by Alison Stone
Kevin blinked rapidly. Then all of a sudden he stood and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up with him. “It’s back here.” He strode toward a door in the corner of the room.
Grace stopped and stared at him. “I need privacy.”
He watched her, his eyes dark and unreadable. It was like part of him was seeing Grace and not trusting her, and another part of him was seeing Sarah, the woman he had fallen in love with. Become obsessed with. She prayed he’d be fooled long enough to give her time alone in the bathroom.
“I’ll give you five minutes. I’ll be standing right outside the door. Don’t lock it.”
Grace smiled tightly. She had no idea if it even mattered.
She went inside the bathroom, and a wave of nausea nearly doubled her over when she realized there was no lock on the door. Panicking, she knew she’d have to move fast. A tall, narrow glass shelving unit sat in the corner on the same wall as the door. Working quickly, she removed the tissue box, an ornamental duck and a few rolls of toilet paper. Silently, she slanted it across the door, forming a diagonal. It wouldn’t keep someone out for long, but it would certainly slow them down.
At least, she prayed it would.
Tearing off her bonnet and stepping out of the Amish dress, she crept toward the window. She stretched up, felt for a lock on top of the window and twisted it.
Panic sent gooseflesh racing across her skin.
She planted two hands on either side of the window and froze. She glanced over her shoulder. If this window made any noise, Kevin would come charging in.
“Everything okay in there?”
“Yes. I’d feel better if you weren’t standing right outside the door.”
She thought she heard a little chuckle.
She turned both taps, opening the faucet full blast. It would mask the sound, but it might make him suspicious.
Quickly, she planted her hands on both sides of the window again and shoved. A horrendous rumbling noise sent the window up. A cold blast of winter assaulted her face.
Thank You, God.
At that exact moment, the sound of glass shelves exploded behind her.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Kevin was busting through the door.
Not wasting any time, she hoisted herself through the small opening, her hips getting caught on the narrow window. Wiggling fiercely, she finally pushed her midsection through to the other side.
Just as she was about to pull her legs free, solid fingers grasped her ankle and wrenched it.
Grace released a bloodcurdling scream.
* * *
“How much farther?” Conner’s nerves hummed in constant rhythm with the winter tires on the country road.
“Up here.” His father leaned forward against his shoulder harness, searching for a landmark visible only to him. Then he pointed frantically toward a narrow break between the trees. “There! There! That road leads to his cabin.”
Conner slammed on the brakes, threw it in Reverse and narrowed his gaze. “Here? The path between the trees?”
“Yeah, yeah, turn here. That sign is familiar.” Sure enough, the headlights flashed on a sign with the words No Trespassing and the silhouette of a growling dog underneath.
Conner engaged the four-wheel drive and turned onto the small path. A single set of tire tracks told them someone had been down this way recently. “I would have never found this in a million years, Dad. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” his dad said, his voice somber. “Let’s go rescue Sarah’s daughter.”
Conner pressed his foot on the accelerator, realizing for the first time that finding Grace safe meant more to his father than he had realized. It was his justice for Sarah.
“Dad, you can’t blame yourself.”
“I should have known. I never suspected Kevin. After me, he was closest to the case and probably used misdirection every chance he got.” His father muttered something under his breath that Conner didn’t quite catch.
“He had a lot of people fooled.” Conner navigated the truck through the snow under a canopy of trees.
“I was the sheriff. The buck stopped with me. I failed Sarah. I failed her family.”
Conner carefully navigated the snowy road, knowing nothing he could say would convince his father otherwise.
“Are you going to be able to drive all the way to the cabin?”
“Looks like Kevin’s truck made it.”
“It’s not that much farther.”
The rocking and slipping on the snow-covered road slowed their progress. As they rounded a curve in the road, a cabin with lights glowing could be seen set back among the trees.
“That’s it,” his father said, excited. “Right there. There’s his cabin.”
Conner stopped, cut off his engine and manually shut off the lights. “I don’t see Kevin’s truck, but someone’s definitely there.” He turned to his father. “You okay to walk from here? Gives us the element of surprise.”
His father playfully patted his son’s thigh. “This ain’t my first rodeo.” He zipped his jacket all the way up and put on his winter hat. “Let’s go.” Without waiting for a response, the retired sheriff pushed open the door. Conner slipped out of the vehicle. They both closed their doors at the same time with a quiet click.
They met at the front of the truck. “Snow’s pretty deep,” Conner said. “Let’s follow the tire tracks until we get about fifty feet from the cabin. Then you go right, and I’ll go left around to the back. Assess the situation.”
Conner’s gut tightened at the thought of what might be happening to Grace at this very moment. He found himself saying a quick prayer. He hadn’t done that since his mom took him to church when he was a little kid.
His father nodded, and they both set off. The sound of their breathing was punctuated by the squeaking of their boots in the snow.
As Conner broke left, a scream pierced the night.
His blood ran cold.
Grace.
Conner took off running at the sound of her scream, his legs and arms pumping as he struggled through the deep snow. He turned the corner. Light—and Grace—spilled out of a window. Grace had her hands propped on the snow and was flailing. Kevin had his head and one shoulder out the window, and he had a firm grasp on Grace’s ankle, after what was obviously a failed escape attempt.
