He brushed past her, his voice husky. “But it’s open now.”
* * *
Crunch.
Okay. The first sound could have been his imagination, but that one? No, that was real. Stealing across the grass, it whooshed a bit in the still night as Jericho investigated the source of the noise. With deliberate steps, he came to the front of the barn and craned his neck to listen.
The sound—a horse, maybe? Blame it on a year experiencing the harsh realities of war, but Jericho Freed didn’t like to leave a strange noise unexplored. Sure, that same fact cost him his army career, but this was Ali’s safety. He wasn’t about to take any chances.
His fingers grazed the barn door. Just as he feared. Unlatched. With it hanging open, he squeezed his body through then faded into the shadowed area near the stall doors.
He squinted into the darkness. A person in dark clothes hunched over something in the stall used for storing hay. A chill washed over him. Ali was right. No other explanation existed for someone being in the barn at this time of night. Despite the slicing pain in his knee, Jericho pressed against the wall and slunk toward the wrongdoer. His footfalls undetected, he grabbed the dark figure by the arm and flung the intruder around to face him, pressing them hard against the wall.
Jericho clamped his hand over the perpetrator’s mouth. “I’m gonna lift my hand in a minute, and you’re going to tell me two things. Why are you here? And why are you hassling Ali?” As he spoke, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and recognition poured through him. He took the slender but firm arm in his hand, the petite frame and long, dark hair. “Megan?”
She shoved away his hand from her face and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. “Of course. What are you doing here?”
Peering around her into the stall, Jericho saw three gas cans, an ax and some rope. He narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you doing?”
She ran a hand over her hair. “Didn’t Ali tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Huh. Guess she doesn’t trust you.”
“I’m calling the cops.”
“Easy there, Trigger. I’m doing a stakeout. Helping Ali catch the person who’s been doing stuff.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Which is why you’re putting gas in a highly flammable room? Are you crazy? There’s hay dust everywhere. This place is one step from an inferno.”
“I will have you know—” she crossed her arms and stepped away from him “—that Rider Longley left these next to the house. Pretty suspicious, if you ask me. I was moving them, and I didn’t think it was dangerous in here. It’s just hay dust.” She shrugged.
Jericho grabbed her biceps in one hand, and the can of gasoline in the other. “I don’t buy a word of this. Let’s go see if Ali gives the same story.”
He dragged her with more force than necessary across the yard and up the front steps. A wild, howling fear bit at his ankles the entire walk to the house. Rope? Gasoline? An ax? At least now the gas can was clear of the hay dust.
“How do you know Rider left that stuff near the house?”
“Who else? He’s the one with a vendetta against this family. Will you let me go?” She shoved at his hand as they tripped up the porch steps.
Jericho thought about the implications of the items Megan found. Who made a big to-do about always carrying matches?
Tripp. It all made sense. The letter—he was at the Independence Day picnic. He didn’t want Ali near Jericho. He probably banked on the fact that Ali would run into his arms for protection. Think again, Tripp Phillips. Jericho wasn’t about to let that happen.
He released Megan, and they entered the house.
Ali bolted from her chair. The book she’d been reading tumbled to the ground. “Megan? Is something wrong? What are you doing here?”
He spoke before Megan could. “Is Megan supposedly trying to help you stake out the place?”
Ali looked slowly from him to Megan and then back to him. “We had talked about it. Yes. Trying to catch Rider.”
“That’s all I need to know.” He turned to Megan. “Sorry if I scared you, but I had to be sure.”
“Whatever. I’ll see you both tomorrow. Sorry for trying to help.” Megan elbowed past him, her voice dripping sarcasm.
* * *
Ali trailed Megan out to the porch. “Hey, wait up.”
Her friend turned, palming at her cheeks.
“What just happened?”
“Are you going to marry Tripp? I heard, that night when he asked you in the kitchen.”
Megan’s question jarred Ali like a bear trap crushing her leg. Marry Tripp? She didn’t want to think about that right now.
She sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Why not? I mean, Tripp’s a good guy.”
“You’re right, Tripp’s an amazing guy. He’s been there for me when I had no one. He’s been my closest friend the past couple years.”
“But you’re already married.”
Ali’s shoulders slumped, and she looked out at the mountains. Married? Okay, but only in the legal sense, really. “You’re technically right.”
“I think you should stay with your husband.” Megan rubbed her hands up and down her arms. The evening carried a distinct chill, despite how hot the day had been.
Ali swallowed hard. “You do?”
“He’s a nice guy. I don’t know what happened between you two in the past, but he cares about you, Ali. You should have seen the way he rounded on me in that barn when he thought I was there to do something nefarious. He loves you.”
Later, with those words etched in her mind, Ali stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom, unable to sleep. Drover gave a giant puppy yawn and eased tighter against her in the bed. She turned and splayed her hands into the dog’s silken fur, running his floppy ears through her fingers as he gave a little harrumph and closed his eyes.
“I don’t know if I can handle it all. Do You hear me, God? It’s too much,” she whispered. But it didn’t feel like the prayer penetrated the walls, let alone made it all the way to heaven.
