Rock Harbor Series - 03 - Into the Deep

  Two days in the hospital had seemed like an eternity. Cassie settled onto the chair and propped her feet on the deck railing. She’d just relax awhile and watch the sunset. Salome wouldn’t be home for another hour—she’d gone to her Pilates class—and the silence spoke to Cassie’s heart.

  The phone rang, and she grabbed the portable. “Hello.”

  “Cassie, I’ve been trying to reach you for days.” Her boss’s voice was impatient.

  “Sorry, Marc, I was in the hospital.”

  “Whatever for?”

  Like her boss really cared. “Just a drug mix-up at the pharmacy. I’m fine.”

  “No wonder, since you’re in the boonies. The pharmacy probably still uses things like eye of newt. I tried to tell you to find a more up-to-date location, but you were insistent.”

  It was a familiar complaint. Cassie tried not to grit her teeth.

  Marc barreled ahead. “Why didn’t you call me the minute Phil died? Is the project in jeopardy?”

  “I’m on top of things,” Cassie said evenly. She didn’t need her hand held, but she doubted Marc would ever realize that.

  “How on top of things? Is his death causing a delay?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  Marc huffed on the other end of the line. “You’re skirting the issue, Cassie. Tell me in one-syllable words. Are we going to make the deadline?”

  Cassie bit her lip. “I don’t know yet,” she enunciated.

  There was silence on the other end of the line for several seconds, then Marc sighed. “How much of a delay?”

  “I’m hoping not more than six months.”

  “Six months!”

  Cassie held the phone away from her ear. “Yancy is trying to fill in the holes as best he can.”

  “What about your father?”

  “He’s in a home now. I don’t think he’ll be any help.”

  “Is there anything you can give him to temporarily stimulate his memory?” Her boss’s voice was calculating.

  If there was, she would have done it long ago, but Cassie was too disgusted to say anything.

  “Cassie, are you there?”

  “There’s nothing we can do to help Dad. I’ve got the best minds working on it. It will be okay.”

  “If it’s not, we’re all in trouble. The company will go down the tubes, and you’ll all be out of a job. Tell your researchers to get off their duffs and get me that drug!”

  The phone crashed in Cassie’s ear, and she winced. She punched the off button and laid the phone on the table. She’d hoped to avoid this conversation until she had things more in order at the lab. Sighing, she got up to get her phone book in the office. She’d call Yancy at home and see how things had gone the past two days.

  She went down the hall to her office and pushed open the door. Blinking in dismay, she glanced at the papers strewn on the floor. Someone had ransacked her office. She grabbed the phone to call Mason. He promised to come right over.

  Her nerves were a jangled mess. She kept looking out the window into the now-dark backyard. What if the intruder was still out there? She couldn’t understand what anyone would want here. All her records were at the lab. But what else could they want?

  Bree paused and wiped the perspiration from her forehead. This fruitless search had brought back too many memories of what it had been like to look for Davy all those months. She wouldn’t be discouraged if she knew the outcome would be the same, but she had a sinking feeling two miracles were unlikely.

  Zorro scampered through the grass with Charley, both dogs not as focused as usual without Samson to follow. She didn’t know how she could keep going back to Anu’s to face Davy’s hopeful face that crumpled into tears when she arrived without his dog. She felt like she’d knocked on every door in a twenty-mile radius, but no one had offered a shred of evidence. And no one seemed to know about a dogfighting ring.

  If that’s even who had taken Samson. She couldn’t bear to think of him being mistreated. Setting her jaw, she whistled for the dogs and got back to the search.

  “I thought that sounded like your whistle.” Kade pushed through some brush into the clearing where she stood. “You look beat.”

  “I am. What are you doing out here?”

  “Just patrolling and watching for signs of Samson while I do it.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m beginning to think we’re not going to find him, Kade. What will I do if he’s gone forever?”

