Love Inspired March 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: A Wife for Jacob\The Forest Ranger's Rescue\Alaskan Homecoming (32 page)

Chapter Eleven

T
he tires on Jill's car crackled against the gravel as she pulled into the driveway at home. It'd been a busy day at work. She killed the engine and gazed at the dark house. No lights on. No one home. Alan had driven to Boise to finalize a contract with a new buyer and Mom had gone with him to do some shopping at some of the bigger stores. Alan had said they'd be home very late. Which meant dinner would come out of a can. Jill didn't mind. She had the place to herself and time to relax.

She thrust open the car door and stepped out. The fragrance of Mom's rosebushes enveloped her along with the warm night air. Dressed in a pair of calf-length skinny jeans and sandals, she stood for several moments, enjoying the summer breeze as it rustled through the old oak tree in the backyard.

Stepping into the kitchen, she kicked off her shoes and padded barefoot across the green linoleum. Opening the refrigerator door, she blinked at the bright light as she scanned the shelves for something to eat. A variety of leftovers, salad makings and fresh fruit stared back at her. She settled for cold pizza and strawberries along with a tall glass of milk. Simple and easy.

Taking her plate into the living room, she flipped on the TV to catch some evening news. She'd propped her feet up and started to relax when her gaze scooted past a picture of Dad hanging on the wall. Which reminded her that she needed to check her father's office for his tax returns. She'd searched the mill office with no success.

The thought made her groan out loud. After a hard day's work, she'd rather sit here and doze. But rifling through Dad's office would undoubtedly upset Mom. She'd better do it now, while Mom was gone.

Dropping her feet to the floor, Jill sat up. Forcing herself to stand, she trudged down the hall. The door to Dad's office was closed. Mom didn't like it disturbed, even to vacuum and dust.

Jill paused, her fingertips resting lightly on the brass knob. She hadn't been in this room since the day after Dad had died and she didn't want to go in now. This room had been his inner sanctum. Filled with memories. Whenever she'd been upset about something, she'd come here for solace. Even when she'd found out David had cheated on her, Dad had held her on his lap and wiped away her tears. He'd told her everything would be all right. That she'd recover and be happy again one day. That she was his shining star. And she'd felt better when she left him.

He'd died three months later.

If only Dad were here now. He'd know what to do about their financial woes and this trouble brewing with the Forest Service. Somehow he would make everything right.

But Dad was gone, and Jill had never felt more alone.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. As she peered into the dark shadows, she dug her toes into the soft carpet. It felt like her stomach was in her throat.

Taking a step, she flipped on the light and looked around. Everything appeared normal, just as it had been when Dad was still alive. Nothing out of place. She imagined she caught his familiar smell. Peppermint and sandalwood, and another scent uniquely his own.

A picture of her parents on their wedding day sat on the desk. Mom was smiling at the camera, but Dad was gazing at Mom. With so much adoration that it almost made Jill's teeth hurt. Her parents had been so much in love. And Jill had imagined sharing that same adulation with her own husband. In all her childhood dreams, she'd never once thought she might get married and her husband would cheat on her.

Fighting off the burn of tears, she looked away. Feeling swindled and disappointed. For some reason, Brent came to mind. He was so much like Dad. Kind and attentive. Worried about his little daughter. Trying to earn a living the best way he knew how, while seeing to the needs of his family. His deep, soothing voice always brought Jill a modicum of comfort. She'd come to anticipate her teaching sessions with Evie with relish. In fact, she couldn't wait to see Brent again. And when he'd held her in his arms and kissed her that day out in Mom's flower beds, she'd felt cherished and safe. The first time she'd felt that way since Dad's passing.

“Enough of that!” She shook her head, realizing her thoughts had led her into dangerous territory. It'd be more productive to focus on the chore at hand.

