Jake saw Abbie safely to the Grant home and stayed for dinner, after which the family, minus Skye and Emma, gathered in the living room to talk seriously about offering the property to Perkins.
They quickly agreed that while they hated giving in to intimidation, they would back out. As Abbie had said, and her parents agreed, they could buy something else. “The main thing is that we have our Abbie back home,” her father said as he took hold of her hand. “We don’t want to lose her.”
“I say we offer it to Mr. Perkins right away,” Carlene said. “The sooner the better.”
Jake nodded and headed for the phone. “I’ll call the B&B.” A few minutes later, Jake hung up. “Perkins isn’t there and Dawn says she hasn’t seen him all day.”
“Do you suppose he’s given up?” Abbie asked.
“I don’t think so. He didn’t check out of the B&B and his car is still there.” He turned his gaze to Abbie. “Are you sure he wasn’t the shooter?”
She tried to bring to mind an image of the gunman, but it had already grown fuzzy. Abbie shook her head. “I’m not sure of anything.”
Jake nodded understanding. “I should go. I need to check my messages at the office before I head home.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.” She slipped an arm through his.
Before opening his car door, Jake pulled Abbie into his arms. His kiss was sweet and filled with longing. Abbie didn’t want it to end. He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ll try to contact Perkins in the morning. I wish I knew for sure that he’s behind this craziness and that it will end when he gets his way.”
Abbie placed her hands on his shoulders. “But you don’t think so.”
“Like you said, I don’t know what to think. I’ve gotten to know him these past weeks. I have trouble seeing him as the killer type. Pegging him as the bad guy is too convenient.”
“I know what you mean,” Abbie said. “But if not him, then who?” She sighed. “On my way into town earlier I thought about Barbara. She died after coming to Cold Creek to show Perkins the property. I came to Cold Creek and became the target. You sold me the property, but no one has harassed you. What do Barbara and I have in common?”
Jake kissed her forehead. “If we knew that, we’d know who’s behind all the trouble.”
“What are we missing, Jake?”
“I wish I knew.” Their lips met again and Abbie drifted for a moment into the safety of his arms. When they came apart, she didn’t want him to leave. “I wish there was a way I could stay in Cold Creek. Giving up doesn’t seem right.”
“I do too.”
“Isabelle won’t be happy if Perkins gets his way.”
“Neither will the others. Folks were getting excited about your project.”
“What did Dawn say when you told her we were selling to Perkins?”
“I didn’t tell her. No sense upsetting them until the deed is done.”
Too soon, Jake left. Abbie watched as his taillights disappeared into the night. She turned and headed for the house.
“That was a long and sweet good night.”
Abbie brought her hand to her chest. “Skye? You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
“What are you doing out here?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
Abbie settled into the swing beside her sister. “About?”
“Remember when you said you were staying in Cold Creek and you offered to let me live with you?”
“Of course.”
“What happens now?”
“I’m not going anywhere. If I can’t stay in Cold Creek, I’ll find another place.”
“Did you see Daniel today?” The question came out of the blue.
Abbie frowned. “No, why?”
“He’s thinking about moving here.” Skye pulled her knees to her chest.
Abbie recalled Skye’s admission that she’d had a thing for Daniel when they’d first met. “It sounds like you’re interested in him again.”
“Maybe. He’s nothing like I thought.”
“Really? Tell me.” Abbie sensed that her sister meant the remark in a positive way.
“I think he likes me.” The moon lit up the night sky enough for Abbie to see Skye’s smile.
“And you like him.”
“It’s different now. He wanted to know why I stopped writing to him. I told him the truth.”
His comments about Skye being a druggie still stung. Had he changed his mind? Was he trying to gather ammunition to prove that Emma was being exposed to the wrong sort of people? And yet, here he was talking to Skye and thinking about moving out of Iowa. She told Skye what Daniel had said about her being an addict and being a bad influence on Emma.
“I know. He told me.”
“He did?” That surprised her.
“He only told you that because Leah made it sound like I was a junkie.” Skye closed her eyes and tipped her head back, tears glistening on her cheek. “That I’m incapable of taking care of Emma.”
Abbie didn’t know what to say. She didn’t entirely trust Skye, but she’d never think of her as incapable.
“I’m not, am I, Abs? I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
“I know.” Abbie gathered her sister close, far too aware of her bony frame. “Leah doesn’t know you. Or me.”
Skye leaned her head against Abbie’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
“As for Mom and Dad, she barely knows them. Lord knows where she got her ideas that they were bad people just because they’re in show business.”
“Daniel says she’s always been judgmental and she’s worse now than ever.”
“I suppose some of that is my fault.” Abbie sighed. “I know now that running away with Emma was the wrong thing to do. I should have stayed and gone through the courts.”
“Maybe so, but Leah shouldn’t have tried to take Emma away from you.”
“She was afraid I’d move west to be closer to Mom and Dad and probably thought she wouldn’t see Emma again or at least not very often.”
“Did you know that Daniel knew what you were going to do?”
“What do you mean?” Abbie scrunched down a bit and tipped her head back against the cushion.
