Picture Perfect

by Sherry Lewis

  “He’s going to call Rachel and see what he can find out,” she said softly, still not looking at him.

  But despite his resolve, Kurt felt like a fool. Here he stood, ready and willing to help, and Ted was the one she called in a crisis.

  She turned then and held his gaze. “You don’t need to wait. We’ll be fine.”

  Though she said she didn’t blame him for putting them in danger, she’d closed herself off from him and pulled away. But he wasn’t ready to let her go. “I’ll stay.”

  Without responding, she busied herself with the coffeepot, and soon the earthy aroma of the fresh brew filled the kitchen. Compared to the terror of the moment, the soothing sound of the coffee-maker seemed strangely out of place.

  Kurt wasn’t sure how to help, but he knew he couldn’t leave. Abby didn’t speak as she placed a steaming mug in front of him. When she took the chair across from his and didn’t meet his eyes, Kurt’s heart dropped. But he still refused to let her drive him away.

  He wrapped his hands around the mug, letting its warmth combat the bone-deep chill from his wet clothes. It didn’t warm him completely, but he wouldn’t move until he knew she was safe.

  Abby had just filled her mug for the third time when the telephone rang at last. It sounded so loud in the silent kitchen that she cried out. Grabbing for the receiver, she gulped a deep breath, hoping to steady her heartbeat.

  “Abby? Bad news, kid. Your sister never got that letter.”

  Though she thought she’d prepared herself, hearing Ted say it made Abby’s knees weak. Reaching blindly for a chair, she forced herself to sit, vaguely aware that Kurt had risen from his place at the table and was standing behind her. She wanted him to touch her, to provide comfort. But he stood rigid and unmoving.

  “And there’s something else,” Ted warned. “I couldn’t reach Rachel right away, so I called the number you gave me for your parents. Apparently your brother-in-law came after Rachel and put her in the hospital again. The police arrested him, so nobody saw any need to frighten you.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’s okay. But your parents don’t think the kids should be told.”

  She knew he was right—this would destroy them. But how could she hide it? Tears of anger blurred her vision while her hatred for Vic grew. “At least he’s locked up.”

  After Vic hurt Rachel badly enough to require hospitalization the first time, he’d spent some time in jail. But the laws governing spousal abuse were inadequate, and the punishment even more so. Before long, Vic had been out on the streets again, still angry and violent.

  “That’s the trouble—he’s not. He made bail a few days later. Your parents say they’ve checked Rachel’s mail, but they never saw Michael’s letter. The police have a few reports that Vic’s been hanging around your sister’s house the past few days, but nothing they can do anything about. Still, I’d say chances are pretty good he’s got the letter and knows where the kids are.”

  “No!” Though she’d feared the worst since Kurt told her about the letter, hearing this somehow set a seal on it. Abby cradled the receiver and fought to control her mounting terror.

  “If you’re lucky, he won’t have enough money to get up there,” Ted continued. “But you’d better be careful just in case.” He paused and then said softly, “You going to be okay, kid?”

  Abby forced a response from her burning throat. “I hope so. And, Ted? Thanks.”

  “It was nothing. Keep in touch. Have you got the name of the sheriff up there? Maybe I ought to have a talk with him.”

  “I only know Doug Pierce—he’s one of the deputies.”

  “I’ll keep you posted. Watch your back.”

  After he rang off, Abby held the receiver against her ear, listening to the dial tone while she fought to calm herself. When at last she could move, she hung up and met Kurt’s eyes. “We’ll have to leave here—immediately.”

  Wanting to help her, to take away some of the pain, Kurt reached for her. “If he hasn’t shown up here by now, he probably won’t.”

  “You’re willing to gamble our lives on that?” She jerked her arm out of his grasp.

  “Of course not. But you don’t need to leave town.”

  “We can’t stay. I can’t put these kids in jeopardy. I promised Rachel I’d keep them safe. Now—”

  “Then let me help. Let me do something.”

