by Wendy Davy
Sierra swallowed and instinctively raised a hand to her throat. Why had God allowed Amber to pass on, while sparing her? “I don’t understand why things happen the way they do.”
Chase took in a deep breath and shifted back onto the road. “That makes two of us.”
Anxiety crept in as they headed into the countryside. “Are you sure your parents don’t mind me coming?”
“Not at all. It’ll probably be good for Mom to have another woman to talk to. She’s closed herself off for so long.”
“What should I do if she asks me about Kevin?” Sierra didn’t know if she could accurately explain how he’d used his charm and intellect to disguise his true intentions, and how he’d probably done the same with Amber.
“If Mom asks, tell her.”
Sierra shook her head. “You make it sound simple.”
“It can be. Be honest. Be yourself.”
“I don’t want to hurt your mom. What if—”
Chase took her hand. His warmth and strength surrounded her fingers as he laced them with his. “It’s going to be all right, Sierra.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but when his thumb caressed the back of her hand, in a slow, circular pattern, she couldn’t speak. His touch, smooth and considerate, acted like a soothing balm on her battered emotions. She squeezed his hand, thankful he’d seen her need and filled it.
Ten minutes later, he turned into a long graveled drive and braked in front of a white two-story house. Empty flower pots adorned a wraparound porch, and vines crept along banisters. Decaying leaves and debris filled gutters, and a long tree branch poked at a window screen.
“Dad used to keep the place up, but since Amber’s been gone, nothing’s the same.” Chase shut off the engine, taking in the house’s exterior.
It never will be the same again. Sierra kept the all too familiar thought to herself. Disturbing as it may be, she had a lot in common with Chase’s family. All of their lives had been changed forever by one man. “Did your parents meet Kevin when Amber was dating him?”
“A few times. I think it made things worse later on. Dad thought the guy was good for Amber. Mom did, too.”
“What did you think of him?”
“At the time, I thought he was all right.” A muscle in his jaw twitched and his features took on a haunted look. “Thinking back, there were a few things that should’ve tipped me off.”
“Like what?”
Chase released her hand and smoothed his palms over his jeans. “It wasn’t so much what he said or did, as the look in his eyes when he thought no one was watching. He had a sense of possessiveness about him. It was hard to place at the time.”
“I know exactly what you’re talking about. He used to treat me as if he owned me.” A shiver raced along her spine as she pictured Kevin’s molasses-colored eyes darkening with obsession.
“He probably still believes it, too.”
“And thinking he owns me, he assumes he has the right to do anything he wants.” Sierra swallowed, praying Kevin wouldn’t have another chance. “Did Amber bring Kevin here?”
“No. Amber had a small place in Seattle, and my parents would drive down there on occasion. They’d stay with me for a few days, and we’d meet Amber and Eason for dinner.”
“What about holidays?”
“Either Eason kept Amber to himself, or she’d come alone. Towards the end, we didn’t see much of Amber at all.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, with the way he wanted to keep me from my family and friends. What did your brother think of Kevin?”
“You can ask him. He’ll be in later tonight.”
“Are you still planning to leave me here?” Sierra fought to settle her nerves.
“I wouldn’t if I didn’t think you’d be safe.” Chase stepped out, circled around the truck and opened her door.
She slid outside. Cool, damp air surrounded her, mixed with the scents of smoked hickory. She inhaled the inviting aroma. “Something smells great.”
Chase took a breath and his lips curved into a smile. “Dad likes to cook in his smoker out back. He’s probably fixing up something for dinner.”
Sierra’s stomach rumbled as if on cue. Not one to enjoy flying, she hadn’t eaten during their long journey, unsure how the turbulence would affect her shaken nerves. As she stood, she began to feel the aftereffects, and she swayed.
With lightning quick reflexes, Chase’s arm shot out and he steadied her. “We are going to have to work on your diet.”
“If dinner tastes as good as it smells, you won’t have to worry about my eating habits tonight.”
