“Because I’ve got half a dozen chocolate chip cookies in my hand?”
“That’ll work.” She swung the door open, stepping back to let him in. The brightly lit foyer with its colorful quilts hanging from the hall was as familiar as Ben’s own home.
Chloe was familiar, too. Like an old friend he’d reconnected with rather than someone he’d only recently met. Tonight, she’d left her black hair hanging loose, the bangs falling into her eyes and hiding her expression as they so often did.
“You said you had cookies?”
“Right here.” He handed her the bag that Ella had packed for him, smiling when Chloe dug in, pulling out a cookie and biting into it.
“Delicious. So good I think I’ll have another.” She pulled a second from the bag. “You weren’t baking cookies while I was babysitting, were you?”
“I don’t think that would get me too many points with you or the Reeds.” He shrugged out of his jacket, dropped it onto the couch. “I had a big problem to deal with. It took a little longer than I expected.”
“A little longer? You said you’d be here before Jake and Tiffany left.”
“I tried, but I got held up.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m happy to report that Mammoth is doing fine.”
“Mammoth?” Chloe moved through the foyer and into the kitchen. Ben followed, noting the subtle hitch to her stride and the gingerly way she moved as she bent to pick a stuffed bear from the floor. “Should I ask?”
“He’s a pig. His owner lives a few miles outside of town. She collects animals that no one else wants.”
“And Mammoth is one of them?”
“Yes. And he lives up to his name. He’s huge. When he gets out of his pen, he isn’t always easy to corral again.”
“Did you manage it?”
“Yeah, but my clothes didn’t survive to tell the story. I had to go home and change. How about you? It looks like you managed to settle the troops.”
“Nearly. Honor isn’t quite asleep yet.”
“Maybe I should go peek in on her.”
“I don’t think you’re going to have to.” Chloe cocked her head and smiled. “I think I hear the pitter-patter of little feet.”
Seconds later, Honor appeared, her chubby cheeks rosy, her smile wide as she raced toward him.
He swooped down to grab her, tickling her belly as he lifted her into his arms. “Hey, little bit, aren’t you supposed to be in bed?”
She giggled and wriggled in his arms as he started back toward the hall and the stairs that led to her room. “Want to come?”
Chloe shook her head, a half smile softening her face as she watched. “I think I’ll let you settle her down this time.”
It didn’t take long to tuck Honor back in bed. Convincing her to stay there took a few more minutes. By the time Ben made it back downstairs, Chloe was seated in a chair, a cup of coffee in her hand. “Want some?”
“I think I will. And a couple of those cookies if you saved me any.”
“I might have. Sit down. I’ll get you the bag and some coffee.” She started to rise, but Ben pressed her back down into her seat, not liking the pale cast to her skin or the dark circles beneath her eyes. “I’ll get it.”
He’d been hoping there’d be swift resolution to Chloe’s troubles, that Jake’s investigation would quickly lead to a suspect and an arrest. Unfortunately, evidence was elusive, the leads going nowhere.
He had a feeling that the answers they needed were right at their fingertips. More precisely, at Chloe’s fingertips. Her investigative skills would lead them to the person they were seeking. It was just a matter of time.
“You’re quiet.”
Chloe’s words pulled him from his thoughts and he carried his coffee and the cookies to the table, taking a seat opposite her. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
“You.”
Her cheeks heated, the subtle color making her eyes seem even more green, her skin even more silky. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“I’m not sure there’s anything either of us can do about it.” Whether Chloe liked it or not, they’d been brought together for a reason and Ben had every intention of seeing things through to the end. No matter what that might be. “Have you received the laptop and hard drive you were waiting for?”
“Not yet. I’m hoping they’ll both be there when I get home. I’m anxious to get started. I think if there are any clues to what’s going on, they’ll be on one of Adam’s computers.”
“I was thinking the same.”
“If we’re right, the case could be solved in days. If we’re wrong…” She fiddled with her coffee cup, her long fingers and sturdy hands more capable looking than graceful.
“What?”
“I don’t know. That’s the scary part. What will happen if we’re wrong and I don’t find something? What direction can we go except back where we were? Jackson and The Strangers or me going insane.”
“The second isn’t even a possibility. The first is doubtful.”
“And everything else is a mystery?”
“For now, but hopefully not for much longer.”
“Hopefully not.” She stood and stretched, her slim figure encased in her work uniform of black slacks and a fitted pink sweater, her hair a dark waterfall that slid across her cheek as she leaned over the sink and rinsed her coffee cup.
Ben imagined her doing that in the morning, bright sunlight reflecting off her blue-black hair, her eyes still dark from sleep.
And decided it might be best to force his mind in another direction. “Were the kiddos good for you?”
“Isaac’s been asleep the whole time. Honor is a little firecracker, but we had fun.”
“You like kids?”
“I guess I do.” She leaned against the counter. “I hadn’t thought about it much before tonight.”
“Too busy?”
“Too sure I’d never have them.”
