Danger on the Mountain

by Lynette Eason

  She hadn’t run from her marriage. In fact, she’d never planned to marry again as long as Kent was alive. But she wasn’t going to be his punching bag, either.

  Maggie lifted her chin as she thought about the dead squirrel and the nasty threat. Well, if she was next as the note said, she wasn’t going down without a fight.

  Maggie gathered Belle’s bag of baby essentials and her purse and set them on the floor beside the door. Belle played in her playpen, happy to clean it out by throwing the toys on the floor. Then she’d yell and Maggie would fill it up again. Only to begin the game all over again.

  But Maggie didn’t mind. Belle was happy, and that was all that mattered.

  When Reese’s knock came, she was ready. She opened the door and swallowed hard. He had on jeans, a pullover sweater with his heavy coat thrown over it, but not zipped.

  And he looked good.

  Ignoring her heart’s sudden increase in beats per minute, she smiled. “Right on time.”

  “I was ready to see you.” His bluntness made her blink but his grin set her at ease.

  “Well...thanks.”

  He laughed and bent to pick up her purse and baby bag. “I’ll carry them to the truck while you get Belle.”

  She handed him the items. “I’ll drive if you don’t mind. I’ve already put the beans in the back of my truck. I don’t want to have to transfer her car seat base to your truck and then back to mine. It’s just easier to drive.”

  Reese nodded and walked to her truck. She unlocked it with the remote then went to get Belle.

  The baby grinned up at her and Maggie felt love consume her. She picked up Belle and set her on her hip, saying a prayer of thanksgiving to God for blessing her with the child. Then she went to meet Reese.

  In the car, she drove automatically while she noticed Reese watching the mirrors. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel as her stress level increased at the thought of being followed to the church.

  He didn’t take his eyes from the rearview mirror. “I think you’ll be fine, Maggie. This guy has shown himself to be sneaky, preferring to leave things on your porch or try to get to you in the middle of the night. I really don’t think we have anything to worry about at a church full of people.” He reached over and covered her tense, cold fingers with his warm hand. “And don’t forget, the entire Rose Mountain police force will be there. On duty and ready for trouble if it happens.”

  That did make her feel a bit better. “All right.” She forced a smile. “Then let’s go have a good time.”

  * * *

  Reese wasn’t quite as sure about the man who’d threatened Maggie as he’d led her to believe. Not that he doubted his reassurances, but he was making his judgments based on experience. Everything he’d told her was true. He just hoped this time didn’t turn out to be the exception to the rule.

  No, there was no hoping for that. He firmed his jaw. He’d make sure of that. He’d stick with Maggie and Belle like superglue to ensure they were safe and had a good time. In the meantime, he’d do his best to put her at ease. She needed to relax. But...he looked at her and said, “I meant what I said about believing you’ll be safe, but...”

  “But what?”

  “But don’t go anywhere alone. Even to the restroom, okay?”

  Worry wrinkled her forehead once again and Reese grimaced. But as much as he wanted her to enjoy herself, she had to keep her guard up. Her lips flattened but she gave a short nod.

  When Maggie pulled into the parking lot, Reese was surprised at the number of people there. “This must be a popular activity for the church.”

  Maggie nodded. “Holly said it’s an annual tradition. The church supplies the turkey and everyone brings enough side dishes to serve a cruise ship.”

  Reese smiled at that picture. Maggie unbuckled her seat belt and climbed out to get Belle from the backseat. “But,” she said, “the good thing about this is the church invites everyone in the community. They even have volunteers who deliver meals to people who can’t get out to come eat. Which is why I brought that huge thing of green beans.”

  She set Belle’s carrier on the ground beside her.

  “Nice.” He frowned. “I didn’t realize that or I could have helped.”

  “I think you get a pass your first visit.”