  “There’s nothing you can do.”

  Lightning flashed and illuminated the gray sky, darkening the shadows of the forest outside. After a few seconds thunder rumbled heavily, and a sense of foreboding filled him.

  Maybe she was right. Maybe they should leave Pine Cove and find someplace safer.

  When the second flash of lightning whitened the sky, Kurt met Abby’s gaze. After everything she’d been through to protect Erin and Michael, it wasn’t fair she had to run again. He admired her courage. He respected the way she’d put her own life on hold to protect the children. And in the face of this disaster, she intended to handle the situation herself. No running for help, no looking to the nearest man for a solution to her problem.

  Rain splattered against the windows. Abby stood before him, strong and fierce as lightning lit the room, thunder shook the earth, and Kurt realized how much he loved her.

  He couldn’t let her disappear from his life. Somehow he had to do something for her—and the kids. She wouldn’t want to accept his help, but he couldn’t let her fight alone.

  “Let me call Gary over at the garage and get him to tow your car in this afternoon. At least then you’ll have an idea of how long it’ll be before you have transportation.”

  “The car! You don’t think it’s anything serious, do you? He has to be able to fix it today.”

  Kurt reached for the telephone and dialed. “I’m no mechanic, Abby. I exhausted my limited knowledge out there on the road.”

  Gary answered after six rings, and with only a little prodding Kurt elicited a promise from him to tow the car in and check it over immediately. “Call me back here at Mrs. Harris’s,” he said, and gave the number. “And, Gary—thanks. I owe you one, buddy.”

  Replacing the receiver, Kurt glanced at Abby.

  If anything, she’d grown paler in the last few minutes. “How long do you think it’ll take?” she asked.

  Kurt ached to hold her and ease her terror, if only temporarily. “If it’s something simple, you might be on the road within a couple of hours. If not—”

  “He has to be able to fix it today. We can’t stay here any longer.” Rising panic edged her voice.

  Giving in to impulse, Kurt pulled her into his arms. After a slight hesitation, she relaxed against his chest. His arms tightened around her and he wanted to stay like this forever, but holding her wouldn’t solve anything. “I wish I could tell you that it’s something minor, but I can’t. I can promise to help you in whatever way I can. Why don’t you and the kids get your things together. I’ll stay down here and wait for Gary’s call. If I haven’t heard anything in an hour, I’ll call him.”

  Turning quickly, she ran from the room. He listened to her footsteps retreating down the corridor, then running up the stairs. A few minutes later, he could hear another set of feet on the staircase and Brody joined Kurt in the kitchen.

  “What’s wrong, Dad?”

  “Why? What happened upstairs?”

  “Abby came in and said she had to talk with Michael and Erin alone. She told me you were here and asked me to come down and stay with you.”

  Without going into detail, Kurt filled Brody in on the situation. Expecting the boy to react with surprise, shock, fear or even anger, Brody’s response stunned him.

  “So his mom never got the letter? Wow. And now his dad’s on his way here?”

  “Maybe. But it’s too dangerous for them to wait here to find out.”

  The telephone jangled and Kurt grabbed it before it could ring again.

  “Bad news, buddy,” Gary drawled. “Her timing chain’
s slipped. She’s out of commission for a while.”

  “How long?”

  “At least a week, maybe longer. Depends on how soon I can get the part ordered in.”

  “Can’t you put a rush on it?”

  “That is a rush, Kurt. We’re talking about a major repair job here. No way I can do it faster than a week.”

  “All right,” Kurt said grudgingly. “Thanks, Gary. I’ll let you know what she decides to do.”

  “The sooner the better,” Gary said, and broke the connection.

  Why did this have to happen now? Abby and the children had to leave Pine Cove, but they had no transportation and nowhere to go. Even if they could decide on a safe place, there’d be no way to escape if the kids’ father found them again.

  Kurt slammed the receiver down on its hook and turned, startled to see Brody standing right behind him.

