Danger on the Mountain

by Lynette Eason

  “Hey, I can hear you back here real good,” Pete hollered from his cell. “You talking about those boys who robbed the bank, ain’t ya?”

  Eli rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Pete. We are. We’ll try to keep it down so you can sleep it off.”

  “I seen ’em, you know.”

  Reese lifted a brow and got up to follow Eli. Eli stood in front of Pete’s cell. “Where? What do you know about them?”

  Pete yawned and shrugged. “I’ll tell you after I get me a good hot meal.”

  “Aw, you’re just yanking my chain,” Eli said and turned to go back down the hall. But Reese wasn’t so sure.

  “Give me something on those guys, and I’ll see what I can do about the hot meal.”

  Pete eyed him. “You’re new here.”

  Reese met his gaze. “I am.”

  “Don’t know if I can trust you.” He looked down the hall. “Hey, Eli! This new boy trustworthy?”

  “Yep,” Eli hollered back.

  “Saw ’em in Miz Holly’s café eating before the robbery. I was sitting at the counter drinking me a coffee and they were talking real low, but I could hear ’em. I inched over and heard one of ’em say he’d take care of the woman.”

  The woman. Maggie? Reese’s gut clenched. How would they—

  The dispatcher’s voice came over his radio. “911 call, an intruder at six, seven, zero, Firebird Lane.”

  Eli frowned and stood, grabbing his keys. “That’s Maggie’s address.”

  Reese’s heart thudded, his sudden adrenaline rush familiar, pushing his senses to the hyperalert range that had kept him alive more than once. “I know. I just dropped her off.”

  The two men raced for the door, Eli barking into his radio. “Let her know we’re on the way.”

  “Hey!” Pete hollered. “Don’t forget my food!”

  The ten-minute drive up the mountain to the clearing that led to the lake seemed to take forever. Reese found himself imagining all sorts of awful things happening. “Do you think he came back?”

  Eli didn’t ask who he meant. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t have thought it, but weirder things have happened.”

  Worry surged through him. Would the bank robber, known only as Slim, have any compunction about hurting a baby? A wave of nausea swept through him at the thought.

  “Is she still on the phone?”

  Eli relayed the question to the dispatcher then nodded. He shot a glance at Reese. “She said the guy ran off into the woods. He had on baggy jeans and a black T-shirt with short cropped hair.”

  Reese’s jaw tightened. “That’s pretty close to how the robbers were dressed. They all had masks on, too.”

  They finally pulled into the driveway he’d just left about an hour earlier. Deputy Jason White swung in behind them.

  On the outside, everything looked fine, peaceful. Undisturbed. But when Maggie opened the door, he could see the strain on her face, the tension in her shoulders.

  Climbing out of the car, he and Eli walked up to the porch. She pointed to the back of the house. “He ran that way.”

  Eli nodded and glanced at Reese. “You stay with her. I’ll check it out.” He looked at Jason. “You go that way, make a search of the perimeter.”

  Jason took off.

  Reese took her soft hand in his and led her back inside. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what happened.”

  She dropped onto the couch, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “I do believe this has been the longest day of my life.”

  Reese could see her frustration, her fear.

  “My husband called. I’m going to have to go.” Reese looked up to see a woman standing in the doorway to the den.

  Maggie made the introductions. He reached for his radio and said, “Just a minute. I’ll get Deputy White to escort you home as soon as he’s finished clearing the perimeter of the house. Until we find out the intentions of the person snooping around, I don’t want you out there by yourself.”

  Mrs. Adler nodded, her frown furrowing, the lines in her forehead deep with worry. Five minutes later, in response to Reese’s call, Deputy White appeared on the front porch and Reese waved him inside. “Anything?”

  Deputy White shook his head. “Nothing that I can see. If someone was here, he’s gone now.”

  “Thanks. Mrs. Adler’s ready to go. Do you mind taking her home?”

