Betrayal of Trust (11 page)

“That little thing, huh?” Matthew drawled.

Pastor Jim’s eyes lit with amusement. “It may not seem small now, but looking back on it someday, you’ll be able to appreciate the lesson this step brings.”

Matthew stood and offered his hand. Pastor Jim took it, but instead of releasing it immediately, he bowed his head and prayed for Matthew. A sense of peace enveloped Matthew’s heart as the man sent up a petition filled with thanksgiving to God.

Matt drove home, renewed with confidence that whatever happened over the next few days or weeks or months—however long it took to find out who was harassing him, and to defuse Ray, if they were not the same man—that God did truly have a plan for him. His purpose, for now, was to take care of his daughter. To keep her safe and secure.

Why would Strong visit a church in the middle of a weekday? Did this have anything to do with Raven Mahoney? Did Strong think he was going to marry her and be one big happy family with the little girl?

He tasted the bitterness in his mouth as the image whirled around his mind. He pictured a little dark-headed girl, full of life and innocence. He’d been robbed of watching her grow up. But now that he’d seen her, touched her, he couldn’t let anyone steal her away from him.

But Strong didn’t seem to understand that.

He puffed reflectively on his cigarette.

How much more was he really expected to take? Apparently his dealings with Strong hadn’t been forceful enough. E-mails, letters, even the threat of kidnapping—those hadn’t been enough to convince him how serious this situation truly was. Time to step up the action and let him know this wasn’t a game.

“R
aven, Mr. Cruise wants to see you in his office.”

Raven rolled her eyes and saved the copy she was working on for her new piece on school lunches. Were the choices on the menu healthy enough? Why were there so many fat kids in America? Was it really the school lunches or did parents need to turn off the TVs, computer and video games, and maybe make them play outside for a change?

She had to be careful not to voice her opinion on this one. Especially since her viewers knew she didn’t have any kids. Statistics showed that sixty-five percent of their audience comprised households with two or more children. She couldn’t appear to blame parents for the upward trend of childhood obesity. Even if the fault lay solely at their feet.

Irritation bit through her as she made her way to her boss’s office. She tapped on his door then poked her head in. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes.” The pudgy, balding man looked every inch the newsman. He wore a button-down dress shirt with the
sleeves rolled up mid forearm—very Lou Grant. “Come in, Raven. Close the door, will you?”

She did as requested and slipped into the chair he indicated. “What’s up?”

“I need to talk to you about Bruce’s job.”

Raven’s heart did a double take. She fought to maintain composure. “What about it?”

“As you know, he planned to retire at the end of the year, but his heart problems forced him to step down from his position earlier. He won’t be coming back.”

“I didn’t expect that he would. That’s too bad.”

Get on with it. Just tell me your little Kellie—the apple of Daddy’s eye—is getting the anchor so I can turn in my resignation and be done with it.

“I know everyone is upset about Kellie filling in.” He caught her eye, daring her to deny it.

She nodded. “Kellie hasn’t paid her dues the way the rest of us have. And to be honest, Mr. Cruise, even if I don’t get Bruce’s job, there are at least three others in line who are more qualified than your daughter.”

There, let him get mad and fire her. She’d collect unemployment while she lined up another news job.

He gathered in a long breath and blew it out in what could only be described as frustration. “I know she isn’t qualified or ready. The kid is only twenty-four. She hasn’t had a number-one news story, even. To tell you the truth, the only reason I let her fill in was because she begged me to let her give it a shot and her mother went to bat for her.”

“Ah, so they ganged up on you.” Raven’s lips twitched with amusement at this newly exposed human side of Mr. Cruise. It almost made her like him. At any rate, she could sympathize—a little.

“
Ganged up
is precisely what they did. I knew I
couldn’t give Kellie the position permanently, but I figured it might not hurt anything to let her get her feet wet. Just for a little while until I made my decision as to who actually gets the job permanently.”

Raven stared at him, suddenly sorry she’d ever called him a weasel. This was a dad, loving his daughter, and not wanting to hurt her.

