Chapter Four
By the time Luke reached Sally, she’d stashed her phone in her bag and regained her composure somewhat. She’d blinked away the desperation he’d caught for a moment, leaving only exhaustion and dark circles beneath her eyes. “Everything okay?” Damn, her teeth were practically chattering. Probably more from shock than the cold, but Luke couldn’t help stepping into her and drawing her against him to share his warmth.
Sally reacted as though his touch had burned her, backing away from him.
Luke dropped his hands to his sides. Okay. It was too soon. Should he ask her about the phone call? He’d overheard only bits and pieces of her conversation—enough to surmise she hadn’t liked what she’d heard. Who called her in the middle of the night? Or…had she placed the call? Each question brought up two more, and Luke wanted answers, but his gut told him she was in no mood for sharing. Obviously, he needed to try a different tact.
“Sheriff Anderson said we can leave. I gave him my phone number so he can contact us if he learns anything new.” Luke raised his arms slightly, and she followed their movement. “It’s freezing out here. Let’s get Jen into my pickup and blast the heater. Then we can talk about where to go from here.”
Her reluctance was written in every worry line on her forehead. A few feet away, Jen was talking quietly with her friends, and Sally swiveled to watch her. Soon, her stance softened and some of the tension left her face. A smile smoothed the frown she’d been wearing. Jen didn’t appear cold, but the suggestion had been planted, and the mama bear in Sally took over.
Luke didn’t give her a chance to change her mind. While Sally took Jen’s hand and visited briefly with her friends, he’d explained to Gretchen where they’d be staying—even though he hadn’t broached the subject with Sally yet. Then he guided both mother and daughter down the street toward his old truck.
“This is it. She’s old and rusty, but she runs like a champ. Heater works too.” Luke motioned toward his 1989 Ford pickup, while directing his comments to Jen, hoping to engage her in conversation and give Sally some downtime, even if it was only a couple of minutes. “We’ll find a warm, quiet place to get some rest. It’ll be easier to figure out what comes next when we’re not so tired. Sound good?”
Jen remained silent, and when Luke glanced her way, she was staring straight ahead, her eyes more closed than open. It was apparent she’d stayed on her feet as long as she could and was slowly shutting down. Luke pressed his palm to the small of Sally’s back to move her toward the passenger side of his truck, tightening his grip around Jen’s small hand at the same time.
Bristling with protectiveness, he kept a close eye on the people who stood on their lawns or in the street watching the firemen contain the blaze in Sally’s house. Even more carefully, he perused the shadows and the windows of darkened houses along the street.
Someone had almost killed everyone in the house while they slept. Why would Sally have a target on her back? She couldn’t possibly have any enemies…except maybe Emmett Purnell. Luke didn’t like the guy, but Emmett simply didn’t fit the profile of a killer. The sheriff would question him, but Luke already had a hunch they were on the wrong trail. One thing was for sure—whoever had set the charge would be extremely unhappy when he learned he’d failed.
He opened the passenger door and boosted an ominously quiet Jen onto the bench seat, then offered his hand to Sally to help her up. When she spun and strode toward the back of his truck, Luke turned again to the girl. “Hang tight, Jen. Okay? We’ll just be a minute.”
The keys still hung in the ignition—he’d forgotten everything when he’d seen Sally being knocked around by that sorry bastard. He stretched across the seat and Jen’s lap to start the engine. “Give it a couple of minutes to warm up, then turn on the heater. This controls the fan and the temperature.” Luke tapped the correct knob.
Jen gave him a ghost of her normal smile. His chest constricted with the need to replace at least some of what she’d lost tonight, starting with a safe place to lay her head. He patted her leg and closed the door.
Sally leaned against the box of the truck, her arms crossed and her gaze on the ground at her feet. Luke lined himself up next to her, shielding her from the cold breeze that evidently blew straight off the snowcapped mountains. She was practically irresistible with her slender legs bared below the blanket wrapped around her torso…and he’d better damn well forget that line of thought before he did or said something totally out of line.
Luke cleared his throat and met her gaze, heavy with defeat. “This sucks, Sally, and it won’t all be smooth sailing from here, but we’ll get through it.”
“We?” Sally’s warm exhale condensed into a visible mist between them. Her gaze jerked to his and, for a moment, she stared at him as though he’d sprouted horns and carried a pitchfork. “What does that mean exactly?” Her lips thinned and her baby blues held more than enough disdain to make it clear there was no we in her mind.
He stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It means you, me and Jen. I know you can take care of yourself and don’t need me, but you’re not going to get rid of me until you land on your feet someplace where you feel safe.” He wasn’t about to leave her and Jen, especially after what he’d overheard her saying on the phone. He didn’t understand what it all meant yet, but he’d get it out of her. He could be patient…and charming, if that was what it took.
Instead of jumping in the middle of his shit the way he expected, she rubbed her forehead as though trying to keep a headache at bay.
He dropped his hands and went back to leaning on the bed of the truck. “You can try to shut me out, but it won’t work. Not now. So, you might as well decide you can trust me.”
“I do,” she said quietly.
“Yeah? Then when you’re ready, maybe you’ll tell me who you were talking with on the phone. What can’t you do to Jen? It’s obvious you’re worried. Someone or something scared you, and I can’t help if you don’t fill me in.” Luke shrugged. “I know—you think if you start to count on me, I might let you down again. Maybe I deserve that, but I’m going to prove you’re wrong.” He turned her chin with his thumb and forefinger so she’d look at him again. “Our best chance is to work together…but you have to make that decision.”
Sally raked a hand across the top of her head, pulling her hair back from her face. “I know how much you care about Jen, and I’ve always appreciated that.”
Finally. Some common ground. “Damn straight.” Luke stopped short of adding how much he cared about her too. Don’t push her. Personal feelings were on hold for now. He had a number of more pressing concerns. The first order of business was getting Sally and Jen off the street for the remainder of the night. Besides, Aunt Peg would have a thing or two to say if he didn’t deliver them safely to the lodge after he’d called and told her to expect them.
“Let’s just go with that for now. We both would do anything for Jen.” He flashed a crooked grin. “We’ll build on that foundation when it feels right. Okay?” He stepped aside and motioned for her to precede him to the passenger door. They’d have time to talk tomorrow, away from the smoke and rubble that had been her home. She’d had one hell of a night. Luke expected that she’d have more than a few issues to deal with in the days to come, several more critical than his sudden appearance in her life. Meanwhile, he intended to make sure no one else hurt them on his watch.
Sally hadn’t moved, still studying his face. “There’s something else I need to say. I haven’t been fair to you. I should have accepted your apology earlier. I don’t know why I didn’t—stupid pride, I guess. I don’t harbor any ill will toward you, and I want to thank you for your help tonight—for saving Jen and me. I won’t ever be able to repay you for that.” Her voice cracked.
Almost afraid to move and somehow shatter this fragile moment, Luke searched her face. Vulnerability mixed with her sweet, girl-next-door persona. Sally reached out hesitantly, and Luke craved her touch so much, he couldn’t help leaning closer. He hadn’t realized he’d actually been holding his breath, but when her hand brushed his arm and settled on his chest, he suddenly needed oxygen in the worst way. Her eyes were clear and bright for the first time since he’d disrupted her date.
His hand covered hers over his heart, a compromise to what he really wanted to do—draw her close and never let her go. Her emotions were all over the place. He could only guess at how that felt from the inside out, but he wasn’t going to do anything that might push her away again.
“You don’t owe me anything, Sally.” Accepting his apology and extending the forgiveness he craved was payment enough. And yet he suddenly needed more. Her love. “I was such a fool. I’d like to think I could make it up to you someday. Obviously not today—we’re a little busy. And probably not tomorrow. But maybe…next month sometime.” He grinned at the slight twitch of her lips. “If you don’t believe anything else…believe this—I’m here until you send me away. I’m not turning my back on you this time, and I’m going to try my best to make you forget I’m an idiot.”
What sounded like a muffled laugh escaped her lips, and he struggled to suppress a chuckle.
She cocked her head slightly and her gaze swept his face. Whether she was looking for confirmation of his promise or simply checking to see what had changed between them, Sally studied him intently for several seconds. Just when he began to fear she would peel back too many layers and discover his remaining insecurities, a smile curved her lips, and her relief was evident.
The dull ache in his chest receded a little farther. It was a start. Threading his fingers with hers, Luke took a step back and nodded his head toward the cab of the pickup. “That little girl in there is practically sleepwalking. I called Aunt Peg and she’s expecting us. She said you’re welcome there for as long as it takes. Sorry I didn’t ask you first, but I really think Cougar Ridge is our best bet…unless you’ve got a better idea.”
