Abide: A Christian Romance Novel (The Lewis Legacy Series, Book 7)

by JoAnn Durgin

  “I need you.” When both Caty and Lauren looked at him, Caleb flushed. “To stick to numbers. For Reidco.” He cleared his throat. “Lauren, go on ahead and tell Cordelia we’re back.”

  Her lips twisted. “Dad, if you want to be alone with Caty, all you have to do is say so.”

  “That was what I said, more or less.” He grinned and ran one hand over his jaw. “Fine. I’d like a moment alone with Caty. Please.”

  “Okay.” Lauren giggled and waved. “Bye, Caty. Remember…”

  Caty pulled the souvenir chopsticks from her purse and held them up. “Chopsticks are not a toy, and they are my friend. Bye, Lauren. It was fun. Hope to see you again soon.” She hoped that statement wasn’t too presumptuous.

  Caleb stood in the doorway and watched his daughter in the hallway. “I’m going to stand here until I see you go back into my offices.”

  “Dad, you can trust me.”

  “Keep walking, Lauren.” A few seconds later, seemingly satisfied, Caleb’s gaze found hers. “May I come inside your office?”

  “Of course.” Caty’s heart pounded. Now this felt like the end of a date. Leading the way, she wondered if he’d close the door. He did, pushing it with one hand. Not all the way but enough so that anyone passing by in the hallway wouldn’t be able to see him. Was this wise? At the moment, she couldn’t care less.

  Be still, my heart.

  Appearing deep in thought, Caleb draped his jacket over the back of the loveseat. Then he removed his Stetson and carefully placed it on top of the jacket. “I seem to be breaking a lot of personal rules since you’ve come into my life.”

  Her pulse was out of control. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “I’m not sure if you know, but there’s no rule at Belac, Inc. prohibiting employees from socializing with one another. Spending time with one another.”

  “Considering that’s what we’ve been doing for the past hour or more, I’d say we’ve already crossed that threshold.”

  Stepping closer, Caleb’s nearness made it difficult to think, to breathe. “Specifically, dating one another. As long as it doesn’t interfere with business in terms of negatively impacting on-the-job work performance.”

  “Understood.” Caty swallowed hard. “And do those rules also apply to the boss?”

  “Especially to the boss.” He traced his fingers lightly along her jawline. “The problem is, I’m not quite sure what to do with this very real, very strong, attraction I feel for you.”

  “I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you.” Caty lifted her chin. “You strike me as a very capable man.”

  Caleb’s eyes lit, the depth of color deepening. “Do you feel the same?”

  “I think that’s a safe assumption.” When he seemed to want her to say more, she nodded. “Yes, I feel the same.”

  He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I’m not sure I deserve you. You’re so good, so…”

  She shook her head. “I have plenty of faults, Caleb. I’m not without sin. I’m outspoken, stubborn as all get out, selfish… What? You’re looking at me funny.”

  “Even when you rattle off a list of your faults, you’re irresistible.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “Is it too soon, Caty?”

  “If you’re asking me to run away with you for the weekend, yes, it’s too soon. I wouldn’t do that, anyway. Just so you’ll know. But if you’re asking me to go on a date with you, I’d say yes. I mean, no, it’s not too soon.” She breathed out a sigh. “Am I making any sense?”

  “Adorably so.” His lips curved in a heart-stopping way. “In that case, Miss Lewis, would you do me the honor of coming to dinner at the house one night next week?”

  Yes, please.

  Caty struggled to find her voice. “I’d like that very much,” she finally managed. Every nerve ending in her body was on high alert, her breathing shallow.

  “Tuesday night?” His voice turned husky.

  “I think that can be arranged.” This might be a bad idea, but she didn’t care. The annoying voice of reason could take a hike. They were both adults. Caleb had traveled this road before although she never had. Everything else faded into the background, replaced by promise and the hope of something new and completely wonderful.

  “I’ll send my driver for you at six on Tuesday. His name is Oliver.”

