Finding Courage (Love's Compass Book 3)

by Melanie D. Snitker

  Her gaze went from him, his jaw clenched, to the road that was fast approaching. She couldn’t close her eyes no matter how hard she tried.

  The road turned into a bump where it met the highway. The combination of it and the emergency brake made it possible for Duke to turn the car sharply onto the shoulder. Scraping sounds of metal on metal filled the interior as the side of the vehicle hit one of the property gates.

  As soon as they reached the dip in the shoulder, the car came to an abrupt stop.

  Avalon let out the breath she’d been holding and forced herself to release the hold on her seat. “Thank you, God.”

  Duke turned toward her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  He reached over and placed a hand on her stomach. “You’re sure? Do you need to see the doctor?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be okay, I’m just trying to calm myself down a little.” Avalon closed her eyes and took two even breaths. When she opened them again, she took in their location and shuddered as a truck barreled past them. “That was quick thinking. Were the brakes stuck?”

  “No. There’s no power to them at all, not even after pumping them. There isn’t any fluid.”

  “What does that mean? Did someone…”

  Duke grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Any number of things might’ve caused it. We’re not going to jump to conclusions until we get some answers first. Besides, if I find out this was intentional…” His eyes narrowed as he formed a hand into a fist. He reached over, opened the glove box, and pulled out the insurance card. “I’ll call for a tow truck and have it taken to a mechanic so we can find out what happened.”

  A car pulled up and stopped on the shoulder ahead of them while Duke was talking on the phone. He hung up and waved at the driver who got out and walked toward them.

  “Buenos dias, Mr. McNeil. Are you having trouble?”

  “Hi Francisco, thanks for stopping. Our brakes went out and we need to stay here long enough for a tow truck to get here from Yuma.” He turned to introduce Avalon. “This is my wife, Avalon. This is Francisco Juarez. He’s one of my managers. He’s instrumental in organizing the crew that works on the farm. We wouldn’t run smoothly without him.”

  The tall Mexican tipped his cowboy hat to her. “Mrs. McNeil. It is nice to meet you.”

  She smiled at him. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  Francisco turned back to Duke. “I’ll wait for the tow truck and then give you a ride back to your house.”

  The men shook hands. “I appreciate it. Thank you.” Duke slid an arm around Avalon’s waist and she leaned into him. “Once we get home, we’ll get my truck and go into town.”

  An hour later, Francisco dropped them off at the house before returning to work. The man from the tow truck company promised to take the car right to Duke’s mechanic. Duke had called in to give them a head’s up. Given the recent issues at the farm, the mechanic promised to take a look at the car as soon as it arrived.

  Now Avalon sat in the passenger seat of Duke’s truck and they headed into town for the second time. They tested the brakes out before leaving McNeil property. Avalon sent a silent thank you when they worked properly.

  They stepped into the office at the mechanic’s shop. A stocky, balding man met them at the counter and held a hand out to Duke.

  The men shook hands. “Thanks for taking my wife’s car in right away, Sam. We’ve been having trouble at the farm and wanted to find out exactly what happened with the brakes.”

  The other man nodded, his expression serious. “I’m happy to do it and I’m sorry to learn about the trouble you’ve been having. Unfortunately, I’ll only be adding to the concerns. I did some investigating and the brake line has been completely severed. Due to the nature of the cut, I have no doubt it was done intentionally.”

  Avalon felt goosebumps climb up her arms and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Duke placed a hand on each of her arms and gently pulled her back so she rested with her back against him. Once there, he put an arm around her waist. “Someone tried to hurt her. Or us.” His voice was void of emotion but when Avalon tipped her head back to look at him, his eyes flashed with anger.

  The mechanic set his clipboard of notes down on the counter. “That’s my guess. Although they didn’t know what they were doing. They cut the brake lines completely which means, the first time you use the brakes, they won’t work. In most cases, you’ll notice them before you ever get to full speed.”

  Duke held his hand out and Sam shook it again. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Don’t fix the line yet. We’ll add to the reports at the police station and I don’t know if they’ll need to send someone to take a look themselves or not. I’ll keep you updated.”

  “Whatever you need. Just holler.”

  They filed another report at the police station and got no answers. The officer they spoke with promised to have a look at the vehicle and said someone would be in touch.

  Twenty minutes later, they stopped at the Chinese food restaurant to eat lunch. Duke remained quiet since leaving the police station and Avalon was beginning to worry. She was about to say something when he said, “I’m sorry about all of this.”

  His words surprised Avalon. “This isn’t your fault. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  His eyes grew hard. “Maybe. But if my mom’s behind this somehow…”

  “Do you really believe she would do something like this?”

  “It’s a pretty big coincidence that she comes here yesterday to threaten you like that and then the brake line in only your car is cut. She wouldn’t do it herself, but she’s certainly got the resources to hire someone who would.” His hands holding chop sticks clenched and one of the thin pieces of wood broke in half.

  Their eyes went to the fractured chop stick and Avalon couldn’t help but smile. “Poor little thing was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Duke’s eyes softened as he accepted another set of chop sticks Avalon handed to him. She’d grabbed one for herself but had chosen to eat with a fork.