“So, we’ve made our decision and would like to offer you the job. With your potential, I don’t know why you’ve stayed at Channel 23 as long as you have, but ratings polls show you are a consistent favorite with our viewers. The terms are laid out in the contract. Go over it and see what you think. Let us know. We’d like to introduce you as the permanent anchor next Monday on the evening news.”

“I—I don’t know what to say. Honestly. I can’t believe it.”

He nodded. “It probably wasn’t fair to you not to ask you immediately.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Chalk it up to fatherly weakness.”

Raven smiled indulgently as she stood, taking the contract with her. “I’ll read this over and get back to you soon.”

“I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.” He walked her to the door. “What I don’t look forward to is living with my wife and daughter for the next few days. By the way, we’re rerunning the piece you did on the little girl. Ratings shot up on that one. I’d like you to go over there and do a follow-up for tomorrow’s six o’clock news.”

Hesitating only a moment at the resentment still hanging on over Keri’s failure to invite her for the Fourth of July barbecue at the mission, Raven the professional emerged strong and nodded. “I’ll grab Ken and get right on it.”

Raven left the office, clutching the contract to her chest. She couldn’t resist the smile forming on her lips.

The job was hers! Without Matt’s story, without a fight. Something had finally gone her way. She walked back to her office, conscious that her shoulders were a little straighter, her chin lifted with new confidence.

She caught movement in her periphery and turned, connecting eye to eye with Kellie across the room. The girl’s thin, perfectly arched brows narrowed. Then her blue eyes widened as apparent understanding dawned. Her face reddened. She looked toward her father’s office, then started toward it, determination increasing visibly with every jerky stride.

Poor Mr. Cruise. Raven wouldn’t be in his shoes for anything in the world.

She closed her office door and glanced about. Now what? Good news was meant to be shared with loved ones. But she hadn’t spoken to anyone in her family for three days, not since the evening of her dinner with Sonny.

She studied the phone on her desk, tapping her nails on the numbers, debating whether or not to call Matt. He hadn’t called her since that wonderful kiss in this very office three days ago. What if he didn’t want to talk to her?

Making a snap decision, she grabbed up the phone and punched in Matt’s home phone number. After four rings, she was about to hang up when Mrs. Strong answered, sounding out of breath.

“Hello, is Matthew there, please?”

“Raven, is that you?” Her voice didn’t exactly exude warmth, but neither was she cool. Detached, wary. And Raven didn’t blame her.

Raven swallowed hard. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Matthew took Jamie and went on a little vacation.
I’m surprised he didn’t call you. You two seem to be…close these days.”

“Do we?” Reeling from the knowledge that Matthew had left town without bothering to let her know, Raven fought to keep her tone even.

“Aren’t you?”

“I don’t know if
close
is exactly the right word. We’ve only been back in contact for a couple of weeks, so it isn’t surprising that he wouldn’t consult me about his plans.”

“I see. Well, my son will be home this weekend for the fireworks display at the fairgrounds, so I will let him know you called. I expect you’ll be hearing from him.”

“It’s not important. Please don’t bother him about it. Goodbye, Mrs. Strong.”

“Goodbye, then.”

Disappointment clutched at Raven’s belly. How could Matt kiss her like that and then just take off for parts unknown without so much as a little phone call?

She dialed Ken’s cell phone. A feminine voice answered. “Ken’s phone,” she said with a giggle.

“Give me that phone, girl,” Ken boomed from the background. “No one answers my phone but me, Kellie-girl.”

Kellie? Disgusted, Raven disconnected the call. Kellie must have run right to Ken after her talk with Mr. Cruise. He’d certainly cheered her up quickly enough. The catty girl had to try to get everything that belonged to Raven—even her cameraman.

She snatched up her purse and her new contract, and headed for the door. She needed to get out of here.

On the way to her car, she spied Ken and Kellie, locked in an embrace next to his beater of a pickup. Tears stung her eyes. How much more could she lose and still hold it together? Loneliness nearly overwhelmed her.

“Raven! Rave, wait up.”

She turned at the sound of Ken’s voice, her defenses raised and gearing for a fight. “If you’re finished making out with the boss’s daughter,” she said, not caring how testy she sounded, “we have work to do down at Victory Mission. Frank wants a follow-up on Anaya’s story.”