Chase removed their luggage from the back. “It’s been a long day. Let’s go inside and get settled.”
Sierra hesitated as second thoughts bombarded. “I don’t want to impose. I could stay at a hotel.”
“No.” Chase adjusted the bags and wrapped an arm around her waist, hauling her close. “I want you with me,” he rasped and dipped his head. His lips brushed hers in a quick kiss.
Chase’s touch was so feathery she barely felt the pressure, but heat radiated through her as if he’d ignited a wildfire. He released her too soon, leaving her light-headed and off balance as he trotted up the porch steps as if nothing had happened.
Chase had a way of immobilizing her with a mere touch, or look. If he directed his compassionate eyes at her one more time, she feared she’d melt on the spot. He’d shown such gentleness that she had to remind herself he was a seasoned law enforcement officer. The thought doused her warm, fuzzy thoughts—Chase wasn’t a permanent fixture in her life. When the case was solved, he would go his way and she would go hers.
Unsettled, Sierra followed and stepped inside. The essence of a warm, loving home surrounded her. Lemony detergents filled the air, giving the room a spring time flavor—not what she’d expected considering the condition of the house’s exterior. She hoped Chase’s family hadn’t gone to the trouble of cleaning on her account.
Sierra looked across the room, scanning the dark brown leather couches and glass-topped coffee table. A flower vase sat empty on a mahogany fireplace mantle, next to a framed snapshot of Chase with his arms draped around a good-looking blond man and a petite brunette.
Sierra moved closer to the mantle and studied the picture. Although they all had differing hair color, the family resemblance was amazing. “She has the same green eyes as you. This must be Amber.”
Chase hung his keys by the door and set down their bags. He moved close and ran an index finger over the picture as shadows crossed his features. “Yeah. That’s her.” His voice sounded tight and raw, and Sierra wished she hadn’t said anything.
“She was beautiful.”
An odd silence filled the room. Nothing stirred. No clock ticked. No television gave out mind numbing background noise. Sierra hugged her arms around her middle, suddenly uncomfortable.
“It wasn’t always this way.” Chase’s gaze scoured the room. “So quiet, I mean.”
“What was it like growing up here?” The living room opened to a formal dining room, and Sierra imagined a loving family gathered around for Thanksgiving dinner and Christmases filled with laughter and love.
“There was always something going on. Jake was into football, I preferred soccer. Amber, in addition to cheerleading, was the head of the debate team. And, Mom used to host dinner parties. She loved entertaining. After we all moved out, she filled her spare time with hosting bridge games and garden clubs. She even started up a book club.”
“Does she still do those things?”
“No. Not since…” Chase cleared his throat, but his eyes remained clouded.
“I don’t remember my parents,” Sierra admitted, mindful of her own memories as a child.
“What happened to them?”
“You don’t know? You seem to know so much about me already.”
“I know you were young when they passed. They were missionaries, right?”
Although painful to relate, Sierra
wanted Chase to appreciate all that he’d had growing up so she divulged. “They wanted to be missionaries. I used to like to imagine they’d died doing something adventurous. I’d envision them taking a trip to the jungles of South America and getting caught in the crossfire in some tribal dispute while trying to cure some kind of deadly disease.” She paused and shrugged as if the true incident hadn’t completely transformed her life. “But, what happened to them wasn’t so glamorous. They died in a car accident on the way to raise funds for the trip they never got to take.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. It was a long time ago. Piper and I were raised by my Aunt Kat. She loved us, but it was always Piper I looked to for everything.”
“You two must be close.” Concern marred his brow. “How is she doing with all that’s been going on?”
“She’s worried, of course. She wanted me to come stay with her.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I would never put her life in jeopardy.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to her. Especially because of me.”
“So, you know how I feel responsible for Amber.”
“But you didn’t cause her death.”
“No, but if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my own life, I would’ve seen the signs of abuse.”
