To Cherish

by Laura Scott

  His radio squawked, and he reluctantly let her go to get the call. “Lewis.”

  “The information you requested has been sent over,” Captain Vance said. “Appears both vehicles were rented by the same guy, David Graves.”

  The name meant nothing to him. “I need any and all known associates of the guy. There has to be some sort of connection to Cunningham. We need to put out a BOLO for this David Graves guy and Cunningham.”

  “Cunningham, too?” The Captain’s tone was full of doubt. “He’ll argue harassment.”

  “Too bad. His kid is missing, and he’s the prime suspect.” Garth didn’t care if the sheriff’s department was sued or not, Trey’s safety was his only priority.

  “Okay,” his boss agreed after a long pause. “I’ll send them through.”

  “Good. I’ll contact Lieutenant Young, find out if Cunningham reported in to work today.” Garth made the call but only reached Young’s voice mail. Realizing it was Sunday and the Lieutenant was likely off duty, he hung up without leaving a message.

  Jemma’s phone rang, and she pounced on it. “Hello? Trey?”

  The color drained from her face, and her panicked gaze latched onto his. In that moment he knew whoever was on the other end of the line had her son.

  Jemma could hardly hear the male voice on the other end of the phone through the roaring in her ears.

  “Are you with the cop?”

  She pulled herself together with a Herculean effort. The caller had to be Randal, but there was something off about his voice. Was he trying to disguise it? “No. Are you with Trey? I want to talk to my son!”

  “Don’t lie to me,” the voice said. “I know that cop has been staying with you. Tell me the truth or I’ll hang up right now.”

  She took a steadying breath, knowing she had to be calm for Trey’s sake. “No, I’m not with the cop, I kicked him out last night.” She felt Garth’s gaze on her as she uttered the lie. “But I did call nine one one and reported Trey missing, so the cops are likely looking for you.”

  “Then I guess you’d better hurry. If you want to see the kid again.”

  “You want me to meet up with you?” She didn’t hesitate even though she still couldn’t be one hundred percent sure that the caller was Randal. “I’ll come right now. Where?”

  “I need you to come alone. If I see the cop, or anyone from the sheriff’s department, I’ll disappear and you’ll never see Trey again.”

  No. Please. She couldn’t stand it. “I’ll come alone,” she rashly promised, avoiding Garth’s gaze. “Tell me where you want to meet.”

  “I’m at the Pine Cone Campsite, in area twenty-three.” There was a brief pause. “I’m warning you, Jemma. One hint of your cop buddy or anyone else from the Sheriff’s Department and I’m gone.”

  “I believe you. I’ll be there. But—I have to drive Jazz’s truck because my van has four flat tires and hasn’t been repaired yet.”

  “What kind of truck?”

  She glanced at Garth, who subtly shook his head. For some reason he didn’t want her using his vehicle. “Jazz drives a cherry red pick-up truck.”

  “Fine. No cops, or you’ll regret it.” The man on the other end of the phone disconnected from the call.

  “I need Jazz’s keys.” She glanced around frantically, relieved when Dalton tossed them to her. She grabbed them, the panic she’d managed to hold at bay returning full force. “Thanks. I have to go, alone.”

  “Jemma, you can’t do this. I need to be there.”

  “No!” She tried to sidestep him. “You don’t understand. I’m not even sure the caller was Randal. It may be one of his friends. And if so, that means Randal could be spying from somewhere close by and will know if I disobey him. I can’t risk him taking Trey or worse, hurting him.”

  Garth lightly grasped her by the shoulders. “Jemma, listen to me. I know the Pine Cone Campsite better than he does. I’ll be there. You won’t see me and neither will he.”

  She shook her head, battling a wave of helplessness. “Please, don’t.”

  He tightened his grip on her upper arms. “I need you to trust me.”

  How could she? How could she trust anyone with Trey’s life? Tears pricked her eyes. She knew Randal. The man was a monster, and she feared Garth and the others may underestimate him.

