“Let me tell my friend Joshua, the police chief. He can help.”
“Police always stick together. He’ll never believe me.”
“You never know. He’s a good man.”
“I thought Raul was too. You can’t tell the police chief. I’m sure he won’t believe you. The police have a special kind of hatred and vengeance reserved for people who kill one of their brothers in blue.”
“Then we’ll run. I’ll take care of you. And the baby.”
She expected to hear instant regret in his voice, but she didn’t. He meant the words, Hope realized. “You could get killed.”
“I’ve been to Iraq and back. I can handle this.”
Tears glimmered in her eyes. “I’ll never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me.”
“You won’t have to because we’re going to be just fine.” He offered his hand. “Come on. Let’s go. The rest of the staff has left.”
She stared at his hand for a moment before finally reaching forward and grabbing it. Somehow, feeling his fingers encircle hers gave her an extra dose of strength. It was crazy. It didn’t make sense. She certainly didn’t understand.
This man she’d known for less than twenty-four hours had given her a reason to believe again.
Did you send him my way? She silently asked, looking toward the ceiling.
She didn’t expect an answer.
Luke tugged her toward the door. He scanned the hallway and then continued to lead her, to the back door, she assumed. That was the way they’d come in. He’d parked there, and they could easily reach his car.
But where would they go?
She had no chance to think about that. Right now, she just had to move.
Raul was close. He was hunting. Sniffing her out. On her trail.
It was only a matter of time before he discovered Hope was here in Hertford.
She fought the fear that wanted to emerge and consume her. It had felt so good to finally tell Luke the truth. Though they’d only known each other a short time, the intensity of the situation made it feel like she’d known him for weeks. Could he really help?
Just as they reached the back door, a voice sounded behind them.
“What are you doing?”
Hope froze, instinctively knowing she’d been caught.
Chapter Nine
Luke instantly recognized the voice. He slowly turned around, stealing a quick glance at Hope as he did so. Her face had gone pale. Her body was stiff. Her lips quivered.
His gaze flickered beyond her to Karen. His office manager had her hands on her hips, and her eyes fluttered back and forth from Luke to Hope, almost as if she was trying to access the recesses of her brain.
Luke cleared his throat. “Karen, what are you doing here? I thought you went home.”
Again, her gaze fluttered from Hope to Luke and then back. “I forgot my phone. I just came back to get it. I’m sorry . . . I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
Her gaze landed on their intertwined hands. She cleared her throat and stepped back.
Had Karen seen that flyer that the chief had brought back? He searched his thoughts, but he wasn’t sure. She hadn’t seen the copy Joshua had given Luke. But had Joshua left any other copies?
“I see.” He knew it would only make it more awkward if he didn’t introduce Hope. It would raise Karen’s suspicions, and Karen was already nosy as it was. “Karen, this is . . . Nina. Nina, this is my office manager, Karen.”
Hope nodded, though tension was stretched over her features. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.” Karen said the words stiffly. He’d always wondered if Karen was interested in him beyond the professional realm. She’d hinted several times that she thought a lot of him, but he’d ignored it, determined not to lead her on. It was best to keep things professional at the office. Besides, he hadn’t been interested in anyone since Marissa died.
Anyone until Hope.
He still couldn’t believe he’d allowed that thought the take residence in his mind. He barely knew the woman. Just moments earlier he was questioning whether or not she was a killer.
But all along, he’d known she wasn’t. Deep down inside, he’d had no doubts.
And, from the moment he’d laid eyes on her, he’d felt a strange attraction to her. The way they’d been thrown together intensified his feelings, accelerated them in a way he didn’t think was possible.
It was too early to know if this would go anywhere. There was too much at stake to even explore the idea. But he knew he had to keep her safe. Now. Maybe even longer than this moment.
Karen’s gaze bore a hole into Hope’s belly. He could see the questions in the woman’s eyes, and he wanted to explain things. But he couldn’t. Not now.
“We were just leaving, Karen,” he said. “I thought everyone was gone.”
He hoped she got the hint: she wasn’t supposed to see them.
Karen nodded and stepped back. “Of course. Have a good evening, doctor.”
Doctor? She never called him that. It wasn’t a good sign.
Luke opened the door and led Hope outside. He didn’t stop walking until he reached the car. After tucking Hope inside, he hurried to his side, climbed in, and cranked the engine. The chill in the air felt brittle, but he couldn’t wait for the heat to kick in.
“It’s so cold,” Hope whispered, holding her hands in front of the vents.
He nodded. “Last I heard, they’re calling for snow.”
“I didn’t think it snowed around here.”
“It usually doesn’t, but the forecaster said something about shifting global conditions. We had a huge snowstorm last winter. It looks like this year might be just as brutal.”
He knew they were avoiding talking about what they really needed to talk about.
“Do you think she knows who I am?” Hope asked quietly.
“I don’t know.”
“Will she call the cops?”
“I hope not. I hope she’ll respect me more than that.”