  His muscles were tight and his brow furrowed as he chewed a bite of orange chicken and swallowed. “I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave again.”

  Avalon stared at him, her mouth hanging open. “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe you should go back.”

  Her eyes widened. “What? No!”

  “The last thing I want to do is put you in danger. If something happens to you or the baby…” He cleared his throat. “I need you to know I would understand if you wanted to go home to Kitner. My mother alone is a good reason to leave.”

  She set her fork down and reached across the table to place a hand on his arm. “I am home. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He gave a single nod and covered her hand with his free one. His eyes looked troubled but his relief was palpable. “I have half a mind to go over there and talk to her this evening. This needs to end.”

  Avalon shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. If she’s not responsible, you might as well kiss any hope of peace between them and us goodbye. And if she is, it’ll be your word against hers.”

  Duke tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling and let out a long groan. “I can’t just sit around and wait for something else to happen. Not when you and the baby are in danger!” He formed his free hand into a fist and hit it against the table. “We should install some kind of surveillance system around the property. Since whoever is doing this seems to be fond of skulking around the house and garage, maybe we can catch him that way.”

  “Why don’t I call Lance and get his opinion?” When Duke didn’t seem to like the idea, Avalon said quickly, “He was a cop for years. We can find out from him what we should do to make sure any recording you get or video footage will stand up in court.” She expected him to object but he finally agreed.

  “Do it.”

  Avalon finished her mouthful of food and dialed Lance’s number. />
  “Hey, Avalon. I feel special. To what do I owe this call?”

  Her brother’s deep, teasing voice helped to calm some of the nerves still working to keep her shoulders tense.

  “Well, I wish I were calling for pure social reasons. We have a problem and I need to ask you some questions.”

  “Shoot.”

  Twice, Lance’s words of outrage interrupted her account of their morning.

  She told him about how they were starting to suspect Duke’s mom and about getting video cameras installed.

  “The cameras are a great idea. You’ll want to make certain both front and back doors are covered as well as your garage. You can connect the cameras with your computer and even see the images simultaneously on the screen.” The sound of keys on a keyboard could be heard in the background. “I can get on a flight first thing in the morning and be in Yuma after lunch. I’ll help you guys set up the cameras.”

  Avalon shifted, sitting straighter in her chair. “Lance, you don’t need to do that.”

  “Do what?” Duke asked and she told her brother to hang on a second while she relayed his words to her husband.

  A range of emotions passed over Duke’s face. To her surprise, he gave a nod of agreement. “Tell him we appreciate his help and will pay him back for the cost of his ticket.”

  Avalon moved the phone back into position. “Did you catch that?”

  “I heard. I’m booking the flight now. We’ll talk about the cost of it later.”

  She smiled. Her brother was almost as stubborn as she was and she had no doubt he’d argue about them paying him back.

  “What about Lexi? What about your shop? I imagine, with less than a month till Christmas, you’re pretty slammed.”

  More clicking in the background before Lance responded. “There are a number of things on my list, but I made sure I could finish by two weeks before Christmas at the latest. I’ll be fine for a few days. And Lexi’s doing great. After our call yesterday, she said I should have flown down anyway. She’ll be supportive.”

  “I’m glad. Thanks, Lance.”

  “Anytime. Let me get this finished up and I’ll e-mail my itinerary to you. As long as you can pick me up at the airport, we’ll be set.”

  “We’ll be there.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Avalon tried to rub the chill from her arms as she observed the train of people coming through the door at the airport. Any minute now, Lance should join them. She stood on her tiptoes and bounced up and down.

  Duke chuckled and stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around hers. “You’re cute.”

  Her face flushed as she welcomed the warmth from his touch. He’d suggested she take a jacket since the temperatures had been colder, but she’d insisted she was fine.

  “And you were right. I should have brought a jacket.”

  He stepped around to face her, an eyebrow raised. “I wish I had that on video.”

  She shot him a smile when a figure she’d know anywhere walked through the doorway ahead. “There he is!” Waving, she strode forward.

  Lance spotted her and grinned widely, increasing his pace until he was close enough to engulf her in a giant hug. “It’s good to see you.” He put a hand on her middle. “All three of you.”

  Avalon grinned up at him. “You, too. Thanks for coming.” She turned and motioned to her husband. “This is Duke. Duke, this is my big brother, Lance.”

  She watched as the men shook hands. Her heart swelled seeing the two of them together. She hooked an arm through each of theirs.

  Once they got to the truck, Lance pulled his belt along with his holster and gun from the bag he’d checked. Before heading back to the farm, they stopped at an electronics store in town. Between the two of them, the guys picked out video cameras they needed to cover the house and garage.

  On the drive home, it wasn’t long before the trouble they’d been experiencing became the topic of conversation. Avalon and Duke worked together to tell him all the details.

  Duke’s eyes met his in the rearview mirror as they pulled up in front of the house. “I’ve got to check on the workers’ progress. Do you mind staying with Avalon? I’ll be back by dinner and we can install the cameras and go over everything then.”

