by Susan Stoker
When he’d returned to Clayton after leaving the Marine Corps, his mother had mentioned Kara to him. How could she know he held a dream of having her in his life? He was old enough at that time to know that women had their ways. And his mother, who worked part time at the local McDonald’s since his father had died, would always give him that mysterious smile.
Even in the Marine Corps, she’d email him to share the latest town gossip, and always mentioned Kara to him, as if keeping her at the front and center of his attention, not allowing him to forget her. His mother must have known that the one time little Kara had hugged him, trying to make him feel better even though his father was dead, something special had passed between them.
And Cade had been running from it ever since.
Knowing he needed to find a job after leaving the Corps, Cade had gone to the local community college to get a two-year law enforcement degree. His father had taught him to save his money starting from a young age. What he didn’t send to his mother of his monthly paycheck while in the Corps, he put into a bank account. By the time his enlistment was up, he had money to buy a house. He wanted to work for the Kenedy County Sheriff’s Department. With his background in black ops, Cade knew it was a good fit and so did Sheriff Parker. The gruff, sixty-five-year-old with a white handlebar mustache, had offered him a job immediately after his graduation. Another thing in his favor was that he was bilingual. He could speak Spanish as well as English. From time to time, his mother asked him if he’d seen Kara around. He said no, he hadn’t. His life now revolved around getting that degree, studying, and more studying. He had no time for a personal life yet.
Besides, he told his mother, Kara was off limits to him. She just gave him that secretive smile and noted that Kara was still single, even though her daddy had tried to marry her off to several rich men over the years.
Cade didn’t take the bait. He couldn’t. There was no way he was going to fight Jud Knight for his daughter.
After graduation, he bought a small home in Sarita, the headquarters for the sheriff’s department. He knew Kara worked at the Delos Home School, but fought the desire to see her. Getting a home twenty miles east of Clayton kept the distance he wanted. Sometimes, he had shifts where he worked out of his hometown of Clayton, like tonight. But he’d still get his gear, climb out of his uniform in the locker room, and get into civilian clothes before driving home.
That was twenty miles away from Kara Knight, because she now lived in the Latino quarter of this town. His heart pined for her, the longing so intense on some nights that it woke him up. Just once-as an adult now, not as a scared, grieving little boy, he wanted to go see her. But he was afraid of being rejected by her if he reappeared into her life.
There were times in high school when they would pass one another in the busy, noisy hall between classes. Kara was always popular at school, a cheerleader, surrounded by other girls who had affluent parents like her own. She always seemed ill at ease around the other girls who were like princesses vying for the queen’s attention.
Kara was actually shy, like him. Sometimes, he would be pressed against the lockers, books in hand, watching her entourage pass him by. She was always the center of attention. But it had been that way because her father was rich and powerful. Often Cade wanted to ask Kara how she felt about that, because all the attention seemed to drain her, just as it did to him.
There were rare moments when Cade would be outside the multi-story red brick school, jogging across the grass, heading to or from school, and he’d catch sight of her. She never wore clothes that were sexy looking, like so many other high school girls did. Prim and proper, she stood out because her clothing was modest. He remembered his mother saying that Jud Knight had uniforms made for her to wear to hide her body so boys wouldn’t be tempted to chase her. But Cade always looked at Kara anyway. He didn’t care what kind of clothing she wore.
And sometimes he got lucky and she’d lift that delicate, stubborn chin of hers, those wide blue eyes meeting and holding his longing stare. It was at those times when electricity seemed to fly back and forth between them. He was too young, too immature to understand that giddy sensation that swallowed him whole after she tore her gaze from him. But his heart would always race with wild, joyous abandon.
