She didn’t respond, just stared out the side window again, her red hair touching the collar of her dress, her neck slim and elegant, her shoulders slumped.
She looked done-in and defeated, but he knew different. She was a fighter, and she’d fight hard for whatever she believed in. Hopefully, one day soon, she’d believe in them.
He reached for her hand, and she curled her fingers through his, squeezing gently. Her palm was rough and callused from the work she’d done on the old farmhouse. He ran his thumb over the pad, felt her shiver in response.
Neither spoke, but they stayed connected as the miles and hours passed and they put Pine Bluff farther and farther behind them.
FIFTEEN
The farmhouse stood gleaming in the sunlight, the old roof new, the old siding replaced. The brown, dead lawn had grown lush and green, the shrubs vibrant with new growth. Everything looked fresh and new and alive, and Catherine inhaled the sweet scent of honeysuckle and spring.
A porch swing creaked in the wind as she walked up to the front door and opened it. Inside, hardwood gleamed and soft yellow paint warmed the foyer.
Everything fresh and lovely.
She inhaled deeply and reached to touch the thick wooden banister. Footsteps tapped on the floor above her head, a floorboard groaning beneath someone’s weight.
“Eileen?” she called, but it couldn’t be Eileen. Not ever again. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she wanted to wipe them away, but her arms were too heavy to lift.
“Murderer!” The whispered word chilled her to the bone, and she backed away from the stairs, tears still dripping down her face, afraid to turn away from whoever was coming.
Suddenly, he was there, face covered in a dark mask.
Go! Her mind screamed, and she whirled to run, but the floor had turned to mud, and her feet wouldn’t move. She screamed. Screamed again as he grabbed her arm and shook it.
“Catherine! Snap out of it!”
The command broke through the nightmare, tore her from terror into bright sunlight and reality. She blinked, trying to clear tear-blurry vision, and looked straight into Darius’s eyes.
She could see every fleck of color, see the dark stubble on his jaw, the faint scar above his brow. Her hand lifted of its own volition, her fingers tracing that faint line as if Darius were part of the dreamworld her mind had created. As if he were more than her neighbor, more than a friend, more than a man she’d met just a week ago.
He felt like more.
So much more.
When she was with him, she felt like she was exactly where she belonged. Her fingers, her mind-of-their-own fingers, found their way from his scar to his jaw, and, then, to the soft hair at his nape.
He captured her hand, kissed her knuckles. “Don’t start something you can’t finish, Catherine,” he said, quietly, his words splashing over her like ice water, even as the heat of his lips shot through her.
Not part of the dream.
Reality.
She tugged her hand away.
“Where are we?” she asked, her voice rough and raw, her cheeks sticky from tears. She brushed at them, her hands trembling from the aftermath of the nightmare and from emotions that simmered deep in her belly.
“A little diner on the Oregon border. Tango thought it was time to eat. Since you were sleeping, I told him to go ahead. He’s getting things to go. He’ll be out soon.” His voice was gruff, his gaze hot, and Catherine sank into that place again. That dreamy world where only they existed, and nothing mattered but the connection that was growing between them.
She shifted away, staring out the window at a brick wall. He’d parked so close to the building, she couldn’t have opened her door if she wanted to, and she turned again, tried to look past him to the nearly full parking lot beyond.
Only, looking past Darius was impossible. When he was around, he was all she saw, all she felt, all she wanted. She’d always believed that things happened for a reason. Though her faith had floundered, she’d never doubted God’s existence. She’d only doubted that He cared for her, wanted the best for her life. Through every long prison day, she’d wondered what she’d done to deserve the life He’d given her. She’d questioned His love, because she hadn’t felt it.
Lately, she’d begun to see the bigger picture.
Life wasn’t about one moment or two. It was about every moment, every breath, every step. And Catherine’s moments and breaths and steps had brought her to Darius. Not by accident. By some Master plan. She felt that even as she questioned it.
At a time in her life when she’d needed someone, Darius had arrived. No matter how much her mind shouted to be careful, her heart wanted to believe what she saw when she looked into his eyes.
“You were crying in your sleep,” he said, his knuckles skimming her still-damp cheeks, leaving fire in their wake.
“I was dreaming about the farmhouse. It was new and beautiful.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.” He played with the ends of her hair, his fingers brushing her neck, and her pulse jumped in response.
They were standing on dangerous ground, about to plunge over the edge of a cliff, but she couldn’t make herself move away.
“It wasn’t at first. Then, I realized that Eileen wasn’t there, and that she’d never be there again.” Her voice broke, the reality of the loss still raw and hard.
“You were screaming, too.”
“She wasn’t there, but he was.” She touched her neck. The bruises were almost gone, but she could still feel the tightening grip, see the hatred in the dark blue eyes.