  But then again, if she had trusted Garth’s instincts on Friday night, Randal or whomever he sent may not have gotten to her son. She reluctantly nodded. “Fine, but if anything happens to Trey . . .” She couldn’t finish the thought.

  “I know.” Garth released her. “He won’t see me.”

  “Where’s the campground?” It hit her that she’d never been there.

  “Just off highway ZZ. It’s on the right, or north side of the street.”

  She’d find it. She headed over to the driveway next door, where Jazz had left her truck. Moments later she was heading west on highway ZZ.

  The signs to the Pine Cone Campsite were easy to see. But once she was inside, the site markings were difficult to find. Some were on one side of the dirt road, and some were on the other, seemingly at random.

  She abruptly came upon site number twenty-three. The area was fairly open, not a lot of places for anyone to hide. There also wasn’t a tent, only a large black cargo van. The thought that Trey may be stuck inside the back of the van had her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

  Sliding out of the driver’s side seat, she put her hands up in the air and cautiously approached along the passenger side of the van. “Hello? Is anyone here? I’ve come alone as promised.”

  For several seconds there was no sound, no movement, then suddenly a man stepped out from the front of the cargo van holding a gun in his hand. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that stretched tightly over his chest. She stared in horror as she realized the guy wasn’t Randal. It was Stephan Ahern! “Stop right there and get inside the back,” he ordered. “Hurry!”

  Reeling from the fact that her ex-husband could still be out there, somewhere, she did her best to remain calm. Her instincts were screaming at her to stay out in the open. “No, Stephan. Not until I see Trey. I need to know he’s all right.”

  Ahern sneered. “I’m the one calling the shots here. You took my son, so it’s only fair that you understand what it’s like to be without yours.”

  Her stomach knotted painfully as she realized she was dealing with a seriously unbalanced man. All this because she reported Daniel’s abuse? She could hardly wrap her mind around it. But Trey was the only thing that mattered. “Stephan, if you don’t show me Trey, then I’m leaving. You could have already hurt or killed him.”

  Ahern stared at her for a long moment before gesturing toward the cargo van with his gun. “Open the back door of the van.”

  With trepidation, she stepped forward and pulled on the handle. The door swung open, and she could see Trey curled up in a ball, still wearing his Pokémon pajamas. Several baseball cards were scattered around him.

  “Mommy?” His tear-streaked face ravaged her heart. “The lady said she was taking me to see Goldie, but she brought me here instead.” His lower lip trembled, and his eyes filled with fresh tears. “I wanna go home.”

  “I know you do.” Her relief in finding him unharmed was short-lived. She turned back to Ahern. “I’ll go with you, but I want you to leave Trey here. You’re upset with me, right, Stephan? I’m the one who caused you to lose your son, no one else. This is just between the two of us. Leave the child out of it.”

  Surprisingly, Ahern appeared to consider her request. But then he shook his head. “Nope. I don’t think you understand what I’ve been going through. What my life has been like since you took my son away from me.” The wild look in his eyes made her fear he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot her. “Your son has only been missing for a few hours, I haven’t seen Danny in five months.”

  “I know, Stephan, and I’m sorry about that.” She tried to stay focused on Ahern but couldn’t help wondering if Randal
was lurking somewhere nearby. “Let’s talk about it . . .”

  “No!” Ahern waved the gun, and she froze, fearing the worst. “Get in the van. Now!”

  Jemma hesitated, knowing that getting into this van was the absolute worst thing she could do.

  Was there another option? For the life of her she couldn’t figure it out if there was. She had the feeling that Ahern didn’t want to hurt them here in the campground but would take them someplace else to do his dirty work. Hoping that Garth would follow the cargo van, she took a step forward and lifted her foot to rest on the bumper so she could jump inside.

  She heard a shout. “Drop your weapon!” She threw herself inside the van, covering Trey’s body with hers. A gunshot echoed through the clearing. Her heart jammed in her throat and she wondered if Ahern had managed to kill Garth.

  Then there was nothing but silence.

  “Jemma? Trey? Are you okay?”

