At Hidden Falls (Angel's Bay Novel)

by Barbara Freethy

  “We’re getting close,” she said. “I can smell the fire.” Her nerves tightened. She felt as if she was back in her dream, the branches scratching her arms, a break in the woods coming closer and closer.

  Finally, they broke into a clearing. It was all there: the tent, the barbecue, the cooler, and Megan sitting by the tent.

  “Megan!” Nick shouted.

  His daughter jumped up in relief, tears streaming down her face.

  Isabella looked around. Shadows fell from the trees, none of them moving. Yet danger was coming. She could feel it, but she couldn’t see it.

  Megan took a step toward her father, then froze. “Daddy, look out!” she screamed as a man came around a tree, a rifle in his hands.

  Nick ran toward Megan, putting his body in front of her like a shield.

  Isabella saw the man lift his gun, and her heart stopped as he took aim. His gaze was focused on Nick and Megan. He hadn’t seen her. He didn’t know she was there, and this time, she was not going to let the worst happen.

  She rushed the gunman from the side, taking him by surprise. She tackled his midsection, hearing the gun go off as they fell to the ground. His weight crushed her. She tried to shove him away, but he slammed his fist into her face, and her head bounced off the dirt. Dazed, she thought for a terrifying moment that this might be it for all of them. She couldn’t see Nick and had no idea if he’d been shot, but she could hear Megan crying.

  As her attacker scrambled toward his gun, Nick came up behind him and threw him down. Fists flying, Nick went after the man with the unrelenting fury of a man fighting for his child’s life. The man collapsed on the ground, but Nick hit him again and again.

  “Stop! He’s unconscious,” Isabella said as she got to her feet. “Stop, Nick.” Even if the other man deserved to die, she didn’t want Nick to kill him. “Megan needs you,” she said.

  Her words finally got through. Nick ran back to his daughter, who launched herself into his arms.

  Isabella picked up the rifle and moved a few feet away from the man, keeping an eye on him in case he woke up.

  “Are you all right?” Nick asked, searching Megan’s face as his hands ran up and down her arms.

  Megan gave a sob as she nodded her head.

  Nick pulled her back into his embrace. “You’re safe now, honey. No one will hurt you. I’m going to take care you.”

  Tears gathered in Isabella’s eyes. She hoped Megan could believe him, because the way the two of them clung together was proof of how much they needed each other.

  A sudden movement in the tent made Isabella stiffen. “Nick!” she said urgently as the flap of the tent began to move.

  He looked up, then pulled Megan behind him. “Who’s there?” he demanded.

  “It’s okay, Dad,” Megan said. “It’s just a girl. She was nice to me.”

  A face appeared through the open flap, then the other girl slowly crawled out of the tent. Her thick blond hair was down to her waist, her face pale, her blue eyes shocked. She looked from them to the man on the ground. “Is he—is he dead?” she asked, stumbling to her feet.

  “No, he’s just unconscious,” Nick said. “Who are you?”

  “Annie.”

  Isabella gasped. “You’re the girl everyone has been looking for?”

  Annie tipped her head toward the man who’d attacked them. “That’s my father. He kidnapped me, and he wouldn’t let me leave.”

  “Are you all right?” Isabella asked, moving quickly to the girl’s side. “Did he hurt you?”

  Annie shook her head. “He just slapped me a few times.”

  “Everyone is so worried about you. My brother, the chief of police, sent search parties out scouring these hills.”

  “He did? My dad said no one would care that I was gone. All they wanted was my baby. Oh, God, how is he? Is he okay?” she asked, her voice breaking.

  Isabella set the rifle down and put her arm around Annie’s shoulder. “He’s fine. Charlotte has been taking care of him. But I know everyone will be happy to see you. We need to call nine-one-one,” she added, turning back to Nick.

  “There’s no service out here,” Annie said.

  “We’re going to take you home.” She glanced at Nick. “Any idea where we are?”

  “I know the way,” Annie said. “My father’s car is through the trees, but he has the keys in his pocket.”