“Adam didn’t want kids?”
“He did. I just couldn’t imagine ever being a mother. Mine was lousy at it. I figured I probably would be, too.”
“And now?”
“I still think I’d be lousy at it, but at least I know I like kids.” She grinned and snagged the cookie bag from Ben’s hand. “You’ve had three. The last one is mine.”
“I fought a pig for those cookies.”
“And I wrangled a two-year-old into bed.”
“Good point. The cookie is all yours.”
“Thanks. Of course, I planned on eating it anyway.” She pulled the cookie from the bag. “I’d better go check on Isaac and Honor.”
He caught her hand before she could walk way, feeling the delicate bones beneath her skin, the subtleness of her flesh. “Just so you know. I think you’re wrong.”
“About?”
“Being a mother. Personally, I think you’d make a great one.”
She stared at him for just a moment, her eyes wide. Then her lips curved in a half smile. “Opal was saying the same thing to me a few days ago.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. And I told her the same thing I’m going to tell you. Whether or not I’ll be a good mother isn’t an issue since I don’t plan to ever get married.”
“That’s a shame.” He stood, lifted a lock of her hair, let it slide through his fingers. “Because I think you’d make a good wife, too.”
Her cheeks turned cherry red and she backed away. “I suppose I should say I’m glad you think so.”
“But you’re not going to?”
“Good guess. Now, I really do need to check on the kids.” She hurried away and this time Ben let her g
o.
He probably shouldn’t have mentioned Chloe having kids or getting married. Probably shouldn’t have, but he didn’t regret it. She was a woman who understood the value of family and relationships, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t imagine her living her life alone. What that meant as far as he was concerned, he didn’t know.
Or maybe he did.
Maybe he just wasn’t ready to accept it.
Eventually, though, he’d have to face the facts. His life had changed since he’d met Chloe, and unless he missed his guess, it was going to continue to change. God’s plan was being worked out, the tide of events that had brought Chloe into his life was leading them ever closer to a conclusion that hadn’t yet been made clear.
Time.
That’s all they needed.
Ben could only pray they’d get it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ben insisted on following Chloe home and, no matter her misgiving about their relationship, Chloe was happy for his company as she hurried across the yard. The new moon steeped the night in blackness and the silence seemed filled with danger, every soft sound amplified, every shadow sinister. She tried to ignore the fear that coursed through her as she stepped into the house and up the stairs, but it was like a living thing, wrapping around her lungs and stealing her breath.
If Ben noticed her anxiety, he didn’t comment, just followed her up the stairs to her apartment. A package sat next to her door, and Chloe recognized it immediately. “Adam’s hard drive. I was hoping it would come today.”
She started to lift it, but Ben took it from her hands. “I’ll get this. You get the door. It’ll be easier that way.”
“Thanks.” She pushed the door open and flicked on the light, Abel’s happy yips greeting her. “I’m coming, little guy—”
Ben pulled her to a stop before she could cross the room. “Why don’t you wait here? I’ll get the pup. He’s in your room?”
“Yes. In his crate.”
“Wait here.” He didn’t give her time to argue, and she didn’t bother asking why he was walking through the small living room, pulling open the coat closet door, then stepping into the bathroom, ignoring Abel’s unhappy cries.
She didn’t have to ask. She knew why.
He was checking things out, making sure there wasn’t anything or anyone unexpected waiting behind a closed door.
Just the thought of someone lurking behind the shower curtain or in a closet made her skin crawl. She stayed put as Ben stepped into her room and released Abel who bounded out to dance around her feet.
She lifted him and stepped across the living room and into her bedroom, watching as Ben pulled open the closet door. “I guess it’s a good thing I’ve got a small place. It cuts down on the number of places someone can hide.”
“I’m not too worried about someone hiding here, but it’s always better to be sure.”
He moved back out into the living room, pushed the curtains away from the balcony doors. They were still bolted shut against the darkness outside.
“It looks like everything is just as it should be.”
He lifted the hard drive from the floor where it he’d set it. “Where do you want this?”
“Over next to my computer, but I’ll do it once I take the packaging off.”
“Tell you what. While you do that, I’ll bring Abel out.”
“That’s not necessary, Ben.”
“Actually, it is.” There was a hint of a smile in his eyes, but Chloe had no doubt he that he intended to do exactly what he suggested whether she protested or not.
He pulled the house keys from her hand, grabbed the leash that was hanging from the knob and pushed open the door. “I’ll be back in a few.”
The door closed, the lock slid home, Chloe shook her head.
“Infuriating, exasperating man.”
Strong, dependable man.
Attractive, loyal, intelligent man.
“You are not going to spend the next fifteen minutes listing all Ben’s attributes. Do something constructive instead.”