“Not necessarily.” Sierra thought of the initial warning bells she’d recognized in Kevin’s behavior, about how she shrugged them off and how little she’d shared with her sister. “Amber probably covered it up thinking she was imagining the warning signs, and then she probably felt she could handle it on her own. I know that’s what I did…until—”
“Until it was too late,” Chase finished.
Sierra nodded, feeling so foolish she couldn’t meet Chase’s eyes.
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty.” He lifted her chin between two fingers and their gazes met. “There’s a reason this kind of thing happens. Men like Eason are devious.”
“You don’t have to remind me. Sometimes I can still feel his hands on my throat.” The bruises had faded, but the emotional scars remained. She shuddered at the horrible memories.
Chase smoothed a thumb over her delicate skin as if he could erase the event. “You’re under my protection now.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t be. If something does happen to me, and you blame yourself…” An ache arose at the thought. She couldn’t imagine feeling safe without him near. But, she still needed to offer him a way out. “Maybe now that there’s a warrant out for Kevin’s arrest, the SPD would consider giving me official protection.”
“Is that what you want?” His voice lowered, and his gaze searched hers. “Would you prefer to have strangers watching over you?”
She couldn’t lie. Not to Chase. “No.” She’d only known him a few days, but it seemed much longer. She hadn’t considered him a stranger since he’d explained Kevin had taken his sister’s life. He’d experienced deep pain from Kevin’s actions, which assured Chase’s compassion and understanding. Aside from that, she just wanted to be near him. “I only want you.”
Chase expelled a quick breath, as if she’d knocked it from him. Not only did he look relieved, but something else passed through his gaze—something resembling cautious hope. “In that case, you’ll have me.” He touched her elbow. “Let’s go see if my mom’s outside.”
Sierra’s own relief was short-lived as nerves kicked in.
Chase laced his fingers through hers and tugged her toward the back door. “Come on. She’ll love you.”
Sierra followed, encouraged by the support he offered, but fearing she was about to open wounds in Chase’s family that never had a chance to heal.
20
Chase stepped from his parent’s house into the damp, chilly air, enjoying the familiar earthy scents of hemlock and fir trees. A bank of fog blanketed the thick forest surrounding them, creating a calm, quiet atmosphere. Sierra moved along behind him in silence. Although he wanted to continue to reassure her that his mother would welcome her presence, he had his own misgivings to deal with. The backyard showed signs of neglect, even worse than the front.
Mom’s garden was mostly barren, although she knelt in the middle, toiling over some kind of plant which looked as if it struggled to survive. Her wide-brimmed straw hat covered her features, protecting her from non-existent sunrays. Coconut scented sun block breezed past him—she’d always had a thing about sunlight damaging skin. With her fair complexion, he could understand why.
“Mom,” he called as he approached with Sierra.
His mother looked up, dropped a rusty trowel, and stood. A smile showed she was glad to see him, and then her gaze darted to Sierra. Her smile widened. “You must be Sierra.” She slipped off dirt-covered, faded gloves and held out a hand. “Welcome.”
Sierra shook hands cordially. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Price.”
“Oh, call me Eliza. We don’t do formal around here.” Her gaze found Chase’s again, and she moved in for a hug.
Chase took her in his arms. “How are you, Mom?” he asked, although he didn’t need verbal confirmation to know things were not OK. Her shoulders had thinned, along with the rest of her. She’d lost weight…again. And, new strands of gray hair intermingled within thin blond wisps.
“I’m doing all right.” She backed away. Holding the rim of her hat, she looked him over, and her gaze caught on the bandage under his shirt. “What’s this?”
“It’s just a scratch.” He looked toward Sierra, hoping she wouldn’t divulge where the “scratch” had come from. The last thing his mom needed was to worry about him. When Sierra met his eyes with understanding, a sense of gratitude swept over him.
