“Rob went back to the SUV with the two guys frozen inside. He searched it, and found a business card for Stevens Construction. There’s a number on the back, we need to look that up. I don’t want to believe Conner has anything to do with this, but right now everything is pointing to his company.”
Erik’s grandfather sighed, as he processed that. Amber waited a couple of seconds, then jumped in.
“No one knew Jerome’s and Stilton’s plans ended in their own deaths, until yesterday, when we told Conner Stevens and the rest of his office party. Someone there knew it was Jerome and Stilton who died, even though we didn’t give names. That person killed Burns later, and then went to Jerome’s apartment, to delete incriminating emails from his laptop.”
“It could be that someone in Conner’s office mentioned it later on, and that’s when Avenger heard,” Erik reminded her.
“It was easier to believe that, before your brother found a Stevens Construction business card in Jerome’s possession,” she reminded him. Erik acknowledged that with a reluctant nod.
“Well… I find it hard to believe the man I knew, could do such a thing,” his grandfather said. “If Conner is guilty, then he’s changed a good deal in the past few years.”
“He seemed so surprised when we told him what’s been going on,” Erik remembered. “He was surprised. I don’t believe he’s involved.”
“I hope you’re right, son. Someone is, and they seem to be associated in some way with Conner’s company, or somebody that works for him. Whoever that may be, he’s got nothing to lose anymore. He’s already killed once. If he thinks it’ll cover his tracks, he’ll do it again.”
“We’ll be careful, Grampa,” Erik promised. “We may go over the information we obtained last night, but other than that, we’re through investigating. In fact, I’ll tell Conner that tomorrow. I don’t think he’s involved, but… I’ll tell him.”
“Alright, son. Your grandmother and I’ll be praying for both of you.”
“Thanks, Grampa,” Erik said, and he and his grandfather ended their call.
He placed his phone back in his pocket, and glanced at Amber.
“I really don’t believe Conner’s in on this,” he felt the need to reiterate.
“I know you don’t,” she said sympathetically, as to one who is sorely deluded. She squeezed his hand, and rubbed his shoulder supportively. “Is Conner seeing anyone?”
Erik gave her a funny look.
“Is he—what?”
“He’s a nice-looking guy, and I noticed he wasn’t wearing a ring,” she said blithely, completely unaware of the alarm brought on by her words. “Do you know if he’s seeing anyone?”
“Why—What does it matter?” Erik practically snapped. “You think he’s guilty, and besides—he’s way too old for you!”
Erik would never again worry about the five-year distance between them, since she seemed to have no problem with the twenty between her and Conner!
Amber was a little taken aback by his vehement response, but she also laughed.
“Well yeah, on both counts. As if! I only wondered, because I could tell Sheila—the girl in his office—likes him. I just wondered what their relationship’s like, is all.”
Erik slowly unbristled, and his blood pressure returned to normal.
“Oh.”
Twenty years her senior was out, and that didn’t disappoint him. But what about five?
“Do you still want pie?” Amber asked, eyeing the plates on the coffee table.
“Yeah, sure,” Erik replied, but he didn’t let go of her hand. “Conner is older than Sheila, I’m pretty sure.”
“Yeah… so?” Amber wondered.
“Maybe he’s too old for her. There may be as much as a five-year age difference,” Erik pointed out.
“More like ten or fifteen, but what about it?”
“Well, they… may have different goals in life. Conner might be looking for a long-term relationship, and Sheila may not be that serious. If she even likes him, at all.”
“I’d say she does, but so?” Amber asked.
“What do you think she wants?” Erik wondered. “What kind of relationship, I mean.”
“I don’t know, she probably just wants a relationship at all,” Amber replied, thinking this was a very strange conversation, indeed. “I have no idea.”
“What do you want?” Erik asked.
Amber looked back at him, uncertainly. He seemed to expect an answer. She laughed a little, as she glanced away.
“I’d be happy if the guy I like, would just ask me out,” she said.
Erik’s runaway heart shivered, as icy fingers of fear clutched at it.
“The… the guy you like? You like someone?” he heard himself say.
“Yes, of course,” she said uncomfortably. “Did you want pie, or not?”
“Was he at church last night?” Erik persisted.
“Yes,” she said, and rolled her eyes a little.
“Did I meet him?” Erik asked tightly.
“Yeah… kind of…”
“Is it Gabriel?” Erik demanded, his blue eyes flashing with jealousy.
Amber had no idea what was the matter with him, but he was starting to scare her a little.
“No, it isn’t Gabriel!” she retorted.
“Joshua?”
“Joshua and I are just friends,” she protested.
“Is it that Kent guy? Please don’t tell me it’s Reggie!” he practically exploded.
Amber gasped, and shot him a look of outrage.
“Absolutely not!”
Erik felt relieved, and kept right on going.
“That guy with the red shirt, and the brown hair. Is it him?”
“I have no idea who you’re even talking about!” she said in exasperation.
“What about that guy in the serving line, he was tall, and had glasses. He smiled at you, and you smiled back.”
“No,” she spluttered.
“Then who? Who is it?” Erik demanded desperately.