  “Dad? Why don’t we take them to the cabin?”

  Kurt felt a slow smile creep across his face. Though Jack and Theresa spent summer weekends there, he hadn’t been to his parents’ old cabin in so long that it hadn’t even come to mind. But it would be the perfect place for Abby and the kids to wait out the danger. Together, Kurt and Abby could protect Michael and Erin if the need arose.

  “That’s brilliant. What would I do without you?”

  Brody cocked his head to one side as if measuring Kurt’s words. “You think it’s a good idea?”

  “Absolutely.” Kurt reached an arm around Brody’s shoulder, expecting him to stiffen or pull away, but this time he didn’t. Kurt’s spirits leapt. Working together to keep Abby and the kids safe might help close the gap between them.

  Assuming, of course, he could convince Abby to go.

  “A CABIN?” Abby asked, her voice thick with skepticism. “That’s just what we need, Kurt—a remote spot where nobody can see what Vic has planned when he finds us.” Abby zipped the duffel bag and tossed it onto the floor.

  “He won’t find you. The place is hours from here, and nobody but Jack and Theresa will know that’s where you’ve gone.”

  “It won’t work.”

  “Why not?”

  Struggling to maintain her feeble hold on her patience, Abby turned to face him. “Because if Vic does come here, I want to have Erin and Michael as far away as I can.”

  “Look, I don’t want to be the voice of doom, but just exactly how to you propose to do that? You don’t have a car, and though I’d be glad to take you to the airport, if Vic’s even halfway clever he’d have little trouble tracing you. You won’t be able to leave Seattle without leaving a paper trail—credit-card receipts, car-rental forms…”

  “And he wouldn’t be able to trace us to your cabin?”

  “He might find you here in Pine Cove—I can’t guarantee he won’t. But you can slip away from here without telling anyone where you’re going. We’ll get Jack and Theresa to plant a believable story around town, and we’ll alert Doug Pierce to keep his eyes open. Nobody else would ever think of the cabin. I haven’t been there since before Dad died.”

  She shook her head, but this time she couldn’t find any words of protest. She could feel herself weakening, but she still didn’t want to give in. She’d never admired women who expected a man to save them when the going got rough, but here she was contemplating that very thing.

  Snapping her suitcase shut, she shouldered past him into the hall.

  “Where are you going?” Kurt followed her and his tone suggested he was nearing the end of his patience. “Come on, Abby. Don’t be so stubborn that you end up doing something foolish.”

  “If I don’t do what you want, I’ll be doing something foolish?”

  “You’re putting words in my mouth. I just don’t understand why you won’t let me help.”

  “Because it’s not your problem.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “I don’t want you and Brody involved.”

  “We’re already involved. We have been since the day you got here.” He stood at the top of the stairs, blocking her exit. His face darkened and his eyes blazed. “Isn’t the aim to get Michael and Erin to safety—”

  “Of course, but—”

  “Nobody’s going to question if Brody and I both leave. Jack and Theresa can make up a dozen stories to cover. But if I disappear and leave Brody here, it’s going to raise all sorts of eyebrows.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense. You’ll put Brody in jeopardy to protect Michael and Erin?”

  “I’m not putting Brody in jeopardy. If we do this right, we’ll be perfectly safe up there. But we’re all going to have to go together or it won’t work. Heading off somewhere without transportation and money is no solution. Digging in right here where you’re safe, and fighting if necessary, is your only option if you don’t want this to go on.”

  “We’re not safe here.”

  “You’re safer here than you would be in a lot of other places. You’ve got people who know you and care about you. What happens if you take those kids someplace else? Who’s going to notice if a strange man drives off with them in some big city? Who’s going to care?”

  She hesitated. Maybe he was right.

  “Michael and Erin aren’t the only ones in danger, Abby. I’m thinking about protecting your neck, too. I spent a number of years working with this kind of situation in Seattle. Vic might want his children back, but I’d bet money that he won’t be happy until he’s dealt with you. You can’t run from him forever.”