  “I’m not sure I can be ready by six. My boss can be demanding, and I need to make sure my work is done first.” Dinner at the house? That seemed to be jumping a big step. Not that it mattered.

  Caleb’s chuckle was low in his throat. “I don’t think your boss will mind if you leave the office a little early. Oliver will give you a keyword when he arrives so that you’ll know it’s him.” Those gorgeous brown eyes searched hers as if asking permission. Then his gaze dropped to her lips, lingering there, before he dropped a light, tantalizing kiss on the corner of her mouth.

  “Should I be worried that you seem to know so much about me, including where I live?”

  In response, he brushed his lips over hers again, teasing her. “One of the perks of being the boss.”

  “And, um”—hard to think with him so close—“what is this keyword of which you speak?”

  “Scrappy,” he whispered. His lips warmed her skin. She felt his smile on her cheek.

  Caty blinked. “That’s not very romantic, Mr. Reid.”

  In response, his arms slid around her waist and Caleb tugged her close. “I don’t play games, Caty. I’m completely out-of-touch when it comes to dating. However”—he brushed his mouth over hers again—“I hope that’s about to change.” He lowered his head and chuckled. “I trust you know what I meant by that.”

  “I do. I’m a firm believer in change.” She appreciated Caleb’s openness. He wanted her to understand things about his past. Get to know him. Trust him.

  “So am I.” His lips nuzzled hers. If he didn’t kiss her—really kiss her—soon, she might just lose her mind. “Part of that whole new attitude change I was talking about.”

  “Change can definitely be a good thing.” Caty moved her hands up his chest to his broad shoulders, appreciating the journey. “Healthy and…productive.”

  “Stop me now if you need to, but I’m falling. Hard and fast.” If Caleb hadn’t spoken the words, the softness in his eyes, the caress of his voice, and the tenderness in his touch would have told her.

  When Caty’s eyes closed, his lips found hers, settling in. Claiming her. His kiss was surprisingly gentle yet firm. Not demanding, in control. Beyond perfect. She felt the tautness in his chest, the restrained strength of his muscles, as he held her in his arms.

  As he released her, Caleb’s smile seared straight through her. “I hope that was more romantic. More to your liking, Miss Lewis.”

  “Hmm, yes,” she murmured. “Much better.”

  Chapter 23

  “Caleb, I’m sorry to disturb you.”

  “Then don’t. Go away and let me enjoy my moment.” He softened his words with a smile to let Cordelia know he was teasing, but her features were solemn. Not even a hint of a smile.

  “You need to see this.”

  His heart dropped. Can’t I have one afternoon free of worry? He’d come back to the office full of optimism and now…this. Thoughts of Caty Lewis would have to wait. Caleb motioned for her to bring whatever it was to him.

  Approaching his desk, his assistant offered him a plain white business envelope with his name typed in all capital letters on the front. Black, bold letters, centered. He’d seen similar envelopes to this one before. Cheap quality. No distinguishing marks except for the company name. The other envelopes had contained nothing good. Nothing he’d ever wanted to see again in his lifetime.

  His head pounding, blood rushing to his ears, Caleb reluctantly reached for the envelope. It’d been four months since the last delivery. Why had he been foolish enough to think this nightmare might be over by moving to Houston?

  “Stay,” he said when Cordelia turned to leave. He probably shouldn’t b
e touching the envelope in case he eventually surrendered it to the authorities as evidence. Evidence of what, he didn’t want to consider.

  He tapped it on the top of his desk. “Did you look at it? Read it?” He’d hoped she had read it and could tell him.

  “No. You’ll note it’s still sealed.”

  “You’ve intercepted them in the past, so I thought perhaps…” He tossed it on the desk in disgust.

  “I shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t my place.”

  “I was out of the country for the last one. In my absence, you had every right, Cordelia. Perhaps I shouldn’t open this one now.” Caleb frowned and lowered his fist on top of the envelope. “It’s nothing more than opening the door and inviting the devil to get a foothold on my deepest insecurities concerning Lauren.”

