Chapter Nine
Sally’s heart stuttered as the buzzing filled the room. Her gaze flew to Luke’s composed expression, then swept to the phone vibrating closer to the edge of the stand every time it rang.
Luke stretched to snatch the phone just as it reached the edge of the table. He turned it over and studied it for a moment before his steady gaze clashed with hers, silently commanding her to calm down. That wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
“Greg Lambert?” A frown creased his forehead.
Her whole body shook by the time the phone went silent, the call transferred to voice mail. Immediately, it started ringing again. Sally helped Jen move off her, then sat up and claimed the phone. Any normal person would leave a message and hang up. Why did the marshal have to be so damned persistent?
“What’s wrong, Mom? Aren’t you going to answer?”
Luke sprang into action, rising, grabbing a shirt and yanking it over his head. “Jen, want to go for a walk? Grab a sweatshirt and we’ll go ask the manager where there’s a good place to shop.”
Jen looked questioningly between Luke and her mom but soon took the hand he offered to help her crawl off the bed.
The phone still vibrated in Sally’s hand as Luke leaned toward her and spoke quietly. “Tell him you’re not ready to make a decision. Tell him you’ll call when you reach a safe place. Hell, tell him whatever you think is best, but don’t give up where we are or which direction we’re heading. You and I need to talk first. After that, if you choose to go with the marshal…I’ll respect your decision.” Luke’s eyes held sadness as he closed in to brush her lips with his. A grim smile was his only good-bye as he took Jen’s hand and led her out the door. Luke’s thoughtfulness in giving her some privacy warmed her heart, and yet she missed his calming presence. Between the ominous threat of hurling her breakfast and the inability to still the rapid beating of her heart, Sally regarded the phone as though it were a king cobra, poised to strike.
Her finger trembled as she pushed the button to connect the call. “Hello?”
“I was beginning to worry about you, Sally. Did you have trouble…or did you simply decide not to take my calls? If that’s the case, I’m glad to know you’ve come to your senses.” His was the same calm, undisturbed, nothing-wrong-in-my-world voice she remembered from the few times they’d spoken. She envied him.
Unfortunately, his detachment also ticked her off, and the crisp words that collected on her tongue wouldn’t be held in. “I’m happy this is all so easy for you, Greg. Exactly how many lives have you altered, rearranged or phased out? Have you ever once imagined yourself on the other side of the equation? To be the one leaving everything familiar behind? Alone. Uncertain. Always looking in the rearview mirror. Or is the reason you’re so good at your job because you don’t give the people involved another thought after you go home?”
“I do exactly what needs to be done to do my job. When it’s all said and done, that’s what you want, isn’t it? I don’t have time to feel sorry for you. My pity won’t save your life, Sally.”
He was right—but so was she. They each had their jobs to do. Hers was to decide what was best for Jen…and she didn’t know how to make that decision.
“Where are you, Sally?” His tone was colder; his words more clipped. Apparently, her accusation had hit a sore spot.
Not her problem. “There’s someone else besides my daughter. I can’t leave him. Not yet anyway.”
“That’s not part of the deal. An extra person changes everything. It takes time to create another identity…get authorization…approval for funding. Those details don’t happen overnight, and we can’t afford to wait. You and your daughter are targets. That makes you the priority for relocation.”
“No. You misunderstood me. I’d never ask him to go into hiding with us. I just…I can’t disappear from his life. Not now.” Maybe not ever. She sighed, Luke’s instructions running through her mind. “I’m not ready to make a decision yet. I’m sorry I inconvenienced you.”
“Think about what you’re doing, Sally. This delay could cost your daughter her life. Are you prepared to accept the responsibility for that?”
His words wrenched a sob from her throat, and she covered her mouth so he wouldn’t realize the fear he’d struck in her soul. Luke’s quiet words came back to her, and she was finally able to swallow around the lump in her throat. “Marshal Lambert, I need time. I’ll contact you when we get to a safe place.” Sally disconnected the call before he could say another word, but it seemed certain she’d just stomped all over the good marshal’s willingness to help.