“He’s not going to ever hurt you again, Catherine. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure of that.” His hand slid beneath hers, his palm lying against her cool skin, his touch so light and gentle that it stole her breath.
“Why do you have to be so perfect, Darius?” she whispered, looking into his eyes, trapped in his gaze and not sure she wanted to escape.
“I’m not even close to perfect. I’m sure once you know me long enough, you’ll be happy to agree.” He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through her, warming the cold places in her heart, filling up the emptiness that had been there for much too long.
“I could have died on the road near my house, but you came running to the rescue, and you’ve been running to my rescue ever since.”
“I told you, I care. I’m going to keep running to rescue you until you don’t need rescuing any longer.”
“I’ve never needed to be rescued. All I’ve needed is...” Her voice trailed off, because she couldn’t say the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
“What?”
To be loved for who I am. To be cherished and treated as if I matter.
“I never thought God cared about me, Darius, but He sent you into my life, and I can’t help thinking that means something. Maybe, I’m not such a lost cause. Maybe, He does have a plan for my life. Maybe, after all this is over, I’ll finally have the peace and happiness I’ve been searching for my whole life.”
“God’s love for us isn’t dependent on our circumstances. Whether or not He cares can’t be determined by how easy our lives are.”
Coming from anyone else, the words would have been empty, but coming from a man who’d nearly died, who’d fought back from a terrible injury, who’d lost everything and then built something wonderful...
Coming from Darius, they meant everything.
; Her heart pounded with the truth of what he’d said, and the depth of what she felt for him.
She touched his wrist, felt his pulse thrumming quick and hard beneath warm skin.
He leaned close, his palm still gentle on her neck, his eyes dark with passion. One breath away. One small movement. Hers? His? It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the silky warmth of his lips on hers. She felt consumed, undone. Every nerve, every cell cried out for more. Her hands cupped his shoulders, her fingers digging into taut hard muscles.
“Break it up, you two! We’ve still got a lot of ground to cover.” A voice drifted into the moment, and someone rapped on the window.
Darius broke away, his breath uneven, his heart thundering. He’d made a big mistake, crossed a line that couldn’t be uncrossed, but he couldn’t regret it. This moment had been coming since the day they’d met, the relationship they were building as inevitable as the tide. He’d never believed that there was only one person that he could love. He’d always thought that there were many women who could make him want to be better and stronger and more faithful.
But there was only one Catherine, and he was pretty sure she was it for him.
“Dude! Are you going to make me stand out here holding this food all day?” Tango didn’t try to hide his annoyance, and Darius tore his gaze away from Catherine.
“Patience is a virtue, Tango,” he said as he rolled down the window.
“Of which I have none when I’m hungry. Here.” Tango shoved two take-out containers into his hands. “You shouldn’t let yourself be distracted, man. That’s a dangerous path.”
“No one followed us out of town, and we haven’t had a tail, but your comment is duly noted,” he responded dryly. They’d been traveling for five hours, taking side roads and country lanes, winding their way slowly toward the destination with no sign of danger.
“We going to head out now? Or eat and then drive?”
“We have another six hours ahead of us, and Taryn is expecting us before midnight. We’d better take off.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“You’d rather stop?”
“I have another gig tomorrow morning, so it’s best that we keep going, but I would rather stop. I like to enjoy my meals. Not shove them down,” he grumbled, but smiled in Catherine’s direction. “I got you an extra serving of fries. You’re not eating enough to keep a bird alive and all your bones are showing.”
“How...flattering,” she said, her cheeks heating.
“Just calling it like I see it, ma’am. Let’s get this done.” He climbed into his Jeep, signaled for Darius to pull out ahead.
“Eleven hours is a long time to drive to the coast, Darius. Is that really where we’re going?” Catherine asked, her voice airy and light, the breathless quality the only indication of what had passed between them.
If that was the way she wanted to play things, he was willing to go along.
As certain as he was that they were safe, there was no guarantee that they would always be. Tango’s warning had been timely, and he’d do well to take it to heart. “We’re taking the less-traveled roads. It’s easier to spot tails that way.”
“Do you actually think someone is trying to follow us?”
“No, but I’m not willing to take chances with your life. Open the take-out container, will you? I want to see what Tango bought.”
“Hamburger and french fries.” She handed him the burger, and he bit into it, his stomach rumbling in response. As far as vacations went, this one hadn’t been restful. The projects on his house weren’t finished. His to-do list was longer than ever. Ryder had suggested that he hand Catherine off to Taryn and another operative, but Darius had refused. He’d made a promise to Eileen, but it was more than that that kept him close to Catherine’s side.