  Cordelia took the chair across from him. “I think you should open it. If nothing else, you can show it to the authorities. If you don’t open it, won’t you be curious what’s in it?”

  Sitting back in his chair, Caleb rested his head on the back of his chair. “You should know by now a Pandora’s box doesn’t tempt me. All it does is complicate a situation over which I have zero control.”

  “That’s your biggest fear, isn’t it? Losing control?”

  She knew him, all right. “You could say that, yes. Beyond that, the authorities won’t do anything with idle threats. The sad reality is that they won’t take action until something actually occurs. By then, it might be too late.” He tapped the desk with his fist. “Does Lauren know?”

  “No. She’s playing a game on her phone and doesn’t suspect a thing.”

  “Thank you for that.” Caleb hoped he could mask his emotions around Lauren as well as Cordelia. “You never knew when you signed on to work for a nineteen-year-old, snot-nosed kid that you’d be dealing with things like this, did you?”

  “I’ve never regretted working for you, Caleb. If I did, I wouldn’t be sitting here now. I’ve seen you grow in so many ways. As a man, as a husband to Helena”—Cordelia dropped her gaze—“and especially as a father to Lauren. If you’ll pardon my saying, your wife’s death forced you to take more notice of Lauren and spend quality time with her. You didn’t have to, but you did, and I know how much you love your daughter. Losing someone doesn’t mean our lives stop. It just means we go about our lives in a different way.”

  She’d lost her husband to cancer when her boys were teenagers, and together with Lettie, this dear woman had also ministered to him in his hour of deepest need after Helena’s death. Counseled him on the days when he sat and absently stared at the wall in his office as though in a catatonic state. Pushed him to meetings and made him care about living again.

  Hanging his head, Caleb clasped his hands together on top of the desk. “You showed me how to pick myself up and keep moving forward. I asked Caty what she was afraid of. Perhaps I should be asking myself that question. For one thing, it’s time for me to stop running. Or at least to slow down. In order to do that, I need to figure out if there’s anything more I can do about the threats.” His gaze fell on the envelope while his thoughts waged a fierce inner battle.

  “You’re an important man in a position of power,” Cordelia said. “The authorities should know you’d be a likely target of such schemes. Perhaps if you go to them, they could provide some kind of security for you and Lauren.”

  “Without knowing who it is we’re dealing with? I doubt it. Besides, what would that do? I refuse to give into intimidation.” He held all the admiration in the world for law enforcement but not in the way things had been handled when Lauren was almost snatched from under his nose in Dallas at her private academy.

  They’d attended an evening school event. She’d gone back to her classroom to get something. The hallway had been quiet, dark. Caleb had discovered a man hunched in a corner outside the classroom—lurking, waiting, watching. Not wanting to alarm Lauren, he’d taken off after him on foot, but the man had escaped into the night.

  Caleb had somehow managed to keep calm and Lauren had never even known. But he’d known. He’d called the police when he’d returned home that night. The detective made a report and filed it away with the hundreds, maybe thousands, of other reports. The school had been alerted. During the day, the Dallas academy’s security had been top-notch—just like at Greenbriar-Browne—but after hours, they’d been much more lax.

  He didn’t like being told there were no guarantees. There were always guarantees of one kind or another. He couldn’t risk his daughter’s life for no guarantees. Someone was still waiting for him to make a false move. Which meant he needed to be one step ahead to keep Lauren safe.

  “In its own way, maybe you’re giving into the intimidation by not turning this matter over to the authorities.” Tilting her head, Cordelia gave him the look. Like Lettie, she’d perfected it through the years. Two completely different women, but he loved them both.

  “I have an alternative.” Armed with a plan, Caleb sat straighter in his chair. “I met a man for dinner last week who’s ex-military. Owns a private security company now. I’m thinking of calling him. If you ever get a call from Eliot Marchand, put him straight through no matter what I’m doing. Don’t record his name anywhere—not on the computer, not in the files. Just remember it.”

  “Understood.” Cordelia angled her head to the envelope. “It’s time.”