  “Sure, be happy to.” The deputy escorted the woman out to his car.

  He turned back to Maggie, opened his mouth to question her further—and heard Belle crying.

  A low groan slipped from her throat and before he could stop himself, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get her.”

  Grateful surprise lit her eyes, and she melted back onto the cushion.

  Reese followed the wails down the hall to the nursery. It was tastefully decorated in pink-and-brown polka dots, and he couldn’t help but smile.

  The smile slipped when he saw the baby standing up, holding on to the railing, staring at him and blinking. A puzzled frown creased her forehead, and she looked as if she might start crying again. “Hey there, Belle. It’s all right. It’s just me.”

  His throat tightened as he recognized what he was doing. He was using the same voice he used to—

  Oh, God, help me.

  What had he been thinking? Volunteering to get the child from her crib. All he could see when he looked at her was his own baby daughter’s lifeless face. The last baby he’d held, and she’d been gone. She’d never had a chance to pull in a breath this side of heaven. His hands shook, and he clenched them.

  You can do this.

  But he wasn’t sure he could.

  “Reese? Everything okay?” Maggie called from the other room.

  He found his voice and some small measure of strength. “Yeah. Just fine.”

  When Belle’s face scrunched up again as if she was getting ready to crank out a cry, he hurried across the room and lifted her from the crib. Her frown stayed as he held her at arm’s length straight out in front of him.

  And that’s the way they walked down the hall into the den.

  Belle’s head swiveled and when she saw her mother sitting on the couch, her face brightened and she leaned toward her. Reese let her slide from his outstretched grasp into Maggie’s embrace.

  He backed up and perched on the edge of the recliner, his heart aching, memories fogging his thinking.

  “Are you all right?” Maggie asked. She cocked her head, looking at him as though trying to figure out what was going on inside him.

  She probably thought he was an idiot, based on how he carried Belle. He clamped down on his emotions and cleared his throat. “Yeah. Sure. I’m fine. I just...” He motioned toward a now-content Belle.

  “Don’t have much experience with babies?” she asked with a raised brow.

  “Ah, no. I don’t.” Desperate for a change of subject, Reese touched the radio on his shoulder and got Eli. “Anything?”

  “Nothing really. I’ll be up there in a minute.”

  True to his word, Eli knocked about a minute later and let himself into the house. Wiping his shoes on the mat, he said, “I found some disturbed ground, but can’t tell if it’s recent or not.”

  “Like someone watching the house?” Reese asked.

  A pause. “Yeah. Could be. But probably not. I don’t think it was the robber.”

  Reese wasn’t sure. “Maybe not. Maybe it was just a teenager or someone looking for an empty place to crash for the night. The more I think about it, the more I don’t see how someone could have been waiting for her. How would they know who she was in the first place, much less where she lives?”

  Maggie said, “So this was just a random thing? Someone tests the doorknob to see if I’m home and then runs off when I ask who’s there?”

  Eli sighed. “It could be some high school kids. We have our fair share of troublemakers. Nothing too serious, but...”

  Maggie frowned and bounced Belle on her knee.

&nbs
p; Reese said, “There hasn’t been time for the guy who threatened you to find you. It was just a few hours ago.”

  “What if he followed us home?” she asked.

  Eli and Reese exchanged a glance. “You mean these guys pretended to leave the bank and doubled back to watch the action?”

  She shrugged. “Why not?”

  Another exchanged glance with Eli and Reese rubbed his chin. “I can’t say it’s not possible. Highly unlikely, but not impossible.” He paused. “Then again, you were really the one who made it possible for us to capture one of them.”

  She grimaced. “And he did threaten me—us.”

  Reese looked at Eli. “What do you think?”

  Eli pursed his lips. “I think it’s too soon to say, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Reese nodded. Eli then said, “Why don’t you keep an eye on things around here just until we know for sure.”

  “You mean while he’s on duty, right?” Maggie asked. She swiveled her head back and forth between the two men. “I mean, I wouldn’t expect him to volunteer his time or anything.”