“Mrs. Price…I mean Eliza, I hope I’m not imposing. I told Chase I could stay at a hotel—”
“Don’t be silly. You can sleep in Amber’s room.”
Sierra’s face paled. “I…well…I don’t know.”
Chase squeezed her hand. “Or, she could stay in my old room. I can sleep on the Futon in Dad’s office.”
“Oh, it’s a mess in there. He’s still got all of our tax forms spread out. You know how long it takes him to file.”
“The couch will be fine,” Sierra offered.
“Why don’t we just sort it all out later? I’m sure you two are tired from your flight.”
Mom’s fussing over them was a good sign. Chase wanted to believe this was a step in the right direction, but he knew what was coming next, and he steeled himself.
Mom pocketed her gloves, and then wrung her hands. “Have you arrested him yet?” Dirt splotched her face, which also showed signs of distress. Deep wrinkles formed above her brows as she waited expectantly.
She’d asked the same question for eight months, and for eight months, he’d had the same answer. “No. Not yet.” The disappointment was always the same. She would blink back tears. Look away. Suck in air, and shudder. Just as she did now.
Guilt and responsibility weighed him down. “The good thing is there’s a warrant out for his arrest.”
“Did you finally come up with evidence about Amber?” Her eyes widened. “Or did he”—her gaze strayed to Chase’s arm—”do that to you?”
“It’s a long story. The important thing is it’s only a matter of time till we get him.” Chase hoped his news would relieve some of his mother’s tension, but if anything, her anxiety seemed to worsen.
“Will there be a trial?”
“Probably.” Chase glanced at Sierra, dismayed to find she’d paled. Her skin now looked almost as ghostly as his mother’s. “Let’s just take this one step at a time.” He wanted to pull them both in his arms and block out the uncertain future, but once Eason was captured, they would each have to face the witness stand.
“I just want this behind us.” Mom blinked back more tears.
“So do I.” Although, he knew nothing would ever be the same. Not without Amber. “I should’ve taken care of this a long time ago.”
&
nbsp; Sierra sidled closer, her warmth easing his cold chill. “You’ve done everything you can. You’ve spent months searching for evidence. You even followed me across the country.”
“Yeah.” He scoffed. “To use you as bait.”
“You did what?” Mom’s voice rose to a high pitch.
“He also came to protect me,” Sierra defended his actions. “It worked. Now Kevin’s going to be arrested, and I’m still alive. I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if Chase hadn’t been there.” She looked up at him with gratitude.
Her words soothed his guilt, and he wanted to respond to Sierra, but he knew his mom would not let this one go.
Hands on hips, Mom lifted her chin. “Young man, you’d better have a good explanation for this.”
Chase suddenly felt as if he was a teenager living under her roof again. “I can explain.” The breeze picked up, carrying the scent of rain and earth as a fine mist began to fall. He glanced toward the sky. Clouds rushed past, growing ever darker. “But for now, you two had better get inside.”
His mom looked like she would argue, but then glanced at Sierra as she hugged her arms around her middle.
“All right. We’ll go in and warm up. But don’t think you’re getting out of this so easily, mister.” Mom turned toward Sierra. “Would you like some tea?”
“That would be nice.” Sierra nodded and met Chase’s gaze. “Are you coming?”
“I’ll come in a bit. I’m going to go check on Dad.” He indicated the barn, which his father had converted to a workshop many years ago. “It’ll give you two some time to get acquainted.”
With a quick parting glance, Sierra followed his mother toward the back porch. Chase’s gaze trailed after her. In spite of her misgivings about coming here, she looked at home among his childhood memories. Memories he suddenly wanted to share with her.
He quickly reminded himself Sierra had a life to salvage. No matter how much he wanted to claim her as his own, she deserved the opportunity to regain her freedom.
Chase took hold of his emotions the best he could, considering the circumstances. As difficult as it was seeing his mother so torn, seeing his father—once a well-known and respected member of the Granite Falls community—turn into a recluse, churned his gut.