Miles passed quickly, the landscape growing closer, the trees thicker and more lush as farmland gave way to forest. Blue sky pressed against distant mountains, the sun edging everything in a halo of golden light. Behind them, the road was empty. Ahead, a few cars meandered along the winding pavement. Everything easy and slow and uneventful. Just the way Darius wanted it.
“Great,” Catherine muttered, brushing at her thigh. Mustard stained the black fabric, and a napkin smeared it more. “I wish I’d had time to pack a few things before we left. I could be wearing this dress for the next month.”
“Hopefully, we’ll have you out of the safe house sooner than that, but if we don’t, the place is stocked with everything you need.”
“I would have liked to at least bring the lockbox, photos, Bible and teapot.”
“They’re under the seat.”
She reached down and grabbed the box. “I can’t believe you thought of this.”
It was a small thing, but from the tone of her voice, he might have just lassoed the moon for her. “I thought you’d want it. I also wanted to make sure we had everything we needed to find Gerald Kensington.”
“There are probably hundreds of people with that name.”
“Maybe.”
“Even if there aren’t, I’m not sure I want to find the man.”
“What are you afraid you’re going to find?”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Could have fooled me.”
“I’m not. Like I told you before, I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”
“And like I’ve told you, you also have someone trying to kill you. The police are at a dead end with their investigation. Maybe what’s in there is the key.” He tapped the box, and she opened it, pulling out the check.
“There’s a phone number and address, but it’s been nearly thirty years.”
“It doesn’t hurt to try.”
Her silence filled the truck, her reluctance pulsing out in waves.
“Do you want me to call?”
“I’ll do it.”
“When?”
“I guess you want me to say ‘now.’”
“Good guess.”
“And I guess there’s no reason for me to put it off.”
“Except?”
“Except that you’re right. I am afraid. I’ve always thought I knew everything there was to know about my family. Eileen was open about my parents’ deaths. She didn’t hide things, but she hid this, and I’m not sure I want to know why.”
“Even if knowing could save your life?”
“I’ll make the call. I’m just...nervous.”
“Whatever you find out, it can’t change who you are or where you’ve come from. You know that, right?” He touched her hand, and she turned it so they were palm to palm, fingers linked.
“I know.” She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number, her heartbeat racing through the pulse point in her wrist. He slid his thumb over it, and she jerked, but didn’t pull her hand away.
“May I speak to Gerald Kensington?” she asked. “My name is Catherine Miller. I think he may have known my mother, Jessica Lamont, and I had a few questions that I wanted to ask him. Yes. I’d appreciate that. Thank you.” She offered her phone number and hung up, her hand shaking as she shoved the phone into her purse.
“Well?”
“He wasn’t in, but the person who answered said she’d give him the message.”
“Which means that he’s still living in the same place. That’ll make it easier to find out more about him.”
“I’ll do an internet search when we get to the coast,” Catherine offered, but
he wondered if she would.
It didn’t matter, because he’d already decided to move ahead with or without her. Her life was in danger, and they couldn’t wait any longer to find the answers they needed.
SIXTEEN
Waves crashed against the shore, the moon high overhead as Catherine followed Darius and Tango to a small beach cottage on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The air held the tang of salt and the subtle scent of briny water. Tomorrow morning she wanted to walk down by the beach and let the rhythm of the ocean ease her tension.
Right now, she needed to do exactly what she’d told Darius she would. Get on the internet and search for Gerald Kensington. After all her protests and putting off, she was suddenly anxious to know who he was and how he’d been connected to her mother.
“You guys are running late.” A pretty blonde stepped outside as they approached the front door.
“We took the long way,” Tango replied, setting a duffel bag inside. “Hate to say hi and run, but I’ve got a plane to catch in three hours, and I need to get to the airport. See you around!” He jogged back to his Jeep and drove away.
“Come on in. Everything is ready. I even managed to stock the kitchen. Of course, if you two are hungry, you’re going to have to cook yourself. The only thing I can make is toast. I’m Taryn Derringer, by the way, since Darius hasn’t seen fit to introduce us.” Taryn smiled, dimples showing in both cheeks.
“You didn’t give me a chance, Taryn,” Darius responded, his hand on Catherine’s back as he urged her across the threshold. The front door opened into a small living room furnished with white rattan furniture. A fireplace stood against one wall, a large oil painting above it.
“There are three bedrooms upstairs. You’re in the one at the back of the house, Catherine. I’ll take you up there and you can get settled in.” Taryn hurried up a narrow flight of stairs without giving Catherine a chance to respond.
Not that she had anything to say.
Darius had planned everything out, and Catherine seemed bent on going along with the plan despite the warning that whispered through her mind, reminding her that she’d been hurt before, telling her that if she spent more time with Darius, she might end up hurt again.
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