In Safe Hands (Search and Rescue Book 4)

by Katie Ruggle

  “Police!” he called into the open, still smoky hallway. “Anyone here?”

  There was no response, so he took a couple of steps inside. The remaining smoke tickled his throat and gave the old place an eerie cast. Theo held back a cough. He walked down the hallway, checking in each room he passed, but, except for a few items—a bright green bean bag in the living room, an old chest in the library, a cheap drinking glass with awkwardly cut flowers mashed into it on the windowsill in the dining room—the house was empty. Empty and smoky and wrong. With Jules’s SUV out front and the door open, she should be here. He automatically unsnapped the top of his holster, resting his hand on the butt of his gun. He felt his muscles tighten with each new empty room he saw.

  The smoke was lightening, but a haze still lingered, dimming the light struggling to find its way through the windows. There was an almost-closed door on his left, and he pushed it open. The hinges protested with a squeal, but the door reluctantly swung open to reveal an empty, old-fashioned bathroom. He continued down the hall, his imagination going wild again with thoughts of what could’ve happened. Had Jules’s past caught up to her?

  The thought of something happening to Jules made his stomach clench, and he moved more quickly. As Theo got closer to the final door on the right, the one he was fairly sure was the kitchen, he finally heard people. Multiple loud voices piled on top of each other, making it difficult for Theo to hear what anyone was saying. Pausing next to the entryway, keeping his body hidden from the people in the kitchen, he listened, trying to pick out individual words.

  “…if he comes back!” a child’s voice wailed, rising above the babble of the others. Theo’s muscles tightened. Who was “he,” and why was the kid so upset at the thought of this man’s return?

  “…long gone…” Theo barely made out a few words from Jules, but he was certain it was her speaking. The rest of what she had to say disappeared into the cacophony of sound, and the short phrases Theo was able to pick out only confused him more. Someone mentioned an ignition point, and the child shrieked something about making someone homeless, and another person stuttered in a deep, male voice about clean-up. Theo frowned, the term “clean-up” leading him to think about corpses. All of his earlier fears for Jules rushed back, and he couldn’t hesitate any longer.

  Drawing his weapon, Theo surged into the kitchen.

  A small crowd of people—young people—huddled around the ancient stove, ignoring the light stream of smoke that still drifted from it. No one was looking at Theo, and he immediately lowered his gun and held it casually behind his right hip. The sight of all the kids made him feel a little sheepish for overreacting.

  “What’s going on?”

  The entire group jumped as if he’d given them an electric shock, all of them turning to stare at him with expressions that ranged from fear to wariness. Upon closer observation, he confirmed that they were kids, ranging in age from ten or so to late teens—the oldest being none other than his squirrelly waitress. Her hair was caught in two braids, and a smear of black ran across her right cheek. Even smudgy, she was hot.

  Not liking the prickle of emotion that she woke in him, he looked at the stove.

  “Is the fire out?” he asked, when it appeared that no one was going to answer his initial question. When they still didn’t say anything—instead staring at him, stock still and wordless—Theo shifted his weight impatiently and reached toward his radio with the hand not holding his gun. “Do I need to call in the fire department?”

  “No!” several of the kids, including Jules, chorused in unison. He kept hold of his radio, since the threat of Fire seemed to have brought everyone back to life. Theo could sympathize with their reluctance. Sometimes—a lot of times—firefighters could be a pain in the ass.

  “It’s out,” Jules said, taking a step toward him and positioning her body between Theo and the kids. Her slight figure wasn’t much of a barrier, but there was something in the way she held herself that reminded him of a fierce mama bear. “There wasn’t really a fire. It was more…” She trailed off, waving a hand toward the stove as if what had happened was written on its ancient surface.

  “It was more of an explosion,” one of the younger boys offered, but his brother—a twin, Theo assumed by their almost identical size and appearance—cleared his throat.

  “It wasn’t actually an explosion,” the second one explained earnestly. “The debris just ignited extremely quickly, mimicking an explosion. A small one.”

  Theo wasn’t any more enlightened than when he’d first seen the smoke. “Debris?”