Later, after he’d had several relationships with women after he’d joined the Marines, Cade had come to realize what those feelings were really all about. He’d been too young to decipher his happiness when Kara’s gaze would accidentally meet his. And even now, Cade was afraid to name what he felt. He was old enough, at twenty-seven, to know what it was. But it could never be. He would never be financially wealthy. Jud Knight would always be disdainful of him. Yes, being a sheriff’s deputy held respect in the community, but not with Knight. He tarred and feathered law enforcement right along with everyone else in the county.
Opening his eyes, Cade stared unseeing as the cruiser’s windshield wipers swung back and forth, giving him glimpses of the gully-washing storm as it dumped all its water on Clayton. His mind kept circling around to one question: why was Kara still single? He knew her father wanted her married off so she’d become a broodmare and give him grandsons. That was Jud’s vision for his only daughter—the bearer of male progeny to run his damn ranch. Snorting softly with disdain, he moved around in his seat. Had her father run off all the suitors who had been interested in her? Had she spurned them? There were at least five times when that had happened, according to his matchmaking mother.
Was it her father who had broken up the relationships? Cade had thought so, and his mother said the same thing when he’d come home after leaving the Corps. As badly as he felt pushed by invisible hands to go see Kara, to find out what really was between them, if anything, Cade had resisted. He knew Jud Knight got into every man’s face who showed any kind of interest in her. Those who tried got hurt and got the message. He had no desire to take on Knight.
But he did feel sorry for Kara. The men who were driven off by her father had been judged to not be good enough for her, his mother had told him. Cade couldn’t understand why Kara tolerated her father’s heavy-handedness, but he reminded himself that she’d grown up beneath his controlling, dark shadow and knew nothing else. Had this drive only been a youthful fantasy? Yet, he’d had enough relationships in the military to know that what lay deep in his heart wasn’t fleeting.
Ever since Kara had held him with her child’s love and strength at that funeral parlor, Cade had been totally smitten by her.
His radio blared to life and he cocked his head toward it.
“Code 217 in progress at Delos Home School, Clayton,” the Sarita dispatcher announced over the radio. “Will the closest cruiser respond? Over.”
Frowning, Cade pressed the receiver on the radio he carried on his left shoulder. A code 217 was an assault with intent to murder. “Copy that, car twenty-two. I’m about a mile from there. I’ll take the call. Out.”
It was four-thirty p.m. The pall of rain was letting up. He flipped the lights on and put the vehicle into gear and swiftly drove the cruiser onto the highway. He knew exactly where that school was located. So who had turned in the burglary call? Who was at the school this late on a Friday afternoon?
Chapter Two
‡
Raw pain shot up through Kara’s face as she sat down on a chair in the day care center, gripping her cellphone in her hand. Her attacker had left. Or had he? Warily, she looked around, but her gaze was fastened on the opened door and entrance to the day care area. Stunned and hurting after regaining consciousness, she’d crawled to the chair and pulled her phone from her pocket to call 9-1-1. Dizzy, her ears ringing, she tried without success to stop the blood from pouring out of her left nostril. It felt as if half her face had been ripped off. The heat, swelling, and pain making her whimper. She was hunched over, praying that someone, anyone, would get here fast to help her.
The dispatcher on the 9-1-1 line said a Kenedy County sheriff’s cruiser was on its way. H
ow far away was it though? Her hair hung like curtains on either side of her face as her bloody, slippery fingers carefully pressed against her nose. The pain was excruciating, so she stopped trying to examine the extent of her injury.
Shattered by the attack, Kara kept worrying that her assailant would come back. But everything was quiet in the day care center and out in the hall beyond it. The rain was slacking off, the thunder moving farther west, the storm passing quickly through the area. She heard the front door open and then close. Who was it? Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Was it the man coming back to finish her off? To kill her?
Stifling a cry, she straightened, tense in the chair, unable to walk much because her knees were feeling so weak. Her breath hitched as she saw a sheriff’s deputy appear in the entrance, his revolver drawn. A gasp tore from Kara—she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The man wearing the black Stetson, dressed in a deputy’s uniform, was none other than Cade Patterson! She’d heard through the county grapevine that he’d come home three years earlier, but she had never run into him or seen him. His shoulders were so broad that she longed to simply lay her head on them and collapse into his arms. His light brown eyes were large, wide set, and assessing her, holding her distraught gaze.