Gripping the silver handle, she opened the filing cabinet and shuffled through a raft of manila folders. She slid the door closed and it gave a metallic slam as she turned toward the rolltop desk. Pens and dusty papers lay scattered across the top, as though they hadn't been disturbed since Dad left them there. She rummaged through a stack of files, then opened a drawer. Empty. As she slid it closed, a shiny glimmer caught her eye. She jerked it back open and reached in to clasp a single key resting inside.

Turning the key on her open palm, she read the tag attached. Two simple words, scrawled in Dad's shaky handwriting:
Rainy day
.

Hmm. How odd. She cocked her head to one side, wondering at the puzzling message. What did it mean? And more importantly, what did the key open?

She closed her hand as a light clicked on inside her mind. Maybe the key opened the safe in Dad's office at the mill. It'd be so like Dad to keep them separate. In this sleepy town, robberies were quite rare. Also, the key could be obsolete. Something that used to fit a lock they no longer had.

There was only one way to find out.

Padding down the hallway, she picked up her purse, slid her shoes on and reached for the back door. She flipped on the porch light so she could see her way down the rock path leading to the driveway. The night air smelled of honeysuckle and dinner cooking next door at the neighbor's house. Jill felt a strange, comforting sensation as she got inside her car and started up the engine. As though she belonged here in Bartlett. Something she hadn't felt in many years, in spite of growing up in this house.

She switched on the headlights. Putting the car into gear, she headed outside of town. She made a left turn, the black asphalt giving way to dirt road. Within minutes, she'd driven the short distance to the sawmill. She was about to turn the car and unlock the front gate when a flash of light across the vacant road caught her eye.

Whipping her head around, she stopped her car, letting the engine idle. She squinted into the dark expanse near the river, thinking she'd imagined it.

There! She saw it again. As though a flashlight were moving among the tall cattails and willows. Maybe it was kids out late, playing along the river. Hide-and-seek was a favorite pastime. With only one restaurant in town and no movie theaters, kids had to figure out other ways to entertain themselves. Night games were a favorite.

But what were they doing down by the river at this late hour of the night? It wasn't safe. Someone could fall in and drown. It'd happened before. And she didn't like them being so close to the mill. A lighted match and the whole place could go up like a torch.

She had better check it out.

Pursing her lips together, she pulled over and parked her car along the side of the road and got out. Picking her way through the bushes, she stepped lightly, keeping the moon in her line of sight so she wouldn't lose her way. The roar of the river filled her ears just to her right. And another sound she barely recognized. A man speaking.

Deep voices reached her ears. Not the younger sounds of kids, but of fully matured adults. A few more steps and she'd be able to see them. What on earth were they doing out here at this time of night...?

She bumped into a tall man's solid torso. A strong hand closed over her wrist and she screamed. Jerking back, she prepared to fight and run.

A flash of light blinded her eyes. “Jill?”

She ducked her head and froze, blinking to clear her dazed vision. She knew that voice.

“Brent! What are you doing here?”

He lowered the beam of light. In the eerie shadows, she saw his deep frown and narrowed eyes. He wasn't happy to see her here.

“I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing out here so late?” he growled.

Before she could respond, John McLaughlin stepped out from behind a tall cottonwood. His right hand cupped the butt of his revolver hanging from his hip. Even in the dark, she caught the angry glint in his eyes. Both men wore their uniforms, the badges pinned to their shirtfronts gleamed in the scattered moonlight. John's face looked harsh and unapproachable.

Just beyond the two men, another dark form took shape. In a quick glance, Jill took in the shadowed tripod and camera partially concealed by heavy bushes. The extended lens was pointed directly at the entrance to the sawmill.

Her mouth dropped open in outrage. “You're filming activity at the mill.”

It wasn't a question. Even in the gloom, she could see the guilt written across Brent's face. She'd caught him fair and square. And a lance of anger pierced her chest.

“So this is how you show your friendship to me? By spying on my family's sawmill,” she cried.

“Jill, this isn't about my relationship with you. It's about a theft investigation. It's got nothing to do with us.”

“It has everything to do with us. That mill belongs to my family. It belongs to me.”

