by Hope White
That’s when she felt the pressure of Quinn’s firm arm across her chest, as if somehow he thought brute strength could protect her. She didn’t mind the connection, didn’t mind feeling connected to something.
He ripped his arm away and she heard him twist the steering wheel one way, then the other, as a soft grunt escaped his throat.
A few seconds later, they broke free of the spin and she cracked open her eyes. They were cruising at a safe forty-five miles per hour down the highway.
She gasped a breath of air. “We didn’t crash.”
“I didn’t want the airbags to go off. It would have aggravated your ribs.”
She couldn’t believe that her bruised ribs were his primary concern. “Did you get the license plate of the car?”
Quinn shot her a quizzical look.
“What?” she said.
“You’re being awfully pragmatic about this. I thought you’d be more freaked out.”
“I can freak out later. Right now I’m angry.”
“Sorry, I didn’t catch the plates. It was a late-model Ford truck, dark blue or black. We’ll call it in when we get to the resort.”
“Why wait?”
“I thought you might need a few minutes to catch your breath. I know I do,” he said under his breath.
She watched his eyes dart between the rearview mirror and the road ahead of them. He was acting calm, but she sensed his worry.
“Do you think they followed us from the hospital?” she asked.
“Don’t think so. I would have noticed someone following me that long.”
“Which means they know your SUV and were looking for you?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. For all we know it could be—”
“Don’t say it.”
“What?”
“That it could have been a random fender bender. That’s too much of a coincidence, Quinn.”
“Let’s get to Echo Mountain Resort and call the police. We can speculate later.”
With a nod, she leaned against the seat. If she wasn’t safe with Quinn, that meant...
She wasn’t safe anywhere. Her mind started spinning and her heartbeat hammered against her chest. She hated feeling so vulnerable and helpless.
Wasn’t it enough that she’d been married to a man with a volatile temperament, that she’d walked on eggshells half the time, never knowing if he’d be in a good mood or sour one on any given day?
She ached for stability and peace. She closed her eyes and fought the fear flooding her chest. Please, God, help me find peace.
“Billie?”
She snapped her attention to Quinn, whose forehead was creased with worry.
“I’m okay,” she said.
She wouldn’t let worry cloud her judgment, not with her life at risk, and Quinn’s. Although she and Quinn could never be a couple, she wished the best for him, hoped he’d eventually develop a relationship with God and find a kind and loving woman with whom to share his life.
“It could have been a random thing,” Quinn said. “Someone dealing with an emergency, or a guy who had one too many beers after work.”
“They would have stopped to exchange insurance information.”
“Not necessarily.” He glanced at her. “Sometimes it’s too hard to face your mistakes.”
Why did she get the feeling he was referring to himself? She glanced out the passenger window, finally taking a slow, deep breath.
“So, how do you like working at Echo Mountain Resort?” he asked.
She turned to him. “What?”
“The resort? What’s it like working for Aiden McBride?”
“It’s great. He’s very respectful of his employees.”
“That’s good to know. Did he ever tell you about our first search-and-rescue mission together?”
She realized this was Quinn’s attempt to take her mind off the immediate danger.
“No, he didn’t.”
“It was four, maybe five years ago. I was new and got assigned to Aiden’s team. Two kids got separated from their group and no one noticed. They were thirteen and there was speculation that they’d intentionally run away, but Aiden ignored the possibility and had the team fan out just like any other rescue mission.”
“Why’s that?” She leaned against the headrest and studied his profile. He was a handsome man, but never acted arrogant about his looks.
“Aiden knew the parents of the one kid and thought highly of them. He couldn’t believe their child would run away from loving parents.”
“But you weren’t so sure?”
“People aren’t always what they seem on the outside. Justin’s dad might be great to go kayaking with, but that didn’t mean he was father-of-the-year material. The mom was very involved with her kids’ school and church activities, but again, you never know what goes on behind closed doors.”
“Speaking from experience?” she pressed.
“Yeah, well...” He shrugged. “Aiden’s determination to find these kids saved their lives. Other folks weren’t that concerned because the kids had been talking about running away, living in an abandoned barn. You know how kids talk. So a group of adults called neighboring farms, friends in the area, and searched empty properties.”
“But Aiden didn’t buy it?”
“It’s like he instinctively knew they were in trouble in the mountains and wasn’t giving up.”
“He had faith.”
Quinn hesitated, then continued his story. “Aiden interviewed every kid in the group and guessed where they were headed. Apparently Justin’s friend Liam twisted his ankle and couldn’t walk. Justin didn’t want to abandon him, and couldn’t get a cell signal in the mountains, so they were stranded. Justin assumed hikers would pass by, but the weather had turned bad pretty fast so seasoned hikers weren’t taking any chances.”
“Those kids must have been so scared.”
“They were, but sometimes...” he hesitated “...terrifying situations make you stronger.”
