Trembling, she tried the phone again. “911. What’s your emergency?”
“Someone’s trying to run us off the road. We’re on the Blue Ridge Parkway about...”
“A mile from Highway 19!” Reese hollered.
He swerved around the next bend then jerked the wheel to the left to hit the next curve. The car behind them closed the distance and Reese slammed on the brakes as he rounded the curve on two wheels. Maggie squelched a scream and simply held on as she prayed.
Sparks flew from the car behind them as it ran along the guardrail. It fell back a few feet and Reese raced to make the turn onto the highway.
“Look!” She gestured to the blue lights heading their way.
“Thank God.”
Reese approached the intersection of Highway 19 and slowed. Maggie kept an eye on the car behind them. It raced up and Reese jerked to the left at the last minute into the oncoming-traffic lane.
Their attacker roared past and squealed around the corner onto Highway 19, barely missing an oncoming car. Horns blared and the Bryson City police cruiser took up the chase.
Reese braked to a stop on the side of the road. Maggie leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes, offering a hearty thank-you prayer that they were still alive.
“That was scary.” Reese’s rumble filled the car.
“I can’t believe you didn’t go over the side.”
“I was number one in my class when it came to defensive driving.”
“That’s good. You did good.”
The inane conversation helped to calm her. Reese finally opened the door and flashed his badge at the approaching officers. Maggie climbed out the passenger side and almost hit the ground as her knees buckled. She sank back into the seat to marshal her strength and wait for the shaking to stop.
When she finally gathered herself together enough to get out of the car, she shivered. Pulling the edges of her coat more tightly around her, she watched Reese talk with the officers. As she approached them, his eye caught hers. Frustration glinted in them. Her heart dropped. “He got away?”
“Yeah. He lost them on a curve.”
Maggie didn’t have enough energy to be upset. She felt drained, wiped out, empty. An effect of the ebbing of the adrenaline rush, she felt sure.
Reese caught her fingers in his. “Come on. Let’s let them worry about this guy for a while. Eli’s going to fax over another copy of the bank robber’s picture. They’ll be watching for him. As for us, we have a dinner to eat.”
She stared up at him. “You still want to go?”
“Absolutely.” The firm set of his jaw said he wasn’t going to let the harrowing mountain ride ruin the evening. Some of her energy began to seep back in.
* * *
Reese hung up the phone, pulled into the restaurant parking lot and cut the engine. He’d called Eli to fill him in about the accident. Once Eli was satisfied no one was hurt, he’d given Reese an update on the robbery investigation. Reese planned to give Maggie the details, but first asked, “You okay?”
Maggie drew in a deep breath. “I think so. You?”
He nodded. “Come on. Let’s get a table and I’ll tell you what Eli said.”
They headed toward the entrance and Maggie breathed in the night air. “It’ll be Thanksgiving soon,” she said.
“I know. Next week.”
They stepped inside and Reese gave his name to the hostess, who led them to a table for two at the back of the restaurant. Maggie smiled and he thought he caught sight of a small dimple in her right cheek. “This is nice,” she said as she took in the log cabin atmosphere.
“They have amazing steaks. Eli brought me out here about a year ago. I’d just recovered from a gunshot wound and—”
“You were shot?” Shock rippled across her face.
“Yeah. It’s a long story, but my sister-in-law, Abby, was in trouble, and I was trying to warn her. By the time I got out here, trouble had already found her and he shot me for good measure.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
“I know. So anyway, after I recovered, before I went back to Washington, Eli brought me here. Told me I needed to slow down and move to a small town.”
Maggie lifted a brow as the waitress filled their water glasses. After several minutes studying their menus, Maggie asked, “What did you say to that?”
“I laughed at him.”
“And yet here you are.”
Reese gave a rueful chuckle as he remembered that day. “I think Eli and God had a conversation that I wasn’t privy to at the time.”
Maggie was quiet for a moment as she studied the table. Then looked up at him. “How do you feel about God after everything you’ve been through?”
Reese was glad for the brief interruption as the waitress took their order. After she left, he said, “At first I was really angry with God. Blamed Him, blamed Abby, blamed everyone I thought had a part in Keira and Emma’s deaths.” He sighed. “I was so sure I had a right to seek revenge, but through that whole process of blaming Abby I found I didn’t like myself very much. Anger was eating me up inside. Fortunately, I recognized what it was doing to me and was able to find forgiveness and peace.”
She looked shocked at his confession. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
“It wasn’t me.” He frowned and sighed. “It’s difficult to explain, but in my quest for answers, God showed me that wasn’t what He had planned for me. He showed me that I was designed for more than that. That I had a purpose, a reason for being here. And one of those reasons was to help save Abby. Once I was able to focus on that, my heart changed.”
He saw her swallow hard and wondered if he should have bared so much of his soul. Would it send her running? He tensed as he gave her time to process everything. Then she gave him a gentle smile, the empathy and concern shining in her eyes making him relax. She said, “That’s quite a testimony.”
“It’s just what happened.” He took a sip of water. “I’d rather hear about you. Will you tell me what happened with you and your husband?”