“Kara!” He looked as shocked as she did. “What happened? Is there anyone else here?” he asked urgently, his head swiveling to take in the room.
“A man attacked me from behind…I-I don’t know why…” Her voice sounded young, like a scared child, not her normal alto tone. She saw that his eyes were filled with concern.
“Okay, stay where you are for a moment. I have to clear every room to make sure no one is still in here. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded. “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t walk. I’m dizzy.”
“I’ll be right back,” he promised.
Huge tears of relief squeezed out of her eyes. Kara wrapped her arms around herself, the blood dripping continuously down onto her white blouse, forever staining it. Cade was like a silent shadow, disappearing from her view as he moved down the hall, pistol drawn. Was her attacker still in here hiding? Waiting to jump her again? She felt so cold. So alone. And yet, Cade was here! He was the last person she’d ever expected to see and she was infinitely grateful it was him.
Kara had been hoping to see him on the street, maybe catch sight of him at the local diner or run into him at the grocery store. But she never had, until now. Gulping, hating the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, she swallowed, her stomach roiling.
“Kara?”
Cade’s voice was so close to her, she snapped her head up, gasping, not hearing him return to her side. He stood before her, sliding his revolver into the holster.
Her hand flew to her throat as she stared up at him. How tall he was! She remembered the boy of eighteen. That was the last time she’d seen him. Even though Cade had played football, the coach was always after him to put on more muscle, but he never had. Her gaze traveled up, from his narrow hips encased in dark blue gabardine trousers to the light khaki-colored shirt that stretched across his broad chest. And those proud, straight shoulders of his that looked as if they could carry the weight of the world on them. She knew from Cade’s hard, younger life, that he’d carried his mother who had been so broken by her husband’s unexpected death.
Words stuck in her tight throat as he crouched down close to her, placing his hand tentatively upon her upper right arm, his gaze melting into hers.
“Broken nose?” he asked gently.
“I-I think so…he hit me. That’s the last thing I remember.”
“I’ll call an ambulance,” he said, his hand reluctantly leaving her arm so he could make the call from his shoulder radio.
She looked beyond him, panicked, as he ended the call. “Is he still here, Cade?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No, no one’s here. We’re alone. Are you hurt anywhere else, Kara?”
Just the low warmth, the concern in his eyes, brought more tears. She choked and sobbed, “I-I don’t think so…I didn’t expect this…I don’t know who he was. He attacked me from behind. I got a look at him after I smashed his foot with my heel, just for a second before I tried to run from him.” Cade’s hand was stabilizing as he lightly moved it up and down her upper arm, as if to comfort her.
“We can cover all that later.”
“God, I wish my nose would quit bleeding.” She held up her bloodied fingers.
“Hold on,” Cade murmured, rising. He pulled out a white linen handkerchief from his back pocket, slipping it into her hand. “Press two fingers gently against the root of your nose and pinch the area as much as you can without causing yourself more pain. It should slow and stop the bleeding,” he said, crouching next to her once more.
Needing his comforting touch, she closed her eyes and held the handkerchief against her nose with one hand and pinched the root of her nose with the other. “I-I’m not hurt anywhere else. Bruised knees maybe, that’s all.”
Kara began to shake uncontrollably, barely holding herself together. Some of the bleeding was slowing down and that was good. Absorbing Cade’s masculine nearness, she felt like a thief stealing his light, his energy. Listening to the low timbre of his voice as he spoke to the dispatcher requesting a forensics team and back up, she once more felt that powerful swell of protection embracing her. And yet, Cade was not even touching her! Missing his hand on her arm, she needed to connect with him once again. It was a wild, unbidden thought and she couldn’t stop any of her rampant, twisting feelings from barreling through her right now.
