by Connie Mann
She opened her mouth, closed it, a battle raging in her eyes.
He had no idea if what was going on with her family was connected to Robert Black’s murder, but he planned to find out.
Which meant he was sticking close. She clearly wasn’t used to anyone helping her or standing beside her, but that was about to change.
Nobody was showing up with a gun again while he was around to prevent it.
Chapter 8
Delilah wondered if Josh had any idea how close she’d come to telling him everything. Or how tempted she’d been to run her hands all over his chest instead of backing away. Every time he showed up, it was harder to keep her distance. But for Mary’s sake, she had to.
The camper walls were closing in on her, so she grabbed her gear and headed out, intent on finding the same troop of monkeys she’d studied the other day. Nothing reset her equilibrium like watching the little ones play while the adults interacted. Their predictable behavior settled her, especially on days like today, when her own family acted in ways she couldn’t begin to comprehend.
She was in luck, because the troop was high in the treetops, in the same area as before. She pulled out her camera and smiled as she watched several females grooming one another, others eating.
A flash of movement in a small tree caught her eye. “Oh, there you are, babies,” she crooned, grinning like mad. The infants had crossed the three-week mark, and several of them were sitting on branches, munching leaves. The first few weeks, they stayed with their mothers, nursing exclusively. She panned the area with her camera and found the mothers nearby, keeping a watchful eye on their offspring while they ate and groomed one another.
She snapped photo after photo, relieved that the little ones all looked healthy. She caught a few “aunties” inching closer, which concerned her. These young females, often from the same mother, would sometimes try to take the little ones to practice mothering. But if the auntie wasn’t lactating, unless the mother took the infant back, things could quickly become life-threatening.
She waited and watched, relieved that all seemed well with both the mothers and their offspring. The tiny male she’d nicknamed Oscar caught her eye, and she snapped photo after photo of his adorable face as he scampered and played. As she studied him, she took her first deep breath in hours, finally letting herself relax. At least out here, things made sense.
But then that same twitchy feeling that she was being watched started between her shoulder blades. Annoyed that her fragile peace had been shattered, she packed her camera and headed home.
Time crawled by as the clock neared midnight and she paced her tiny camper. Why had John Henry moved the family? The only thing that made sense was that he and Aaron were worried she might cause trouble, which convinced her Aaron had recognized her that night. She smiled a little at the idea that she’d made them nervous.
Over the past eight years, she’d told herself she was okay without family, but tonight, a wave of loneliness swept over her, followed by the familiar wash of guilt. How bad had things gotten for Mama after Delilah ran away?
She couldn’t undo the past, so she had to focus on getting Mary out of there. Which meant thinking like her father. There were two possibilities to prompt a move: the guns she’d seen or the dead hunter was somehow connected to the family.
Which brought her back to Josh and his earlier questions. She had no doubt his offer of help was genuine. He was that kind of guy. But until she knew what her family was into—and how it could affect Mary—she had to keep steeling herself against the growing temptation to curl up in his arms and tell him everything.
Wait. Who was Mary supposed to marry? Once she had a name, she’d talk to the creep and get him to cancel—she’d threaten, even pay him off if necessary. She pulled out her camera and studied the photos she’d taken earlier, trying to organize her thoughts. She’d bet Kimberly would help her track down this model citizen.
When she finally fell asleep with the camera still in her hands, the images she’d worked so hard to forget came back to torment her. Suddenly, it was two weeks before her wedding, and Nate had taken her out to dinner and a movie. He’d been funny and solicitous and treated her like a fairy-tale princess. The way he looked at her and things he said had made Delilah feel beautiful and cherished, and she thought again that maybe being married wouldn’t be such a terrible thing after all.
They were in the truck, headed back to her family’s campsite, when he suddenly pulled off the dirt road and into the woods. Delilah looked around at the darkened forest, and a little shiver passed over her skin. Nate turned toward her with a smile. “Slide over here by me. You’re too far away.”
Delilah returned the smile and inched her way toward him, unsure what to do. He’d kissed her a few times, and it had been very nice, but now, there was something different about him. He had a predatory gleam in his eyes that set off warning bells in her head. He must have noticed, for his grin widened. “Relax, little girl. I love you. I won’t hurt you.”
Delilah wasn’t sure how to respond. She liked hearing he loved her but stiffened at being called “little girl.” Before she came up with a response, though, he yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his, trapping her against the truck’s bench seat. Startled and uncomfortable, she put her hands on his chest, trying to push him away, but it only seemed to make things worse. He tightened his grip and glared at her. “You’ve been teasing me long enough. That ends tonight.”
Delilah wasn’t sure exactly what he meant, but what little she knew and the possessive, angry look in his eyes scared her. “I think we should go home now,” she whispered.
He laughed as he pulled her close again. “We’ll go when I say we go. And I’m just getting started.”
His hands seemed to be everywhere at once, and the more she struggled, the more aggressive he got. Terrified, she twisted and turned, biting back her cries, since any sound she made just seemed to excite him further.