  Surprisingly enough, the thought of volunteering to spend time with Maggie wasn’t a hardship. If only looking at her with the baby didn’t send shards of pain shooting through his heart.

  “I don’t mind. I live just across the lake. If you need me, just call.” It was the least he could do, wasn’t it? After all, she’d probably saved him from taking a bullet when she’d pulled the ropes and downed the bank robber who had his gun pointed at Reese.

  He pulled out his cell phone. “What’s your phone number?”

  Maggie rattled it off. He punched it in his phone and soon heard hers ringing. He hung up and said, “Okay, now it’s on your phone. Put it on speed dial and use it if you need it.”

  She bit her lip then said, “I don’t want to put you out.”

  “You’re not putting me out, I promise.” But the faster he got away from here, the faster he could start figuring out how he was going to handle being around a baby on a regular basis. Because he already knew he wanted to get to know Maggie better.

  Belle started squirming and Maggie stood with the infant on her hip. “Then if you don’t mind, I’ll take you up on the offer.” She shot a look at the door. “Because whether you believe it or not, I have a feeling this is only the beginning.”

  Reese thought about what jailbird Pete had said and had a feeling she was absolutely right.

  THREE

  Maggie’s words echoed in her own ears long after the men left. She shivered, feeling scared and unsafe in the house for the first time since she’d moved in.

  Knowing Reese was across the lake helped, but...

  She fed Belle supper, played with her until her bedtime, then put her down.

  In the quiet darkness, she now had time to think. To process everything that had happened over the course of the day.

  As she thought, she checked the locks, tested the doors and peered through the blinds. She left every light outside burning.

  Through a small copse of trees, she could see her nearest neighbor’s den light burning. Mrs. Adler. Fondness filled her. The woman reminded her very much of her own grandmother, who’d passed away about five years ago. Maggie missed her. Almost as much as she missed her mother.

  She’d never known her father.

  A fact that weighed heavy on her heart.

  While Maggie had had her grandfather the early years of her life, she didn’t want Belle growing up with the emptiness of not having a father figure in her life.

  With that thought, she slid into the recliner, noticing the lingering scent of Reese’s musky cologne. Drawing in a deep breath, Maggie felt a longing fill her.

  And a loneliness.

  She wanted someone in her life. Someone to share good times and bad. Someone to share Belle with.

  But memories of her husband intruded, filling her with that familiar fear. What if she picked the wrong man again? What if there was something wrong with her judgment meter? She couldn’t live through another abusive marriage. And she had more than herself to think of now. She wouldn’t make decisions without first considering every consequence.

  And why was she even thinking about this anyway?

  Lord, we need to talk...

  Her phone rang and she rose with a groan to answer it on the third ring. She frowned at the unfamiliar number displayed on her caller ID. “Hello?”

  “Maggie, is that you?”

  “Shannon?” Her sister-in-law. Her husband, Kent’s, only sibling. “How are you? How did you get this number?”

  “I’m fine and tracking you down wasn’t easy, believe me. What are you doing? Hiding out?”

  Guilt stabbed Maggie. She should at least have called Shannon and let her know that she and Belle were okay. “No, not hiding out, just living pretty simple. I’m sorry I haven’t called.”

  “I’m sorry, too. How’s my Belle?”

  Maggie smiled. One thing for sure, Shannon doted on her niece. “She’s fine. Sleeping right now, thank goodness.”

  “I want to see her. To see you.”

  Did Maggie want that? As much as Shannon loved Belle, she was also the sister of the man who’d liked to use Maggie as a punching bag. And Shannon had adored her brother, refusing to believe anything bad about him. “I...um...”

  “Please, Maggie.”

  The quiet plea did her in. “Well, I suppose. When would you come?”

  “I’m not sure. Let me...check on some things and I’ll call you back.”

  “Okay.”

