed two other times, and he’s determined that this time it will be different. He knew he wouldn’t be able to back down if he drained his bank accounts and gave away everything he had. There is no turning back now; this has to be it. He has zero dignity left, so he pleads with this stranger who has a major savior complex.
“Please, mister. I just need some privacy. You have no clue about my life.”
“You’re right about that. I don’t. So, tell me about it.” The infuriating man pops a squat right next to Elliot and smiles over at him like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
Elliot says nothing for several minutes. He leans against the tree, eyes closed, trying not to sob. They sit like that for an hour, neither saying a word, neither moving. This small gesture brings Elliot to tears. Not once in his life has anyone ever shown up or been there for him. And here is this stranger who is doing exactly that, just being there for him.
Elliot lets the tears flow, not caring that he doesn’t have even a small scrap of dignity left. There’s so much he wants to say, but the words are all caught beneath the sobs.
One More Step Page 36