  “Garth?” Moving off Trey’s body, she turned to look back. Garth had come around the van from the same side Ahern had been standing and was reaching inside for her. “How? What?” She couldn’t pull a coherent sentence together.

  “It’s all over.” He helped her out of the van, then reached for Trey. “Don’t look back, okay, buddy? We’re going to head over this way.”

  Despite Garth’s directive, Jemma couldn’t resist glancing over her shoulder. Ahern was lying on the ground, not moving. His chest was awash with blood, and his gun had fallen out of his hand.

  “Randal might be somewhere nearby,” she said fearfully.

  “He’s not, don’t worry. Come with me, Jemma.”

  She tore her gaze away from the dead man lying on the ground. Stephan Ahern had been the one behind everything that she’d blamed on Randal.

  And now he was dead.

  She couldn’t suppress a shiver. Deep down, she’d hoped Randal had been the kidnapper. That he’d end up in jail, forever.

  But she’d been wrong. With a sigh, she realized that it was her own fears that had kept her focused on her ex-husband as the man behind all the incidents. Which meant she’d have to figure out how to live with the idea that Randal would be free to live his life.

  And worse, may once again attempt to sue for joint custody.

  “Are you upset with me?” Garth asked, pulling her away from the image of Stephan Ahern. As soon as he’d arrived at the campsite, he’d remembered seeing Sherry Talbot hiding behind the tree the morning he’d arrested Ahern. The man with her must have been Williams, aka David Graves. He thought it was possible that Graves had also been the same guy who attempted to pick up Trey from his preschool.

  All this time, he and Jemma had assumed Randal was the guilty one. He stood protectively in front of the dead body, unwilling to cause Jemma or Trey to have nightmares.

  “He didn’t listen when I told him to drop his weapon and I worried if I didn’t take the shot the moment you moved out of the way to jump inside the van, he’d fire at you.”

  “I’m not upset with you.” She flashed a watery smile and stepped closer to his warmth. “Thank you for saving us. I’m glad you didn’t let me come alone.”

  “Never.” Garth was holding Trey with one arm but pulled her close with the other. He lightly pressed a kiss to her temple, willing his heart to return to normal. “I’m sorry, but Ahern was clearly unbalanced.”

  Jemma leaned back to look up at him. “I owe you—so much.”

  “No.” He tightened his arm around her shoulders, knowing that most of this was his fault. He’d handled things badly, not exactly the way he had with Kate and Sophie, but the outcome had nearly been the same. “I’m just glad that I was able to get here, this time.”

  “This time?” She frowned, confusion shadowing her gaze. “What do you mean?”

  “There was another woman and child who I promised to keep safe. Unfortunately, her ex got to her. I was too late to prevent the crash.” He shook his head, wondering if the guilt would ever go away. “They survived, but not because of anything I did.”

  “I see. This is your way of making up for whatever mistakes you feel you made in the past? Is that the real motivation here?” Disappointment shimmered in her tone.

  “That was the original plan.” He closed his eyes and buried his face against her hair. “Unfortunately, I became too emotionally involved. And as a result, I almost failed you.”

  “No. I’m the one who lost faith in you.” She rested her head against his shoulder. Her voice dropping to a whisper. “I should never have doubted you, Garth. Never. You knew something was up with Williams, but I didn’t listen.”

  “I could have handled things better,” he countered. “Don’t let me off the hook that easily.”

  There was a long silence, before she whispered, “It seems so crazy that Stephan Ahern would go to such lengths to get back at me. All this time, I thought for sure Randal was the one . . .”

  He tightened his hold on her, never wanting to let go. “I know. I did the same thing. But looking back, I think Cunningham came here not just to complain but to size up the situation. He knows we’re watching over you. I don’t think he’ll be much of a threat anymore.”

  “Maybe not, but he never loved me.”

  He hated hearing the self-doubt in her tone. “Jemma, he doesn’t know anything about true love. If I had a wife and son like you and Trey, I would love and cherish you for the rest of my life.”

  “Oh, Garth, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Her voice was muffled against his shirt. “Will you please take us home?”