Again, she suspected he was referring to his own life, his own terror. She wanted to ask what happened but knew better. In the five months she’d been living on his property he’d kept his past and his secrets locked up tight inside. Another reason they could never be more than friends: the next time she loved a man she needed to know everything about him—no surprises.
“Your team found them?” she said.
“Two hours later. They were okay, but scared.”
“I know the feeling.”
Quinn looked at her. “You don’t have to be scared as long as I’m around.”
“I appreciate that Quinn, but you won’t be around forever.” An awkward silence stretched between them. He didn’t argue the point, which meant he agreed that he wasn’t meant to be a part of her future.
Quinn’s phone rang and he pressed the speakerphone button on his visor. “Donovan.”
“Quinn, it’s Detective Issacs. I received a strange call from dispatch about you being run off the road?”
“Someone tried, but we’re okay.”
“Is Mrs. Bronson with you?”
“Yes. We’re on our way to Echo Mountain Resort.”
“I’ll meet you there for the details. Where are you now? I’ll send a squad car as an escort.”
“We’re close, about to turn off onto Mountainview Drive. We’ll be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll see you there.”
Quinn pressed the speakerphone button and glanced at Billie. “I’ll give Issacs a description of the vehicle. He’ll track it down and find the guy.”
“What if it isn’t the bearded man? What if there’s more than one guy after me, Quinn?”
“The next three.”
“What?”
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“Focus on the next three things that have to happen. We get you settled at the resort, we give a description to the cops and we meet with my P.I. friend. That’s all you need think about right now. Don’t let your mind go spinning off into worryland.”
“The next three,” she whispered.
A few minutes later they pulled into Quinn’s special garage on the north end of the resort.
“Stay in the car.” He got out and scanned the property, then came around and opened her door.
“See anything suspicious?”
“No, we’re good.” He offered his hand.
She hesitated before taking it, but when she shifted a spark of pain tweaked her chest.
“It’s okay to let me help you,” he said.
She took his hand and embraced its warmth, its strength. She got out of the car and he led her to his private entrance. He closed the garage door and guided her through a small laundry room that opened into a great room.
“This is beautiful, Quinn,” she said.
“Thanks. I booked you a suite down the hall.”
“What about my things?”
“Bree swung by your place for clothes.”
“But what if—”
“A police officer went with her.”
He motioned her through his apartment and out into the resort hallway. They paused at room 118, he swiped the keycard and opened the door. She stepped inside the suite and froze at the sight of half a dozen friends surrounded by fragrant flowers and bright balloons.
Aiden, her boss, smiled in her direction. “Welcome to your temporary home.”
“Wow, this is amazing.”
Bree gave her a hug. “Hope you don’t mind. They wanted to come by and see how you were doing.” She broke the hug and smiled at Billie. “I put your clothes in the closet.”
“Thanks,” Billie said, stunned that they’d cared enough to be waiting for her.
Grace Longfellow from the K9 search-and-rescue unit held out a foil-covered plate. “I made my specialty brownies for you, and monster cookies for Quinn.”
“Monster cookies, huh?” Billie smiled at Quinn.
He shrugged. “My one vice.”
“I doubt that,” muttered Will Rankin, field team leader for Snoquamish County Search and Rescue. She sensed he wasn’t one of Quinn’s biggest fans.
Nia Sharpe, resort concierge, pointed to a paper grocery bag on the desk. “I assumed you’d be taking it easy for a while so I brought books and magazines.”
“And I brought my charm,” Harvey Underwood blurted out.
Everyone chuckled. Harvey was in his late sixties, worked security at the resort and had become somewhat of a father figure in Billie’s life.
She was deeply touched that the group had stopped by to welcome her home. Well, at least what would be her home until it was safe to return to her apartment. Oddly enough, being here, surrounded by these wonderful folks, felt more like home than her one-bedroom apartment ever had.
“Let’s sit you down.” Quinn led Billie to a comfortable chair.
It was a lovely suite with a roomy living area, separate bedroom and kitchenette. Once seated, clutching her sprained wrist against her stomach, she smiled at her visitors. “Thank you so much. I’m really touched.”
“We were worried about you,” Grace said.
“I wasn’t. She’s tough,” Harvey offered.
“Yeah, since Harvey’s got us all here, he’s probably hoping for an impromptu SAR meeting at the barn,” Will said.
“You can never be too prepared,” Harvey shot back.
The group chuckled at Harvey’s usual mantra. Billie figured hanging out with Search and Rescue friends was the closest thing Harvey had to family.
Will offered her a cup of tea. “Cream, no sugar, right?”
“Yes, thanks.” As Billie took it, she smiled at Will. He was a nice man, about her age, who’d lost his wife to cancer a year ago. She sensed that if he weren’t still grieving, he would have asked Billie out on a date.
Quinn nodded at her tea. “Maybe you should avoid caffeine so close to bedtime.”