“He knew you were leaving that day.”
“Really?” The news didn’t come as a complete surprise. Daniel had known how she felt. That he would keep her secret all this time proved what she’d known all along—that Daniel really was on her side.
“Did he tell you that he offered to marry me?”
Skye nodded and raised her head. “He seriously thought Leah had the law on her side. He talked her into letting him come here to get Emma and bring her back. He was telling the truth when he said he didn’t want to take Emma away from you.”
“I know. And he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness to keep me from losing her.”
“He loves you—as a sister I mean.”
“I know. I’m just thankful we were able to stop Leah. I suspect she’ll fight it, but she won’t win.”
“She won’t—especially not now. Daniel told me that if he had to, he’d testify against his mother on your behalf.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Abbie set the swing in motion. “Leah would be devastated.”
“She deserves it.”
Abbie hesitated. In part, maybe Leah deserved to lose Daniel’s allegiance. “Leah’s not a bad person.”
“Maybe not, but she drove you away and she’s driving Daniel away too.”
“I’m sure he still loves her, Skye. He just doesn’t agree with her tactics.”
“It’s more than that. Daniel wants to stay here and see if—if we can start over.”
Abbie smiled and squeezed Skye’s hand.
“I can’t believe he still likes me after all this time. I mean, look at me. I’m a mess.”
“You’re beautiful. I’m glad Daniel can see beyond your past.”
“And beyond the bruises.”
They s
at in silence for a few minutes longer, bathed in moonlight. Abbie had never thought in terms of Daniel and Skye as a couple. She liked the pairing. Daniel would be good for her sister. She didn’t even want to consider the fit Leah would have when she found out that Daniel was thinking of moving here. She’d be furious, but under all that anger would lie a broken heart, and Abbie couldn’t help but hurt for her.
That night, Abbie dreamed about being chased. She fell and tumbled into an abyss. She heard screaming and awoke, realizing that the cries had come from her. Feeling hot and sweaty, she tossed off the covers and, after lying awake for several minutes, made her way downstairs to the kitchen.
It was just after four. Moonlight poured into the kitchen and living room. She filled a glass with water and ambled into the living room to enjoy the view. Why did life have to be so complicated?
Abbie reminded herself that things were looking up. She no longer had to worry about losing Emma. Some unknown beast had forced her to give up Cold Creek, but there would be another, perhaps more suitable, place. When one door closes, another opens, her mother had told her earlier in the day. Abbie agreed. If she were meant to create this artists’ retreat, it would happen.
She drained her glass and set it in the sink. It was too late to try to go back to sleep, so she turned on the lights and went upstairs to collect her art supplies. The moon had paled a bit and Abbie was reminded of her first night back. The painting she’d started was still waiting to be finished. This was as good a time as any.
She went to work, highlighting the translucent waves as they crashed to shore. With a pen, she sketched out the craggy rocks and the outline of a couple, who in perspective were only about an inch high. She thought of Jake as she drew, her heart full of longing to be with him again.
By six, she’d placed the finished painting on a card table in the living room and stretched out on the couch for a nap. That was where her parents found her. She enjoyed her morning tea and chatting with her parents. Today, she’d be free of Cold Creek. Though the idea brought relief, it also brought heartbreak.
Peggy called on Friday morning, asking Abbie about her injury.
“I’m doing fine,” Abbie said. “A little pain, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“Are you up to going to the campfire in Cold Creek tonight? Dawn and I are planning a barbeque picnic beforehand—around six-thirty. We’re bringing the kids, and I know they’d love to see Emma. Cassie will be there too, of course.”
“Emma would love that.” Abbie hadn’t allowed Emma any playtimes since the threat, and felt a bit anxious about taking her out now. Still, it had been a couple of weeks and nothing had happened. Maybe an outing would be in order. Besides, she’d have Jake, herself, and Peggy and Brent watching her.
“We’d love to come.”
“Great.”
“Can I bring anything?”
“Just yourselves.”
That evening, everyone seemed in an especially good mood. Maybe it was the food—or the company—or both. Abbie and Jake had come out around six and Emma was thrilled to be able to play with the kids. Peggy and Abbie looked after the children while Dawn, Samantha, and Jeanette busied themselves in the kitchen of the B&B preparing the food. There had to be twenty people gathered there. After dinner things seemed to wind down as everyone crowded around the roaring campfire. Abbie kept a watchful eye on Emma as the child talked with Cassie and Peggy’s girls. She looked so grown up.
When it was time for s’mores, the men—Jake, Travis, Keith, and Brent—fixed up sticks for the children to help them roast their marsh-mallows. For several minutes everyone focused on sandwiching the roasted marshmallows and chocolate bars between graham crackers.
Laughter rose along with satisfied moans as folks enjoyed their treats. Abbie waited in anticipation while Jake built his s’more and shared a bite with her. Their eyes met in a moment of longing and love, and Abbie found it almost impossible to turn away.
He lowered his head to give her a quick kiss and offered to make her a s’more of her own.