  There was so much more he wanted to say, but he held his tongue. The deputies would need their statements, but no reason they couldn’t find them at the B&B. He caught Trina’s gaze and gestured her over.

  “I’m taking them to the B and B.”

  “You can’t just leave after . . .” Trina’s voice trailed off as she realized Trey was listening. “I need to take your statement.”

  “Take it now or catch up with me at the B and B. Your choice.” His tone didn’t allow for an argument.

  “Now,” Trina agreed.

  After handing Trey over to Jemma, he walked a short distance away so they couldn’t overhear. The last thing he wanted was for Trey to understand he’d shot a man. Garth started with his suspicions about Talbot and Williams, how they’d both been seen together at Daisy’s Diner and had obtained rental cars that were paid for by David Graves. “It seems Graves is engaged to Sherry Talbot and Talbot is also Ahern’s sister. If you look closely you’ll see the resemblance. The three of them got together and decided to torment Jemma, making her pay for ruining Ahern’s life. I bet you’ll find the cargo van was leased by Graves, too.”

  “Go on,” Trina encouraged.

  He explained about Ahern’s call to Jemma and the threats. “He held a gun on them, and I feared for their lives. When Jemma moved to get into the back of the van, I had a clear shot. I ordered him to drop his gun, he didn’t comply so I fired.”

  “You didn’t give him a chance to surrender?”

  “No. Time was of the essence. He was close to escaping with Jemma and Trey. He ignored my command leaving me no choice but to stop him.”

  She stared at him for a long moment, and he knew what she was thinking. Every officer involved shooting was dissected under a microscope. But he didn’t care.

  Given the same exact set of circumstances, he’d handle it the same way.

  “Trina, the guy was standing five feet from Jemma with a gun in his hand. He was clearly mentally unstable, and even a lousy marksman could hit the target at that distance. He kidnapped a child, that has to work in my favor.”

  “Okay, fine.” Trina slapped her notebook shut. “I’m sure you’ll be hearing from Captain Vance, and you know there will be a full investigation.”

  “I know the rules.” He turned toward Jemma and Trey. “I’ll be at the B and B if Vance wants to find me.”

  He drove Jemma and Trey back in his truck, telling D
alton that he’d drive him over to pick up Jazz’s vehicle later. Jazz surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a huge hug.

  “Thank you for saving my sister and nephew.”

  “Anytime.” He awkwardly patted her back.

  “Don’t let her chase you away, you hear me?” Jazz stared deep into his eyes. “Jemma needs you. And so does Trey.”

  He nodded, his heart swelling with hope. Apparently, he was close to being considered as one of the family. At least in Jazz’s eyes.

  But Jemma was the only one who mattered. And he knew that the real source of her anxiety, Randal Cunningham, was still out there.

  An hour later his captain arrived to hear Jemma’s and Trey’s side of the story. When they’d finished, Captain Vance pulled Garth aside. “We picked up Talbot. She confessed to helping her brother, Stephan Ahern, teach Jemma McNally a lesson about how it felt to lose custody of a child. She also admitted that David Graves, was using the name Dominic Williams as an alias. She’s willing to snitch on both her brother and her fiancée to save her own hide, so that’s good. But we haven’t found Graves yet.”

  “I’m sure he’s hiding out somewhere,” Garth said. “Once he realizes Ahern is dead, they may turn themselves in.”

  “We’ll get him, one way or the other. Although you know this also means we have to apologize to that jerk, Cunningham.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Garth didn’t like it but understood the need given the way things had turned out.

  Vance clapped him on the back. “Good shooting.”

  “Uh, thank you, sir.” Guess that meant he wasn’t going to be found guilty of reckless homicide.

  “I’ll put in a good word for you when they start the investigation.”

  He nodded. “Appreciate it.”

  Over the next couple of hours, Jazz and Dalton did their best to create a sense of normalcy. When Trey began asking about the puppy, they agreed to take him for a visit. Garth knew this was their way of leaving him and Jemma alone, yet he couldn’t help thinking the timing could have been better. Jemma probably needed time to assimilate everything that had happened.