  Maggie said goodbye and hung up, her mind spinning, her heart pounding. Shannon had always intimidated Maggie. And Maggie wasn’t even sure that she could explain why if someone asked. The woman just seemed to have it all together. At least the world’s view of “having it all together.” A good job, a nice house and friends who held the same social status.

  Social status that Maggie had never had, nor really wanted. And Maggie couldn’t help the feeling that Shannon had looked down on her for being a stay-at-home mother.

  Even though that’s what Kent had insisted she do.

  He hadn’t wanted her to work, to have any way of being able to support herself. He’d wanted her totally dependent on him. And she’d bought into it for a while. He’d convinced her that he was all she needed. He would take care of her. Something she’d missed since losing each and every family member. But once the abuse started, she knew she had to do something.

  She’d had to sneak online classes to keep her teaching certificate current. Though now, thanks to her grandfather, Maggie didn’t have to work unless she wanted to.

  Which she did. She loved her job.

  Loved helping her students and earning a living that allowed her to provide for herself and Belle. The money her grandfather had left her was there if she needed it. Otherwise, it would go to Belle. Satisfaction filled her. Maggie was so grateful she could leave that money to Belle, so the girl wouldn’t have to scrape and scrounge and work three jobs while trying to go to school. And she’d never have to be dependent on a man to take care of her. Never.

  A scratching at her window made her jerk.

  Then a surge of anger flowed hot and heavy through her veins.

  Enough was enough.

  * * *

  Reese tossed and turned. At 2:00 a.m., he felt frustrated and tired.

  And worried.

  Which was why he couldn’t sleep.

  After taking care of the situation at Maggie’s, he’d gone back to Holly’s café, ordered the daily special and taken it back to the jail for Pete.

  The man looked surprised—and grateful.

  Reese felt a twinge of sympathy for the fellow and had a feeling Eli often fed him his only hot meal of the day. He’d interrogated Pete while he wolfed the food down, but Pete had nothing else to add to his previous story.

  So now, in the darkness, questions bombarded Reese. Questions about the bank robbery, the man Maggie had seen in her yard and quest
ions about his attraction to a woman with a baby.

  He’d promised himself he’d never put his heart on the line again. He’d had his shot at a family and happily-ever-after, and it had been snatched from him when his wife and child had died in childbirth.

  So why couldn’t he get the pretty mother out of his mind?

  Tossing aside the covers, he padded to the window that overlooked the lake. Peering across, he could see Maggie’s house lit up like a Christmas tree.

  Realization hit him.

  She was all alone and scared. The nights would be the worst. He knew this from experience. She would play the scene from the bank over and over in her mind, building it up, picturing what could have happened instead of what actually had happened. And she would work herself into a ball of nerves and fear. And with the threat the robber left ringing in the air, she would be jumping at every creak and moan of the house, wondering if the man was back to follow through on his promise.

  Without a second’s hesitation, he picked up his phone and dialed Maggie’s number. She might be afraid of the phone ringing at this time of night, but his number and name were programmed in her phone. Once she saw it was him, she would be all right.

  “Hello?” Her low, husky voice trembled over him.

  “You can’t sleep either?” he asked.

  She gave a self-conscious little laugh. “I’m assuming you can see my well-lit house?”

  “Reminds me of Christmas.”

  A sigh slipped through the line. “No, I fell asleep for a bit, but then started hearing things.”

  He frowned. “Hearing things? Like what?”

  “Something scraping against my window.” Another little laugh escaped her. One that didn’t hold much humor. “I was angry enough to chew someone up and spit him out. I went flying out the door and no one was there.”

  “You did what?” He nearly had a coronary. “Maggie, may I just say that was incredibly stupid?”

  “Oh, I know. What was even more stupid was the butcher knife in my hand. I used it cut the branch that was knocking against the window.”

  Some of his adrenaline slowed. But he still warned her, “Don’t ever do anything like that again. Not after today.”