  “This is your first dinner here and you didn’t take a pass. You brought beans.” She smiled at him and pulled the beans from the truck. His breath seemed to lodge somewhere between his chest and his throat as her eyes crinkled at the corners. She really was a beautiful woman. And a strong one, he thought, as, with beans in one hand, she lifted Belle’s car carrier in the other. He quickly offered, “You want me to carry her?”

  She lifted a brow at him. “Would you?”

  “Sure.”

  “Then, thanks.” She started toward the church and Reese glanced down at Belle, who looked like a miniature mummy wrapped in blankets. The small pink hat came down over her ears. Brown eyes studied him. He grasped the handle and lifted her. Carrying a baby in a carrier was different than carrying one in his arms. With his fingers wrapped around the handle, he didn’t feel the sharp pang of grief and remembrance he did when he held a small body in his hands.

  A small, fragile body, devoid of life—

  He inhaled, his lungs protesting the sudden intake of frigid air. As he exhaled, he noticed Maggie almost to the door. She turned. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah.” He forced a smile. “We’re coming.”

  She waited until he caught up then held the door open. He let her pass in front of him and followed her inside.

  Smells of home cooking tantalized him and his stomach rumbled. Home-cooked meals were few and far between unless he put forth the effort—which he rarely did. This was a real treat. He looked at the woman beside him and the baby carrier in his grip.

  And swallowed hard at the picture the three of them made.

  If the people in the small church didn’t know the truth, they would probably think Reese, Maggie and Belle were a family.

  The thought didn’t bother him nearly as much as he thought it might. In fact, it just occurred to him that his first impulse had been to volunteer to carry Belle—not the beans.

  He smiled and hope stirred. Maybe the big hole in his heart would one day heal after all.

  * * *

  Maggie set the green beans on the table with the other food. She unwound the scarf around her neck and shrugged out of her heavy coat. Pegs lined the wall near the door and she hung everything on one.

  Reese stood beside her holding Belle, and she shivered at how they must look.

  They could be a family.

  Her stomach flipped at the idea and a small smile curved her lips. Then a niggling of doubt pressed in, causing her smile to droop. Memories of a bad first choice threatened to consume her. She refused to let it happen.

  “Thanks for carrying her. She gets heavy.”

  “No problem.” He set the carrier on the nearest table as people stopped by to speak to them. Holly and Eli were the first to greet them. Eli clapped Reese on the shoulder. “Glad you could make it.”

  Maggie released Belle from her safety restraints and smiled as Mrs. Adler started toward her, arms open, delight—and determination—in her eyes. “Jim may not want me to come over and watch her at your house anymore, but I can enjoy her here at the church all I want. I’ll take her while you eat if you like. I’m not the least bit hungry right now.”

  “Nibbled a little too much when you were helping put the stuff out?” Maggie teased.

  Mrs. Adler grinned. “You know it.”

  “Then, sure, I’d love for you to entertain Belle for a while. Thanks.” Maggie watched the sweet woman take Belle over to another woman with a baby about the same age as Belle. She couldn’t begrudge Mrs. Adler time with Belle just because her husband was worried about her being at the house where all the strange things were happening.


  She knew Mrs. Adler loved Belle as if she were one of her own grandchildren.

  Grief pierced her with a sudden jab. It should have been her mother, Belle’s natural grandmother, coddling and kissing her.

  Reese’s hand on her arm pulled her from her sad thoughts. “Are you all right? Something wrong?”

  Maggie shook her head. “No. It’s nothing. Nothing I can do anything about.” She pulled in a deep breath and smiled at Holly. A pale and wan-looking Holly. “How are you feeling?”

  “Sick.” The woman grimaced then grinned as her eyes trailed after the teen who had volunteered to entertain her almost three-year-old son, Daniel.

  Maggie felt her heart lighten. “I remember the feeling well.”

  “But I’m glad to be here where I can let someone else chase that rascal for a bit.”

  A pretty blond woman walked up and gave Holly a hug. She looked at Maggie and offered a friendly smile. “I’m Paige Seabrook.”

  “Dylan’s wife. I’ve heard about you. Nice to finally meet you,” Maggie said.