Ken’s lined face scrunched into a frown. “Hey, what’s with the attitude? You sound like a jealous wife—and believe me, I’ve had four of them so I should know.” He adjusted his camera bag over his shoulder. “I just heard the news. Congratulations, kiddo. I never doubted you for a second.”

“Do you really mean it? Or were you pulling for Kellie all along?”

“You mean that little kiss?” He sent her a rakish grin. “That was just a consolation prize.”

“Little kiss, my big toe.” Raven scowled and folded her arms across her chest. “If that was a little kiss, I’d like to see a big one.”

His eyebrow rose. “I’d oblige if you weren’t so much like my own little sister.” He reached out and ruffled her hair, then laughed outright when she swatted his hand away.

“Ha! You’d be the last man on earth I’d kiss anyway. I might as well grab an ashtray and kiss it.” Raven opened her SUV door. “Are you coming?”

Three days at the lake had done wonders for Matt’s nerves. At their secluded family cabin, he’d been able to relax. From his family’s private beach, he watched his daughter splashing about in the water, carefree and full of innocence, blissfully unaware that a man might want to cause her harm, or at the very least, use her for his own financial gain.

The thought clenched his gut and the familiar feeling of helplessness invaded his heart. If only they could stay away from the world forever. But he knew that wasn’t possible. Jamie had ball games and he had to settle his relationship with Raven.

He couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t returned any of his calls. He’d even driven by her house and slipped a note under her door to let her know he was leaving and to give the address where she could reach him in case she wanted to drive up to the lake for a day. But no word.

From the cabin, he heard the jangling of the phone and hopped to his feet. “James! Get out of the water for a few minutes and rest on the beach, I’m going inside to answer the phone.”

“Oh, man! Can’t I stay in?”

“No,” he called over his shoulder. “Get out now.”

The phone rang with persistence. Maybe his thoughts had conjured Raven to call him. A grin played at his lips. “Hello?”

“Jamie looks sweet lying on the beach.” The distorted voice laughed. Evil. Purposeful.

“Who is this? Ray?”

“You really shouldn’t leave her alone like that. You never know who might be watching.”

“What do you want from me? More money?”

“You might be able to put a price on family, Strong. But not me.”

“You’re not going to get her away from me. Do you hear me? No matter what I have to do.”

The line went dead. Snatching his cell phone from the charger by the door, Matt sprinted onto the porch and down the cabin steps. Jamie lay on the beach, so still…His imagination went into overdrive. “Jamie!” To his relief, the little girl sat up. “Yeah, Dad?”

He rushed to her side and gathered her into his arms.

“Hey!” she groused, wriggling free. “What’s up with that? You about smothered me.”

“Sorry. I just needed a hug.”

“Well, ask next time so I can be ready.” She grinned and flung her arms around his neck in a stranglehold, stealing his heart and his breath. “There. Can I go back into the water now?”

“No. You need to come inside so we can clean the cabin and pack up. We’re going home in the morning.”

“A day early?”

“Yeah. Do you mind?”

She gave a little shrug of bony sun-kissed shoulders. “To tell you the truth, I was starting to get a little bored with just you to play with.”

“Hey, thanks a lot, sport. Maybe I’m overdue for some adult conversation too. Ever think of that?”

A snort blew through her. “You mean like Raven?”

“Maybe.”

“Grams said she better not break your heart again, or else.”

“Or else what?”

“She didn’t say. Just said ‘or else.’”

“I see…” He was going to have to have a word with his mother about what were considered proper topics of conversation with Jamie.

Jamie reached down and snatched up her soggy towel from the sandy beach. “Let’s clean up. Can we make a campfire later and roast hot dogs and marshmallows?”

“Sounds great.”

He held the binoculars to his eyes, watching father and daughter walking toward the cabin. He had to shake his head. Strong was a class-A idiot. Why didn’t it occur
to the guy that he was watching the little girl from a boat on the lake?

Their beach might be private, but the water didn’t belong to the Strong family. He’d debated whether to pull the boat in close and snatch up Jamie from the water, just to prove he could, but that was too risky. He wasn’t going to play many more games. Strong had made it clear he wouldn’t give up without a fight.

So, the gloves were off now? This might be fun.