“It’s not even four o’clock,” Will argued.
“I want to make sure she gets a good night’s sleep,” Quinn countered.
“Who are you, her mother?” Harvey teased.
She didn’t like the look in Quinn’s eyes. She saw that little boy again, the one she suspected had been criticized and shunned most of his childhood.
“No, he’s right,” Billie said, sliding her cup onto the nearby table. “A good night’s sleep will help me heal quicker.”
“Well, then, you might want to stay away from Grace’s brownies,” Harvey said. “I’ve had three and I can’t sit still.”
“It’s my special ingredient that gives you energy,” Grace admitted.
“Special as in...?” Harvey asked.
“Instant coffee.”
“No wonder I’m ready to run a marathon,” Harvey said.
“You could harness that energy and clean the barn,” Will playfully suggested.
“What, and let you miss all the fun?” Harvey redirected his attention to Billie. “Seriously now, what happened out there?”
“Someone said you were pushed,” Grace said.
“By a tripped-out drug dealer,” Nia offered.
“Wait, what? No, not a drug dealer, at least I don’t think a drug dealer.”
“You shouldn’t have been hiking alone,” Will said.
Quinn nodded at Will. “Agreed.”
“The last thing she needs is a group lecture,” Bree said.
“I think she should give us a description of the man she saw on the trail so we can be on the lookout,” Aiden said.
“Is it a threat to resort guests if he finds out she’s staying here?” Nia questioned.
Billie felt a twinge of guilt and glanced down at the brown carpeting.
Quinn placed a hand on her shoulder, but directed his comment to the group. “There’s no threat to our guests. Since Billie is in the north wing, Aiden has instructed reservations to book the rest of the resort and not assign rooms down here. I’ve hired security officers to watch her room 24/7. Harvey will help coordinate.”
“The first one should be here within the hour,” Harvey said.
“Billie, why don’t you tell them what the guy looked like,” Quinn said.
* * *
As Billie described the man on the trail, Quinn wandered toward the minibar and poured himself a soda. Billie’s voice pitched as she described her attacker’s verbal threat and Quinn fisted his hand. The thought of someone threatening such a sweet and gentle woman made him want to break something. Perhaps he’d spend an hour in the resort’s workout room later to ease the pent-up frustration and anger building in his chest.
He turned and noticed Billie studying him as she retold the tale. Distancing himself from the emotions rushing through his chest, Quinn leaned against the counter and sipped his drink. Although he hated having to listen to her retell the story, it was important that this group of people have as much information as possible. They were essentially the front line that could help protect Billie from the enemy ever getting close again.
Nia was the hub of the resort, greeting guests and helping them book kayaking adventures and hiking day trips. From her post in the lobby she saw everyone who walked through the front doors. She’d report anything suspicious to Harvey.
Harvey, the security manager, not only wandered the grounds to greet guests, but he also enjoyed quiet time in his office reviewing the property’s monitors that kept track of activity at the two-hundred-room resort.
Grace was known for having a keen sense about people, and Will Rankin, well, it was obvious he had a thing for B
illie. Nothing would happen to her if Will was in the vicinity.
“But you’re okay now.” Bree rubbed Billie’s arm in a soothing motion.
Bree was gentle and nurturing with her friend, but Quinn knew she had a strong, assertive side. Aiden never shared the whole story but Quinn sensed that something bad had happened to Bree that inspired her to become a karate black belt. Quinn pitied the guy who thought he could hurt Billie if Bree was around.
As Quinn surveyed the group, he felt satisfied that Aiden had put together a good team. At least if Quinn couldn’t be with Billie every minute of every day, he felt confident about her friends keeping an eye on her. Well, her friends and the pricey security officers he’d hired. He’d identified a top-rated security company in Seattle composed of former military men, and hired them for an unspecified amount of time.
Maybe it was overkill, but no price was too high to keep Billie safe.
A knock at the door interrupted Billie’s story.
“Keep talking. I’ll get it.” Quinn went to the door and opened it to Detective Issacs. “Detective.”
Quinn motioned him into the room.
“Any news on Billie’s attacker?” Bree questioned.
“Nothing yet. We’ve got a sketch circulating to other law enforcement agencies. What’s going on here?” Detective Issacs said.
“Team, this is Detective Issacs,” Quinn said.
“Team?” Issacs raised an eyebrow.
“This is our BOLO team,” Quinn explained. “They’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious and contact Aiden or our security manager, Harvey, and they’ll call it in to you. I figured it was a good idea to have a few people in the know.”
The detective went to the sliding glass doors and glanced out, probably scanning the property for signs of trouble. “As long as they don’t get overzealous and take matters into their own hands.”
“They won’t,” Aiden assured.
“Speak for yourself,” Harvey muttered.
The detective turned to Harvey.
“Harvey,” Billie warned. “I couldn’t handle it if you got hurt because of me.”
Harvey put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll seek and report only.”
