Delilah pulled the veil over Elin’s face and adjusted it. A string floated at the side, so she pulled out the tiny nail clippers she’d stuck in her pocket for this very reason and snipped it off. “It’s showtime. Josie will drop the flowers, then you go, Sara. When Sara reaches the pastor, it will be time for you to enter.” “Don’t leave!” Elin grabbed her arm when Delilah reached for the door. “Can you wait with me?”
“Of course.” She held open the door for Vanessa to slip inside as the wedding processional music started. Delilah’s eyes misted as she watched it all unfold. Was it even possible that marriage was in her future?
SEVEN
THERE WAS NO ONE HERE TOM DIDN’T TRUST, AND HE WAS beginning to relax. He sipped on his punch and balanced a plate of cake and nuts on his knees as he sat in a folding chair and eyed the rest of the guests. The more he thought about it, the more he doubted anyone would try to hurt Delilah in a public setting like this.
Everyone had moved into the large tent for refreshments, and Delilah had strung tons of lights and greenery all around here too. The scent of pine made him eager for Christmas, only two days away. A dance floor occupied one end of the large space, but the music hadn’t started playing yet.
Carrying a plate and a glass of punch, Vanessa came across the grass. She had changed into a different blouse, and her face was clean of soot, but her mouth was still pinched and worry lined her forehead.
“Doing okay?” he asked as she settled on the chair next to him.
“Everything is gone, Tom. All my clothes, my computer, my furniture. The fire department got there quickly, but that fire went so fast. I still can’t believe it. Who would do that?” Her voice trembled, and she lifted her cup to her lips for a sip of punch.
“I wish I knew. Does Gage know?”
She shook her head. “I called him after I got out, but he didn’t pick up. He’s in Richmond on business. I’m sure he’ll call when he can.”
Her boyfriend sold pharmaceuticals and traveled several days a week. It was a heck of a time for him to be gone. He saw Libby’s anxious gaze sweep the large space. Her frown eased when she saw her half sister sitting with him. “Libby is worried about you.”
“I’m worried about me.” She blew out a breath and leaned back.
“Arsonists can sometimes begin as teenagers, so I’m going to talk to the principal at the school and see if there are any troubled guys I should take a look at.”
She nodded and picked up her fork, then put it back down again. “I’m going to move in with Libby for now. I’m at a motel in town, but tomorrow one of the guests leaves and there will be room for me.”
“I think that’s a smart idea.” He motioned to Delilah, who was moving around the tent making sure everyone had what they needed.
“Can I get you more to drink?” Delilah peered at his cup.
She looked so pretty in the sky-blue dress that hugged her figure in all the right places. And in the heels, she seemed a different woman than the one he knew.
He pulled his cup away. “No, I’m good. I just wanted to make sure nothing weird’s happened tonight. You feel like anyone is watching you, anything making you uncomfortable?”
She shook her head. “And I’m so glad nothing has spoiled Elin and Marc’s wedding. It’s been a perfect night. I want to keep it that way.” Looking over his shoulder, she waved at Pearl, who was corralling all the guests for the first dance. “I think the dancing is about to begin.”
Marc’s father led Elin to the dance floor, and Delilah smiled as she watched. “They’re so lucky to have a loving family.”
Vanessa smiled. “Aw, and her mom is dancing with Marc. She’s gotten so frail, but she seems pretty bright tonight. Like she knows what’s happening.”
Elin’s mother had Alzheimer’s, but so far she’d been able to stay at home with Elin. Marc was so gentle and sweet with Ruby, and she looked up at him with an adoring gaze as he swung her carefully around the floor.
“Did they ever find that lost Cambodian map that Ruby hid?”
Delilah shook her head. “Elin hasn’t looked. She thinks it’s supposed to stay hidden, at least for now.”
Her wistful voice reminded Tom of his search for her brother. He had located a phone number that might be the man he was seeking, but with the fire, he hadn’t had a chance to call. Several other couples wandered onto the dance floor as the music changed to an Alan Jackson tune.
Tom put down his refreshments and rose. “I think you need a little whirl around the floor before you get back to work. Just so it’s a night you remember for something more than serving cake and punch.”
Delilah put her hands behind her back. “I-I don’t know how to dance.”
“You can’t hurt me through these shoes. I’ll show you.”
A smile lifted her full lips. “Is learning to dance something else your sister forced on you?”
The smooth skin of her arm was warm under his fingers. “You might say that. At the last minute, her best friend’s date for the senior prom backed out, and she decided I’d do as a fill-in since I was a star football player.”
“You didn’t have a date?”
“Nope. Only fear of my sister would have induced me to learn to dance. She worked with me for three days before the prom, and off I went with her friend.”
“You sound like you’re still close.”
They reached the floor, and he led her onto the wood planks. “I don’t get to see her often, but we talk all the time. She’s married with two kids now. Lives in California with her husband who’s a chiropractor.” He pulled her into his arms, and she fit just right with her head reaching his shoulder. His hand settled in the narrow curve of her waist, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. “Hmm, you smell good. Sort of like an orange.”