  He stepped close, and she threw herself in his arms. She’d tried to be strong for Davy, but she was tired, so tired. He smoothed her hair and held her while she sobbed out her fear and frustration. Finally spent, she pressed her cheek against his damp shirt and breathed in his familiar scent.

  “Don’t give up hope yet.”

  “I’m trying not to.” She sniffed and pulled away to scrub at her cheeks.

  “You’re strong, Bree. You can get through this.”

  She knew her anger was out of proportion, even as the bitter words burst from her lips. “I’m tired of being strong. I want to let someone else carry the burden for a while.” She pulled away and turned and ran after the dogs.

  He called after her, but she didn’t pause. Only God could carry this burden, and she knew just where to find him.

  Kade started after Bree, then an inner sense told him to leave her alone. He turned and went back to Moses. There was nothing he could do for her except to find her dog, and though he didn’t want to admit it to Bree, he was beginning to think she was right about Samson never being found.

  His cell phone rang, and Lauri told him her car was dead. Glancing at his watch, he told her he’d take care of it while she went on to work. He dropped his horse at the ranger station stable and drove his truck to town. Ranger Matthews to the rescue. Some days he felt like that’s all he did.

  He parked his truck outside the Ace Hardware Store. Lauri’s battered red Plymouth sat across the street. He popped the hood and jiggled the spark plug wires. He got out his key and tried to start it. Nothing. When Lauri said it was dead, she wasn’t exaggerating. Not a sound came from the engine.

  He went back to peer under the hood, but he’d probably have to call a mechanic. Minor problems he could fix, but this seemed major. He pulled out a few spark plugs and wiped them off, then reseated them. The engine still wouldn’t fire. Sighing, he went to Nicholls’s to wash his hands and call a tow truck.

  Donovan looked up when the bell on her door jingled. “Hey, guy. I assume you’re looking for your sister? She went to work.”

  “I know. She called from there and said her car was dead. It is. I just need to wash up and borrow your phone book.”

  “Sure. The rest room is through here.” Donovan led him through a break room and flipped on the light. “I’ll get the phone book.”

  Kade washed his hands. Donovan tossed him the phone book when Kade joined him at the counter. He thanked him and called to have the car towed to the mechanic.

  “Coffee?” Donovan asked when he hung up the phone.

  “Sure.” He followed him to the back room past the display of plumbing supplies.

  “You take it black, don’t you?”

  “Yep.” Kade accepted a Little Mermaid mug. “Nice,” he said, holding up the cup.

  Donovan grinned. “Emily’s castoffs. Hey, at least it holds coffee.” Donovan studied his face. “You look as low as Naomi when she burned last night’s cake.”

  Kade tried to smile, then gave up the struggle. “It’s Bree. She’s driving me crazy. One minute she’s hanging on to my shirt crying her eyes out and the next she’s pushing me away.”

  Donovan took a swig of coffee. “Time to be a man, my friend. Take a stand and tell her how you feel.”

  “She knows how I feel.” He hunched his shoulders and sipped his coffee.

  “You’re sure? Have you ever told her what you want and that you love her?”

  “Not in so many words. I wanted to give her space to grieve for Rob
and for Davy to adjust.”

  “Rob has been gone nearly two years. You want her to grieve her life away with a misplaced sense of guilt?” Donovan pulled a chair out with his booted foot and sat down. “Have a seat. This may take a while.”

  Kade grinned. “You have some advice from the heights of your married wisdom?”

  “Naomi has taught me a lot. Sometimes a woman needs a man who takes a strong stand, someone who looks her in the eye and helps her make difficult decisions. A woman wants a leader.”

  “I’ve always thought of myself as a leader. It’s been hard to stand back and do nothing. I’ve had to pray for strength every day.”

  He leaned back. “I think you’re praying for the wrong thing. Be yourself, Kade. Bree needs your strength and leadership even if she hasn’t admitted it to herself. Fight for her.”

  “How? With Fletcher in the picture, Davy won’t give me the time of day. Bree notices that.”

