by Dana R. Lynn
“Sounds good.”
Ryan moved ahead of his friend and opened the back door for Elise.
“I feel like a criminal,” she muttered, folding herself into the back `seat.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Ryan sympathized, although his lips quirked in his signature crooked half smile. “There isn’t room for all three of us up front.”
As he shut the door and began to move away, she caught Jackson’s raised eyebrows. Sweetheart? He mouthed the word to Ryan. She watched as he put his hand on Ryan’s shoulder and said something else, no doubt teasing his friend as a tide of red swept past Ryan’s collar. She chuckled as her cop swatted Jackson away to get into the car.
Her cop? Since when was Ryan Parker “her” anything? Sure, he’d kissed her. And her heart raced when he was near. But that didn’t mean anything. She already knew that they didn’t have a future.
Just thinking about it hurt. One more piece of her heart broke off inside. Even if they managed to rescue Mikey and Leah, and all the bad guys were stopped, she wouldn’t be whole inside.
Staring at the back of Ryan’s head as they drove toward Leah’s family home, Elise ached.
She’d done it again. She’d given her heart to a man that she could never have.
Except this time, she didn’t think she’d be able to heal.
FOURTEEN
Something was bothering Elise. Something more than just the strain of the past few days—which would be enough to knock anyone off their stride. No. Something troubling was going on inside her beautiful head since they’d met up with Jackson.
Was it the way Jackson had been teasing him? Did she think that they were making fun of her?
Nah. He discarded that idea immediately. Elise wasn’t one to let a little teasing bring her down. If anything, she’d be right at home giving them a setdown.
Jackson pulled off onto a narrow road. After a long field, they came to a white farmhouse. The light blue door was faded. Just behind it, they could see the dawdi haus. That’s where Leah’s parents would have moved after their son got married. Along the side of the main house, a long clothesline ran the length of the building. It was full of dresses, trousers and shirts swaying in the gentle breeze. The sight sure was a different story from the night before. Except for two downed trees near the road, one wouldn’t know that it had stormed so hard last night.
Jackson’s cruiser splashed slowly through a couple of puddles as he maneuvered it behind the house. He took a minute to turn the vehicle around. Smart idea. If they needed to leave in a hurry, they didn’t want to be slowed down by the car facing the wrong way.
Exiting the cruiser, the trio started toward the door. A slender woman was standing inside the door, watching their progress and drying her hands on a dish towel. She must have been doing dishes when they’d arrived. It was hard to tell what she thought of their presence. Although her brow was creased, Ryan was of the opinion that it was more from curiosity than dismay or distrust.
They stopped before the door. Jackson positioned himself just behind Ryan’s shoulder, making it clear that this was Ryan’s ball game. Technically, Jackson had more seniority, since he’d joined the force a year before Ryan himself did. It was the sign of a true friend that he seemed to understand how important this particular case was to Ryan.
Ryan didn’t allow himself the luxury of wondering why this case was so important to him. He just acknowledged that his motivation to resolve this case was beyond making his father proud now.
“Mrs. Byler?” he addressed the woman.
“Jah. I am Lucy Byler.” She didn’t offer anything more.
“Ma’am, we were wondering if your husband was home?”
She finished drying her hands and motioned to a building across the street. “He is in there, working.”
Thanking the woman for her time, they walked toward the building, which they could see was a furniture shop. Ryan marveled at the craftsmanship on the wooden benches and porch swings they passed. Inside the building, the sound of something scraping and voices conversing in German mingled.
The environment they stepped into was unlike other businesses. There was no music playing, no air-conditioning, and no computer screens or televisions on the wall. The two men inside were lifting benches onto a wagon. They stopped their conversation to watch the visitors approach. Jackson got the most attention, possibly because he was the one in a police uniform.
“Mr. Byler?” Ryan stopped before the two men. Which one was Leah’s brother?
The younger man stepped forward, although his gaze was wary. “Abram Byler is me.”
“Mr. Byler, I am Sergeant Parker, from the LaMar Pond Police Department.” Was it his imagination or did the man tense at the name of LaMar Pond? “This is Sergeant Jackson and Elise St. Clair.”
“St. Clair!” The man shifted his attention to Elise. He had definitely tensed now. “My sister, Leah, cleans for a Miss St. Clair.”
“That’s me.”
He encountered her gaze, then looked at Ryan in confusion. Sensing his question, Ryan continued.
“Sir, have you seen your sister in the past week?”
“Nee. She is still at my cousin’s.” Now the man’s gaze was concerned as it swung between Elise and Ryan.
He had to step carefully. “No, sir, I’m sorry to tell you that she’s not. Several days ago, Leah left Miss St. Clair’s home with a small child, a boy of three.” At Abram’s exclamation, he continued quickly. “Her intent, we believe, was to save the child from harm. There is a man who is trying to find the boy and kidnap him. He is violent man, Mr. Byler, and your sister is still in danger. We have come to find Leah so that we can protect her and bring the boy home to his aunt.” He pointed to Elise. “We are also working to make sure that the man is caught before he can harm Leah or anyone else.”