“It’s the essential oil I use. It’s to help me stay calm tonight.” Her lips were muffled against his suit jacket.
“Aren’t you always calm? You seem to have everything under control at all times.”
“It’s a facade. I had so little control growing up that I crave it now. But I always fear messing something up.” She nestled a little closer. “How about we just dance and I forget that the punch bowl is almost empty and I’m not sure what to do with the leftover cake?”
“I think that’s a fine idea.” He pulled her closer and brushed his lips over her forehead.
The place seemed almost eerily quiet now that the guests had left, and the band had taken their instruments and departed. Delilah had sent cake home with as many people as would take it, and she left the chairs and tent for the rental company to deal with in the morning. The fading taillights of Tom’s truck were the last ones to disappear around the curve of the road.
The porch boards creaked under her heels, and yawning, she turned toward the door. It was after midnight, but she felt a deep sense of contentment that Elin and Marc had enjoyed such a marvelous evening. As she reached for the doorknob, she realized she’d left the lights on in the gazebo overlooking the ocean. It would only take a moment to run down and turn off the lights, so she kicked off her heels and went down the porch steps.
She stood on the cold, wet grass a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dark. She didn’t mind the chill running up her legs since perspiration dotted her forehead from her exertion in wrapping up the evening. When she could see again, she hurried across the uneven ground. Breathing in the scent of the sea added to her happiness.
The moon glowed in the sky, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore brought an added sense of contentment. Dancing with Tom tonight had been magical, something she would always remember, even if nothing more between them ever happened.
All alone in the dark night, she realized the gazebo was farther than she had thought. The tiny lights enveloped the gazebo and made it look magical. Alec had built it after he and Libby were married, and the thing was a good twenty fee
t in diameter. He’d put in screens to help with bugs, and cushions added comfort and color on the wooden benches lining the perimeter.
She went up the steps and whirled around on the floor with her arms out and her eyes closed. It would have been fun to have danced here alone with Tom. She opened her eyes and smiled. No good to her peace of mind was going to come from daydreaming here, so she went to turn off the lights.
The gazebo was plunged into darkness, and she stood for a moment blinking. Gradually, she began to make out the landscape again. The sea foam glowed in the moonlight as it washed onto the beach, and the sound of the sea seemed louder in the dark. Her smile faded. Her deep sense of contentment had been replaced by unease. The hair on her back stood at attention, and she realized she’d been holding her breath.
She let her gaze sweep the area and saw nothing amiss that would account for her sudden alarm, but her breath came fast and her chest rose and fell. She wanted to leap from the gazebo and bolt for the house, but she forced herself to take one lungful of air after another even as she wheeled and headed for the steps.
Nothing here should frighten her, but her hand stole to her pocket, and she wrapped her fingers around her cell phone. Just hearing Tom’s voice would calm her down, but she resisted. He’d just turn back around and come to check things out. She’d feel like a fool when he found nothing.
She hurried down the gazebo stairs with her gaze fixed on the comforting bulk of Tidewater Inn rising above the lawn. As she reached the grass, something grabbed her ankle, and she went down with a muffled scream.
Her left arm hit the cold ground, and the air rushed out of her lungs. She gathered her breath for a real scream as panic gathered in her chest, but rough hands rolled her over, and a hard hand smelling of automotive grease clamped over her mouth.
She stared up into a man’s face. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, but she didn’t think she’d ever met him.
He hauled her to her feet and pushed her back up the steps to the gazebo. “I told you I’d make you pay. The bill has come due.”
She tried to bite his hand, but he had it so tightly against her mouth that she couldn’t open her mouth. Struggling against his grip was like a guppy trying to escape a shark. His muscles were massive, and her flailing arms were a puny weapon against his strength.
He dragged her into the gazebo and flung her to the floor, then yanked a strip of duct tape off his arm and slapped it across her mouth. In seconds her hands were bound in tape behind her back. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t budge the wide strips of duct tape on her wrists.
Fear was a huge beast sitting on her chest. Was this how it would all end? She’d never get a chance to see where the relationship with Tom might lead, never get to smell the sea breeze again, never hear the gulls fighting over fish.
She’d never find her brother now. Tears stung her eyes, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t want to die.
Scooting away from him, she felt for anything she might use to release the tape, but her head banged against a bench, and she found nothing she could use. Her phone glinted in the moonlight five feet away where it had fallen when he’d tackled her.
He squatted beside her, and with the moon shining on his face, she felt a jolt of recognition. Keith Jacobsen. Though she hadn’t met Vanessa’s old boyfriend, she’d seen his picture. Clarity came as she stared up into his face. He blamed her for Vanessa breaking up with him.
And he meant to kill her in revenge.
EIGHT
THE PULL-OFF AHEAD OF TOM WAS A FAVORITE PLACE FOR vacationers to watch the sunset, but it was also a great spot for watching the moonlit waves breaking on the shoreline. He pulled his truck off the road and dialed the number he had for Delilah’s brother, Adam.
The phone rang on the other end twice before a deep voice answered. “This better not be a sales call.”
“This is Sheriff Tom Bourne in Hope Beach, North Carolina.”