“Let her go,” Conner ordered.
“Get out of here!” Kevin growled, not taking his eyes off Grace.
“You’re in a tight spot there. There’s nowhere to go. Let her go,” Conner repeated as he pulled out his gun.
Kevin shifted, revealing the gun he was barely able to squeeze out on the other side of his body. “I may not be able to get you, son, but I have a clear shot at Sarah here.”
“Her name is Grace,” Conner enunciated slowly, trying to break through whatever alternate universe Kevin was in. Conner directed the beam of his flashlight at Kevin’s face.
Kevin blinked a few times, anger sparking in his eyes. “She was supposed to marry me and get out of this awful town. If she couldn’t love me, she wasn’t going to have anyone.”
Kevin began to sob. Conner crept closer.
Suddenly Kevin released his grip on Grace’s ankle and crumbled on the windowsill as if someone had cracked him from behind. The gun fell from his hand and disappeared in a tunnel of snow beneath the window.
From inside the bathroom, retired sheriff Harry Gates hadn’t missed a beat. “I’ve got him.” He yanked Kevin back through the opening.
“Everything under control?” Conner shouted.
“Yep, got this jerk in handcuffs. How’s everyone out there?” his father hollered out the window, his focus on his prisoner.
Conner bent down and scooped up Grace. Her head fell against his chest. “Are you okay?”
She shuddered again
st him. “I am now.”
“Let’s get you home.”
Thank You, God, for keeping her safe.
SIXTEEN
Grace tried not to giggle as Conner touched the ticklish spot around her ankle, inspecting where Kevin had grabbed her and twisted in an attempt to keep her under his control. She leaned back in the rocking chair by the wood-burning stove in her sister’s bed & breakfast and tried to think of serious things to stop her silly giggling, which wasn’t too hard.
Her gaze drifted to the stairs where Becky had disappeared only moments ago. “Do you really think it’s necessary to make Becky stay?”
“Hey!” Becky called from the upstairs landing. “You’re going to give a girl a complex.”
“Sorry,” Grace called back, “no offense meant. Just hate to waste your time. All the people that have had it in for me are in custody. Or am I missing something?”
Becky came down the steps. “You should be safe. Conner wants me to stay another night or two. He thought you’d like the company after everything that’s happened.”
“You don’t mind, do you?” Conner asked. A tingle raced up her foot from where he was still holding it.
“I certainly don’t mind the company.” She smiled at Becky, trying to ignore the effect Conner was having on her.
“Listen, I stopped over at the Hershberger residence on my way over,” Becky said. “Emma’s relieved you’re okay.”
“Did you explain to her mom that she didn’t do anything wrong? I’d hate for her to get in trouble with her community.”
Becky waved her hand. “Yes, she’s fine. Their family wishes you a speedy recovery. Emma said she’ll stop by in a few days. See about helping you around here.”
“Sounds good.”
Becky pointed toward the kitchen. “Mind if I grab some tea and head upstairs? I have a good book waiting for me.”
“Sure thing,” Grace said.
“And I’ll make sure the alarm is set.” Conner patted Grace’s foot, gently placed it on the rocker next to him and stood.
Grace groaned. “What more could go wrong? You already have Bradley in custody for drugging Jason, and obviously Kevin’s not going anywhere. That pretty much covers all the stories I was digging into here in Quail Hollow.” She crossed her arms and settled back in her chair. “I promise.”
Conner studied her with an intensity that made her toes curl. “You’re not going to ruin Becky’s evening. I think she enjoys getting away at the bed & breakfast.”
“She’s good company. I don’t mind. I appreciate her taking the time.”
Conner brushed his hand across her shoulder, seeming hesitant to leave. Grace understood. They had been through a lot together. “Things will be wrapped up soon.”
Despite Kevin’s break with reality, he did have the wherewithal to tell his side of the story. He had hired some guy to knock the shelves over in the basement of the library to scare Grace away from her mother’s story. He was rightfully afraid of what she’d uncover. A deputy had been sent to pick up the guy he’d hired.
“What about the person who rammed my car in the parking lot?”
“One of Bradley’s teammates wanted to protect his friend. Misguided loyalty. He felt the team had suffered enough by missing the playoffs. He didn’t want Bradley getting in trouble for spiking his friend’s drink, too.” Conner bowed his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “I fear for the next generation if they think hurting someone else is a form of loyalty.”
“They’re not representative of our youth. There are a lot of wonderful people in this world. I’ve met them while covering different stories. I have faith we’re on the right track.” She rubbed her arms absentmindedly.
He leaned over and picked up her foot from the rocking chair, sat down and rested her foot on his knee. “I admire that about you. You have faith despite all the horrible things you’ve experienced.”
“My faith is the one thing that keeps me going.”
Conner studied her foot while massaging it. He seemed hesitant, as if he was trying to figure out how to tell her something. He lifted his eyes to hers. “I found myself praying that I’d be able to save you. I haven’t done that in a long time.”