She stared at the dark screen of her phone for a moment before she turned it off and tossed it toward the end of the bed. It slid over the edge and hit the floor with a thud. She’d have given anything to curl into a ball, pull the covers over her head and stay there forever, but that wouldn’t change a thing. Don’t stop. She had to keep moving…for Jen. One step at a time. Get up. Get dressed. Never give up. Rather than giving in to the tears that ached to be shed, she was going to get mad—damn good and mad—because that was the only emotion strong enough to help her now.
When Luke and Jen returned a few minutes later, Sally was ready to go. She’d even found a belt in Luke’s bag that she was able to wrap around her waist loosely and buckle, giving her long shirt the respectability of a dress…albeit a very short dress. As long as she didn’t bend over, she’d be fine.
Luke’s dark eyes and low whistle telegraphed what he thought of her apparel, but she resisted the almost overwhelming urge to seek comfort in his arms. She was still apprehensive over her conversation with the marshal. Worried that she’d acted impulsively without thinking it through, she couldn’t stop the dread that settled like a slab of granite in her belly. She’d seen the curiosity in Luke’s expression. He deserved to know the outcome of Lambert’s phone call and what her decision had been. She’d expect to be informed if the situation was reversed.
Too bad. She wasn’t ready to evaluate whether she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life yet. Already hanging on to her determination by a thread, she’d surely lose her grip on her courage at the first sign of compassion or sympathy or Luke’s oh-shit-you-probably-shouldn’t-have-done-that frown.
As they were walking out the door, Luke spotted her cell phone where it had landed on the floor at the foot of the bed and went back to scoop it up. “Are you trying to ditch this on purpose?” His steady gaze held hers with a tinge of amusement while she made no attempt to take it from him. “You might need it again. I’ll hang on to it for you.” He winked as he shoved the device into his pocket and reached behind him to close the door.
Jen waited for them to catch up by the passenger side of the Jeep. Luke raised his hand and pressed a button on the electronic key. The sound of the vehicle unlocking was loud in the quiet parking lot. Jen opened the door and scrambled into the front seat.
Sally paused before stepping off the curb. “I don’t think he’ll be calling any time soon.”
Luke hadn’t asked, which heaped guilt on Sally for being silent about her conversation with Lambert. It wasn’t fair to keep it from Luke when he was as invested in their flight across the state as she was.
His expression immediately brightened. “Yeah? You’re sticking with me, then?” The intensity of his rich brown eyes could be felt clear to her core.
“I told him I’d call when we got somewhere safe, but yeah, I’m sticking with you…if you’ll have me.”
Luke grinned as he took her arm and turned her toward him. “Damn, woman. I’d have you for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you’d let me.” He glanced toward the Jeep’s windshield, where Jen peered out. Laughing, he shook his head. “And if there weren’t always little eyes watching. How do you ever get any privacy?”
Sally shrugged, his question doing a tap dance on her nerves, even though it was obvious he was teasing. She was supersensitive where her daughter was concerned—she knew it—and she didn’t care. “It hasn’t been a problem until now.” She stepped off the curb, stopping when Luke’s hand tightened on her arm.
“It’s not a problem now, Sally. That’s not what I meant.”
She pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling the start of yet another headache, and raked it from front to back through her hair. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so agitated.” A small puff of breath punctuated her words. “You don’t deserve that.”
Luke caught her with his other arm around her waist and dragged her close. “I think I know why, sunshine. You’ve taken some serious hits in the last few hours.” His lips tickled her ear as he whispered, “But it won’t always be that way. We’ll figure this out. I promise. Let me carry some of your burden. Hell, I’ll carry all of it if you’ll let me.”
Sally bumped her forehead against his solid chest. “Are we being watched?”