  “I hear you’re having some trouble since the bank robbery,” Paige said, then grunted as a toddler hurled himself at her legs. She bent down and picked him up as a boy about ten years old came rushing up.

  “I was chasing him. He’s fast!”

  Paige grinned. “Maggie, these are my two boys, Will and David.”

  Will held out a hand and Maggie shook it. He smiled. “Nice to meet you.” Then he was gone, chasing after a buddy who’d tagged him, leaving David for Paige to wrestle with as he wanted to go with Will.

  Paige shook her head, motioned to Dylan to watch the boy as she set him on his feet and watched him go. Dylan started off after him. “They grow so fast.” Then her expression turned serious as she returned to the conversation they’d been having before the interruption. “Have you had any more incidents since yesterday?”

  Maggie frowned. “No. I was worried about coming here, afraid my presence might put everyone in danger, but Reese said we’d be safer here than at home.” She sighed and shook her head. “I really hate that they went after Reese, too.”

  Holly nodded. “Eli told me about the bomb in Reese’s house.” She gave a shudder. “How awful.”

  “I know. Now he’s living out of his boathouse and checking up on me every hour or so.” Maggie’s gaze homed in on Reese and her heart flipped that crazy little cartwheel it liked to do whenever she looked at the man. He still stood with Eli and Dylan. Cal had joined them. “Where’s Abby?”

  Holly kept one eye on the teen carrying her son, Daniel, around. “She had a delivery at the hospital in Bryson City.” Holly turned back to Maggie. “Eli’s briefed me each night about the latest happenings, then given me descriptions of who to watch for and orders to keep my doors locked, don’t answer the door if I don’t know who’s there, and so on.” She said it with amusement, but the concern in her eyes was real.

  Maggie shivered and looked around, wondering if her attacker had followed her to the potluck dinner. She bit her lip, praying she hadn’t led trouble to the doorstep of these innocent people.

  “Looks like Pastor Collins is getting ready to say the blessing,” Holly murmured. As if on cue, the crowd quieted and Pastor Collins blessed the meal.

  When he was done, everyone made a beeline for the food-laden tables. Maggie hung back, eyeing the crowd, wondering if the man who’d been terrorizing her was here.

  Was he watching?

  Waiting for a chance to strike?

  Fear tightened her gut and her breath wanted to short out.

  “You ready to get a plate?”

  Reese’s quiet voice settled her nerves immediately. She nodded, eyes on Belle’s happy face. “That sounds good.”

  He led her to the line and she savored his presence beside her.

  She just couldn’t help feeling that someone was watching. And waiting.

  Waiting for a chance to make his move.

  “I’m going to get a high chair,” Holly said from behind her. “Do you need one for Belle?”

  “Yes, that would be great.” She frowned. “I guess I could feed her in her carrier, but she likes a high chair better.”

  “I’ll get them for you,” Reese offered. “Where are they?”

  “In the—”

  “Sorry to interrupt. I need to speak to Reese for a minute. We may have a lead on the bank robbery.” Eli motioned Reese to the side. Reese smiled an apology and followed Eli to a far corner where Cal waited, phone pressed to his ear.

  Holly shrugged. “I can get them.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Maggie insisted. “You can’t carry two high chairs at the same time.”

  “True. They’re down the hall in the closet next to the bathrooms.”

  Maggie followed Holly from the fellowship hall into the corridor. As the door shut behind them, the loudness of so many people in one room was muted to a low buzz. Maggie laughed. “My ears are ringing.”

  Holly grinned then grimaced as she placed a hand over her stomach.

  Concerned, Maggie touched the woman’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

  “Just really queasy. I’ve eaten my weight in crackers and it helps, but...” She pulled in a deep breath and swallowed hard. “I’ll be all right. Let’s get those high chairs.” She started down the dark hall. “There’s a light switch around here somewhere. Try your side, I’ll try this one.”