“Sheriff?” The man’s voice changed from boredom to interest. “What’s this all about?”
“Are you the Adam Carter who lost his parents in an accident when you were twenty?”
There was a long pause on the other end. “That’s old news, but yeah.”
“You have a sister named Delilah?”
“Had. She’s been dead a good twenty years.”
“She’s not dead. Delilah lives here in Hope Beach, and I wanted to find you as a surprise to her.”
There was another long pause. “Are you sure this woman is my sister?”
“I’m sure. Like I said, I’m a sheriff. It wasn’t easy tracking you down, but your birth dates and parents line up.”
Adam’s throat clicked on the other end of the line, and when he spoke again, his voice was thick with emotion. “I was told she died in the accident too.”
“Who told you that?”
“I didn’t even know they died until I got back from a covert mission to Afghanistan. I was told the whole family was in the car when it went into river. I kind of shut down with the news, and it’s a little foggy as far as who called. The state police, I think.”
No wonder Delilah hadn’t been able to find him, and Tom had had such trouble too. If he’d been in Special Ops, he’d probably been wiped off the radar. “She survived in an air bubble in the car. I’d love to surprise her on Christmas Day if you could fly out. Where are you now?”
“I live in California, but I’m vacationing right now in Virginia Beach. I can just drive down there with my wife and kids. I’ve got two girls.” He sounded eager. “I can’t believe this! Delilah is alive after all this time. Hold on.” There was a muffled exchange with someone, then he came back on the line. “Can we come tomorrow? That’s Christmas Eve. I don’t want to wait another day to see her.”
Tom pictured her face when she saw her brother for the first time and grinned. “That’d be great. She manages Tidewater Inn, a bed-and-breakfast here on the island. I’ll talk to the owner and arrange for your lodging. This will mean the world to her.”
“You her husband or something?”
“Not yet.” Something light and airy spread in Tom’s chest. “I care about her though.”
“Dude, you’re going to be a rock star in her eyes. Mine too. I can’t tell you what this means to me, to my wife and daughters. Family. Wow.”
Tom’s grin widened. “See you tomorrow then.” He ended the call and put his phone down. The surprise was going to be so great. His cell phone rang, and as he answered it, he saw Vanessa’s name on the screen. “Everything okay?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to call Delilah for half an hour, and she’s not answering. Libby turns off her phones at night so I couldn’t reach them either.”
“Maybe she turned her phone off too.” He started the truck and headed it back toward Tidewater Inn.
“She never turns it off. A guest might need something. I’m a little worried. It’s probably nothing, and like I said earlier, the fire and the attack on Delilah probably aren’t related, but after my scare today I’m a little on edge. I thought all my worries were over once Keith left me alone. A lot I know.”
Keith. Something clicked in Tom’s head. “What was your last communication with him?”
“The usual. That he was going to show me we belonged together no matter what anyone else said.”
“Why would he say it that way? Did he know Delilah objected to the way he treated you?”
“Well, yeah. When we broke up, I told him I’d been like a frog that didn’t know the water was heating up until my best friend pointed it out.” Vanessa’s gasp came through the phone loud and clear. “You think he’s the one who set the fire and tried to hurt Delilah?”
“It makes sense. I’m heading there now. I’ll let you know when I find her.” He ended the call and tossed his cell phone into the passenger seat.
He’d break the door do
wn to rouse the entire place if he had to. Praying everything was fine, he took the curves at nearly seventy miles an hour, so fast his tires squealed. His heart tried to pound right out of his chest, and he kept pushing away the image of finding her lifeless body. He’d gone through that once with Holly, and he couldn’t do it again.
He snatched up his phone and tried Delilah’s number, but it rang until her voice mail message came on. So he called his deputy and instructed him to run another check on Keith Jacobsen and to see if Keith’s vehicle was parked in front of his house. It would be at least an hour before the deputy could get out there to the house and call him back.
The porch light at Tidewater Inn beckoned ahead, and he accelerated into the final straight length of road, then slammed on his brakes, yanked the truck into Park, and leaped out.
He ran up the inn’s steps and rang the doorbell. If he woke up the entire household only to find Delilah sleeping in her bed, he was going to feel like a fool, but he had to know she was all right.
It seemed an eternity before a bleary-eyed Alec, dressed in pajamas and a robe, opened the door. “Tom, what’s wrong?”
“Have you seen Delilah? She’s not answering her phone, and with everything that’s been going on, I was worried.”
“It’s nearly one in the morning. I’m sure she’s in bed.” Then he frowned and his eyes widened. “But the door was unlocked just now. And the porch light is on. She usually turns it out when she goes to bed. Let me check. Come on in.”
A shudder went down Tom’s back and he shook his head. “I’ll look around outside while you check.” Reversing direction, he went to his truck and grabbed a flashlight, praying all the while that she was safe.
Delilah’s arm sockets screamed with pain. Keith had wrenched them behind her back, and no matter how much she tried, she’d been unable to loosen her bonds even a little.
“We would have been happy if you hadn’t interfered.” His teeth were gritted as he splashed something from a soda bottle around the gazebo. “Even the sheriff can’t save you now.”
All Is Bright Page 5