  Abby lowered her suitcases to the floor and met his eyes. Maybe they would be safer with Kurt in some remote mountain cabin than they’d be anywhere else. “I hope you’re right.”

  “I’ll do anything I can to help you. I won’t let you face this alone.”

  He took a step toward her, never letting his eyes leave hers, and pulled her into his arms again. Abby wanted him to hold her there forever where she could listen to the steady beat of his heart and know everything was all right. She didn’t want to do this alone anymore. And for the first time in her life, she felt stronger with someone than by herself.

  She leaned into Kurt, absorbing his heat. She’d never felt like this with any man. Steven’s arms had never seemed as if they belonged around her the way Kurt’s did. She wanted this feeling to last.

  But though she enjoyed the fantasy of it, reality would intrude again soon enough. Fear had driven her into his arms. Concern had prompted him to take her in. But she couldn’t let herself imagine that there existed something deeper between them.

  Watching Kurt with Brody and seeing the way he responded to his nieces told her how important children were to him. And listening to him talk about his childhood and his plans for the future convinced her she had no place in it. She’d suffered humiliation once before when she’d allowed herself to believe in love conquering all. She wouldn’t do it again.

  She’d enjoy this moment and accept his help, since he seemed so intent on giving it. But she couldn’t delude herself: she could never be what he wanted.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE ROAD WOUND steeply through the dense forest, cutting a path in land that seemed to close around them as they passed. For the hundredth time since they’d left Pine Cove, Abby checked on the children in the back of the Cherokee.

  Trying to find a comfortable position, she strained against the seat belt. They’d been driving for hours, and the muddy roads and pouring rain hadn’t made for an easy trip.

  “There’s some beautiful country up here,” Kurt said, breaking the silence.

  Abby nodded, but she didn’t totally agree. The country was beautiful, but it also made her uneasy. All around them the forest hugged the narrow road, occasionally reaching tendrils of green across the mud as if trying to reclaim its own. No wonder Kurt hadn’t been to the cabin in years. Who would willingly spend time in a place so remote?

  As if sensing her uneasiness, Kurt spoke again. “It’ll seem more inviting when the rain stops.”

  “I hope so.” She didn�
��t turn from the window, but she could feel Kurt casting glances at her. “Is there a telephone up here? A way for us to let someone know if—” She broke off, unable to voice the fear aloud.

  “I’m afraid not. And there’s no cell service. The cabin’s pretty rustic. My mom used to ask Dad to fix it up, but he never got around to it. And after he died and Mom moved to Florida, Jack and I never bothered. So we’ll have to use camping equipment for almost everything. Have you ever roughed it before?”

  “No.” She wanted to sound lighthearted, but the word came out more like a sob.

  “I’ll teach you how to use the stove, then we can take turns cooking. Michael and Brody can help me gather some firewood as soon as we get there, while you and Erin set up your gear in the loft. You’ll be warmer up above—and safer. The boys and I can sleep on the floor in the big room.”

  “That sounds fine.”

  “The best way for us to get through this is to treat it like an adventure. We’ll keep the kids busy—maybe take them on a few hikes. It just might help you, too.”

  She couldn’t make herself answer.

  “It’s going to be okay, Abby,” Kurt said.

  She studied his profile. “I hope you’re right.”

  The Cherokee hit a bump in the road. Mud sprayed across Abby’s window and she tried not to feel frustrated and out of her element. But again she wondered whether she’d been wise to agree to an indefinite stay in the mountains.

  “It’s not much farther now.”

  “Thank heaven,” she muttered. Surely once she got out of the Jeep, out of the rain and into someplace warm, she’d feel more like herself. But half an hour later they were still on the road, and she realized Kurt’s definition of “not much farther” didn’t match hers.

  Why had he turned his own life upside down to bring them here? He’d put his law practice on hold and closed up his house; he’d made all the arrangements and paid for most of the food and supplies.