  “Davy needs leadership and guidance too. Show him the father he wants in his life is you. Win him the same way you’ll win Bree. Not with flowers or candy, but with a strong sense of purpose and a firm hand for the future. And don’t leave God out. I couldn’t function as a dad without God giving me some help.”

  “You make it sound easy. Have you seen how he hardly looks at me?”

  Donovan nodded and shrugged. “And I’ve seen the way you cater to him—Bree too. Almost as if he is in charge. You be in charge, Kade. In a loving but firm way.”

  Kade leaned back in his chair and let the front legs come off the ground. “You’ve given me a lot to think about,” he said.

  “Don’t just think about it. Do it. Now. Today. Naomi and the rest of the team are meeting Bree at the training center about now to help with the search.” He gave Kade’s chair a good-natured kick, forcing Kade upright again. “So quit sitting around and get out there.”

  Donovan’s intense blue eyes boring into him made him feel he could do anything. What did he have to lose, really? He was getting nowhere by doing what he thought Bree wanted.

  “Okay,” he said finally. “I’ll give it a shot.”

  Every muscle in Bree’s body ached from her earnest trek through the woods today. Fruitless, just as every search had been so far. She’d stopped to pick up Davy from Anu’s and had distracted him by having him help her clean the yard in front of the SAR building. Davy scooped the debris into a small wheelbarrow and carted it to the ditch along the back of the property, where it could safely decompose. The physical work helped in another way as well—it helped keep her thoughts about Samson at bay.

  “How about something to drink?” she asked Davy.

  “Juice?”

  “I’ve got some in the fridge. You want to run get it?”

  “Okay. Come on, Charley. You can help.”

  Bree watched Davy link his fingers under Charley’s collar and stroll toward the building. Bless Naomi for letting Davy spend so much time with her dog. She didn’t know how he would have gotten through the trauma of losing Samson without Charley’s slobbery comfort. Her son had come so far, and she feared this setback. He’d started to make occasional midnight forays into her bed again.

  As she put the rake away, Bree heard a vehicle’s tires crunching along the macadam road that led back to the training center. It was a bit early for the rest of the team. She shielded her eyes from the warm July sunshine as she waited to see who was paying her a visit. A surge of adrenaline quickened her pulse when she recognized Kade’s truck. He must have gotten off work a little early.

  She mentally shook her head at the way she still tracked his movements. It was time she got over that. Thrusting her hands in her pockets, she waited for him by the bench near the parking lot.

  Bree’s gaze lingered on his broad shoulders and the way his muscles flexed against his shirt when he slammed the truck door and came toward her. “Hi!”

  “Hi yourself.” He walked straight to her and embraced her.

  Her arms went around him, and she laid her head on his chest. He smoothed her hair, then tipped her chin up and kissed her. Breathing in the scent of his skin, a warm masculine aroma, she felt a tingle that started in her toes and moved up to her chest in a wave of heat.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

  She managed to regain her composure and pull away enough to catch her breath. “You just saw me.” She laughed and wondered if he heard the shakiness in her voice.

  “I mean I’ve missed being with you like this. I want to talk to you,” he said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him on the bench.

  “You seem very, uh, eager,” she said. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Everything is right.” He splayed her hand out and ran his fingers across her palm.

  Every nerve in her hand seemed to spring to life at his touch. She pulled her hand away and tucked it into her lap. “What’s going on?” She eyed him.

  His smile was wide and confident. “I figured out what I want, and I’m going to work to get it.”

  Her heart sank. He was moving to California, taking that promotion he’d been offered once before. She swallowed and tried to think of something positive to say when all she wanted to do was burst into tears.

  “Aren’t you going to ask what it is?” He reached over and took her hand again.

  “Sure. What’s up?” she managed to say.

  “You and Davy. You’re what I want. So I’m giving you fair notice right now. I’m going to woo you. Fletcher isn’t going to win you by default. I’ve been stupid, but I’m finally waking up. I thought you needed space, so I was trying to give it to you. But it’s separated us for long enough. It’s time for us to make plans for the future. Plans together. Losing Samson and watching you hurt makes me want to take care of you, to share your burdens.”