  Maggie felt along the wall and a few seconds later, her fingers found the switch. “Here it is.”

  She flipped it and light flooded them.

  “That’s better. It’s spooky in here without any light.” Holly gave a small laugh, but Maggie had to shake off an uncomfortable sudden fear of being separated from the rest of the group.

  But she was with Holly. They’d be fine.

  Her footsteps echoed as she followed Holly past the restrooms on the right then around the corner to a room labeled Kitchen Storage. “Here we are,” Holly said as she pulled the key from the band around her wrist. She inserted it into the lock and opened the door. Reaching in, she flipped the light on.

  Then turned with wide eyes and a distinctly green cast to her pretty face. “I’ll be in the bathroom for a few minutes.” She bolted back down the hall to the restroom, leaving Maggie standing in the storage room.

  “Poor thing,” Maggie whispered aloud. She’d been a little nauseous with Belle, but hadn’t had Holly’s problem. She looked around and spied a row of high chairs. They didn’t look very heavy and she thought she might be able to carry both at the same time if she balanced them right.

  Maybe.

  When the hallway behind her went dark, Maggie froze.

  NINE

  “Holly?” Maybe she’d come back and hit the light switch by mistake. “Holly? Are you there?”

  Silence.

  Okay, it wasn’t Holly. She would have answered. Maggie’s stomach twisted. What should she do? Venture into the dark hall and look for the light switch? Or stay here and wait for Holly to come back from the restroom?

  Then she remembered Reese’s instructions. Don’t go anywhere alone. Stay with someone, even when you go to the restroom.

  Trembling started from deep within. Had he followed her here? To the church?

  A resounding yes echoed inside her. It was him. The light going off wasn’t an accident. And he could probably see her standing in the doorway of the lighted storage closet.

  She slapped the switch and plunged them into darkness.

  A light footfall fell to her right. From the direction of the restroom.

  She moved further inside the small room.

  But what about Holly? What if she came out of the restroom and the man attacked her?

  Maggie stepped back out into the hall. The hair on the back of her neck stood at full attention. Should she scream and bring everyone running?

  Would anyone even hear her through the thick doors that separated the roar of the crowd from this hall?

  No, no
one would hear, except maybe Holly.

  She knew it.

  He knew it.

  Maggie moved on silent feet down the hall, all sense tuned to the area around her. She prayed to feel any air shift, a hint of cologne or body odor, anything that would tell her he was near.

  On trembling legs, she continued her slow tread to the restroom where Holly was. Her fingers trailed the wall even as her mind pictured the door. The first one she came to would be the bathroom.

  Fingertips hit the doorjamb just as the bathroom door flew open.

  Holly let out a surprised squeal as Maggie pushed her inside, slammed the door shut and locked it.

  A heavy fist crashed against the thin wood and Maggie stared at a still-shocked Holly, knowing they didn’t stand a chance if the attacker outside decided to kick it in.

  * * *

  “Hey,” Reese asked Eli. “Where did Maggie and Holly go?”

  Eli looked around and shifted Daniel from his shoulders to the floor. “I don’t know. I’ve been so busy keeping up with this guy I didn’t notice that she was missing.” He gave a rueful smile then a sympathetic grimace. “She’s probably in the bathroom being sick again.”

  Reese winced at the thought. “But where’s Maggie?”

  “Oh, she went to get a high chair for Belle. I think Holly went with her,” Paige said. “When they came back, I was going to get one for David.” She let her eyes scan the crowd. “But they’re not back yet.” A frown pulled her lips down. “And they should be. The closet is just outside in the hall.”

  Reese and Eli exchanged a glance. A bad feeling swept through Reese before he could stop it. He headed for the big double doors without another word. Eli was on his heels. He told himself he was just being paranoid, but that didn’t stop his blood pressure from skyrocketing and his worry meter from jumping into high.

  Pushing through the doors, he stepped into darkness. “Maggie?”

  Running footsteps sounded. “Eli, where’s the light?”