  “I’ll get ’em.” Nick strode forward and knelt next to Annie’s father. The man groaned as Nick pulled out his keys, but he didn’t open his eyes or make any attempt to fight back.

  “Is he going to be all right?” Annie asked, worry in her eyes. “The war made him crazy, you know? He wasn’t always like this.”

  “As soon as we get service, we’ll call for an ambulance,” Nick said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  As they approached the beat-up old car, Isabella felt her nerves tighten once again. Carl Dupont was still lying motionless on the ground, so why was she feeling on edge? As she walked around the front of the car, an image flashed through her mind.

  The car was headed straight for her, two people struggling in the front seat. It turned at the last second, and she hit the brakes . . .

  “Isabella?” Nick questioned as he opened the back door for Annie. “What’s wrong?”

  “This was the car that ran me off the road on the coast highway,” she said in amazement. She looked at Annie. “Your father was driving. You were headed straight toward me, and then he made a quick turn. That was the night he took you, wasn’t it?”

  “I saw a car skid across the road on our way out of town, but I didn’t know what happened after that. That was you?”

  “Yes.” Isabella should have been used to the unexpected connections by now, yet this one shook her.

  “I was trying to get him to turn around,” Annie said. “I made him angry, and he drove faster. I thought for a while he was going to kill me.”

  “But he didn’t,” Nick said. “And he’s not going to hurt anyone ever again. Now, let’s get going.”

  “Megan, you sit in the front with your father,” Isabella said.

  “Are you sure?” Megan asked uncertainly.

  She gave her a smile. “Absolutely. I don’t think your dad will be able to drive if he can’t see you. He’s been so worried about you.” She got into the backseat alongside Annie, while Megan and Nick settled in the front.

  “I’m really sorry I ran away,” Megan said.

  “I’m sorry you felt the need to run away,” Nick replied, giving her a tender look. “I don’t want that to ever happen again.”

  “How did you find me?” Megan asked.

  “We went to Hidden Falls,” Nick replied. “We ran into your boyfriend. He’s not good for you, Megan.”

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  “Did he hurt you?” Nick asked, an edge in his voice.

  Megan quickly shook her head. “No, he was just being stupid. And I was so mad I didn’t want to hang out with him. I didn’t think I was going to get lost, but I got confused in the woods. I tried to get back to the falls, but I couldn’t find them.

  “When I saw the tent, I thought it was a family camping, but then her dad came at me with a gun and told me that I wasn’t going to be able to leave, because then the enemy would know where they were.” Megan’s voice broke. “I was scared, but Annie told me he wouldn’t hurt me.” Megan flung a look of gratitude in Annie’s direction. “I’m sorry he took you, but I’m glad you were there.”

  Annie nodded, fatigue etched in deep lines around eyes that shouldn’t look as old as they did. Isabella couldn’t imagine the ordeal she’d gone through.

  Despite Annie’s exhaustion, she had enough wits about her to direct them down some narrow dirt roads that eventually led them to the outskirts of town.

  When they got out of the hills, Isabella took out her phone and called her brother. “Joe, I’ve got some good news. We found Annie.”

  “How the hell did you do that
?” he asked in amazement.

  She could have told him that for once in her life, her gift of insight had been a true gift, but she just said, “It’s a long story, but we’re headed into town. We’re taking Annie back to Charlotte’s house. Her father’s in the woods and needs an ambulance. I’m going to give Annie the phone. She can tell you where he is.” She handed the phone to Annie, who in a halting but clear voice directed Joe to the campsite.

  Then Annie handed the phone back to Isabella. “He said he’d meet us at Charlotte’s house. You’re his sister, huh?”

  “Yes. I was on my way into town the night your father ran me off the road. Fortunately, Nick saved my life.” She smiled as Nick’s glance met hers in the rearview mirror. “Everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”

  “You were crazy, tackling Annie’s father,” Nick said. “He could have shot you.”

  “I thought he’d shot you for a minute.”

  “He missed when you knocked him down.”

  “You were really brave, Isabella,” Megan said. “You saved us all.”