“Yep. Her whole face is pressed against the windshield.” Luke chuckled, his broad shoulders vibrating with mirth.
She raised her head, caressing his cheek with slow strokes of her fingers. “I guess she’ll just have to get used to us kissing and holding hands, then.”
Luke’s eyes widened and a smile curled his lips. “I like the way you think.” He wrapped both arms around her, pulling her so tightly against him, she could feel the rapid beat of his heart.
Their lips met and heat worked its way slowly from her head to the pit of her stomach. Desire hit her hard, and she had to lean against him to keep from collapsing. When he broke the kiss, she clung desperately to him, sure her legs would give out if they were forced to support her. Luke wore a contented look as he nibbled at the corners of her mouth and kissed her eyes and nose.
“You okay?”
She nodded, then laughed at herself as she tried to pull away and stand on her own.
He held her close for a moment longer. “Are we good, sunshine?”
Just then, another guest of the motel exited his room three doors down and strode toward them. As he approached, a scowl twisted his face. “Jeez, get a room why don’t you!”
Sally met Luke’s gaze, which mirrored the same humor she was struggling to contain. Finally, she couldn’t hold it any longer, and they both burst out laughing. She barely heard the man continue his diatribe as he walked away. Glancing toward the windshield, she caught Jen smiling from ear to ear. When Sally cocked her head curiously, Jen raised her hand, thumb pointed up.
Sally turned back to Luke. “We are so good.”
“You’ve just made me a happy man. Come on. Let’s go shopping.” Luke opened her door and helped her with the sizable step up into the vehicle, made more difficult by the hem of his shirt riding up her thighs. Jen used the bucket seat backs as leverage to swing into the back and plopped on the fabric-covered bench seat. With amusement crinkling the skin near his eyes, Luke tossed his duffel in the back across from Jen and slid behind the wheel.
Jen scooted forward again, hooking her arms around the corner of each front seat. “You guys were kissing.” Her singsong voice made Sally’s cheeks burn with embarrassment while Luke merely laughed.
He leaned sideways and hooked an arm over Jen’s shoulder. “Are you okay with that? Would it be all right with you if I love both you and your mom?”
Did Luke Harding just say he loved her? Sally’s gaze darted to his as her heart rate ratcheted up. He winked and turned his attention back to Jen.
“Will you stay with us in Huntington?” Jen’s eyes were wide with excitement.
Sally waited, barely breathing, to hear his answer.
Luke’s smile covered both of them. “If it’s A-OK with your mother, I plan to be wherever the two of you are.” He started the Jeep and drove from the parking lot.
“But Mom said you wanted to go home to your family.”
“Well, I’ll probably visit them once in a while, but I’d hope that you ladies would accompany me. Like a vacation. Would you like that?” He made a left turn before glancing toward Jen. His expression full of hope and happiness, he caught Sally’s eye for a second.
She clenched her teeth to stop the tremor that fluttered through her body. A voice in her head argued logically that this was happening too fast, but Sally did her best to block it out. She’d loved Luke for a year. Giving up on her dream of a life with him had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. They’d all suffered, and now they had a chance of being a family. God, she wanted that.
“That sounds like fun, Luke. Doesn’t it, Jen?” Sally could see that something was troubling her daughter and hoped getting involved in the conversation would convince her not all changes were bad.
“Sure. I guess.” Jen appeared to have lost interest and started to turn toward her seat in the back.
“Hold it, Jen. What’s bothering you? Let’s get it out in the open so we can fix whatever it is.” Luke pulled into the parking lot of a mall and quickly found a place to park.
Sally had seen Jen’s expression many times—like when she knew she would have to stand in front of her class and give a book report, or when the teacher sent a note home saying Jen had been in a fight that day, even though it was to help another student who was being bullied. Sometimes Jen simply clammed up. Conversation over. Luke didn’t know the routine, however. He took her hand and waited patiently, his quiet expectancy filling the vehicle.