Tears leaked out of Delilah’s eyes as she realized she couldn’t escape. He was bigger and stronger, and soon, she’d be his wife, so he could do what he wanted, whenever he wanted. Her life would be just like this, all the time. She was trapped. Forever.
When he held her down with one hand and unfastened his pants with the other, a new wave of terror jolted through her, and her mind rebelled against everything she’d been taught. No. She didn’t want this, wouldn’t let him do this to her. She had to stop him. Had to get away.
Get out of the truck, her mind screamed, and she fought harder.
Between one heartbeat and the next, a knife appeared in his hand. She planted her feet on the seat, but the knife connected with her thigh, and she screamed in pain as it sliced into her skin.
As she looked up at the angry face looming above her, she spotted his rifle in the gun rack above her head. She lunged upward, throwing him momentarily off balance, and grabbed the rifle. There wasn’t much room in the cab, but she put all her weight behind it and slammed the butt into his forehead.
He screamed and grabbed his head as blood spurted, then tried to reach for the gun. “You’ll pay for this, bitch!” He couldn’t see past the blood, so she hit him again and again until he stopped fighting. Then she scrambled out of the truck and took off running.
She ran, half hobbling, one hand clamped over the gash in her thigh, until she reached the clinic.
Breath heaving, she leaned against a tree. Kimberly Gaines had always been kind to her. Delilah pulled the door open with the last of her strength, took two steps inside, and collapsed on the floor.
Gentle hands touched her face. “You’re safe now, sweet girl. You’re going to be just fine.”
After she bandaged her up, Kimberly tried to get Delilah to report what had happened. “No, please. I just want to go home.”
Kimberly studied her for a long moment, then nodded once. She drove her to the
campsite and held Delilah tight as they studied the empty clearing, the remnants of Delilah’s burned clothing smoldering in the fire pit. The message was clear as day, and Delilah’s heart broke as she realized her family had turned their backs on her. Without a word, Kimberly took Delilah home with her. The next day, she helped Delilah disappear.
A noise outside the camper brought Delilah sharply awake, and her head shot up like a forest animal scenting danger. Breathing hard as she shook off the last remnants of the nightmare, she eased over to the tiny window and peeked out. The camper was dark, so no one could see her. A mama raccoon and her babies walked past, but the sense that there were other eyes watching wouldn’t go away.
She knew she wouldn’t sleep anymore tonight, so she turned on a lamp and powered up her laptop. She would transfer the photos from her camera and then sort, crop, and save the best of the best for her next progress report.
At the sound of a vehicle approaching, she froze.
Again, she crept to the window and peeked out. An official FWC pickup pulled up at the edge of the clearing, and Josh climbed out. She braced for his knock at her door, but it didn’t come. Instead, she heard him make a careful circuit around her camper. When she looked out again, he lifted his hand in a two-fingered salute before he climbed back into his truck.
After thirty minutes had gone by and he still hadn’t left, Delilah realized he was keeping watch. She went back to the window, squinted through the blinds, and saw him in the cab of the truck, head back against the headrest, as though he planned to stay.
Why? Was he worried she was going to run away? Annoyance shot through her, followed immediately by another thought. Maybe it was the opposite. Maybe he was trying to keep her safe.
Which threw her completely off balance. She always felt like he could see right past her defenses. She was used to being alone and taking care of herself, but he kept trying to walk beside her, to help, and she wasn’t sure how to react. His clean scent, hard body, and twinkly eyes also made her acutely aware of the differences between male and female.
Just thinking about his laser-sharp focus directed at her started a delicious heat in her belly. The contrast between him and her nightmares of Nate was like the difference between heaven and hell.
She peeked out the window again, oh so tempted to walk to his truck and run her hand along that hard jaw, let her palm slide over the stubble of his beard. Images of the two of them, wrapped around each other on her little futon, hands caressing bare skin, scorched her. But she couldn’t let that happen. He’d stirred something inside her, something that went far deeper than a casual relationship, and that was a risk she couldn’t take.
Her focus had to stay on Mary.
Tomorrow, she’d figure out who they were marrying her sister to, and she’d go from there. Nothing else mattered.
She’d have to keep her distance from her self-appointed protector. She turned off the lamp and opened the blinds. Josh turned toward the camper as though he could see her. His teeth flashed white in the moonlight and he nodded. Knowing he was there, she curled up on her lonely futon and slept.
* * *
The next morning, Josh headed for the Corner Café after a quick stop at home to shave and shower. He’d caught a few z’s in his truck and had made sure he was gone well before dawn. He figured Delilah wouldn’t appreciate the fact that he’d been there all night, but he hadn’t been able to leave. He couldn’t shake the sensation that danger hovered around her. He’d learned not to ignore that instinct.
Liz greeted him with a smile, then studied his face and frowned. “Officer Tanner, they’re going to start calling you Hangdog instead of Hollywood if you don’t get some sleep.”
Josh sent her a lopsided grin. “I knew there was a reason I stopped in here for coffee. Who else would say such nice things to me this early in the morning?”