She laughed and nodded. Her gaze shifted back to the children, who’d been sitting beside her. Emma wasn’t there.
Abbie sprang to her feet, feeling as though her heart would burst.
CHAPTER 35
“Emma!” Her gaze darted around the circle.
Jake snapped to attention and let his stick drop to the ground. “She was just here.”
“Emma!” She screamed again as she turned and scanned the darkness outside the fire’s glow. In a few moments, everyone seemed to be calling Emma’s name. They found one of her dolls near the bench where she’d been sitting with the other kids, but no Emma. They questioned the children who thought Emma had been with them the entire time. No one seemed to know where she’d gone or when.
“Maybe she went inside to use the bathroom,” Peggy suggested.
When they couldn’t find her in the house or anywhere on the property, Jake called the police. Abbie called her parents.
The likeliest scenario, the sheriff suggested, was that Emma had wandered off. Abbie hoped that was the case, but feared the worst—that someone had followed through on their threat and taken her baby. The sheriff took charge and set up search parties, and soon most of the adults had spread out through the town and the woods. The sheriff insisted Abbie stay at the B&B, which would act as a command center. She’d argued until he reminded her that she was needed in case Emma returned, or on the off chance Emma had been kidnapped and someone called to demand a ransom.
Her mom and dad, along with Tim, Daniel, and Skye, arrived and the sheriff assigned them to tasks almost immediately. Tim, Pops, and Daniel would join the search teams while her mother and Skye assisted at the command center. Abbie paced back and forth across the living room, going over and over in her mind who she’d seen that night who might have taken Emma.
Perkins came to mind. His car was still parked in the lot of the B&B, but he was nowhere around. She voiced her suspicions to the sheriff, who actually thanked her. He assured her that they would find Perkins and her little girl.
How ironic. She’d been ready to hand the property over to Perkins last night. Please God. Don’t let him hurt her.
Weary and prompted by her mother, Abbie sat on the sofa, dazed and unable to believe that Emma was gone. Life went on around her, but she felt as though she were somewhere outside herself. She’d felt this way only one other time in her life—when she’d lost Nate and Ashley.
You haven’t lost Emma.
She managed to grasp the thought and from it took the courage to go on. He has her. Perkins has her and the authorities will find him.
By the next morning, Emma was still missing, and hundreds of people had joined the search. With daylight came the hope that they would be better able to find her. Jake had come in earlier looking bedraggled and exhausted, promising that he’d go out again as soon as he’d eaten something. He was there when she approached the sheriff about joining the search herself.
The sheriff relented, suggesting she stay with the team that would be going through the buildings in town again. He wanted her close by in case they heard anything.
Jake offered to go with her, and though the searchers had gone through the buildings the night before, the sheriff thought it might be a good idea to try again in case Emma had gone into one of them during the night.
Jake and Abbie spent the morning going through one building after another.
“You need to take a rest, Abbie,” Jake said as he waited for her to step out of the building that had once housed Cold Creek’s newspaper office.
“I can’t. I’m sure Perkins is behind this. His car is still here, so he can’t have taken her far. Somehow I don’t see him going into the woods. He must have hidden her here somewhere.” This scenario had been playing out in her head for some time now and was the driving force behind her determination.
“Abbie, think about what you’re saying. Why would Perkins take Emma and stay here in C
old Creek? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I don’t know. But if he didn’t do it, who did?”
Tired to the bone, she had to keep from dissolving into a puddle of tears. She had to find Emma.
The next building was the hotel. Abbie pulled out a set of keys, thinking she would need to unlock the door. When the heavy door groaned as it swung open, she stepped back in surprise. “It should have been locked.”
“The searchers must have forgotten to close the door after they went through here last night.”
She heard a thumping noise and grabbed Jake’s arm. “It sounds like someone is here.”
Jake stepped in front of her. “Stay here while I have a look around.”
Abbie waited for a moment before stepping up behind him. “I think we should stay together,” she whispered.
“Shh.” Jake held up his hand. “Listen.”
A distant moaning broke the silence. Relief flooded her. “Emma!” The word caught in her throat and came out in a muffled cry.
Jake held her back when she would have raced ahead. “It might not be her, and even if it is, she might not be alone.”
Abbie gripped his sleeve as they went back outside. “What should we do?”
“Wait here for me while I get Jeff.”
Abbie knew Jake was right and that they should wait for the police, but the noise she’d heard sounded like a cry for help. She stepped back inside and listened. She heard it again. It wasn’t Emma, she realized now. The tone was too low and masculine. It seemed to be coming from under the floor. She moved to the center of the room. If she remembered correctly, there was an entry into the basement under the stairs.
She hurried behind the stairway and noticed that the trapdoor leading to the basement was slightly elevated. She reached for it and jumped when Jake and Jeff came in with the sheriff. Abbie stepped back, allowing Jeff access. “Someone’s down there.”
When the groaning came again, Jeff pulled the door to the side. He drew his gun and began to descend the stairs. “What in the world?” Then a moment later he called, “Sheriff, call an ambulance.”
Strangers in the Night Page 23