A little over twenty miles away, the Cougar Ridge Hunting Lodge and Resort had been owned and operated by his mother and his Aunt Peg until his mother’s death two years before. Luke and his brother had inherited their mother’s share, and Garrett had lived nearby ever since. Although, if his brother was truthful, he stayed primarily because of Rachel, the sassy little redhead he’d met on his first visit and subsequently asked to marry him. The lodge was secluded and secure. Sally and Jen would be surrounded by people they both knew and trusted.
She looked away for a moment before she nodded. “It’s nice of Peg to put us up. A day or two at the most. I’ll have to make other arrangements for Jen. She can’t miss too much school.” She sighed. “It’ll be good to see Rachel. It’s been a while.”
Luke stepped toward the passenger door and gripped the handle. “Is that my fault too?”
Sally shrugged. “I suppose so, if you want the truth. Our friendship was never the same after Bethesda.”
Rachel and Sally had been best friends since Jen was born. Luke scowled, irritated all over again that his actions had driven a wedge between them. He opened her door and closed it carefully after she’d climbed into the cab. Then he circled the bed of the truck and clambered behind the wheel. Once they were in the clear, he’d see what he could do to repair the rift.
“Where are we going?” Jen sat straight in the middle of the bench seat, her face even paler in the moonlight that shone meagerly through the windshield. Though the interior of the cab was several degrees warmer than it had been, her lips still trembled as the words escaped. Immediately, Sally whisked the blanket from her own shoulders and wrapped it around Jen.
Unable to resist, Luke dragged his gaze from the creamy skin of Sally’s bare thighs, all the way up to where the small patch of fabric covered her crotch. His arousal was instantaneous, rock hard and reaching the uncomfortable stage before he had the presence of mind to look away. He cranked the heater up a notch and reached into the backseat of the extended cab, grabbed his duffel and hauled it onto his lap. He chose one of his Navy T-shirts, wadded it up and tossed it over Jen’s head to the sexy brunette, who blushed appealingly as she caught the garment with one hand.
An instant later, she yanked it over her head and squirmed in the seat until she’d pulled it down almost to her knees. Then she glanced at him with an is-that-better look, and Luke wanted to kick himself for being instrumental in covering any part of her beautiful body.
He smiled at Jen instead but suspected it looked more like a feral baring of teeth. “We were talking about going to Cougar Ridge. How do you feel about that?”
She considered his words solemnly for a moment, then nodded. “It feels safe there. I’d like to see Rachel.”
Luke was concerned about the detached quality in her voice. His gaze flickered toward Sally and caught her chewing worriedly on her bottom lip. Even bruised, homeless and scared, her apprehension centered on her daughter’s state of mind. The phone call he’d overheard earlier had made it clear someone wanted to take Jen away from Huntington, and Sally apparently hadn’t been in full agreement. No way in hell anyone was taking a nine-year-old girl away from her mother. All Luke had to do to stop it was find out who, when and why. Shouldn’t be that hard.
He patted Jen’s knee. “We’ll be there before you know it. Why don’t you stretch out between your mom and me and catch a few z’s?”
At once, Jen moved to do as he suggested, laying her head in her mother’s lap and curling her legs so her bare feet were braced against his outer thigh. With one final look at the smoldering glow and the firefighters still bunched around the ruins of Sally’s home, Luke pulled away from the curb.
Before they’d even left the lights of Huntington behind them, Jen’s soft breathing made it clear she was sleeping. From the corner of his eye, Luke watched Sally rub Jen’s back and shoulders gently through the blanket. “She’ll be fine, you know. I’ve heard kids are amazingly resilient creatures.”
Sally met his gaze and nodded. “I know.” Her voice caught, and she cleared her throat. “I can’t even speculate on what would have happened if you hadn’t been there tonight.”
“I’m glad I could help. I mean—I’m not really a big believer in fate, but sometimes things happen for a reason. Maybe your boss decided to use you as a punching bag so I wouldn’t be able to put off facing you any longer and you’d have a light sleeper in the house tonight. And maybe, because we’re working hand in hand with fate, you won’t hold it against me for dropping by without calling first.” He offered what he hoped was his most charming grin. “It’s really a minor offense among my other screwups.”