  Jules cringed. “An old packrat nest.” A visible shudder rippled through her.

  “The rat wasn’t hurt,” the smallest of the group, a girl who looked like a smaller, younger Jules, said solemnly. “He left a long time ago. We’re hoping he doesn’t come back, because it would be very upsetting if he did and found out his home had burned.”

  “Didn’t you check inside the oven before you turned it on?” Theo asked, holstering his gun discreetly before stepping closer to the stove so he could look inside. Unfortunately, that move brought him very close to Jules. Under a layer of smoke, she smelled really nice, like vanilla and sugar and baking things.

  Her mouthwatering scent was overlaid by the stench of charred rodent, however, which refocused him. What was wrong with him, that he was sniffing squirrelly waitresses? He reached for the numbness, but, for the first time, it eluded him, and he was stuck with feeling the irritated fascination Jules inspired in him.

  “No.” She glared up at him, her gaze hotter than he thought blue eyes could be. “I normally do not look inside an oven before I turn it on, because who would ever think that a huge rat would build a house inside an appliance? An appliance in which we cook food. Food that we eat!” Her voice had risen to a decibel that made Theo’s ears hurt, but he found himself fighting the beginnings of a smile. Jules was just so outraged that a rat dared take up residence in her stove. Judging by the condition of the house, though—especially the rough state of the kitchen—Theo was not even a little surprised that a rodent had made its home there. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if one ran across the floor in front of them. Theo almost hoped one would, so he could play the hero and Jules could thank him in that sweet, Southern accent of hers.

  Startled by the daydream, he shook it off and tried to distract himself by belatedly trying to place her dialect. She’d mentioned Arkansas, but her drawl didn’t match.

  “Where are you from again?” he asked. It was only then that he realized his question would’ve seemed random and abrupt. Her surprise morphed into that same hunted look she’d had at the diner, and he swallowed his disappointment at the reminder that she was hiding from something—hiding and, apparently, dragging her family along with her.

  “Arkansas,” all of them chorused—all except the hulking, oldest boy who protectively stepped closer to Jules, watching Theo warily. Theo narrowed his eyes. Their quick, in-unison answer just screamed that it was a lie. Something was not right about the Jackson family, and Theo felt an itch to investigate—an itch that had been dormant for a while. It surprised him, that urge to ask questions and figure things out. He hadn’t felt anything but rage and sorrow and numbness for two months. He wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not. If he opened himself up again, he was stepping down the road to heartache. Feeling nothing was easier, less painful. In fact, it was probably smart to leave this jumpy, lying little family. Now.

  Before he could escape, though, the girl’s eyes lit up. “A dog!”

  As Theo started to turn, Viggy shot past him, heading straight for the huddled family. The small girl stepped forward, hands outstretched.

  “Stop!” Theo barked, not sure if he was talking to the dog or to the kid. In the scant seconds it took for Viggy to reach the child, Theo’s stomach twisted. With Viggy acting as unpredictably as he’d been, Theo had no idea how th
e dog would react. He just knew it wasn’t going to be good. “Viggy, here!”

  The dog didn’t even glance at Theo. His focus was locked on the girl, and he shot toward her, as straight as an arrow to a bull’s-eye. Visions of vulnerable flesh bitten and bleeding flashed in Theo’s mind, and he lunged after Viggy. His fingers brushed the harness strap across Viggy’s back, but the dog scooted out of reach, twisting around the little girl’s legs, stretching up to…lick her face? Giggling, the child crouched down to the dog’s level, using both hands to scratch his ruff.

  It took a stunned moment for the dog’s action to sink in to Theo’s brain, for the lack of screams to register and the roar of blood in his ears to ease. The other kids, unaware of Theo’s earlier terror, circled around the girl and dog, reaching to pet Viggy, who rolled onto his back to get his belly scratched.

  Theo took a few breaths, still feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through him, burning away the numbness. His current state of alertness felt uncomfortable but also kind of, well, good. He closed his eyes for just a second, enjoying the flow of blood and the hard beat of his heart. It felt like his body was finally thawing after being frozen for a long time.