“I don’t know where to go, Luke. I’ve pulled you into this. Your house—houses—could be under watch right now.”
“I agree. It wouldn’t be smart to go back there.”
Her face pinched together.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, but it didn’t convince him. “Just some Braxton Hicks. I’ve been having them for the past month, though. No big deal.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, her face still squeezed tight. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Let’s get on the road.” He pulled out of the driveway, all of his survival instincts and military training kicking in. He had to come up with a plan quickly. The situation was only more complicated by the fact that Hope was pregnant.
Lord, help me. Show me where to go. What to do. How to handle this.
As he started away from the office, his phone rang. He looked at Caller ID. It was Joshua.
He bit down. He knew what that meant. Karen had called him. She must have seen that flyer somewhere.
He turned the phone off.
“You’re not answering?” Hope asked.
He shook his head. “No, not now.”
“They know, don’t they? The police know that you’re helping me.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
She didn’t say anything, but he could read the pain on her face. This wasn’t what she’d wanted.
Several minutes of silence stretched.
“Is it ironic that I’m pregnant and we’re fleeing in a Mustang?” Hope said, her voice thin yet laced with a touch of humor.
“You mean instead of on a donkey?”
“Exactly.”
“I didn’t think about it until you mentioned it. But, you’re right.”
He glanced in his rearview mirror. A car sped up behind him, coming closer than necessary. Bad driver? Maybe.
Or was it one of the men chasing Hope?
As he sped down the road, fl
akes of snow began pummeling the windshield. He let out a slow breath. Could this get any worse?
He wanted to ask for Joshua’s help. But he also knew the FBI trumped local jurisdiction. Could Joshua even protect Hope? He wasn’t sure. And that wasn’t the conclusion he wanted to come to.
He continued down the back roads, trying to lose whoever was following him. But that car remained behind them—a considerable distance, but did that mean anything? He had to figure out for sure if this car was following him.
Spontaneously, he turned on a gravel road. He knew this road from his high school days of working the fields. It cut through Farmer Turner’s land, but it came out on another country road on the other side of the farm. With any luck, the car following them would think that he’d turned on the next road up. It was worth a shot.
He drove down the gravel path, careful not to kick up too much dust until he was out of sight. Then he hit the accelerator, desperate to get out of sight.
The car bumped and rumbled over the gravel. This whole eluding danger thing wasn’t in his wheelhouse. His specialty was saving lives. He supposed he just had to change his perspective because, essentially, that was still what he was trying to do. He was just using a different method than medicine.
This stretch of road was long. How many acres was this farm? Three hundred, if he remembered correctly.
Farmer Turner had been gone for a long time, but now his son sublet the fields to various other farmers.
“We could disappear back here and no one would ever know,” Hope said.
“That’s what I’m hoping.”
“You do know how to get out of this maze, right?”
“It’s not as much of a maze as you’d think. At least, it didn’t use to be.”
“Good to know.” She reached for the ceiling as if to steady herself.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think. Are they still following us?”
He glanced in the rearview mirror again. “I don’t think so.”
As soon as he said the word, a pop sounded outside and the car suddenly began bouncing—even harder than before. He knew exactly what had happened. He’d blown a tire.
“Have we been shot?” Hope asked.
He shook his head. “No, the roads are work roads. Who knows what I ran over? Probably a nail.”
“What’s this mean?”
He turned to her and frowned. “It means we have to go the rest of the way on foot.”
Chapter Ten
Luke grabbed his emergency bag from the back. He always carried a backpack with a blanket, water, a first aid kit, and some beef jerky. As he did so, he glanced down the road. He didn’t see any other cars. Didn’t see any plumes of dust.
He hoped he hadn’t just made more trouble for Hope instead of helping her. But he didn’t like any of this.
He walked around to her door, pulling his coat closer as a brisk wind not only rustled the dried leaves of the cornfields but seemed to seep through his skin. As he lifted his head, he realized that wasn’t just the wind.
It was beginning to snow.
His stomach clenched tighter.
He helped Hope out from the passenger side. “We’ve got to get you somewhere safe.”
Hope nodded, snowflakes sticking to the exposed skin on her cheeks and nose. “Okay.”
“Hope, do you trust me?”
She stared at him a moment before nodding. “I do.”
“Then let me call my friend Joshua. Please. We’re not going to be able to do this on our own.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment until her gaze finally connected with his. “Okay.”
Relief filled him. He pulled out his phone, dialed his friend’s number, and quickly explained the situation and where they were located at the moment. His friend promised to send help.
At least Luke had that reassurance.
Luke looked up, realizing that, despite the snow, the moon peeked out from a patch of clouds. It was full and would help illuminate their pathway. He lifted up a prayer of thanks.
“Will you be okay to walk?” He still held onto her arm, trying to conceal just how worried this entire situation made him. Too much was on the line. Too much could go wrong.
“I’ll do my best.”
But even as she said the words, her hand went to her stomach and her eyes squeezed shut. Another Braxton Hicks? Maybe. Or the baby could be coming early.