Grace reached forward and covered his hands with hers. “Thank you for being there for me.”
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
He set her foot down, then leaned in to brush a soft kiss across her lips. “You sure know how to have a quiet vacation in Quail Hollow.”
“This was never meant to be a vacation. I came here initially to recover from an appendectomy.” Her hand went to her side. “That seems so long ago.”
“I’d hate to see what kind of trouble you could have gotten into if you hadn’t been sick.”
Grace cupped his cheek and ran her thumb across the stubble on his jaw. “Well, thankfully, I’m fully recovered.”
“Thank goodness.” Conner took her hand from his face and kissed it. “You’re okay? Kevin didn’t hurt you?”
“Just a few bumps and bruises.”
A hint of a smile danced in his eyes.
“I’ll be okay. I promise,” she whispered. The air in the room grew charged with an energy of expectancy that made butterflies flit in her stomach.
“I didn’t realize how much I cared for you until I thought I lost you.” He held her hand. Warmth spread up her arm, and she pushed the blanket down from around her shoulders.
“Did I thank you for saving me?” She hated the nervous squeak in her voice.
“More than once.” He sat up straight and dropped her hand, as if he had switched gears.
Grace scooted toward the edge of her rocking chair, causing it to dip forward. She reached out and covered his hand resting on the arm of his chair. “I care for you, too.”
“I sense a but coming on.”
“We lead different lives. Your home is here. Mine is wherever the story takes me.” She knew that stuff was superficial. The only thing truly keeping her from committing was her fear of relationships after losing her mom and witnessing her sister’s violent relationship. If her dad were still alive, he’d no doubt tell her he’d marry her mother all over again, in spite of her heartbreaking murder. And Conner was not anything like her sister’s ex. She had been using her fear as an excuse. Until now, she had never met someone worth taking the risk. Worth pushing aside her worries.
All her thoughts were jumbled and the only words she found were yet another excuse. “This would never work.”
“I guess you can’t blame a guy for trying.” Conner laughed, a mirthless sound. “You’ll have a great story to tell about your adventures in Quail Hollow.”
She gently rubbed the back of his hand. “More than that, I finally have answers. My sisters will have answers. And my mom will have justice.”
“I’m glad. I’m sorry it took this long.”
Grace stifled a yawn. Conner covered her hand with his, keeping it warm. “I’ll let you go to bed.” He started to rise, and she stood with him. He took the opportunity to cup her cheek and kiss her, slow and gentle. After a moment, he pulled away. “I’m really going to miss you.”
She nodded, unable to swallow around the lump of emotion in her throat. Unable to find the words to tell him she cared for him. Deeply. Too much had happened to make any sweeping promises she might regret in the light of day.
When she didn’t respond, he cleared his throat. “Follow me to the back door and set the alarm after I go.”
“I will.”
“Oh, and I’ll send someone over to plow the driveway. I don’t want you to be snowed in.”
“Thanks.” They walked in silence and she saw him out, then set the alarm and waited for the sense of loss to pass.
* * *
The next morning, Grace headed downstairs after a dreamless slee
p. Despite the things she had yet to face, she finally had peace. Her mother’s murderer had been caught.
When she rounded the corner into the kitchen, she came up short. “Hey, Becky. I didn’t expect you to still be here.”
The young sheriff’s deputy smiled. Sitting at the table, she lifted her book with one hand and her coffee with another. “You know how it is when you say you’re going to read just one more page?”
Grace laughed. She was really growing to like this woman.
“Conner wanted me to let you know they arrested the young man Kevin hired to attack you in the basement of the library.”
“What about whoever broke in here?”
“Kevin confessed to that. He said that you reminded him of Sarah. He wasn’t really clear on how he got through the window here at the bed & breakfast or how he unlocked it. I’m sure he learned tricks over the years as a sheriff’s deputy. He said he wanted to get close to you. See if you had uncovered anything about Sarah Miller’s murder.” Becky spoke as if Sarah wasn’t related to Grace. “He hadn’t expected you to come downstairs that night. He ran off instead of confronting you.”
Grace’s stomach knotted at the thought of surprising Kevin in the middle of the night. “I’m lucky Boots notified me of his presence. I hate to think...”
“Speaking of Boots, I haven’t seen the kitty around in a while.” Becky furrowed her brow and glanced around.
“She took off. My sister says she comes and goes and not to worry.”
“Not to worry. Sounds like a plan.” Becky gave her a sympathetic smile. “You have to move on. There’s no way to understand the thought process of someone who’s mentally ill. It seems Kevin eventually became obsessed with you, much as he became obsessed with your mom.” She placed her book facedown to mark the page and stood. “I’m really sorry you had to go through all that.” Becky flipped over the book, folded a corner of the page and then closed it. “You can finish that story you’ve been writing.”
“Yeah...” The weight of indecision pressed heavily on Grace’s chest. Maybe she was too close to the story to be objective.
Voices floated in from outside, and Grace leaned over to look out the back window. “Oh, wow, my sister and her husband are home. Already?” Had she been that preoccupied that she’d lost track of the days? She hadn’t thought so.