She laughed, then pointed to a copy of today’s paper lying on the counter. “I’m guessing this is what’s causing those dark circles under your eyes?”
Josh glanced at the headline. HUNTER MURDERED IN FOREST MADE TO LOOK LIKE BEAR ATTACK. FWC was hoping the information would get people talking.
It wouldn’t be long before the barrage of questions started. He heard the bell above the door jangle behind him and turned slowly, counting down as he went. Three. Two. One.
“Is this for real?” Mayor Bill Peterson waved a copy of the paper around.
“That’s what I hear,” Josh said noncommittally.
“Don’t you know? Isn’t FWC investigating?”
Josh looked from Peterson to Commissioner Benson to the other regulars scattered around the room. He raised his voice to be sure everyone heard it the first time. “What you read in the paper is correct. According to the ME’s report, Robert Black was not killed by a bear but by a stab wound to the chest. It looks like someone deliberately tried to draw the bear to the body to conceal the crime.”
Josh heard the bell and turned to see Delilah striding through the doorway.
The moment she spotted him, she marched in his direction. “I need to talk to you.” She’d tried to lower her voice, but the tone carried.
Josh looked over his shoulder, aware that all conversation had stopped as people openly eavesdropped. “Let’s take this outside.”
He led them to the other side of his truck, out of view of the café windows.
She propped her hands on her hips, drawing his gaze. She wore form-fitting khaki pants today, with a white button-down shirt tucked inside. With her dark hair, she looked amazing. “Why were you outside my camper all night, Josh? Did you think I was going to run away?”
He pulled his attention back to her words. “What? No.” He blew out a breath, rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Suddenly, what made perfect sense in the middle of the night seemed less clear-cut in the light of day. “Look. Besides Black being murdered and the monkey researcher last year who was beaten almost to death, there is also the matter of guns being fired around the time you found the body. And let’s not forget either your father or brother firing shots, in the dark no less, to keep you away from your sister.”
She raised a brow. “It still doesn’t explain what you were doing outside my camper.”
“I was trying to protect you.” The words came out a low growl.
She studied him as though judging the truth of his words, and then a slow smile spread over her face. Seconds later, it vanished. “Were you there all night?”
“Most of it. I left just before dawn. Why?”
She held out a plastic bag with a piece of paper inside. “I’m guessing you didn’t leave this on the hood of my truck.”
He snatched the bag from her hand and read the note. Someone had written “You don’t belong here,” in thick black marker.
“Why would I leave you a note? Makes no sense.” He shook his head. “And just for the record, I don’t think that. I think this is home for you, even if you’ve been gone a long time.”
He watched surprise flash across her face before she reached into her pants pocket and pulled out another baggie. This one held a shotgun shell. “Then I guess you didn’t leave this next to the note.”
He froze. A note was one thing. The implied threat of the shotgun shell was something else. Someone must have shown up after he’d left this morning. Had they been watching her, too? His mind raced through possibilities, but he kept his voice calm. “You guess right.” He studied the shell, then looked up. “Good thinking, bagging both. Did you touch them?”
“The note, yes. For a second, I thought you’d left it, and I was ticked off.” She shrugged, embarrassed. “I didn’t touch the shell.”
He propped his arm on the cab of the truck and leaned closer, catching a whiff of something soft and citrusy that suited her perfectly. “Just so we’re clear. If I have something to say, I’ll say it straight out. I won’t leave a not
e on your truck.”
The silence stretched, and he thought he just might drown in the pull of her deep blue eyes. She surprised him by reaching up and cupping his jaw. “I can take care of myself, you know.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper.
He shrugged, smiled. “Call me old-fashioned.”
Her smile curved her lips and drew his attention. His mouth was inches from hers when he remembered he was in uniform and they were standing outside the café, in full view of anyone who drove by.
He eased back and cleared his throat. A wash of color flooded her cheeks, and she looked away. At least he wasn’t the only one affected. Focus, Tanner. “I’ll take these and have them run for prints. Any idea who might have left them?” He had a few ideas but wanted her opinion.
“I know some people don’t want me out here studying the monkeys. They’re convinced they’re a threat to the environment and should be removed.” Her chin came up, but she smiled as she added, “Guys like you.”
He smiled back, then blew out a breath. “Right. People get a little nuts about the monkeys, on both sides of the issue.” He paused, kept his eyes on her face as he held up the shotgun shell. “Is this something John Henry or Aaron would do?”
She glanced away. “I’m not sure. Possibly.”
He considered. “Doesn’t seem like their style. They seem more like shoot-first-ask-questions-later types.”
A rueful smile touched her lips. “You’re probably right about that.”
“Are they the same people responsible for the gunfire I heard the day you found Robert Black?”
She stiffened in surprise, then tried to hide her reaction. She looked away, then back at him, conflicting emotions warring in her expression. Worry, fear, uncertainty. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. “Yes.”
He’d suspected as much, and it raised a whole host of other questions. “Tell me what you left out of your story before, Delilah. I need to know.”