Rachelle McCalla - Survival Instinct

“Then that’s where we’re going.”

His sure tone surprised her. “So you trust me?”

As Scott looked down at her, his determined expression softened. “You’re all I have left right now. I can’t afford to not trust you.” He slung one strong arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

Abby smiled as, in spite of the brisk October wind, Scott’s words warmed her. It wasn’t exactly a profession of love, but it was more than she’d dared to hope for. “Let’s stop by the Coast Guard Station and see if we can catch a boat out.”

They drove the eight blocks to the Coast Guard Station and arrived as Tracie Crandall was carrying a mesh bag of cold-weather kayaking gear to a utility boat.

“I thought your shift was over,” Scott accused.

Letting the bag she carried drop to the ground, Tracie put her hands on her hips. “My partner shot your stepdad last night, and your mother is still missing. You think I could sleep? Besides, this is shaping up to be a pretty big deal. They’ve called in more help, and they’re asking people to work double shifts.”

“Have you heard anything new since last night?”

Tracie sighed. “Trevor’s missing.”

“Missing?” Abby and Scott repeated simultaneously.

“He’s not at home, he’s not answering any calls. We’ve been completely unable to find him,” Tracie explained.

“So you have no way of corroborating Tim’s story?” Abby asked.

“We know a few things,” Tracie said. “When Trevor brought Mitch in last night, he came alone. Sheriff Jacobsen stayed at the crash site. The sheriff was the initial responding officer, so it was his job to brief the investigation team on what had happened. But what that means is, Trevor was alone with Mitch long enough to take the ring. He also doesn’t have a witness to confirm that Mitch was really attempting to escape when he shot him.”

Though she’d already concluded that Trevor had murdered Mitch, hearing Tracie speak the words out loud made the crime seem even more real. “We’ve got to hurry up and find Marilyn,” Abby breathed.

Scott asked Tracie, “How soon are you headed out to the island?”

“As soon as I can get this equipment loaded.”

“Mind if we head out with you?”

Tracie picked up the mesh bag again and tossed it to him. “Help me load the boat. I’ll make sure we have enough kayaks for the two of you.” Then she looked at the long wool skirt Abby wore. “You might want to change first.”

“We need to pick up a quick lunch, too,” Scott added.

Abby agreed. She still felt hungry from the missed meals the day before. “How about if I run home, change clothes, grab us some sandwiches and then meet you guys back here?”

“Perfect.”

Scott helped Tracie load the rest of the equipment they might need, including extra radios so he and Abby could communicate with the others. Extra Coast Guardsmen had arrived and joined them on the boat. Now, Scott hunkered down next to Abby as they headed out into the cold open sea.

Though the wind had stopped blowing and the sun occasionally peeked through the clouds, the temperature had turned decidedly bitter. Scott was glad for the excuse to sit close to Abby. He had a lot he wanted to tell her, and he was able to keep the conversation that much more private by making it appear as though they were merely cuddling and sharing the sandwiches and trail mix she’d brought.

“I’m sorry I took your mom’s spot on the canoe,” Abby apologized as soon as he sat down.

“What?” The regret in her tone confused him.

“If I hadn’t been on the canoe, your mother would have gone with you to Rocky Island. She’d be safe. I could have stayed on Devil’s and kept an eye on Mitch. He didn’t have any incentive to harm me. I would have been there when the Coast Guard arrived, and your mother wouldn’t be missing. Everything would be fine.”

Her apology tore at his heart, especially after the way he’d spoken to her the night before. “No, Abby, it wouldn’t. First of all, my mother never would have made it to Rocky Island. She’s a pretty hearty gal for her age, but she’s not nearly as strong as you are. Besides, even if we had made it across, if the Coast Guard had rescued us, we never would have found out about Mitch and his plans to kill us. He just would have found another way. My mother and I would still be in danger, but we wouldn’t even realize it.”

“You think so?” Abby mused reflectively.

“Yeah. I do.” Scott sighed.

“But last night you said-” Abby began.

Scott took her hand as she reached into the bag of trail mix they shared between them. “I know what I said, and I’m sorry. You’ve been a tremendous help, and I never should have pushed you away. I just-” he squeezed her hand a little more firmly “-I was scared. So much happened so quickly, and I had to depend on you…it frightened me. In my experience, if I depend too much on someone, they die.”

Abby’s eyes widened.

“My grandfather was my best friend when I was a teenager. Dad and I didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but Grandpa was always there for me. He kept me grounded. Then when he died, I realized how fragile life is, and I reconciled with my father.” Scott’s voice wavered as he stepped back into that guarded past he’d tried so hard to put behind him.

“And then your father died,” Abby finished softly.

Scott nodded. He was glad she understood. “I know in my head that caring for a person doesn’t make them die. But on a purely instinctual, self-defensive level, I tend to push people away when they get too close. That’s what I was doing with you last night, and it wasn’t fair to you.”

Abby patted the hand that held hers. “It’s okay. I was pretty spooked by everything, too. It’s a lot to take in all at once.”

Her confession made Scott smile. He appreciated that she was secure enough to comfort him, even after he’d been unfair to her. After dealing with his mother’s insecurities, he found Abby’s strength reassuring, and very attractive. “You saved my life.”

He felt Abby shudder next to him. “I still can’t get over the way Mitch behaved. He was so angry when I overheard him talking on the phone. But I guess more things make sense now-like why he thought you should try swimming to Rocky Island.”

“He knew I’d never make it.”

“Perhaps he even thought he could convince your mom to jump in and save you.”

“He would think that.” Scott scowled at his sandwich. “He was always able to manipulate her far too easily. I’m sure he’s why she was foolish enough to wear her jewelry on the boat-and then to turn around and leave it all with Captain Sal.”

Abby frowned. “It’s all so calculated, so cold. And then to turn around and sabotage your car-I can hardly believe he did that.”

“As far as that goes, you can believe it. Before he married my mother, Mitch was co-owner of a large used-car dealership. He certainly knew his way around cars. And, though I tried not to listen to any of them, I’ve heard rumors about some shady practices related to his dealership. For my mom’s sake, I had hoped they weren’t true. But now that I think about it, I can begin to see the pattern in his personality, some of the things he said over the years…” Scott watched the islands slip by as Tracie steered the boat through their maze toward Devil’s.

“Like what?” Abby asked.

“Like his insistence on developing the land my mother and I had inherited. He thought we were crazy to put the land into a conservation easement-”

“The land’s under easement?” Abby broke in, her voice excited.

“Not yet,” Scott said with a smile. Somehow he’d known she’d share his opinion on the easement. “We were in the final stages of the process. As I’m sure you know, it can be a lengthy one.”