She ducked her head, but he saw the beginnings of a smile, and when she glanced his way again, her eyes held amusement. “I didn’t think you’d be able to do that.”
He turned his gaze to the rearview mirror. “Do what?”
“Make me forget long enough to find something funny in anything tonight—but then, you always could make me laugh.”
“Well, that’s because I was a clown in my previous life.” He cocked his head as he hummed a few notes of a circus tune that popped into his mind.
Sally smiled and seemed to relax. “Are you sure it’s okay—just showing up at the lodge?”
“Are you kidding? I get the feeling Aunt Peg will hunt me down and have me drawn and quartered if you and Jen don’t show up there soon. She always did like you best.”
Sally went still, and when he glanced over, she was stroking Jen’s hair with such tenderness he wished, for just a heartbeat, he could be the recipient of her attention.
The dark outline of a bruise on her jaw caught his eye, and he reached out to stroke her cheek. “Your friend Emmett packs quite a punch when it comes to beating up women.”
She toyed with a lock of her hair. “Emmett wasn’t half as mad tonight as he’ll be when the sheriff comes calling to ask if he had anything to do with destroying my home—especially when Ben tells him it was my suggestion.”
“Technically, it was mine. You let me handle him from now on. He won’t hurt you again. That’s a promise.” Luke dragged his hand across her shoulder and down her arm, until he folded her small hand in his where it rested on Jen’s back. The fingers of Sally’s other hand combed through Jen’s curly hair while she stared at the darkness beyond the side window.
Luke squeezed her hand until she turned. “Want to talk about it? I’m a good listener.” He smiled, hoping to coax a reciprocating grin from her. What he got was more of a grimace.
“It’s all so overwhelming…I don’t know where to start. Finding a place to live…and a new job. Who’s going to rent to me if I don’t have a job? Jen and I don’t even have a change of clothes…or a car. The Explorer was in the garage. I just got it out of the shop.” Sally pulled her hand from his and combed both of hers through her hair, her frustration clear in the clenching of her jaw.
“Take it easy. All that stuff can be replaced, Sally. Do you have insurance?”
She moaned and covered her face. “Renter’s insurance is a luxury I can’t afford. If I could have hung on to my job for a couple of months, I might have gotten caught up. Maybe then—”
“Okay, we’ll worry about the money later. You and Jen weren’t injured and you’re together. That’s the important thing. I’m not saying it’s going to be simple, but you’re not alone. My family already considers you one of the clan. You don’t have to do this by yourself.”
She dropped her head into her hands and her muffled words were barely audible. “You don’t understand.” Those three words were laced with resignation, sadness and a bone-deep weariness.
What the hell was she not telling him? Luke let the silence stretch for a few seconds while dread formed a black hole in his gut. “I’d like to.” He tried to keep his sudden suspicions from influencing his voice.
She jerked her head up and, for a moment, it appeared she might confide in him. Then she shook her head and turned her face away, resuming her perusal of the darkness beyond the glass.
Luke allowed a few minutes to pass before he couldn’t stand it any longer. “Something’s bothering you that goes much deeper than your house burning down. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your phone conversation earlier, but I know there’s more you’re not telling me. I want to help you, Sally, but, if you don’t level with me, you’re tying my hands. What are you afraid of? Let me in, sunshine.”
Her hands stilled in Jen’s hair while she regarded him for several seconds, but she turned back to the side window without a word. For a long time, she remained quiet while they sped along the deserted country road. When she finally looked over her shoulder at him, it was with a forced smile before her gaze darted quickly away. “You’re wrong. There’s nothing bothering me but the fire, and the explosion and almost dying tonight. I think that’s enough. Don’t you?”
Luke recognized her question as the distraction she no doubt intended it to be. She wasn’t ready to confide in him yet. Every sense he possessed told him whatever she was withholding from him was of paramount importance. Her behavior was uncharacteristically veiled, and she was a lousy liar. He’d drop the subject for now, but he wasn’t going to engage in the argument she obviously wanted. Sighing, he raised his eyes to the rearview mirror just as dual sets of headlights came into view.
The two vehicles appeared to gain on his truck in the time it took Luke to check the road in front and glance in the mirror again. It was nearly three in the morning. To encounter one vehicle on this deserted stretch of road would be unusual. Two was clearly improbable. Especially when they were hauling ass up behind them.