“Will you…like…will you be my dad?” It was obvious she’d tried but failed to keep her chin from trembling.
Sally’s heart broke with the weight of her daughter’s question. “Oh, honey, that’s not something—”
Luke’s gaze shifted to her for a split second, accompanied by a nearly indiscernible shake of his head before his focus returned to Jen. “Would you like that?”
“Yeah.” Her reply was half breath, half nervous giggle.
“Yeah? Me too…so, if your mom says it’s okay, I’m going to see if we can’t make that happen. I won’t lie to you, though. It’s going to take some time. There are a few things we have to do first. We need to find a place to live while we wait to see if your landlord will fix your old house up. Then—well, I think your mom and I have to be married before I can legally adopt you. What do you think about that?” Luke lowered his voice as though Jen were the only one to hear him, even though Sally sat less than a foot away.
Jen bounced up and down on her toes. “Really? You’re going to get married?” Her excited gaze jumped back and forth between Luke and Sally.
“Hold on. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He leaned close and lowered his voice again. “I haven’t exactly asked her yet.” As Jen glanced toward her mother, Luke grinned smugly.
Sally snorted but remained silent, her eyes narrowed in mock irritation. She couldn’t be angry with him. Watching him confess his desire to be a dad to her daughter was the most endearing thing she’d ever observed, outside of a Hallmark Movie.
“Well, why not?” Jen was clearly perplexed.
A sparkle in his eyes gave away his enjoyment. “Can you keep a secret?”
Jen nodded and Luke scrunched his face into a worried frown.
“I’m not at all sure she’ll say yes.” He shrugged and emitted a heavy sigh, earning a giggle from Jen. “So, will you help me win her over?”
“Sure. What are we going to do?”
Sally choked on a snicker at the secretive conversation going on within inches of her. Just one more indication of how messed up her life was. Was she living in some kind of alternate universe? Wasn’t she supposed to find out first that the hero loved her and wanted to marry her? He was right about one thing: She was nowhere close to saying yes. It wasn’t even twenty-four hours since Luke had decided to grace her life again. Forget for a moment she’d loved this man a year ago. Put aside the fact she went weak in the knees every time he got close enough to breathe the same air she did. Proposals were serious business—and marriage…was forever.
Luke and Jen laughed conspiratorially, and Sally wondered if she should have been paying attention. Oh well. Let them plan. She hadn’t completely wrapped her head around his declaration of love yet, but knowing how much he cared about her daughter made her heart go all soft and gooey. Though she might be unsure of many things, without a doubt Luke would protect Jen with his life.
Signaling the end of the conversation, Luke swung his door open. “Ready? Oh, one more thing.” He looked directly at Sally this time. “So we don’t draw attention to ourselves inside by arguing, let’s get this settled right now. Pick out everything you need for two or three days. There’ll be a washer and dryer at my friend’s place.” He stopped abruptly.
“Why would we argue about that?” Sally waited for the rest of his speech.
“We wouldn’t. After you’ve got what you want, give it to me.” Luke tensed, apparently in anticipation of her argument, and suddenly she understood what he was trying to say.
She wagged her head from side to side. “You’re not paying for our things, Luke. I have a credit card because you were kind enough to rescue my wallet. I’ve got it covered.” His offer was generous, but being in debt to someone was no way to maintain a relationship. She pulled the handle and opened her door.
Luke’s hand landed on her knee, and his frown was stern as his intent gaze pinned her to the seat. “This isn’t about my possessive nature, although I admit I have one, and it’s not about your pride. If this Brennan guy happens to have connections, he may be able to trace your credit card activity. And for damn sure Lambert can. If you think it’s necessary, you can pay me back later any way you’d like, but for right now, I pay the bills.” He paused and the hint of a smile appeared. “Now, come on. This’ll be fun.” He stepped out, leaving Sally no one to hear her rebuttal.