She tore the packaging from the hard drive, pulled the machine from the box. She’d helped Adam choose his PC more than a year ago when he’d upgraded from an outdated slower model. They’d purposely chosen a system that was compatible with Chloe’s, thinking they’d be merging their lives. Now Adam was gone, but maybe some of who he’d been was left behind, easy to find in his e-mail accounts or perhaps hidden deep in the bowels of the hard drive. Whatever was there, Chloe would find it and she prayed that when she did, the shadowy stranger who haunted her dreams would be pulled into the light, that the nightmare she was living would be over.
But even that wouldn’t bring Adam back.
Tears burned her eyes, but she ignored them, forcing herself to move instead, to focus her attention on the hard drive, on connecting it to her own system, typing in the password she’d created out of random letters and numbers. She only meant to make sure everything was working, but each keystroke brought her closer to solving the mystery and she was drawn deeper and deeper into the investigation.
Adam’s e-mail account had been canceled a few months after his death. It didn’t matter. The computer system hadn’t been cleaned and anything that had been there was still there, begging to be found. She started typing, the sound of the front door opening and closing barely registering as she began her search.
* * *
“Coffee?” Ben’s voice pulled her from the trail she’d been following and Chloe struggled to make sense of his question.
“What?”
“Want a cup of coffee? I’ve just brewed a pot.”
Groggy and fuzzy-headed, Chloe stood, wincing as stiff muscles protested. “Maybe I will have some.”
“Are you making any progress?”
“I’ve retrieved e-mails from the months before the accident and printed them out so I can read them more carefully. Right now, I’m not seeing anything unusual.”
“What would be unusual?”
“Maybe if I knew it I’d find it.” She accepted the cup Ben held out for her, rubbing a hand against the crick in her neck. “Computer forensics is a lot like searching for needles in haystacks. Lots and lots of stuff you don’t want to find and only one thing you’re really looking for.”
“You love it, though.”
She took a sip of coffee and met his eyes. “I do.”
“But you’re not doing it anymore. Why?”
“The accident made me reassess my life. I decided to move back to a place I loved and try something new for a living.” Something that didn’t remind her of the past and all its horrors.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe what?”
“Maybe that’s what you’re telling yourself, but I’m not sure it’s the truth.” He stared at her through hooded eyes, his expression hidden.
“Then what do you think the truth is?”
“I think you’re doing penance. Denying yourself a job you love because you think Adam’s death is your fault.”
“I don’t need to be psychoanalyzed, Ben.”
“That’s good, because I don’t know the first thing about doing it.” He placed his coffee cup in the sink, shrugged on the jacket he must have taken off when he came back inside. “What I do know is that God has a purpose and plan for each of us. When we’re living that, we find contentment and reason. When we’re denying it, we can never be satisfied with what we accomplish.”
“Are you saying you think I’m supposed to work with computers, not flowers?”
“I’m saying I’ve watched you do both and it’s obvious to me which one you should be doing. I’m just not sure why it’s not obvious to you. It’s late. I’m going to head out.” He p
ulled open the door and stepped out into the hall. “You know, you’ve got a skill not many people possess, Chloe. A tenacity and drive that allows you to search for answers relentlessly. It’s a gift. One you’re wasting in Opal’s shop.”
“It’s not a gift. It’s a job. One I’ve chosen not to do anymore.”
“Too bad. There are a lot of people you could help, a lot of good you could do. Lock the door. I’ll see you tomorrow at six.” He strode away, and Chloe closed the door, shoving the bolt into place.
“He’s wrong, Abel.” She picked up the puppy, rubbed his head. “Just because I mutilated one flower arrangement doesn’t mean I’m not cut out to be a florist. And just because I spent a few minutes—” she glanced at the clock “—an hour and a half in front of the computer without budging doesn’t mean that’s what I should spend my life doing.”
Did it?
When she’d left D.C. she’d been running. From the nightmare, from her terror and memories. From her guilt. She’d thought leaving her old life behind would free her from those things. And maybe, as Ben had suggested, she’d thought denying herself the career she’d loved would serve as payment for the fact that she’d survived while Adam perished.
Penance.
It wasn’t something she’d ever thought about, wasn’t something she’d consciously sought to give, but maybe Ben was right. Maybe she was punishing herself, denying herself the career she’d worked so hard for, the skill she’d spent years honing because she couldn’t bear the thought that her life stretched out before her while Adam’s had been cut short.
Maybe.
But that wasn’t the only reason she’d left her old life behind. When Ben had spoken of God’s purpose and plan, the words had dug talons into her soul that closed tight and weren’t letting go. Before the accident, she hadn’t wondered what God thought of her career, her marriage plans, her day-to-day activities. She’d prayed, gone to church, tried to live her life with integrity. She just wasn’t sure she’d lived it with purpose.
When she’d left D.C., that’s what she’d been looking for. A chance to step back, take a clearer look at where she’d been, where she was going and how those things fit into God’s will and plan. Slowly, it seemed she was finding the answers here in this quiet rural town with its tight-knit community and beautiful landscape. The longer she stayed in Lakeview the more she felt the truth. There was a correct path to take, a clear direction He had set for her. All she had to do was trust that it was for the best, that wherever it led, He’d be there.
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