She studied him for a moment and he wondered if she’d let him change the subject. Then she shrugged. “At first, I was just dumbfounded that he’d turned out to be an abuser. I couldn’t believe he’d managed to hide that part of himself the entire time we dated and were engaged. That I hadn’t seen something to set off warning bells in my head. But there was nothing. Even now, looking back at that time, I can’t think of anything he might done that I should have noticed as...off.” She twisted her fingers and placed her elbows on the table. Settling her chin in her palms, she sighed. “Of course, I realized at some point that he was pushing the relationship along at a pretty fast clip, but...” She shook her head, the confusion on her face snagging his heart and giving it a twist. “But I have to say, I just went along with him. I couldn’t believe someone like Kent was interested in me. And—” she swallowed hard “—I was lonely. I let him sweep me off my feet.” She gave a grimace.
“So how do you feel about finding someone else? Trusting again?” He tensed, waiting for her answer.
A flush crept into her cheeks. “I think the right man could convince me to try again.” Then the flush faded and she said, “I made a really bad choice the first time. I won’t do that again.” She stared into his eyes. “The right man would have to be patient, take things slow and prove himself.” A shrug lifted her shoulders. “I hate that I feel that way, but I guess I just don’t know that I trust myself. My judgment. If I could be so wrong before, where do I find the discernment to know that I won’t make the same kind of mistake again?”
Reese gave a slow nod. “I guess I can understand why you would feel that way.”
“You can?” She seemed surprised.
“Sure. People do it all the time. Not just in relationships like a marriage, but any kind of situation where you’re required to make a judgment call or a decision. When you make the wrong one, it’s hard to trust that you’ll make the right one next time you’
re faced with the same choice. And now it’s not just you who’ll be affected by your decision. You have Belle to think of, too.”
Maggie dropped her eyes to the plate that the waitress set in front of her, and he could almost see her mind spinning.
For the next several minutes after Reese said the blessing, they ate in comfortable silence.
Then Maggie said, “You haven’t filled me in on what Eli had to say about the robbery.”
Reese nodded. “They caught the owner of the getaway vehicle.”
“Really? Did he tell them the name of the man you shot?”
“Not yet. They caught him in Asheville, but they’re bringing him to Bryson City and we’re going to play him and Berkley off against each other.”
“What do you mean?”
Reese smiled at her as anticipation threaded through him. “Just a little cop game that usually nets some pretty good results. We let them ‘accidentally’ see each other in the station and then let them know that each of them is being questioned individually. At some point, we usually have enough info on one that we can ‘let it slip’ to the other that his partner is squealing on him and if he wants to make a deal, now’s the time to spill it.”
She smiled at him, the admiration in her gaze making him feel ten feet tall. She nodded. “Clever.”
“One of the oldest tricks in the book, but it still works when it’s done right.”
She frowned and Reese could see her mind working. “But that means that it wasn’t him who tried to run us off the parkway.”
“No, I’m guessing it was his buddy—the one I shot.”
“Wounded, but not hurt badly enough to need time to recover.”
Reese lifted a brow. “Exactly.”
“So he’s alone and out for revenge—or he simply wants to shut us up so we don’t testify when his partners go to trial.”
“Right.”
He glanced out the window behind Maggie—a window he made sure was far enough to her left that no one outside could see her sitting at the table—and saw the Rose Mountain cruiser sitting in the parking lot. Probably Mitchell or the new guy, Jason. He smiled. Eli was making sure he had backup should anything else happen on the way home.
His smile slipped into a frown. Maybe this had been a bad idea. From a safety standpoint. Then he looked at the woman across from him, her soft blond hair falling over her shoulders, her delicate lashes fanning her cheeks, and he couldn’t regret the time alone with her.
When they’d finished their dinner, Reese felt that he had a better grasp of Maggie and what made her tick. He didn’t think he had the whole picture, but at least he had one that wasn’t so blurry.
She wanted to trust him, trust her judgment that he was a good guy, but she was still unsure, still hesitant to take that leap of faith yet. And he didn’t blame her. He would have his work cut out for him to prove he wasn’t like her dead husband. And while he was proving that, he had to find a way to make sure he kept her safe.
He drew in a deep breath. “What do you think about moving to a safe house until we catch this guy?”
ELEVEN
Maggie stepped into her house and shut the door behind her. Full of emotions and feelings from the date—and it had been a date—she’d decided against inviting Reese inside. Especially after that question he’d dropped on her at supper. A safe house?
She didn’t think so. At least not yet.
He seemed to understand what was going on inside her and hadn’t pushed. Instead, he’d made sure there was no awkward moment on the front porch. He’d simply hugged her and said, “I enjoyed the time with you. Sleep well.” He’d gestured to the cruiser now in his spot at the end of her driveway. “You’ve got a good watchdog, rest easy.”
She’d nodded and smiled and wondered how she would sleep tonight. Without Belle in the house. Fiona had called to say Belle had fallen asleep, and she was welcome to leave her there for the night. She’d also offered, “You can come here for the night, if you want.”
Maggie thought about it. “No, someone’s after me, Fiona. I wouldn’t feel right about staying with you. I might just bring a truck full of trouble to your door if I do that.”