  “What’s his name?” Reluctant warmth filled Jules’s voice. Theo’s heart rate increased a little more, and he frowned, his eyes snapping open.

  Quit lusting after the squirrelly waitress, he told himself firmly. His body didn’t listen. “Viggy.”

  “He’s your dog?” the little girl asked, smiling up at him from her place on the floor next to Viggy. “I’d like a horse, but a dog would be good, too. We can’t get one yet, though. Jules says we need to focus on keeping all of us alive before we add any dependents.”

  An audible inhale from Jules caught Theo’s attention, and he looked at her sharply. What about the girl’s statement had upset Jules? Was it the implication that they didn’t have much money, or had Jules meant “survival” in its most immediate form—were their lives in danger? He examined her face closely, but Jules flushed and dropped her gaze to the dog.

  “Is he?” The little girl urged, and Theo’s focus shifted to her again.

  “He’s my…” He paused just a second. “He was my friend’s partner.”

  The oldest boy looked up from his position crouched by Viggy’s head. He’d been scratching the dog’s upside-down ears, and his hand stilled as he spoke for the first time. “H-he’s a p-p-police dog?”

  “Yes.” Viggy waved a paw, urging the teen to continue, and Theo gave an amused grunt. The blissed-out dog, sprawled on his back with his tongue hanging out, was a completely different animal than the stressed, unhappy creature he’d been since Don’s death. Theo felt a twinge of gratitude for the family who’d returned the dog to his previous self, even if it was only for a minute or two.

  One of the twins regarded Viggy with interest. “Is he trained to find drugs, then? Or does he chase after the bad guys and take them down?”

  For the second time in as many minutes, Theo felt the foreign urge to smile. He managed to contain it. “Explosives. And the second one. He’s a dual-purpose dog.”

  “He sniffs out bombs? Awesome.”

  Theo’s gaze slid to Jules, and he saw she was regarding him thoughtfully. “Did you need something?” she asked.

  The question confused him at first, random answers bouncing around in his head. There were so many things he needed. He needed peace, he needed Viggy to get over Don’s death, he needed to get over Don’s death. Theo might even need Jules. He knew he wanted her. “What?”

  “Why are you here?”

  Feeling caught, he rubbed a hand over his mouth before answering. Even that extra couple of seconds didn’t give him time to think of a good excuse for his presence, so he just blurted out the truth. “I wanted to check on you.”

  She flinched, and Theo grimaced. That hadn’t come out right.

  “Your house is isolated,” he tried explaining, searching for the right words that would erase her hunted look. “You’re out here alone.” Great, now he was sounding like a psycho stalker. “I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I was…” He shifted uncomfortably. “I was worried.”

  After regarding him in silence for a few awkward seconds, Jules smiled. The fearful, timid waitress he’d met at the diner was nowhere to be seen, and he found he couldn’t look away. The sight of Jules and the kids and a happy Viggy made his lungs tighten, and he forced his head to turn toward the stove again. The smoke had stopped, and it was time—past time—for Theo to go.

  He opened his mouth to tell Viggy to heel, but he closed it again. The dog’s normal reaction was to ignore him and curl into a miserable ball, and a part of Theo—a rather huge part—didn’t want this family to think his dog was unhappy with him.

  “We’d better go.” He focused on the younger girl. “Do you want to help bring Viggy outside?”

  “Yes!” Her face lit, and she jumped to her feet. “C’mon, Viggy!” She ran out of the kitchen, the twins following. Theo watched as the dog bounded after the kids, his tail up and wagging hard. It was the first time in a long time he’d seen Viggy without his tail tucked between his legs.

  “Thank you.” At the sound of Jules’s voice, Theo turned from the now-empty doorway. “For being so nice to them.”

  Theo blinked. He’d been nice?

  “I’d really like to get them a dog,” she continued, speaking faster. Her drawl and quick speech blurred her words until they were almost unintelligible. “It’s just that, as you can see,” she waved at the oven with an unconvincing laugh, “we have so much to do with the house and getting the kids started at school and with my new job and everything, it’s just better that we wait to get a pet. That’s what I meant about not wanting to get a dog right now. You know, what D said that I said, and I’m so babbling right now, so I’ll just be quiet.”

