by Sharon Dunn
He patted her hand. Within moments, the weight against his back had increased, and he knew she was resting. The horses’ hooves clopped through the snow. Only the occasional jingling of the metal in their bridles as they tossed their heads broke the silence.
Gavin tried to pray. Praying for Julia’s safety, that he would find a place to take her, was easy. The possibility of not being able to get Julia to safety made him think of past failures. An image of Joshua lying unconscious in the hospital bed invaded his thoughts. His bad decisions as a bodyguard had led to his friend being in that hospital. When the doctor’s prognosis was that Joshua would walk with a limp, but would never have the reflexes he needed to race again, Gavin was overwhelmed by guilt. Joshua was better off without him. He’d booked his flight back to Montana the next day.
His faith had come alive that night in the hospital chapel. Gavin had never doubted that faith, but over and over he prayed for God to take the guilt about Joshua away, and He never did. That part of God was hard to understand.
Julia stirred and made a soft moaning sound. The weight on his back lifted.
“How close are we?” she whispered.
“Horses aren’t moving real fast. I would guess another two or three hours before we come to the road that leads into Madison.” Gavin clicked the light on his watch. 2:00 a.m. His friend had said he could get there by five. If they timed it right, Brandon wouldn’t be waiting for long.
Madison didn’t look like a very big place on the map. A stranger in town would be easy enough to remember. Two people showing up on horseback would be close to unforgettable. They would be getting there before most people were awake, so that worked in their favor. Besides, as good as the followers had been at tracking Julia, they couldn’t be everywhere.
Even though he still needed to come up with a place for them to go, he was confident that this plan would work. It had to.
Julia woke from her sleep. She sat up a little straighter behind Gavin. The warmth she’d felt as she rested against his back faded. “I suppose I should get on my own horse, and we can pick up the pace.”
“If you feel alert enough to do that.” He tilted his head. “Looks like the trees thin out a little bit up ahead, so we might be able to get up some speed.”
He stopped his horse and Julia slipped off. He handed her the reins for her horse, which stepped to one side when she got on. “So do you have any ideas of where we can go?”
He shook his head. “We might just have to drive for a while.”
“How will we finish the trial prep?” They were running out of time. What if Elijah won in the end, not because he had kept her out of the courtroom, but because the constant threat had forced the prosecutors to put together a less than perfect case?
“I don’t know,” he said.
Though his voice had slipped into a monotone, she picked up on the anxiety underneath. They were both worried.
They rode on through the gray light of early morning, pushing the horses into a gallop once they got to a dirt road. The town of Madison appeared as they emerged from behind a stand of trees.
A post office, a bar and a bank came into view. They passed a few houses, all of which had darkened windows.
“My friend said he would meet us by the grain elevators. They’re the most visible landmark. He’s seen them from the road when he’s driven by. We kind of stick out like a sore thumb here. It would be best if we veer off this main street as quickly as possible.”
He made a clicking sound, shifted the reins on the horse’s neck and turned. Julia followed. The horses’ hooves clopped on the concrete. A man leaning against the back bumper of a Jeep stood up as they approached. A second truck with a horse trailer attached and a woman sitting inside was parked close to the Jeep. Gavin dismounted and drew his friend into a bear hug. “Thanks for helping out.” He turned to face Julia, beaming. “Julia, this is Brandon Page.”
Brandon shook Julia’s hand enthusiastically. “I don’t see this guy for ten years and now he just can’t get enough of me.” He addressed Gavin. “I’m running out of cars to loan you, buddy.”
“Looks like you are fresh out of classics. Bring me this old piece of junk now,” Gavin cajoled as he kicked the tires on the Jeep.
“It’ll get you where you need to go, my friend.” Brandon had a smile that took up most of his face.
“Spoken like a true salesman,” Gavin said.
Though the two men were joking, Julia could feel the thread of tension that wove through every word. Despite the calm of early morning, they were on the run.
Gavin’s expression turned serious. “Sorry about the Mustang. I will make it up to you.”
Brandon shrugged. “We’ll figure it out later. You’ve got enough on your mind.” Brandon pulled a set of keys and a cell phone out of his pocket and handed them to Gavin. He pointed toward the truck. “So my wife and I will load the horses and take them back to the hot springs.”
“That’s the plan.” He turned back toward Julia. “I need to call your father and let him know the new cell number. Maybe he’s found us a place we can go.” Gavin stepped away from Julia and Brandon.
After a moment of silence, Julia approached Brandon. “You knew Gavin in high school?”
Brandon nodded and grinned. “Yeah, he was a wild one.”
“Really?” She turned to study Gavin. His posture stiffened as he spoke on the phone. The conversation with her father sounded heated. “He’s so responsible now. I’m having a hard time picturing him as a reckless teenager.”
“Don’t get me wrong. He was disciplined. The only teenage black belt I ever met. But he did like to drive cars fast. Got a lot of speeding tickets.”
“Oh, yeah?” Gavin had shared very little about his life. She had to admit she was curious to know more.