Getting off his radio, Cade placed his hand on her shoulder and asked, “What can I get you? Anything? The ambulance will be here in about five minutes. It’s coming from the Clayton Volunteer Fire Department.”
“Just—you…I don’t need anyone else. Please don’t leave me, Cade.” She was prattling on, her voice high, off pitch, sounding nearly hysterical. She felt his fingers press gently into her shoulder, some unnamed emotion burned in his eyes for a moment, stunning her. She was no longer a moon-eyed child in love with Cade Patterson from afar. That look he’d given her just now was filled with more than concern. It was something much, much more and shock of another kind moved through her.
“I won’t leave you,” he promised. “Just try to relax. You’ve been traumatized, Kara. Everything’s going to be all right.”
His voice was like smooth, warm sunlight calming the choppy waters of her frantic, raw emotions. “I-I’m so scared…this has never happened before. I don’t understand it, Cade. I don’t…”
“After a doctor examines you, Kara, I’ll need to take your statement. I’m not going to try to do it right now. You’re too upset.”
“I-I’ll see you again, then?”
He smiled a little. “I’m like a bad cold. You won’t get rid of me that easily.” He saw her muster a faint, wobbly smile. She was physically trembling. “But let’s get you to the ER first, okay? After the doc patches you up, we can talk about what happened here.”
“I must look awful,” she whispered.
“You’re beautiful. Don’t ever forget that. Blood can be wiped away. The doc will fix up your broken nose and you’ll be just like new in no time.”
She was beautiful to Cade. His words flowed powerfully through her, warming her pounding heart, soothing away some of her fear and anxiety. “I never saw myself like that…”
“Your beauty has always come from your heart and your kindness to others,” Cade murmured, sliding his hand gently across her hunched shoulder.
Unhappily, she groaned, “I’m a mess, Cade. Look at my blouse. It’s ruined!” She gestured at the bloody material.
“Cold water will wash it out. At least, that’s what my mom always told me,” and he gave her a crooked, bashful grin.
She felt so much warmth coming from Cade, all of it unspoken, so deep and quiet, hidden within him until this moment. It was as if he had placed an invisible, warm blanket around her shoulders, a
gesture of deep caring. “Your mother is a wonderful person, Cade. I often see her at the grocery store and other places around Clayton,” she said.
“When I was in the Marine Corps, my mother sort of kept me up on what was happening with you here in Clayton, Kara,” he replied. Amusement filled his tone. “I learned the cold water trick in the Marine Corps, as well. Got into a bar fight once,” he touched his own nose, “and broke it. The gunny sergeant had to talk to the local police department and plead to let us out of jail. Said he’d deal with us back at the naval station. He was the one that told me to clean up blood with cold water. Most gunnies are mother hens to the Marines they command.”
“You broke your nose, too?” She stared at his face for a moment, seeing a slight bump on it.
“Yeah, not my finest moment in the Corps,” he admitted wryly. “Is there someone I can contact for you to let them know about this attack, Kara?”
“No! I don’t want you to call my father and tell him what happened to me.” The words came out in a rush, filled with panic.
“Do you have someone else you’d rather me call? A man in your life? Your mother?”
Kara closed her eyes, dizziness sweeping through her. She hunkered down, pressing her back solidly against the chair, afraid she was going to pitch to the right for a second. Cade’s hand became firmer, as if he sensed what she was experiencing. It was that mental telepathy, that magical connection between them that had always existed, vibrating between them. It was here again, right now.
And never had Kara been happier to feel it. She opened her eyes after a moment, looking into his narrowed gaze. He was worried for her. “I live alone. There’s no one in my life.” She gestured slightly to the day care area. “This is my passion. I love what I do here, helping the kids learn English.”
“I’ll have to notify your mom, then,” he said, regret in his tone. “She’ll want to know for sure.”