Lynette Eason - Danger on the Mountain

Jason took off.

Reese took her soft hand in his and led her back inside. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what happened.”

She dropped onto the couch, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “I do believe this has been the longest day of my life.”

Reese could see her frustration, her fear.

“My husband called. I’m going to have to go.” Reese looked up to see a woman standing in the doorway to the den.

Maggie made the introductions. He reached for his radio and said, “Just a minute. I’ll get Deputy White to escort you home as soon as he’s finished clearing the perimeter of the house. Until we find out the intentions of the person snooping around, I don’t want you out there by yourself.”

Mrs. Adler nodded, her frown furrowing, the lines in her forehead deep with worry. Five minutes later, in response to Reese’s call, Deputy White appeared on the front porch and Reese waved him inside. “Anything?”

Deputy White shook his head. “Nothing that I can see. If someone was here, he’s gone now.”

“Thanks. Mrs. Adler’s ready to go. Do you mind taking her home?”

“Sure, be happy to.” The deputy escorted the woman out to his car.

He turned back to Maggie, opened his mouth to question her further—and heard Belle crying.

A low groan slipped from her throat and before he could stop himself, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get her.”

Grateful surprise lit her eyes, and she melted back onto the cushion.

Reese followed the wails down the hall to the nursery. It was tastefully decorated in pink-and-brown polka dots, and he couldn’t help but smile.

The smile slipped when he saw the baby standing up, holding on to the railing, staring at him and blinking. A puzzled frown creased her forehead, and she looked as if she might start crying again. “Hey there, Belle. It’s all right. It’s just me.”

His throat tightened as he recognized what he was doing. He was using the same voice he used to—

Oh, God, help me.

What had he been thinking? Volunteering to get the child from her crib. All he could see when he looked at her was his own baby daughter’s lifeless face. The last baby he’d held, and she’d been gone. She’d never had a chance to pull in a breath this side of heaven. His hands shook, and he clenched them.

You can do this.

But he wasn’t sure he could.

“Reese? Everything okay?” Maggie called from the other room.

He found his voice and some small measure of strength. “Yeah. Just fine.”

When Belle’s face scrunched up again as if she was getting ready to crank out a cry, he hurried across the room and lifted her from the crib. Her frown stayed as he held her at arm’s length straight out in front of him.

And that’s the way they walked down the hall into the den.

Belle’s head swiveled and when she saw her mother sitting on the couch, her face brightened and she leaned toward her. Reese let her slide from his outstretched grasp into Maggie’s embrace.

He backed up and perched on the edge of the recliner, his heart aching, memories fogging his thinking.

“Are you all right?” Maggie asked. She cocked her head, looking at him as though trying to figure out what was going on inside him.

She probably thought he was an idiot, based on how he carried Belle. He clamped down on his emotions and cleared his throat. “Yeah. Sure. I’m fine. I just...” He motioned toward a now-content Belle.

“Don’t have much experience with babies?” she asked with a raised brow.

“Ah, no. I don’t.” Desperate for a change of subject, Reese touched the radio on his shoulder and got Eli. “Anything?”

“Nothing really. I’ll be up there in a minute.”

True to his word, Eli knocked about a minute later and let himself into the house. Wiping his shoes on the mat, he said, “I found some disturbed ground, but can’t tell if it’s recent or not.”

“Like someone watching the house?” Reese asked.

A pause. “Yeah. Could be. But probably not. I don’t think it was the robber.”

Reese wasn’t sure. “Maybe not. Maybe it was just a teenager or someone looking for an empty place to crash for the night. The more I think about it, the more I don’t see how someone could have been waiting for her. How would they know who she was in the first place, much less where she lives?”

Maggie said, “So this was just a random thing? Someone tests the doorknob to see if I’m home and then runs off when I ask who’s there?”

Eli sighed. “It could be some high school kids. We have our fair share of troublemakers. Nothing too serious, but...”

Maggie frowned and bounced Belle on her knee.

Reese said, “There hasn’t been time for the guy who threatened you to find you. It was just a few hours ago.”

“What if he followed us home?” she asked.

Eli and Reese exchanged a glance. “You mean these guys pretended to leave the bank and doubled back to watch the action?”

She shrugged. “Why not?”

Another exchanged glance with Eli and Reese rubbed his chin. “I can’t say it’s not possible. Highly unlikely, but not impossible.” He paused. “Then again, you were really the one who made it possible for us to capture one of them.”

She grimaced. “And he did threaten me—us.”

Reese looked at Eli. “What do you think?”

Eli pursed his lips. “I think it’s too soon to say, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Reese nodded. Eli then said, “Why don’t you keep an eye on things around here just until we know for sure.”

“You mean while he’s on duty, right?” Maggie asked. She swiveled her head back and forth between the two men. “I mean, I wouldn’t expect him to volunteer his time or anything.”

Surprisingly enough, the thought of volunteering to spend time with Maggie wasn’t a hardship. If only looking at her with the baby didn’t send shards of pain shooting through his heart.

“I don’t mind. I live just across the lake. If you need me, just call.” It was the least he could do, wasn’t it? After all, she’d probably saved him from taking a bullet when she’d pulled the ropes and downed the bank robber who had his gun pointed at Reese.

He pulled out his cell phone. “What’s your phone number?”

Maggie rattled it off. He punched it in his phone and soon heard hers ringing. He hung up and said, “Okay, now it’s on your phone. Put it on speed dial and use it if you need it.”

She bit her lip then said, “I don’t want to put you out.”

“You’re not putting me out, I promise.” But the faster he got away from here, the faster he could start figuring out how he was going to handle being around a baby on a regular basis. Because he already knew he wanted to get to know Maggie better.

Belle started squirming and Maggie stood with the infant on her hip. “Then if you don’t mind, I’ll take you up on the offer.” She shot a look at the door. “Because whether you believe it or not, I have a feeling this is only the beginning.”

Reese thought about what jailbird Pete had said and had a feeling she was absolutely right.

THREE

Maggie’s words echoed in her own ears long after the men left. She shivered, feeling scared and unsafe in the house for the first time since she’d moved in.

Knowing Reese was across the lake helped, but...

She fed Belle supper, played with her until her bedtime, then put her down.

In the quiet darkness, she now had time to think. To process everything that had happened over the course of the day.

As she thought, she checked the locks, tested the doors and peered through the blinds. She left every light outside burning.

Through a small copse of trees, she could see her nearest neighbor’s den light burning. Mrs. Adler. Fondness filled her. The woman reminded her very much of her own grandmother, who’d passed away about five years ago. Maggie missed her. Almost as much as she missed her mother.