“Oh, yeah, he and Joshua Van Dyken were the wild boys of Fremont High and as close as brothers.” Brandon patted his chest. “I, of course, was a member of the chess club and Future Farmers of America.”
“Who was Joshua?”
“Just a friend from high school.” Gavin joined them. “Are you telling lies about me again, Page?” He fake punched his friend in the shoulder.
“How did the talk with my father go?” Julia asked.
Gavin’s jaw hardened. “Fine.”
Judging from his tone, it had gone far from fine.
Brandon broke the tension. “All right, my friend.” He held out a hand for Gavin to shake and then slapped him on the back. He winked at Julia. “Take good care of this pretty lady.”
Julia blushed and wondered what Gavin had said about her to Brandon.
The two of them got into the car. Gavin took out the map they had found at the hot springs and studied it. A light came into his eyes. “I think I know where we can go.”
“Where?” Julia relaxed a little.
“An island on Crystal Lake. I know someone who lives there. I’ll have to call him.” Gavin started the engine and turned the vehicle around. “But first let’s get away from here. This is the only town bordering Elizabeth’s property. It will be the first place the cult members look.”
When Julia checked her side-view mirror, she saw Brandon standing beside her horse, running a hand over his neck. His dark-haired wife got out of the truck and led Gavin’s horse toward the trailer.
They drove along the darkened highway. “Did you say something to Brandon about me?”
“Why?”
“I was wondering what that wink meant when we left.”
Gavin kept his eyes on the road in front of him. “When I went to get the Mustang from him, I might have mentioned that I thought you were…pretty.”
Julia nodded. So he was talking about her to his friends. She wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Again, she found herself wishing that they had met at church or in a college classroom, not under such stress-filled circumstances.
“So you were kind of a wild boy in high school,” Julia teased.
Col
or rose in Gavin cheeks, and he flipped his sunglasses up on his head and then back down. It was the first time she had ever seen Gavin embarrassed. “That was a long time ago,” he said dismissively.
“You know so much about me because my story was all over the newspaper. I’ve shared things with you, but I know hardly anything about you.”
“Not much to tell. Born and raised in Montana. Two brothers, one sister. Mom taught fourth grade.” Gavin put his sunglasses back on top of his head. Her probing was still making him nervous.
“And in high school you hung out with Brandon…and a guy named Joshua.”
A shadow seemed to fall across his face. “The guy whose island we’re going to is Joshua’s dad. His name is Larry.” He leaned forward and then back, wiggling against the back of the driver’s seat. “I didn’t even think about food. Are you hungry?”
Gavin was pretty adept at changing the subject. He really didn’t want to share much about his personal life with her. Over and over, he made it clear that he wanted to keep things professional. Yet she couldn’t let go of the idea that he was hiding his feelings, and now he was talking about her to his friends. “How far is it?” She struggled to keep her voice neutral. Trying to figure out Gavin Shane was exasperating.
“We’ve got a good three- or four-hour drive. If at all possible, I’d like to just drive straight through. I’ll have to stop to make the call to Larry. We can get food then if we need to. If you will recall, every time we stop something seems to go wrong, so we should keep that to a minimum.”
“I’m with you. The less times we have to stop, the better.” She crossed her arms and pressed her back against the seat.
“I can put the radio on if you like,” he offered.
“That’s okay. We probably can’t get a decent radio station out here, anyway.”
“You warm enough? I can turn up the heat.”
Her mind reeled back to when he had asked the same questions the first day they were together in the car. So much had changed since then—for her, anyway. “No, I’m not cold. Thanks.”
He tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel. “Anything you want, just let me know.”
I want to know if you have the same feelings for me as I have for you. That’s what I want, Gavin.
Julia laced her fingers together and turned her head toward the window so Gavin wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.
SIXTEEN
Gavin hit the turn signal and veered off on a side road. Crystal Lake came into view. Snow-capped mountains jutted up around the huge lake. Early morning light made it glisten like silver.
When he had made the call, Larry Van Dyken had heartily agreed to take them in. Despite Larry’s enthusiasm, Gavin had still felt trepidation about seeing the father of the man whose career he had destroyed. He had to let go of his own fears. This was not about him. The island was the safest place for Julia—it was remote, and no one would connect it to her. If he hadn’t seen Crystal Lake on the corner of the map, it would not have occurred to him that the island was an option.
He slowed the car and peered through the trees. “There’s a turnoff for a dock somewhere here.”
The Jeep rolled down a dirt road to a dock.
Julia peered over the dashboard. “There’s no boat.”
“Larry doesn’t leave the boat out here where anyone could take it. He said he’d meet us and take us to the island.” Gavin checked his watch. “I gave him a window of time for when we could get here. He should show up any minute.”
At least the call to Larry had gone smoother than the one he had to make to Julia’s father. His conversation with William Randel had been short and to the point when her father had again insisted that he bring Julia back home.
He outlined all that had happened since their last call, but brushed over the attack on Julia in the hot-tub room. “Mr. Randel, Julia and I are on the move. Your daughter’s life is in extreme peril. I know that you are concerned about her, but bringing her back there is not an option. The closer we get to this trial…”
“Where are you taking her?” Even across the phone William’s distress was evident.