“But you haven't been here. This problem occurred while you were living in Boise.” His voice lowered, and she got the impression he was trying to soften the blow.

“We've cooperated every step of the way,” she said. “So why are you out here late at night in this cloak and dagger stuff? I have a right to know what's going on.”

He took a deep breath, then let it go. “You're right. I think it's time you knew the truth.”

“You...you do?” Her shoulders tensed. Right now, she didn't know what to think.

“Yes, I do.” He threw a questioning glance at John.

The LEO hesitated, then nodded reluctantly, as if he had no choice. “Okay, but keep her close until this thing is over with.”

Brent tugged on her arm. “Come with me.”

She folded her arms and planted her feet. “I'm not going anywhere with you. Not until you tell me what's going on.”

He held out a placating hand. “If you'll come with me, I'd rather show you. My truck's parked right over there behind the bridge. I'd like to take you for a short ride. Everything will soon become clear. Please.”

She peered through the shadows, unable to deny the fierce suspicion broiling inside her gut. Warning chimes rang loudly inside her head. She wanted to know the truth, but she feared what he might show her. Alan was out of town with Mom, but she refused to believe he was culpable in the theft. “It's late and I should go home. Can't you just tell me what's going on?”

He brushed a jagged thatch of hair back from his high forehead. Even in the darkness, he couldn't hide his appeal. She felt the attraction between them like an old friend. Right now, she wanted to throw herself into his arms. But that wouldn't do her or her family any good. She hated the suspicion that had settled between them.

“Later, I'll take you home. Come on. You'll be safe with me,” he said.

His words washed over her like a warm blanket. She longed to trust him. To confide her deepest fears. But what if he let her down? She'd tried to put aside her ex-husband's betrayal, but it had left a bad taste in her mouth that just wouldn't go away. Besides, Brent was a man on a mission and she doubted he'd let Evie's teacher get in the way of catching the timber thief.

Worried and a little frightened, Jill took his hand. His long, warm fingers folded over her own as he pulled her up the embankment. A man that had kissed her and made her believe happy endings were possible after all. A man she'd fallen for in spite of her vow to never love again.

“I'm parked right over here.” He pointed toward the river.

His cajoling voice surrounded her. Soothing her nerves. Drawing her in. She couldn't fight him to save her life. But she didn't know what to make of this. She'd trusted David, and look what that had gotten her. Nothing but heartache. And as she trudged behind Brent, she prayed he didn't do the same.

* * *

“Where are we going?” Jill's voice sounded thin and trembly as she sat stiff and unyielding in the passenger seat.

“Be patient. It's just a short drive,” Brent reassured her. He longed to tell her more, but figured it'd be best to let her see with her own eyes and judge for herself.

“What's this for?” She picked up a camera with a nightscope and high-powered zoom lens. An expensive piece of equipment.

Reaching out, he took it from her and placed it back on the padded seat between them. “You know very well what it's for.”

He didn't mean to sound abrasive, but tonight would make or break his case. More than anything, he wanted to put an end to this friction between them. He wanted to prove Alan's innocence. But he hadn't expected an uninvited guest to tag along and watch everything play out before them.

She folded her arms and locked her jaw. Turning her head, she watched the dark scenery flash past her window. “I don't like this. Not one bit.”

Her fear was almost palpable. It rushed at him like a living thing. And he hated it. Especially since he'd put it there. All he wanted to do was keep her safe. To protect and love her.

Yes, he loved her. He finally admitted it to himself. Ever since she'd given Evie the little dry-erase board. Such a simple, considerate gesture. But it had locked Jill into his heart and he hadn't been able to dislodge her in spite of his best efforts.

A relationship with this woman was futile. Loving her would bring both of them nothing but pain. Jill would never trust him. Especially after tonight.

A low squawk in his earpiece made him jerk. He reached up to his waist and turned the volume down. Jill's eyes followed his movements, taking in the special equipment he was wearing for the night.

“What's that for?” she asked with wide-eyed uncertainty.