“You, you dolt!” Amber snapped. “It’s you, alright? It’s you.”
She buried her face in her hands, and sank against the back of the couch. Erik stared, as his frostbitten heart made a rapid recovery.
“It’s me? I’m the guy… you want to go out with?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” she answered, her voice muffled. She was too humiliated to look up, and missed seeing the joy that flooded him.
“Then let’s go out. Something’s got to be open. How about coffee? Or we could see a movie.”
Amber’s eyes popped open. She sat there for a moment, then slowly risked giving him a look.
“Why?” she asked cautiously.
“Because I want to go out with you, too, so I’m asking you,” he smiled. Her eyes lit with hope and her own smile blazed forth, as his heart swelled with happiness.
“Are you serious?” she had to ask.
“I’m completely serious,” he replied, as he reached for her hand, and laced his fingers with hers. “I like you, Amber. A lot. I would’ve said something earlier, but I’ve been afraid you wouldn’t feel the same way about me.”
Amber raised an eyebrow, and felt his forehead.
“You don’t have a fever, so what are you, nuts?” she retorted. “Of course I like you! What girl wouldn’t?”
“The only girl I care about, is you,” Erik smiled, and so did Amber. She also blushed, and dropped her gaze.
“I can’t believe you like me,” she said, bumping his shoulder lightly with hers.
“I don’t know why that’s so hard to believe. I like everything about you,” he replied. He stopped himself short of saying he was completely in love with her. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin his chances by going too fast.
“Everything?” she asked, with a sideways glance.
“Everything,” he smiled back.
“I can be opinionated,” she informed him. “And bossy. Or so I’ve been told, anyway.”
“You’re smarter than I am, and a lot more mature. You don’t make dumb mistakes like I do,” she confessed. He heard the insecurity in her voice, and his heart rose to her defense.
“Amber,” Erik replied gently. “Do you really believe I don’t make dumb mistakes?”
“Yes,” she answered sincerely.
“Good. Because my feelings for you are not dumb, and they’re not a mistake. So stop putting down the only girl I want to be with, and see yourself the way I do. See yourself the way you are.”
Amber blinked away a few tears, and smiled.
“Okay. I’ll try.”
“Good,” he smiled back, and they hugged. He was glad, he was better than glad, but… “Do you think your parents will be okay with this? With us?”
“Are you kidding?” Amber retorted. “Mom and Dad love you. Why wouldn’t they?”
“I don’t know, it’s just the age difference worries me, I guess,” he admitted.
“Is that it?” she laughed a little. “Then feel better. There’s as much difference between Dad and Mom, as between you and me.”
“Are you serious?” Erik had to ask. “Your dad’s five years older than your mom?”
“I am completely serious,” she replied, and Erik laughed in relief.
“Then I’ll stop worrying,” he smiled.
ROB and Samantha sat on the couch in front of the fire, as she scrolled through the images on his phone. She was amazed by what she saw.
“You built all these?”
“Erik and I did,” he said modestly.
“Rob, I’m—so impressed. But not surprised,” she added. “I knew you had it in you. Ooh, this is beautiful. Where is it?”
“A couple of miles that way,” Rob indicated, with a nod of his head. “That’s Pine Mountain Lodge.”
“I love it,” she said in delight, as she examined a photo of the lobby, another of the restaurant, and several of the rooms and suites. “I’d love to go there sometime.”
“How about this summer?” he suggested.
“Perfect. I’m in no hurry to get out in the snow again,” she replied with a shudder.
Rob glanced through the window, at the sporadic flakes that fell outside. An hour ago, the wind blew itself away as rapidly as it did earlier in the day. Once again the earth was calm, and he felt torn.
“You seem distracted,” Samantha commented.
“I guess I am, a little bit,” he admitted.
“Are you still thinking about how you had to search the SUV, with those two guys in it?” she sympathized.
“Not exactly. Not at all, actually.”
“Then what’s the matter?”
“Nothing, I just feel a little guilty for sitting here with you looking at pictures of the lodge, when I should probably be hiking there to pick up the supplies we need.”
Samantha’s face clouded, and determination filled her eyes.
“Then stop it. Because I don’t want you to go. We’ll ration. We’ll make do for as long as we have to, no matter how long that is. The storm has to end soon… These clear patches are a good sign it’s winding down, you said so yourself.”
“Our supplies need to be replenished. So do your clothes,” he reminded her, with a glance at her robe. “Rescue will either be by snowmobile, or helicopter. You need a decent coat, snow pants, and boots.”
“I’ll manage with what I have,” she said bravely, in spite of the shiver that coursed through her.
“You’ll manage to freeze, if you don’t starve first,” Rob replied, tightening his arm around her. “I’m not letting you do either one. I can get food, and all the cold weather gear you could ever ask for, at the lodge.”
“How?” she asked doubtfully.
“The pro shop is stocked.”
“Isn’t that convenient,” she said grumpily. “But that makes no difference. I don’t want to be left here alone, wondering if you’re still okay, and worrying that you’ll be caught in the storm.”