Abram said something in Pennsylvania Dutch to his companion. The other man nodded and walked outside.
“Please. Come and sit.” Abram led them to some benches along the wall. Uncomfortable, Ryan did as instructed. He much preferred to stand. It was with great effort that he sat still. Elise, he noticed, didn’t even try. She sat on the edge of her seat and let one of her long legs bounce in her agitation. He could only sympathize.
“I have not seen my sister in several weeks. Are you sure she’s heading home?”
Ryan returned his attention to the Amish man.
“She was spotted close to here yesterday, sir. And she still had the boy with her. It is our understanding that she was heading home under the belief that this would be the safest place for the two of them. Would you disagree?”
Abram rubbed at his beard. “Well, now, that may be so. Leah was right upset after our mam and dat passed. Seeing the dawdi haus empty was hard. She went to stay with my cousin, planning to come home before Christmas, when her grief had settled.”
He stopped and quiet descended. Ryan waited to see if he would continue to speak. When he didn’t, Ryan broke the silence.
“We want to stay in the area and continue our search.”
“You are welcome to remain with us tonight,” Abram offered. “Tomorrow morning is church.”
He’d heard about the Amish church practices. All the families in the district gathered at a different house every two weeks for a church service. Ryan was torn. Twenty families at one time would make it easier to ask around for Leah. On the other hand, the chance that someone else could get injured if Langor showed up was a concern.
“We will go to another haus for worship.”
“Would your sister likely go to that house?”
“Leah would not know which haus we are at. She would come here.”
At Abram’s words, Ryan heaved a sigh of relief. “That will be good. If this man is nearby, I would hate for him to interrupt your services.”
But Abram was looking pertu
rbed. “If my sister is coming home—”
“If your sister is coming home, Mr. Byler, we will be here to get her to safety. It would be best if you didn’t change your plans. But you could help your sister out. Ask around to see if anyone has seen Leah.”
“I can do that.”
It was agreed they would stay. After dinner, Jackson followed Ryan outside.
“What’s going on with you and Elise?”
He kept his face turned away. “What do you mean?”
Jackson scoffed. “I’m not blind, dude. You two keep giving each other goo-goo eyes. And then I heard you calling her sweetheart. And don’t think I’m gonna believe that meant nothing. I know you. You never call any female older than five sweetheart.”
He smiled at Jackson. How could he deny it to his friend? He was falling in love, in spite of himself, and unsure what to do about it. He wasn’t even certain she felt the same way. “I don’t know what’s going on yet. But I’m hoping to find out.”
“So am I to guess that white picket fences and babies may be in your future?”
He laughed. Jackson sounded horrified by the very idea. “Like I said, I don’t know. But I think I would make a good dad.”
Jackson sighed and shook his head mournfully. Then he laughed and shoved Ryan’s shoulder. Grinning, Ryan shoved it back. It was a good night.
* * *
It was one of the longest days Elise could ever remember. Knowing that Mikey and Leah were nearby, but also knowing that Hudson, and possibly even that Dellon creep, were on the prowl for them, strained every last nerve to the breaking point.
Ryan and Jackson both took turns walking the perimeter, searching out any little sound, on the chance that Leah—or someone more dangerous—had arrived on the property. Elise herself couldn’t stay away from the windows. She had balked when the men had declared she should stay inside the house. It went against the grain to hide, but in the end, she gave up. Mostly because, well, they were right. And also, because she saw how her being out in the open was distracting Ryan. She blushed, a little mortified at herself for arguing with him. If he needed her to stay inside so that he could focus his attention on finding Mikey and Leah, then she would stay inside. It was that simple.
Then she’d heard that conversation last night between Jackson and Ryan. And cried herself to sleep. Ryan would make a good dad. Too bad she couldn’t have children.
After a restless night, Elise awoke to the sound of the buggy leaving the driveway—most likely the Bylers heading to church. Elise wandered into the kitchen to find a light breakfast waiting for her. Had Ryan and Jackson eaten yet? Their voices were coming from outside the back door.
After grabbing an apple, she bit into it as she went to find the two men. They both smiled at her as she exited the house. She moved to stand beside Ryan. He nodded at her, continuing to listen to Jackson talk. Elise tried to pay attention, but was soon distracted when Ryan reached across her back to rub her opposite shoulder blade. She didn’t think he was even aware of his actions. Jackson was, though. She could see him biting back a grin.
They were discussing Dellon.
“I think I will take a drive to where the caller said he was spotted, see if I can learn anything. If he’s still in the area, maybe I can nab him before he does any more harm, eh?” Jackson said.
“Hmm.” Ryan looked across the yard. “I think, if you two agree, that Elise and I will stay here. I wouldn’t want Leah to show up with no one here.”
“Ryan.” She tugged gently at his shirtsleeve. When he turned his eyes on her, she momentarily lost her train of thought. Getting it back, she forced herself to focus on the conversation. This was too important to let her mind wander. “Ryan, do you really believe Leah will head here? I mean, I would think she’d be leery of bringing trouble to her brother’s doorstep.”