Fiona had simply laughed. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” Then she’d sobered. “I understand. Belle will be safe here, I promise.”
Cal would drop her off on his way in to work in the morning. Maggie had mixed feelings about leaving her daughter there, but, truthfully, she wondered if Belle wasn’t safer on Fiona’s ranch than in the little house with Maggie.
The question tore at her. And if she hadn’t been so conflicted, she would have gone right over to the ranch and picked Belle up. But she wanted her baby to be safe. And the fact was, she might be safer away from her mother.
Maggie sank onto the couch, pushed that depressing thought away and let her mind drift to Reese. The man intrigued her, drew her...and scared her. Not in a physical way, as Kent had, but on a deeper, emotional level. He could be dangerous to her heart.
The phone rang.
Maggie snatched it from the end table. “Hello?”
“I’m not going away.”
At first, she didn’t understand the whispery voice. “What?”
“I’ll be back. No one can protect you from me.”
Maggie’s thumb pressed the button to hang up the phone. She pressed it twice for good measure. Trembling, her heart thudding from the sudden adrenaline rush, she checked the caller ID.
Private call.
She stood on shaky legs and walked to the window to look out. The cruiser still sat there at the end of her driveway.
Walking into the kitchen, she checked the door, then each room of the house, one by one. All were fine. The bathrooms were empty. No one was hiding in her house. The phone call had her spooked. Her heart still raced and her palms were slick with sweat.
She dialed Reese’s number with one hand and peered out at the cruiser once again. She didn’t want to go outside and expose herself, even if the cop car was just a few steps from her door.
“Hello?”
“Reese, I just got a phone call that worries me.”
His tone sharpened. “What did he say?”
“‘I’ll be back. No one can protect you from me.’” Just saying the words made the trembling start anew.
A harsh mutter came through the line. Then he said, “I see why you’re scared. All right, I’m going to get Eli to see if he can trace the number that called you. Is Jason still outside?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to give him a heads-up and tell him to come inside with you. Then I’m going to talk to Eli. I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay.” She hated the fear that came through that one small word.
“Hey.” His voice softened. “You’re going to be okay.”
Tears threatened. “I know. Thanks, Reese.”
“I enjoyed tonight, Maggie.”
That made her smile. “I did, too.”
He hung up, and she slowly placed the phone on the counter. Deputy White knocked on the door within a minute. She let him in and he scoured the house again. She wasn’t surprised that he insisted on searching and came up empty, too. She supposed searching her house by herself had been rather stupid. What if there had been someone inside?
Her phone rang again.
She jumped and this time checked the caller ID. Relief swept through her when she saw Shannon’s number. “Hello?”
“Oh, Maggie, I’m so glad I got you. My reservation at the B and B fell through. I need a place to stay. Could I use your spare room?”
Maggie hesitated. She wouldn’t mind having Shannon there, but... “Shannon, someone seems to be trying to hurt me. A bank robber has threatened me. I don’t know that you’ll be safe here.”
A pause. “Well, there’s safety in numbers, right? Plus you have a cop sitting outside your house. I’m not worried about it.”
Maggie fidgeted, wondering if she dared allow Shannon to stay. If som
ething happened to the woman while she was here... “I don’t know...”
“Please? I don’t have anywhere else to go tonight. Tell the nice deputy that I’m coming so he won’t shoot me, okay?”
Maggie sighed. With Shannon, it was always easier to give in than to argue. “Okay, fine. I’ll see you soon.”
Shannon’s knock on the door came thirty minutes later. Maggie answered it and stared at her sister-in-law in surprise. The woman looked a bit more worn than she had before Maggie left with Reese for supper. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, yeah, just very tired and a little frustrated.” Shannon rolled her suitcase inside and waved a hand. “When I got to the B and B, they had apparently lost my reservation. Or given it to someone else—or something. Thanksgiving is just a week away and they’re filled to capacity.”
She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “It was too late to find another place to stay.”
“So you called me.” Maggie smiled, her nerves easing at the woman’s presence. Maybe this would be a good idea after all.
“Yes.”
“Well, you’ll have to take my bedroom. Belle’s room is next door and then my office is across the hall.”
“Oh, no,” Shannon groaned. “I’m putting you out, aren’t I?” She grabbed her suitcase handle and the small toiletries bag she’d set on the floor.
As she did, the toiletries bag hit the floor with a thump and the small clasp fell open. Makeup, toothpaste and a small aspirin bottle rolled out. With a grunt, Shannon bent to pick them up. “I’ll just drive into that little town that’s not too far from here and—”
“Don’t be silly,” Maggie said as she grabbed the aspirin and handed it Shannon. The woman tucked everything back in the bag and fastened the clasp. Maggie pursed her lips and motioned toward her room. “Go on, I’ll be fine. I have a very comfortable daybed in my office.” She shrugged. “I spend more time in there than my bedroom anyway.”
Shannon continued to look torn and Maggie asked, “You really want to drive to the next town?”
Her sister-in-law shuddered. “No.” She pulled the suitcase closer. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
Danger on the Mountain Page 11