He slid an arm around her waist, knowing she’d need help to keep up her strength, and then glanced around. An old house used to stand behind these crops. He could barely see a roof in the distance, over the dried cornstalks. If they could just make it down the gravel lane leading there . . .
He pulled his coat off and draped it over Hope’s shoulders. She didn’t complain, which really must mean that she wasn’t feeling well. Luke could handle the cold. For a little while, at least. But it was in the mid-twenties outside, and the wind was brisk.
He needed to keep Hope talking, keep her mind off everything that was happening. They carefully started down the path intended for farm vehicles. Ruts sank deep into the soil, evidence of a soggy harvest season. Leaves and cornstalks that had fallen over littered the trail as well.
“Do you have a room decorated for Jace yet?” he asked.
Something about the words caused a memory to tug at his heart. That was right. When this all blew over, she would be leaving. She had a life back in Atlanta. A house. A job. Luke would be wise to remember that.
“I do. Everything is ready for him to make his arrival . . .” Her smile faded. “Everything except the timing of all this.”
Luke had to keep her distracted. “Do you have family in Georgia?”
“No, not really. I went to college there and ended up staying. My parents are divorced and both got remarried. They each have their own children now. Anyway, my mom lives in Pennsylvania and my dad in Indiana.”
“I see.”
“I’ve told you a lot about me,” she said with a shiver. “How about you?”
Another brisk wind blew over the fields, unstopped by any trees or buildings. It was brutal out here. He tightened his arm around her, wishing he could make this all go away. But he couldn’t.
“I’m from this area. I moved away after high school, and I was actually stationed up in Norfolk.”
She cut a surprised glance his way. “You’re military?”
“Former military. Started as a medic, which was what convinced me to go into medicine. My time in the service paid my way through medical school.”
“Nice.” She shivered again and wrapped her arms across her chest.
Steadily, they continued forward. Luke listened for any signs that they’d been spotted, but he heard nothing. Maybe they really had lost the people following them.
“So, I overheard some people outside your office door talking about some investors coming,” Hope said.
Luke nodded. “That’s right. I’d like to open a free clinic for those who are struggling with medical insurance and finances. I have three investors who are interested in helping out with it. They’re supposed to come next week.”
“That sounds nice.”
“I hate to turn anyone away. But sometimes the medical bills make us go in the red. I’m trying to find a win-win for everyone.”
“You sound like a good man, Luke Griffin.”
Something about her compliment hit him between the eyes and made him feel warm all over, despite the chill in the air. He hadn’t felt like a good man lately. He hadn’t necessarily felt like a bad man, either. He’d just felt empty. He didn’t feel that way when he was with Hope, though.
“Can I ask you a question?” Hope glanced up at him, her teeth chattering.
Luke lowered his head so the top of his head would take the brunt of the cold instead of his cheeks. “Go right ahead.”
“What’s the story behind that empty house of yours?”
Luke’s throat tightened. He knew
this conversation would come up eventually. How could it not? Hope had seen firsthand the lengths he’d gone to preserve the past.
He took a deep breath, realizing he was okay with sharing his past with her.
Hope reminded herself to breathe as she waited for Luke to tell his story. She’d been curious about his history from the moment she’d seen those dusty stockings on the fireplace mantle.
Everything she’d learned about Luke so far had impressed her. His work at the clinic, his dedication to the community, the way he honored his word.
But she felt a surge of anxiety as she waited to hear about his personal life.
“My wife and I bought the land after we got married. We hired someone to build the house for us,” he started. “We spent months meticulously planning everything we wanted. It was our dream house.”
“It really is beautiful.”
“If you can’t tell, I’m a bit of a planner. Marissa and I had our plans also. We married after a yearlong engagement. Three years later, we built the perfect house. Right on track, Marissa got pregnant, and we were expecting a daughter together.”
Hope waited, anticipating the rest of his story. She could hear the heartache in his voice, the longing, the sorrow. Part of her wanted to yell for him to stop before he relived any more of his pain, but the words couldn’t leave her throat. She wanted to know Luke, to see into his past and understand what made him the man he was today.
They trudged along the bumpy path, the air silent and still around them. A few snowflakes randomly drifted downward, tickling her skin, yet the moon also shone brightly, along with a few stars that had managed to peek through the cloud cover.
Luke’s voice caught in his throat. “She died during childbirth.”
The blood drained from Hope’s face as his words echoed in her head. “Oh, Luke. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
Agony sliced through his gaze. “I was a doctor. I should have been able to save her.”
“I’m sure you did everything you could.” She rubbed her stomach, lifting up another prayer for Jace. Lord, please protect him. Keep him safe and healthy.
“I should have been able to foresee everything that happened. But I didn’t. In all my planning, I never anticipated she’d have a blood clot and a subsequent heart attack. The medical team rushed her in for an emergency C-section to save the baby. But Harper had lost too much oxygen.”
Light the Dark: A Carolina Moon Christmas Novella Page 6