  She smiled. “Joe taught me how to tackle a long time ago. He’ll be happy to know it finally came in handy.”

  EIGHTEEN

  Charlotte hung up the phone, thrilled with the news Joe had just delivered. Annie was fine and was on her way home—thank God! The nightmare was over. She walked down the hall and opened the door to the baby’s room. He was fast asleep in his crib. “She’s coming back, sweetie,” she whispered. “Your mother is coming home.” As she said the words, she felt a little pang at the knowledge that things would change, that she would no longer be his primary caregiver. But that was silly. She had a career to get back to, and he needed Annie, not her.

  The doorbell rang, and she ran down the hall to answer it. Expecting Annie or Joe, she was surprised to see Steve and Tory Baker. She knew in that instant what they were going to say, and she felt a jolt of disappointment that Steve had cheated on Tory. She’d thought he was a good man, but the way he’d treated Tory, Annie, and the baby was shameful. She noted his black eye and suspected that someone else had taken him to task for his behavior.

  “I need to talk to you, Charlotte,” Steve said. “About the baby. Can we come in?”

  “Of course. You have great timing. Joe just called and said that Annie is on her way home, and she’s fine.”

  “Thank heavens,” Tory said with genuine relief. “What happened to her?”

  “I don’t know any details, just that it had something to do with her father. Sit down.” She gestured toward the living-room couch.

  “Where is the baby?” Tory asked, her gaze flying around the room.

  “He’s asleep in the other room.”

  “I’m sorry I got so upset the other day,” Tory said. “It was a shock to see the baby and realize . . .” Her voice trailed away. “Anyway, that’s not why we came here.”

  Charlotte took a seat in the chair across from them. “Do you want to wait until Annie gets here?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Steve said heavily. “You might as well know now. I’m the father of the child.” He drew in a deep breath, as if he couldn’t believe he’d finally said it. “Annie was working for Myra’s cleaning service. She used to clean my office late at night after everyone went home. I ran into her one day, and we started talking. She was a sweet young girl who looked up to me. One night, things went farther than they should have.”

  “You don’t have to tell me this,” Charlotte interrupted, seeing the pain in Tory’s eyes. “This is between you and Tory and Annie.”

  “You’ve been taking care of the baby, and you have a right to know,” he said. “I should have confessed a long time ago, but Annie getting pregnant when Tory couldn’t seemed like the worst possible irony. I couldn’t bear the thought of telling Tory, so I didn’t. Annie said she would give the baby up. I thought it would be to someone who didn’t live in Angel’s Bay, but then Andrew started talking to everyone, and I knew that the adoption couldn’t go through without my signature.”

  “So you cooked up a clever plan,” Charlotte said, unable to hide the snark in her voice. Steve Baker had taken advantage of a young, innocent girl; he didn’t deserve forgiveness. And he didn’t deserve Tory.

  “I thought it was a win for everyone,” he explained. “Tory would get her baby. Annie could have her life back, and I could fulfill my fatherly responsibilities.”

  “Don’t you want to see him?” Tory interrupted her husband. “We’ve been sitting here for several minutes, and you haven’t even asked how your son is or if you could see him.”

  A pulse beat rapidly in his jaw. “I—I don’t know the right thing to do. What’s going to hurt you more, if I want to see my son or if I don’t?”

  “Do you want to see him?” Charlotte asked. “He’s a beautiful little boy. I know, because I’ve been holding him and feeding him and comforting him while his mother was missing and his father wasn’t interested.”

  Steve stared back at her. “I’ve wanted a kid as much as Tory has. But I wanted my son to be with her.” He turned his pleading gaze on his wife.

  “Well, we don’t always get what we want,” Tory said sharply.

  A clatter of voices and footsteps on the porch interrupted their conversation. Charlotte got up to open the door, Steve and Tory on her heels.

  The first person she saw was an exhausted, weepy Annie. “Oh, honey,” she said, pulling her into her arms. “Thank God you’re all right.”

  Annie hugged her back, so tightly Charlotte could feel every bone in her body. She didn’t see any signs of physical injury, but she suspected there were many emotional scars.