  With a grunt of frustration, Caleb used his letter opener and slit the seal. His fingers shook as he pulled out the single white sheet of unlined paper and read the words that could not be traced. Words that chilled him to his bone marrow and shook him to the core of his being.

  You Can’t Protect Her Forever.

  She Won’t Be Your Little Girl Much Longer.

  In More Ways Than One.

  Chapter 24

  The paper in Caleb’s fingers floated to the desktop while he stared straight ahead, glassy-eyed. Dear Lord, not again. The words on that paper replayed in his mind, over and over. If he allowed them, the words would haunt him. He had a few choice words for people who threatened something so heinous and vile.

  No more! He could not allow the intimidation to continue without making an effort to stop it.

  You pray, Caleb. Prayer was the answer, not violence. He knew that, but for the moment, he wanted to strike back. But how did he fight an unseen foe?

  Clearly alarmed, Cordelia jumped out of her chair. Seizing the paper, she quickly scanned it. “This is enough. Caleb, you have to do something. Call your friend or whatever you need to do. Should I make the call or will you?”

  He snapped out of his trance. “I’m going to call Eliot. He’ll know what to do. Or at least give me some solid advice.”

  “I’ll keep Lauren with me for now. Let me know if you need me to do anything else.”

  “I will. Thanks, Cordelia.” She departed his office and closed the door.

  Locating Eliot’s card in his wallet, Caleb started to dial from the office phone then thought better of it. He reached for his cell phone instead, and his fingers continued to shake as he dialed. They shook so bad he almost dropped the phone. The call went straight to voice mail, making him frown, even though he shouldn’t be surprised. It was Friday, after all. Eliot might have already started his weekend.

  Collapsing back in his chair, Caleb stared at the ceiling. The only sound in the room came from the clock.

  Tick tock.

  “Oh, be quiet,” he muttered. He still sat in the chair, stewing, when Eliot returned his call. Only a few minutes later, it seemed more like days.

  “Hi, Caleb. Tell me how I can help you.”

  That statement gave him momentary pause. “How did you know?”

  “It’s my business to know. This is my work number, so I figured this wasn’t a social call.”

  Caleb told him in brief terms about the previous threats and then read the newest one to him. “If you have time, can we meet somewhere to discuss it?”

  “Sure,” Eliot said. “How about
in an hour? I’m in the office.” He relayed the address and told him it wasn’t far from downtown. “Will Lauren be with you?”

  Lauren. He rubbed his hand over his jaw. She’d be safe if she stayed with him for the meeting, but he didn’t want her to go. Where could he take her? Cordelia would be willing, if he needed her.

  “I’m guessing it’s better not to bring her along?”

  “Correct.”

  Could he persuade Caty to take his daughter shopping this afternoon? She’d probably think he was a lunatic, or a schizophrenic, but he could try. Caty was a smart woman. Based on his earlier behavior when he’d rushed into her office, especially, she probably guessed something was going on.

  “I’ll figure out something,” he told Eliot. “Better give me an hour and fifteen.”

  “You’ve got it, buddy. Call if you’re running late, but I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Thanks, Eliot. See you soon.”

  After pocketing his cell phone, Caleb lifted out of the chair and headed for the door. The need to pray washed over him, stopping him. Walking across the room, he fell to his knees and rested his elbows on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace.

  Closing his eyes, he bowed his head. “Father, you promise to watch over us and protect us from evil. You know how much I love Lauren, how fiercely I want to always protect her. I need your help.”

  His voice broke. “I know I don’t deserve it, and I’m not asking for me. I’m asking for my daughter. I’m sorry I’ve been away so long. I don’t feel worthy to ask anything from you. I hate this unrest in my heart, this war in my soul, but I don’t know how to fight back against this unseen evil, and this person or persons who threaten to harm her. I don’t know what to do, Lord. I’m a sinner saved by your grace, and I’m trying my best to trust in your promises. You know how hard it is for me when I can’t control things, and it’s absolutely killing me”—his voice caught again, and he scrubbed a hand over his face—“that there’s absolutely nothing I can do. I don’t do helpless.”