  She stood, needing to pace to relieve some of the tension building in her chest. He kissed her hand and pulled her down onto his lap. She hesitated, then went willingly.

  “I know we have some problems to work out, but I know we can do it, Bree. I love you. I’ve loved you for months.”

  The love word, what she’d been longing to hear. “So why are you just now saying it?”

  “You’ve tried to hold me at arm’s length because you weren’t sure you were ready to hear it. I won’t be put off any longer. I know you love me, even if you’re afraid to admit it to yourself. I’m going to show you your trust isn’t misplaced. I’m not like your father, Bree. I won’t leave you.”

  Bree felt overwhelmed, but a part of her was powerfully drawn to this new Kade, this man with fire in his gaze and determination in his voice.

  He held her gently. “Don’t run from this, Bree. That’s what you usually do. You run off and hide somewhere so you don’t have to admit your feelings. You’re afraid, and it’s okay to be afraid. I’m scared too. But I’m not letting that stop me anymore.”

  Panic flared in her chest and she felt almost desperate to get away. She wriggled away. “Let go, Kade. I can’t think about this now. Davy needs me.” She knew she was being irrational, but she seemed helpless to stop herself.

  The light in his eyes faded, and he let her go. She sprang to her feet and took a step backward.

  “Look at me, Bree.”

  Her heart seemed about to pound out of her chest, and she raised her gaze to meet his. She swallowed.

  “Look in my eyes. I won’t leave you. Tell me you don’t love me and I’ll go.”

  The love in his eyes brought stinging moisture to her eyes. “I . . . I can’t.”

  “Then tell me you love me.”

  “I’m not ready yet, Kade.”

  He stood. “Then I’m going to be here when you are. But I’m not going to make it easy for you to keep putting me off. You need someone who will love you forever, who will be there when Davy wakes with a bad dream, when you’re sick or scared. Davy needs a little brother or sister. We belong together. I think you know that.”

  The funny thing was, she
did know that. She’d always known it. So why did she run from him? Was it something in her genes—some fault she’d inherited from her mother? She didn’t want Davy to have to carry her baggage. But she didn’t know how to let go and trust Kade.

  “Mommy, here’s your juice.” Carrying two glasses, Davy came across the yard.

  “Hey, buddy.” Kade squatted to eye level with Davy and held out his hand for a shake.

  He was smiling with a confidence Bree had never seen before. This new Kade was thrilling but disconcerting.

  “Hi, Kade.” Davy looked at Bree, then cautiously took the hand Kade was holding out.

  “Hey, you’re breaking my fingers! When did you get so strong?” Kade winced and shook his fingers as if they hurt.

  Davy’s half-frown turned to a genuine grin. “Look at my muscles.” He pushed up the sleeve of his T-shirt and flexed his arm.

  Kade felt it and raised his eyebrows. “That’s a bicep. And it’s a beauty.” He pressed again. “Rock hard. I can’t even push it in. Want to see how to make it even bigger?”

  “Yeah!” Davy’s eyes went wide.

  “Let’s see how many pull-ups you can do.” Without waiting for Davy’s answer, Kade hoisted him to a tree branch. “Grab hold there, big guy.”

  Davy grabbed the tree branch, and Kade explained what to do. Bree watched, almost not believing her eyes. She didn’t know what had brought about the change, but it stirred her heart in a way she’d never felt.

  14

  Jonelle hated to do errands like this. The envelope with the money inside almost seemed to radiate heat from the passenger seat. What if she got stopped? How would she explain all that money? Zane never should have put her in this position. She should have refused to go, but she wanted to get to a phone and call her mother.

  She’d managed a quick pat on Samson’s head before she left, and the mournful look in his eyes broke her heart. Sometimes she was tempted to call his owner and tell her to come get him. But she couldn’t do that. Zane would end up in jail, and where would that leave her and the baby?