The ache in her heart had begun as a throb the moment she was alone. Now, hours later, it felt like open heart surgery without anesthesia. Denny was gone. Dead. Forever. Someone was after her. Jericho was here. Ali squeezed her eyes shut.
She felt like a pocket turned inside out with nothing left to give. Using the edge of her blanket, she dabbed at the tears sliding down her cheek, hoping the sniffling wasn’t as loud as it felt. Ali turned into Drover, using his back to muffle the sobs that threatened to rake through her body at any moment.
* * *
Bolting up, Jericho’s gaze scanned the room. The bags of frozen veggies he’d put on his knees slid to the floor with a plop. With the steps of a practiced hunter, he stole to the stairs and heard a sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. The subdued moan came from upstairs. If anyone hurt Ali, or Chance, or Kate...
He took the stairs two at a time. Bending an ear near each door, he listened for the haunting sound again. All he heard were soft snores from Kate’s room. Nothing by Chance’s, so he pushed open the door. The child lay sprawled on his bed, his chest rising and falling with deep sleep. Jericho backed out of the room. Finding Ali’s ajar, he peeked in, and his heart constricted. No evil Tripp stood over the bed with an ax, but the sight of Ali crying sickened him all the same.
Leaning against the wall in the hallway, he prayed for guidance and for Ali’s peace. She sniffled, and his gut told him to do something to help her. Without thinking, he went back downstairs and put on the cast iron kettle. As the water warmed, he fumbled through the drawers and the pantry looking for mint tea. While they were married, Ali had experienced trouble sleeping. The only remedy had been mint tea—and him rubbing circles on her back until she drifted off.
Regret formed a lump in his throat. How had she fallen to sleep after he left? Lost in the alcohol, he’d never thought about it before, and the totality of what his leaving had done to her rocked through him.
Hands shaking, he poured a cup and let it steep.
The floorboard creaked behind him. Dressed in oversized sweats, Ali blinked. “What are you doing?”
Jericho crossed the room and held out the cup to her. “It’s mint. I heard you crying.”
She bowed her head and took the cup, blowing on the warm liquid before sipping. “You remembered.”
“’Course I did. I haven’t forgotten anything about you.” He motioned for her to join him at the table. “Do you need anything else?”
“No.” She straightened. “I should go back to sleep.”
He sighed. “I’m here...whenever you need me.”
Ali surveyed him through the rising steam. Her eyes searched him, almost caressing his face. Cautiously, Jericho took a step forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep well.”
As she left the room, he heard a very quiet “Thank you.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Please, Mom, please.” Chance’s dress shoes left skid marks on the clean kitchen floor as he hopped up and down.
Ali scrubbed the same serving platter with a Brillo pad for the third time. “Oh, I don’t know. There’s so much to get done around here, and if you all are leaving, I’ll need to do double time.”
Kate captured the plate and yanked it away, rescuing it from another round of scouring. “If you don’t want to come to church with us, it’s okay, Al. Just say so, and everyone will leave you alone.”
The scrape of Jericho’s chair as he pushed back from the table drew everyone’s attention. He nodded his head once, real slow. It seemed to be some sort of secret signal because Kate grabbed Chance’s hand and headed out the back door.
Ali wrung her hands, puckered from dishwater.
Jericho rose and clomped toward her. All dressed up in a tucked-in button-down, a tie and suit coat—but the jeans and boots still screamed cowboy. “No one’s interested in forcing you to do anything you don’t want to. You know that, right?”
She bobbed her head.
He came closer. The spicy, woodsy trace of his cologne drifted over her, and she fought the urge to close her eyes and breathe deeply—that, or bury her nose against that place on his neck where she knew he sprayed the enticing nectar.
She swung toward the oven and snatched the dirty skillet.
He followed her. “I wanted to thank you for letting me bring Chance with me today. Thank you for trusting me with him.”
She batted hair from her eyes. “He’s thrilled to go.”
He eased the skillet out of her hand and dropped it into the sink. A little water sloshed onto the counter. When he reached for the dishcloth, she leaned out of his way. He mopped up the spill on the counter, then dropped the cloth into the dirty dishwater.
She looked down, straightening the rug with her foot. “I want to go, too.” She met his eyes—his soft, pleading eyes. “I know it’s stupid, but I feel like God will shoot lightning bolts at the church or something if I dare to darken the doors.”
His lips creased into an easy smile. “It’d be more like fireworks celebrating a daughter’s homecoming. But I understand. I’ve felt that way before.”
With a sigh, she rubbed her elbow. “It would just feel strange walking in there, after all this time.”
“They’re holding the worship service in the park today in lieu of a church gathering. And so far, it looks like God hasn’t tampered with you whenever you’re outside, so I think you’ll be in the clear today.” Jericho winked.
“It’s out in the park?”
“You can get up and walk away if you feel uncomfortable.”
“I think I’ll come, then. Shouldn’t you guys have left already?”
“If Kate’s hot to trot she can leave, but I’ll wait. I’ll always wait for you.”