Okay. He’s probably right. And he did say I can pay him back…any way I want. Sally felt only a little guilty for the erotic ideas that popped into her head. Pushing the door open, she slid down, carefully holding the hem of her shirt, and turned to catch Jen as she jumped off the seat.
Though Sally had been hoping for a Target or a Walmart, the mall held neither. It did, however, have everything they needed, as long as they were willing to pay the price. She and Jen had absolutely nothing except the clothes they’d been sleeping in when the fire broke out, so she was dismayed by the staggering amount of stuff they needed. Besides pants, shirts, underwear, a pair of shorts for Jen, and a bra for her, jackets, shampoo, a hairbrush, a new charger for her cell phone—everything right down to feminine hygiene products and toothbrushes. When they’d tried on their finds, at Luke’s insistence, replacing his oversized garments with jeans and long-sleeved pullovers, and piled their selections on the counter in front of an excited salesclerk, he made her go back for lotion and cologne.
“Women like lotion,” he’d said, his easy smile assuaging her guilt somewhat. After a few minutes, they’d both returned to the counter at the same time. Glancing toward Jen, where she was peering into the jewelry case, Luke tossed down a couple of shirts, a pair of jeans and an extra-large package of condoms. Sally was sure her face turned candy-apple red even while trying to contain her laughter at his snarky grin.
She was about to declare they were finished when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the apparel aisles, calling to her daughter over his shoulder. “Jen, come help us pick out something for your mom to wear out on a date.”
Sally tried to extricate her hand, overly conscious of the cost of the articles already littering the counter. Luke was unrelenting, however, tugging her along until they reached a rack of skirts and dresses. He started sliding the hangers along the rack, looking at each new selection as it was revealed.
Sally shook her head and stepped between him and the row of apparel. “I’ll take it from here, Harding.”
He chuckled. “Whatever you say, sunshine.” A wink made his agreement seem suggestive—or was that just her overactive imagination? “Why don’t you try something on, and meanwhile, I’ll take Jen to the arcade next door. I’ll leave you my card and tell the clerk you’re authorized to use it, although something tells me she’s looking forward to a big commission and wouldn’t do anything to kill this sale.” Luke dug his credit card from his wallet and handed it to Sally. “Meet us at the arcade when you’re done. We’ll come back and get the bags later.”
After Jen and Luke left, Sally found a skirt she liked and wandered the store searching for an appropriate top. He was spoiling her. What’s more, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Far be it from her not to let him. It might take her forever to repay him, but maybe there was merit to that idea. Only time would tell.
Sally picked two silk blouses, draped them over her arm, and followed the short hallway toward the back until she came to the dressing rooms. She closed the door behind her and hung the articles carefully on pegs against the wall before she started to undo her belt.
A sudden staccato knock startled her. “Occupied,” she said as she reached toward the button to lock the door. Not quickly enough, however. The door flew inward. Sally flung herself back to keep from being hit by the approaching plywood on hinges. She lost her balance and slammed into the wall behind her, headfirst with mind-numbing force. Dazed, her legs gave out, and she slid to the floor with a thump.
Sally shook her head and tried to focus on the looming figure who appeared in the opening where the door had been, but her vision blurred with the stabbing pain behind her eyes. It was obviously not Luke, so that left few possibilities in her mind. Only one man she knew of was looking for her. Only one trying to kill her. How in the hell had he found her?
She forced her gaze upward to where the huge apparition’s face should have been. “Who are you and why are you here?” Damn. She couldn’t keep her voice from shaking. A couple more blinks and her fuzzy vision began to clear.
“Sally, darlin’, I’m here to thank you for the scintillating night you so graciously arranged for me.”
She recognized that voice. Nothing about its scornful tone sounded grateful in the least. Squeezing her temples, she dragged her gaze back to his face, and this time she saw enough.
It was ex-boss and lousy date, Emmett Purnell.