  Her words ended abruptly, and she stared at Theo, her panic returning in an almost visible flood. Theo was a little disappointed. He hadn’t missed the squirreliness. Plus, her rambling monologue had just convinced him that the reference to “survival” hadn’t meant merely food and shelter. This family was in trouble. “D?”

  “Yes. Deirdre.” She took a quick breath, as if she was about to launch into another speech. When the oldest boy—the only one not to run outside with Viggy—shifted slightly closer to Jules, she closed her mouth with an audible click and gave Theo a strained, closed-mouth smile.

  Theo’s gaze shifted to the teen. “What’s your name?”

  “Sam.” There was no stutter that time. Theo met his eyes, and the boy looked back. There was something in his stance—a hidden flinch, a sense that he was torn between running and throwing a punch—that was troubling and familiar. Theo had seen something very similar when he’d interviewed abuse victims.

  Theo’s gaze moved to Jules. Although he could’ve been mistaken, could’ve been influenced by this stupid attraction he was fighting, he was pretty sure she wasn’t the abuser. The protective attitude Sam had toward her didn’t fit.

  “You’re all siblings?”

  “Yes.” Jules’s chin tilted in a slightly belligerent way that Theo noted with interest. The gesture made him pretty sure her answer wasn’t entirely truthful.

  “And the twins’ names?”

  “Tyson and Thomas.”

  Her entire body was braced, as if she was waiting for a blow. After regarding her silently for a moment, Theo took a step back and gestured toward the doorway into the hall. “I should get Viggy.”

  Exchanging a quick glance, Jules and Sam walked out of the kitchen ahead of Theo. Sam gave a few worried looks over his shoulder, but Jules kept her gaze fixed ahead, her spine a little too straight.

  Happy, excited shrieks greeted them as they walked through the still-open front door. The three younger siblings had found a fallen tree branch and were playing fetch with Viggy. The stick was
so long, it threatened to bowl over anyone in the dog’s path, and the kids had to dodge away, laughing.

  Jules sighed audibly. “Sam-I-Am, we’re going to have to get them a dog, aren’t we?”

  Despite her long-suffering tone, she was smiling, and Theo found it hard to pull his gaze from her face. Tense and serious, Jules was hot. Happy, she was…more than hot. Theo forced himself to turn toward Sam, who’d made an amused sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. Both were watching their younger siblings with the same expression, a look that Theo had a hard time interpreting. There was love and worry and a ferocious protectiveness and so much more written on their faces, their emotions so naked and raw that Theo, feeling like a voyeur, cleared his throat and glanced at the kids playing with the Malinois.

  Viggy was acting like a different dog. No, that wasn’t right. He was acting like the dog he used to be. The usual grief and guilt started to twist in his gut again, and Theo turned abruptly toward his SUV.

  Only after he raised the back hatch did he turn back to the family. “Viggy.” His voice was too harsh. Theo knew that, even before Viggy’s tail dropped from its happy carriage and tucked between his legs. “Load.”

  As the dog cowered, the kids went silent. Regret flooded Theo, filling him with a caustic burn that was all too familiar. Theo clenched his fists and took a breath, and then another. It was one thing for Hugh or Otto to see the mess that Theo and Viggy had become. For whatever reason, though, Theo didn’t want these kids to have to witness the wreck that Don had left. He especially didn’t want Jules to know. Why he cared what the squirrelly waitress thought was beyond him, but he couldn’t help sending her a sideways glance to see how she was reacting.

  Although her smile had disappeared, Jules didn’t look scared or upset. Instead, she was looking back and forth between Theo and the dog with a thoughtful expression.

  “He doesn’t want the fun to end,” she said lightly to her siblings. “Why don’t y’all help get him into the car?”

  The kids immediately dove into the game, running toward Theo’s Blazer while calling Viggy to follow. After a few seconds, he perked up slightly and trotted after the children. When he got closer to the SUV, he slowed, his whole body seeming to shrink in on itself.