“I know. That’s why I’m still here,” Rob tried to soothe her. “I’m not anxious to go, either. Not because I’m afraid I won’t make it back, but because I don’t want to leave you.”
“Then don’t,” she said sharply. “Maybe you’re not afraid you won’t make it back, but I am. You could get lost, or injured. You might run into a wild animal. Or you could get caught in the storm. I hated it when you left today. I don’t want you doing it again.”
Rob looked back at her soberly.
“I’m torn between what we want, and what we need. So… right now, we’ve got what we want. In the next day or two, I have to go get what we need. Then, we’ll have it all.”
He could tell by the look in her eyes that he’d have a fight on his hands when that day came.
“You’re not going without a fight,” she informed him, and he laughed softly.
“I know. I’m kind of glad. Kind of. It’s proof that you love me,” he admitted.
“I do love you,” she clung to him.
“I’m so thankful for that,” he said, as he hugged her. “I love you, too. And to the best of my ability, I’m going to provide for you.”
“Then I’m praying the sheriff will find a way here, so you don’t have to,” she declared.
“So will I,” he smiled, and wondered.
Did she believe? Or was she just saying that, the way people did sometimes, having no real faith in the One to whom they professed to pray? But maybe she did believe. Maybe that was what was different about her.
Whether she did or didn’t, they needed to talk. He wanted to tell her what he experienced, and the way he was being changed. If the same thing happened to her, he wanted to hear about it. But he wasn’t quite sure how to start. He was afraid of messing up somehow. If she didn’t believe, he didn’t want to say the wrong thing.
Samantha gave Rob one last squeeze, then turned her attention back to the phone in her hand. She scrolled through the rest of the pictures slowly.
“This is beautiful,” she commented.
“Yeah, that one is nice. Now you know what I’ve been doing with my time, how about you? I know about your job, I know you didn’t fall in love with someone else—for which I’m extremely grateful—I know you live with your sister. But what about your personal life? Did you join any groups, or clubs, or…”
She joined a local mommy & me club, and she was part of the single moms’ group at church, but… If she told him, what would his reaction be? She was a little afraid to find out. Rob would be so angry.
But no. He wouldn’t, Samantha reminded herself, as she looked up at him. He wasn’t the same man he used to be. The change was beyond comprehension, but it was very real. She could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice, as well as in the way he touched her, and showed her consideration. As incomprehensible as anything else, was his willingness to overcome his fears of having a child. He still thought the actual event would occur in the future, not sixteen months ago… but he was willing to step outside his comfort zone, and he was already a father, and she needed to tell him.
Samantha examined the last photo, and returned Rob’s phone. As he checked the radar app, she cleared her throat a little.
“A lot happened after I left, and… a lot changed,” she began nervously. Rob’s expression went from confused to concerned, as he listened. “I had no way to know, and I never expected… but about a month after I moved back in with my parents, I—I found out…”
Anxiety flooded his eyes, and he paled visibly.
“What are you saying? Samantha, you’re not sick, are you?” he asked, as panic threatened.
“No, not at all,” she hurried to assure him, and he wilted with relief.
“You scared me nearly to death. I was afraid you
were trying to tell me you had cancer, or something.”
“I am so sorry,” Samantha apologized, as she hugged him hard, and he hugged her even harder. “I don’t have cancer, and I’m not sick.”
“If I lost you—I think I’d just die,” he said, his stomach turning at the thought.
“I feel the same way about you. Stay here, and don’t go to the lodge,” she pleaded.
“If there’s any other way, I won’t. But I won’t let you starve, or get lifted into a helicopter in nothing more than what you’ve got on right now,” he replied.
“You don’t like what I’m wearing?” Samantha asked, hiding a smile.
“I do, and no way is any other guy seeing you this way,” Rob retorted jealously.
“And so, I’ll wear the feather-coated clothes I came in,” she compromised.
“Yeah, about that… If we had more duct tape, that might work. But… getting you out of them wasn’t easy. It required permanent alterations. So what was it you were about to say, before?”
Samantha gave him a look that told him their conversation was far from over, but she let the subject drop for the time being.
“Right, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said, as her nervousness returned.
“Then whatever it is, just say it,” he replied, holding her hands in his. The look in her eyes was concerning, and he steeled himself. “As long as I have you, now, I don’t care what it is. I mean that. I do. Whatever it is, I love you.”
Her nervousness evaporated, and she marveled at the change in him, as she pulled Rob close and kissed him.
“I’m glad that’s how you feel, but it’s nothing bad,” she assured him softly.
“Then what is it?” he asked.
A faint and unfamiliar sound disturbed the quiet on the other side of the windowpanes, and they froze.
“What… is that?” Samantha asked suddenly.
“It could be a snowmobile,” Rob said, as they rose to their feet and hurried to the window beside the front door.
“Could the sheriff get here this soon?” she wondered, as the sound grew closer.
“We called not long ago, I don’t see how,” he replied. “Whoever it is, they’ve got to be crazy to be out this far, or else paying no attention to the weather. The storm’s not over. They could get stuck in this, easy.”
Disengaged (Terms of Engagement Book 3) Page 38