“I hear what you’re saying. But I still think this is where she’ll come. I really do. She has to be growing desperate for a safe haven. She’s trying to protect a child. And, Elise, remember, I know that she seems very mature, but she’s still a teenager. If you were frightened and alone, wouldn’t you want to go to the place where you knew someone loved you?”
That hit her hard, but she didn’t flinch. At least not on the outside. On the inside, she felt as though his innocent words had pierced her. Because she didn’t really have any place to go where she was loved. Not anymore. But Leah did. And listening to Ryan’s reasoning, she had to admit it made sense.
“You’re probably right.” She tried to smile at him. He raised an eyebrow. She obviously wasn’t as great at acting as she wanted to be. No matter. As soon as she had Mikey back, her life could go back to being normal. Just the way she liked it.
Liar.
She chose to ignore the small voice in her head. It did no good to dwell on her situation. It was what it was. She had to deal with it and move on.
Easier said than done.
Within ten minutes, Jackson had departed. Elise had expected that Ryan would immediately leave her to continue his search of the property. She was therefore startled when he followed her inside.
“Yes?” she asked. “Was there something you needed?” She deliberately kept her voice aloof. She needed to start the separation now.
He looked a little hurt by her tone, and she was ashamed. But she couldn’t back down. It was for his sake, as well as hers. Especially after last night.
She saw the moment when determination struck. Ryan’s brow lowered and he stalked toward her. “I don’t know why you’re putting this wall between us. But when this is over, we’re going to have a chat.”
Spinning on his heel, he stalked off again.
Deflated, she sank down into a chair. But she didn’t stay there for long. Last night, Ryan had found an old pair of binoculars in Jackson’s car and had left them sitting on the table. Bored, and feeling broody, she picked up the binoculars and looked out the window. It was amazing how far away she could see with them.
She allowed her enhanced gaze to roam the horizon.
Then she jerked it back.
There. Out of the window, way off in the distance she saw something off. There it was again.
Rushing outside, she yelled for Ryan. When he came running, she grabbed on to his arms to steady herself. “Ryan,” she gasped, hardly able to speak. “I was using these binoculars, and I saw someone hiding in the woods over there.” She pointed. “I could be wrong, but I think it’s Leah!”
FIFTEEN
Could they possibly move any slower?
Ryan had taken Elise seriously, but he’d also insisted on caution. Even if she had seen someone, they didn’t know for sure it was Leah. It could have been anyone. And there had already been too many brushes with danger for them to run over there and land themselves in the middle of an ambush.
It took them almost an hour to hike to where Elise had thought she’d seen Leah. And to make matters worse, in her hurry to get over there, she’d twisted her ankle when she’d stepped into a hole hidden in the dirt. Her heart dropped the closer they got without seeing anyone. On the edge of the woods was an abandoned barn. They started to walk past it.
“Auntie Lise!”
Elise spun around so fast she nearly lost her balance.
“Mikey!”
Elise sobbed as the whirlwind that was her nephew dashed out of the barn and threw himself into her arms. His little arms wrapped around her neck so hard she was half strangled. She didn’t care. It seemed like forever since her baby had been in her arms. For the moment, she forgot about everything except the joy of having him with her again as she cradled him close. He was dirty and didn’t smell so sweet, but she didn’t care.
“Mikey, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” She couldn’t move her head far enough away from him to check on his condition for herself.
He sniffled. “Not hurt. Hungry
. Auntie Lise, I was scared. But I tried not to cry. I was a big boy.”
Her heart ached. What had her baby been through? Still, she tried to inject cheer and calm into her response. “I’m glad that you were a big boy. I’m sure that helped Leah to take care of you.”
Through the tears that tumbled down her cheeks, blurring her vision, she saw another figure draw closer. Blinking, Leah came into focus. Her dress was stained, and one of the sleeves was torn. Leah’s cheeks were scratched. Even her bonnet showed signs of the hard journey she’d been on. Elise’s heart overflowed with gratitude for the girl’s bravery.
“Thank you,” she choked out. “Thank you for protecting him.”
Leah smiled faintly. It was the weariest smile she’d ever seen.
“Miss Byler, I’m Sergeant Parker.” Ryan stepped up beside Elise, so close that their shoulders touched. Without thinking about it, Elise leaned into him. He readjusted his posture so that his arm was around her, supporting her. Mikey laid his head down on her shoulder, still clinging tightly. Ryan continued speaking to Leah. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Elise became aware that her ankle was smarting again. Not wanting to miss any of the explanation, she was relieved to see that there was a bench near the barn wall. Sighing, she adjusted Mikey in her arms and moved to sit down on the bench. Hopefully, it was sound enough to hold their weight. Leah walked over and sat beside her. Ryan remained standing, although he did move closer.
“I was at your house to clean,” Leah said, addressing Elise. “I knew that your babysitter was supposed to be there, but she didn’t open the door for me. I thought maybe she was on the phone, or maybe she was asleep.”
She looked at Elise. Not knowing what she was supposed to say, Elise just nodded for her to continue.
“I went into the living room, and that’s when I saw her. I thought she was dead. I called you.”
“Yeah.” Elise cleared her throat, shuddering as she recalled the phone call that had started everything.