  “My father took me off the street,” Annie said. “He told me that since the baby was born, he needed me to come home. I didn’t want to go, Charlotte, but he didn’t give me a choice. I was scared, and there was no one around.”

  “You’re safe now,” Charlotte said, hugging her again. Over Annie’s shoulder, she could see Joe approaching the porch. Nick, Isabella, and a teenager she thought was Nick’s daughter were also there. She let Annie go and said, “I don’t know why you’re all here, but come in, please.”

  As she stepped back to let the group enter, Annie’s gaze fell on Steve. Her jaw dropped, and she looked from Steve to Tory in panic.

  “He told us he’s the father,” Charlotte cut in.

  “You all know?” Annie asked in bemusement.

  “Let’s all sit down,” Charlotte suggested.

  As the others moved into the living room, Annie hesitated. “Can I see him?”

  “Of course you can, honey,” Charlotte said immediately. “He’s been missing you like crazy.”

  “I don’t know if he’ll recognize me now. I’ve been gone so long,” Annie said uncertainly. “I don’t want to scare him.”

  “You couldn’t possibly do that. You’re his mother.”

  “We were only together a couple of days.”

  “You were together for nine months. He knows your scent, your voice, your touch. It’s going to be fine.” When Annie didn’t look convinced, she added, “Tell you what. You sit down in the living room, and I’ll bring him to you.”

  Charlotte hurried down the hall. The baby was just waking up. He blinked at her, and his mouth moved into what she was sure was a smile. Her heart split in two. She was really going to miss mothering him. Even though they might continue living in the same house, depending on what decisions Annie made, it would be different now. But that’s the way it should be.

  “Your mommy is back, little guy,” she said as she picked him up. His warm weight in her arms made her heart ache. “But you and I are going to be friends forever. Deal?” She pressed her lips to his forehead and inhaled the sweet scent of baby as she sniffed back a tear. This moment wasn’t about her.

  She quickly changed his diaper and took him down the hall. The group was amazingly silent, considering all of the unanswered questions that had to be ringing through everyone’s m
ind. They were all waiting for her, for the baby, because he was what it was all about.

  Annie was sitting in the armchair, and Charlotte put the baby in her arms. “I took really good care of him for you. But he’s been wanting you since the day you left.”

  Tears ran down Annie’s cheeks as she stared at her son in wonder. “He’s so big now,” she murmured. The baby reached out and grabbed a strand of Annie’s long blond hair, twisting it with his tiny fingers. “Do you think he knows who I am?”

  Charlotte met her questioning gaze. “Absolutely. He cried for hours after you disappeared. He was looking for you.”

  Annie’s mouth trembled. “I should have fought harder to get away. I didn’t know what to do. My dad is so strong and so crazy, and I didn’t know what would happen if I didn’t go with him. I thought he might try to hurt the baby—but if he had me, then he’d leave the baby alone.”

  Charlotte squatted down in front of her. “You protected him. That’s what mothers do.”

  Annie looked past Charlotte to Steve and Tory. “I have to say I’m sorry,” she said, focusing on Tory. “For being with your husband,” she added courageously.

  Tory gave a tight nod, as if she couldn’t trust herself to speak.

  Annie looked at Steve. “Do you and your wife still want to adopt him?”

  Shock turned to wariness on Steve’s face. “I—I don’t know. Tory?”

  Tory stiffened, and Charlotte couldn’t imagine the pressure she was feeling. She might finally have the opportunity to raise a baby, but the child would always represent her husband’s infidelity.

  Charlotte wasn’t sure she wanted Tory to say yes. Was it fair to put this innocent child in the middle of their embattled marriage? “Annie, you don’t have to do this now,” she said. “You’re exhausted. And everyone has a lot to think about.”

  “Charlotte is right,” Tory said, her eyes filled with pain. “You need to think about what you want to do. And you need to talk to Steve about it.” She drew in a shaky but determined breath. “I would love to be a part of your child’s life, Annie, but you love him, and I think you want to be his mother.”