Her eyes locked with Jericho’s. He thought she was worth waiting for. Warmth flooded through her, and suddenly she couldn’t think of another reason in the world to stay away from him.
* * *
On the drive over, Jericho eased her discomfort. He promised the service would be casual, and he complimented her outfit twice. When the Jeep halted in the parking spot, she looked down at her white capris, strappy sandals and sapphire V-neck crew. A necklace or some sort of embellishment would have been nice, but it had been the best she could scrounge up in seven minutes.
Jericho rounded the car and opened the door for her, offering his hand to assist her down. “Don’t want you twisting an ankle in your fancy shoes.”
“They don’t even have heels.” She took his hand all the same.
Chance bounded over from the truck Kate drove. His tie was already missing, and his sleeves were rolled to his elbows. “Mom, Aunt Kate says we get to sit on the ground and that there will be cake and juice afterward.” He caught her hand and swung it as they picked their way through the crowd together.
Jericho’s laugh washed over them. “Church isn’t outside all the time, bud, but they do usually have treats after service.”
The group located an open spot on the side of the gathering. Before they sat down, Jericho shrugged out of his suit coat and laid it on the ground, motioning for Ali to sit on it while the band on the platform started singing.
Her eyes widened. “I don’t want to get your coat dirty.”
One side of his lips lifted, and something twinkled in his eyes. “I don’t want your white pants getting ruined.”
“Good point.” She lowered herself onto his coat. He did the same and edged closer. Chance plopped down on her other side, and Kate sat on some grass at the end of the line.
When the service ended, Ali rose and gathered Jericho’s coat in her arms. Before she could bolt to the Jeep, neighbors swarmed her with hugs.
Mrs. Casey, one of Ali’s high school teachers, squeezed tight. “You dear thing. Why, I’m so pleased to see you out today. Does a heart good to see my old students. And who might this strapping young man be?” She peered at Chance over her glasses. Ali introduced them.
“Is that Alison Silver?” Linda Smeer, a sleepover sister from days gone by, shook Ali by her shoulders. “I can’t believe it. I’m so excited to see you. I think about stopping by your ranch all the time, but I know you’re so busy. Let’s plan a time to catch up.”
“I’d love that.” Ali smiled at her, and they exchanged cell phone numbers.
Two families with students in her program stepped forward and greeted her. Ali swapped a high five with Ned. He’d come a long way since joining the Big Sky Dreams program. Seeing him so comfortable around the large crowd, and able to handle contact, made moisture gather in her eyes.
Jericho poked her in the side, his eyebrows raised. He offered her a red velvet cupcake from the dessert table. “Looks like you’ve got a lot of friends here.”
She plucked at the wrapper. “More than I realized. I think next week I’ll come to church with you guys again, even if it’s inside the building. I’ve missed this.”
“No lightning?”
“Not yet.” She couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on her face. Nor the sigh that escaped after she bit into the delicious treat.
* * *
Jericho patted Salsa’s neck and checked the horse’s water. Full. Good. A barn cat slunk into the stable. He scooped up the furry intruder, then latched the door shut.
“Don’t let Drover see that you found the cat,” Ali called from down the line. He watched her. She stopped near the empty fifth stall and trailed her fingers over the door. Denny’s stall. Ali wrapped her arms around her middle and turned away.
Jericho picked up his
speed. “Anything else need doing?”
She pressed her lips together. “No. All the horses are in and fed. We just lock up the barn, then I spend some time with Chance before bed.”
“He challenged me to a game of Battleship.” He set the cat near the tower of hay bales.
They walked together out of the barn, and Ali stopped to turn the lock. She checked twice to make certain the door was secure. “Are you prepared to be sunk? He’s insanely good at it.”
He caught her gaze and held tight. The gold flecks in the hazel pools shimmered. Sunk? More like hook, line and sinker. What are you doing to me, Ali? He cleared his throat. “So what’s on the menu for dessert tonight?”
“I made cookies-and-cream cupcakes earlier. They should be cool now, so they only need frosting. They’ll be ready by the time your ships are destroyed.”
“Such a vote of confidence.”
“Oh, you don’t know how Chance gets when he’s playing board games.”
He rubbed the stubble on his chin and laughed. “You forget. I’ve lost to him in Clue twice now.”
Looking out across the corral, Ali crossed her arms and sighed.
He touched her hand. “What’s on your mind?”
“Sometimes I wonder if starting Big Sky Dreams was one enormous mistake. I mean, it takes so much of my time away from Chance. Not just the lessons, but I spend so much time looking for donations and planning fundraisers, too. I wonder sometimes if it’s all worth it.”
“You take good care of Chance. Don’t doubt that.”
She started walking toward the house again, and he fell into step with her.
Ali gave a quick nod. “You know you don’t have to keep staying here. I’m sure you’re needed at your dad’s place.”
“I’m not. His staff took care of the place before I came home, and they can take care of it just fine without me.” Jericho grabbed the front door, holding it open for her. She smiled at him, and his heart hammered against his rib cage. The past week spent around her only strengthened his determination to win back his wife. “Believe me, I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
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