“I don’t know yet.” If only he had thought of Larry Van Dyken’s island before he’d called William. Maybe that would have eased the older man’s anxiety.
A long pause on the other end of the line indicated William was trying to work through something. “What you say makes sense. I know she can’t come back here. It’s just that I wish I could see her, see that she is okay.” William Randel’s voice cracked. “How is she? How is Julia holding up?”
“Your daughter is a remarkable woman.” He struggled to keep the emotion out of his voice as a realization spread through him. He loved Julia.
William said, “I hate being away from her.”
Gavin debated telling William Randel that his daughter was not the weak creature he viewed her as. The idea of asking her father if he could go back on the promise he had given warred within him. More than anything, he wanted Julia to know how he felt about her.
He thought better of it. What if William’s reaction was to fire him? He couldn’t risk not being close to her. He wouldn’t trust another man to protect her. “Julia has held up really well. Anybody else would have fallen apart. We’re going to get her to that trial and see to it that the rest of her life is very ordinary.”
William took in an audible breath as though he were garnering strength to say what needed to be said. “If that’s the way it has to be. I am putting my daughter’s life in your hands. I know you probably can’t communicate while you are en route, but please let me know when you are at your safe location. I need to at least hear her voice.”
“I will, and I’m sure Julia will want to talk to you then, too.” Gavin hung up.
Now as they waited at the dock for Larry’s boat to show up, he knew he had made the right choice. If he was to have a relationship with Julia, he wanted William Randel’s blessing. Maybe after the trial, he could talk to him.
Julia stared out at the lake. There were still patches of snow along the bank. “I remember coming here when I was a little girl.”
Gavin pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Really?”
“My mom and dad and I camped overnight. It was summertime. We built a campfire. My dad played his guitar.”
“That’s a good memory.”
Julia leaned back in the seat. “I can hear Daddy’s voice and see the flicker of firelight across my mother’s face.” She let out a breath and shook her head. “I never would have remembered that if we hadn’t come back here.” She closed her eyes. “I’m glad we came here already.”
“Happy to oblige.” He’d dragged her halfway across the countryside and she still found something positive, despite the muddled mess her life was.
“It’s easy for the bad memories to overwhelm the good.” Still resting her head against the back of the seat, she turned to look at him. Her blue eyes drew him in.
His heart quickened when he looked at her. “But you managed to find a good memory.”
“I’ve had practice. When Elijah would lock me in a closet for punishment, and I had to sit there in the dark, I’d ask God to bring a good memory into my head.”
“What kind of memories did you come up with?”
“Little things, like how different kinds of ice cream tasted. Christmas Eve service at church.”
She continued to look at him, and he could not free himself of the magnetic pull of her gaze. He dropped his eyes to her mouth. The desire to kiss her was almost too much. His mouth had gone dry. “Julia.”
“Yes.”
He straightened in his seat, pulling himself free of the electrical charge of the moment. “I’m impressed with who you’ve become, despite all you have been through.” He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. It took all his willpower to push down the attraction he felt.
He peered through the windshield and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. A boat came around a corner. “L
ooks like our ride is here.” He pushed open the door and stepped outside, grateful to put some distance between him and Julia. His willpower was wearing down.
Larry Van Dyken’s red winter cap, with the mass of snowy, white hair sneaking out from underneath, was the first thing to come into focus. Tension wound through Gavin’s torso. He wouldn’t be facing Joshua, but something about having to look his father in the eye made him apprehensive.
Let it go. This has to be about Julia.
The boat slowed as it drew nearer.
“Is that the guy?” Julia stood beside Gavin.
“Oh, yeah, I think Larry’s had that Einstein hair since Joshua and I were in high school.”
Larry stepped out on the dock and tied off the boat. He straightened his back and buttoned the down vest he wore before ambling toward them. He offered them an infectious grin.
He held out a hand for Gavin to shake. “Gavin Shane. You crazy kid.”
Gavin shook the older man’s hand, but stiffened when he was pulled into a hug. Gavin took a step back. “This is Julia.”
Julia adjusted the bag she had managed to throw together before they fled. “Pleased to meet you.” She held out a hand.
“I’ve got blankets in the boat. When we get going and that cold wind hits you, you’ll want to cover up.”
They settled into the boat. The tall waders Larry wore allowed him to step into the water to push off while Gavin started the motor. Larry jumped into the boat as it took off.
“Do you remember the way, son?”
Gavin turned to face the father of the man whose life he had destroyed. Guilt and shame rose to the surface. He didn’t deserve to be called son. “I can manage,” he said flatly.
Julia pulled a wool, plaid blanket up to her neck as the boat picked up speed. Gavin’s eyes watered from the cold air hitting him. The chill invigorated him, and he navigated the boat around a peninsula populated with bare deciduous trees and patches of snow.
Larry gave directions as they headed out into open water and traveled with only one side of the shoreline visible. The sparkling lake stretched on forever. The energy it took to brace against the chill loosened some of the tension knotted inside him.