  They agreed to the plan. Duke shook Lance’s hand a second time and kissed Avalon on the cheek. “I’ll be back in a while.”

  Avalon smiled at him. “Okay. We’ll be fine.” Duke headed for the garage and she motioned to the house. “Shall we?”

  Lance shouldered his duffle bag and followed her up the porch stairs. He nodded at the door when they heard scratching and whining on the other side. “I take it that’s the infamous Khanrad?”

  She grinned. “Yep. Let’s hope he’s kept himself out of trouble today.” As they stepped inside, she told Lance about the bread and tortilla incident.

  He laughed as he greeted the large dog. “Is she telling stories about you? You don’t seem like a troublemaker to me.”

  Avalon wasn’t sure what to expect from the dog after how he’d reacted with Loretta. But it seemed he’d adopted Lance as a member of the family immediately. He rolled onto his back, happy to let the newcomer rub his belly. “I think you’ve made a new friend, Lance.”

  “That’s because he’s a smart boy,” he said, giving her a wink.

  “Come on. I’ll show you to your room. Then we’ll get something to drink, a snack, and sit down and relax until Duke gets home.”

  They did exactly that, taking their refreshments to the back porch and sitting on the stairs so Khanrad could run around for a while. Other than a few reminders to stay nearby, he was content to be where Avalon could see him. He took to sniffing around the garden.

  Lance accepted a spice cookie off the plate and popped it into his mouth. He nodded approvingly. “These are good. Did you make them?”

  “I did, thank you.” She’d baked them the evening before, wanting to have a treat ready that didn’t contain chocolate. The medication was doing its job and she intended to keep taking it until the twelfth week. Even with the improvement in how she felt, she wasn’t about to push it with chocolate or coffee for a very long time.

  She and Duke talked at length the night before and decided to tell Lance about their sleeping arrangements since he was likely to notice anyway. Butterfly wings fluttered in her tummy at the thought.

  Lance eyed her over the glass of soda he held in his hands. “How are things going between you and Duke?”

  What was it about the men in her life reading her mind? She swallowed past her nerves. “We’re doing a lot better.” Might as well just say it. “When I got back, we agreed to stay in separate rooms while we get to know each other. Something we didn’t give ourselves the opportunity to do before we got married.”

  The eyebrow over Lance’s right eye shot up. When he said nothing, Avalon’s cheeks grew hot.

  “Spit it out, Lance.”

  “Whose idea was that?”

  “It was mutual.”

  He didn’t appear convinced. “And you’re okay with it?”

  She shrugged. “I’m okay with doing what it takes to get us to where we both want to be. And we both want this to work.” She rested a hand over her middle. “When he found out about the baby, it threw a kink in the plan, but we’re working our way through it.”

  “Did you know when you came to Kitner?”

  “No. After I’d talked to you, and decided to come back, I suspected. That’s why I left when I did.”

  “Wow.” He studied her, his bright blue eyes identical to her own. There was no denying they were siblings and if they’d been closer in age, people likely would have mistaken them as twins. “The whole order of things is completely messed up here.”

  Avalon took a deep breath. “I realize that. But we’re finding our way, Lance.”

  He seemed to think for a few minutes before nodding slowly. “I’ll continue to pray you do.” A smile tugged at his lips and a sparkle lit up his eyes.
“I’m thrilled for you both about the baby.”

  Avalon grinned. “Me, too. I can’t wait until we can feel him kick. I know he’s moving around in there, but some days it’s a little hard to picture.”

  “You’re thinking the baby’s a boy?” Lance’s eyes held amusement.

  She shrugged. “And Duke’s guessing a girl.”

  “You’ve got a fifty-fifty chance of being right.” He winked at her. “Do you think you’ll find out the gender when given the chance?”

  “We haven’t talked about it. But I’m pretty sure we will.” Avalon couldn’t imagine waiting until the baby arrived to know if they were having a boy or a girl.

  “You’ll make a great mom.”

  Tears stung the back of her eyes. “That means a lot.” He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. “I’m blessed to have you for a brother. Thank you for coming to help. I hope Lexi didn’t mind.”

  At the mention of his girlfriend, the love in Lance’s eyes was unmistakable. He and his best friend, Tuck, had known each other most of their lives. Lance had hidden feelings for Tuck’s older sister, Lexi, nearly as long. It hadn’t been until she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that Lance realized how much he’d missed by not telling her how he felt years ago.

  Avalon was proud of how her brother supported Lexi when she needed it most. Last she heard, Lexi finished her chemotherapy sessions.

  “She understands how important family is.” Lance squeezed her shoulders before resting his hand on the back of his neck. “She’s got a lot going on this week. Besides her new job, she has an orientation at the hospital. She said she could spare me for a few days.” He smiled, the pride puffing his chest out a little. “Lexi wants to volunteer in the NICU to help the babies.”

  From what she knew about Lexi, that didn’t surprise her one bit. Because of her cancer diagnosis, Lexi had gone through a complete hysterectomy. She wouldn’t have children of her own, but somehow she still found a way to bless some who needed her.

  Avalon only met her once, but she’d liked her immediately. “How come you haven’t married the girl yet?” She threw a teasing smile his way.