But she’d miss him.
“She’s coming out here for Thanksgiving. My entire family is. Parents. Brothers. Sister. Spouses. Nieces and nephews. The whole shebang.”
“That sounds like fun.” She’d always loved the idea of a big family. She’d wanted at least four children, but Daniel had thought one or two would be plenty. He hadn’t wanted anything to distract from his work and had insisted they wait at least five years before they considered adding to their family.
They hadn’t made it to their fifth anniversary.
“It will be, and I was thinking—” he paused as he dug plastic utensils from the bag “—that their visit would be the perfect opportunity for all of you to meet.”
“You want me to meet your family?” She knew she sounded shocked. Because she felt shocked.
“Sure. It’s not often we’re all together. If we wait until the next time it happens, it could be a year.” Seth pulled out her chair and nudged her into it.
“Do you realize that we haven’t even been on a date, and you’re talking about me meeting your family?”
“I bought you Thai food, Tessa. Do you know how many miles I had to go to get it?”
“Seven.”
He laughed. “Yes, and do you know how tempted I was to eat it all before I got here?”
“You’re a saint, Seth, but that doesn’t mean that this is a date or that I should meet your family.”
“Maybe not, but you might as well know that I’m too old for games, and I’m not interested in taking things slow.”
“Seth—”
“I wasn’t looking for anyone, Tessa. Sometimes, though, we don’t have to be looking to find what we need.”
“What if it doesn’t work out?” she asked quietly, her heart beating double time. “What if you only think you need me? What if—”
“Then we won’t have lost anything for trying.” He touched her hand, his palm warm against her skin.
Except our hearts, she wanted to add, but the food smelled wonderful, and Seth’s eyes were the same blue as the evening sky, and it was easy to let the thought slip from her mind when he was looking at her like that.
Bentley nudged Seth’s knee as he squeezed under the table and rested his head on Tessa’s feet.
“You don’t quite fit under there, big boy,” Seth muttered, but he scratched Bentley’s head and offered him a piece of chicken he plucked from a container of fried rice.
“You’re not supposed to feed him table scraps,” Tessa said, trying to sound firm. Seth could see right through her.
“I’m trying to win him over,” he explained as he fed the big dog another piece of chicken. Truth be told, he was more interested in winning Tessa over. Now that he’d found her, he had no intention of letting her disappear from his life.
“Why would you want to do that?” she asked with a nervous laugh.
“I plan on spending a lot of time around here. Being buddies with your dog will make that easier. You don’t mind, do you?” He looked into her eyes and wasn’t surprised to see uncertainty. They’d both lost someone they’d deeply loved. They’d both been changed by it. It wasn’t an easy thing to forget, and it wasn’t easy to decide to move on.
He reached across the table and took her hand, sliding his thumb across her smooth skin. “I can leave if you want me to, Tessa. You can have the Thai food, no strings attached. Just a friend doing something for a friend.”
“That isn’t what this feels like,” she said softly.
“I know, but if that’s all that you want it to be, I’ll be okay with that. No date. No meeting my family. No moving forward. I can do that if it’s what you want.”
“It isn’t.” Her fingers curved around his. “The thing is, I don’t know how to do this.”
“What?”
“You. Me. Us. Dinner.” She swept her free hand in a circle that encompassed the table, the room and Seth. “Do you know how many years it’s been since I’ve...”
“Dated?”
“That seems like a term for someone a lot younger than me.”
“You’re young.”
“I don’t feel young.”
After a moment, he nodded in understanding. “Neither do I. We’ve both lived through a lot. We’ve survived—”
“So far,” she offered with a sad smile.
“You’ll be fine.”
“We hope.”
“I believe you’re going to be fine, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you are.” He squeezed her hand gently. “So, how about we eat? We’re letting our food get cold while we try to hash things out.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”
It was a start, and it was enough.
Seth smiled. “Do you want to pray, or would you like me to?”
“You can.” She bowed her head, and Seth offered a simple prayer of thanks for the food, resisting the urge to thank God for the company. The evening was young, the food smelled good and the company...
He looked into Tessa’s eyes.
Perfect.
He didn’t want to ruin that, didn’t want to scare her by pushing too fast or too hard.
Tessa picked at her food, scooping up a few bites and then putting her fork down.
“I’m not as hungry as I thought I was,” she announced, shoving her plate to the middle of the table. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize.”
“I feel like there is. You’re always doing so much for me, Seth.” She grabbed the plate and covered it with plastic wrap. “It seems like the least I could do was enjoy it.”
“If I didn’t want to do things for you, I wouldn’t. And when I do something for someone it isn’t to get thanks or accolades.” He grabbed a spring roll from a cardboard container.
“I know, but—”
“But nothing. Now, stop worrying or you’ll make me lose my appetite,” he cut her off.
She smiled, but her eyes were sad. “The way you’re packing down that food, I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“Hey, it takes a lot of energy to do what I do.”
“I thought you were on desk duty until your shoulder healed. You haven’t been doing more than you’re supposed to, have you?” She scowled, and Seth smiled.
“I’m glad to know you care, Tessa. No worries, though. I’m following the doctor’s orders. I’ve just been burning the candle at both ends recently. That takes fuel. Which reminds me, I did a little digging while I was at work today,” he said, and Tessa stiffened.
“Digging into what?”
“Your past.” He’d wanted to find out more about Andrew and the mission team, and he’d pulled up old newspaper articles about the massacre. He’d been shocked to see Tessa’s tearstained face on the front of several local newspapers. She’d looked like a kid, her hair in two long braids, her eyes large in her thin pale face. The story had taken center stage on the national news circuit. If Seth hadn’t been on covert assignment overseas the year it had happened, there’d have been no way he wouldn’t have known about it.
“I guess you’re going to tell me what you found.”
“You don’t sound very happy about it.”
“I’d be happy to never have to mention what happened in Kenya again.” She walked to the window that looked out over the backyard. She’d pulled the shade, but he still wanted to drag her away, tell her that she had to be careful.
“Maybe one day you won’t, but for right now—”
“I know, Seth. I’m going to have to discuss it. I’m going to have to answer questions. I’m going to have to relive every bit of the horror.” She turned to face him again, her eyes the same misty green as Smith Mountain Lake in the morning. Looking into them was like looking into the p
ast, like seeing the future, like returning home after too many years away.
He covered the space between them in two short steps and took both her hands in his. “If you’d rather not, it can wait, Tess. I can give the information to Logan and let him use it.”
“It can’t wait. Not really. Not if I want to stay alive, and I do. What did you find?”
“An interview that Anna did about a year after the massacre. It was for a local paper, and she was talking about how God had saved her. She hinted that the mission team had gotten what it deserved. Said that she’d survived because her focus had been on helping the Kenyan people rather than making her name or building her wealth.”
Tessa stilled, her muscles tensing. “You think she knew about Andrew.”
“I don’t know, and she’s not around to question. Do you remember what she was like?”
“Sweet. Very committed to serving God. I can’t imagine her hurting anyone.”
“Tragedy changes people. It’s possible it made her bitter. Maybe even made her want revenge”
“It sure changed me.” She sighed. “But we don’t even know if Anna is alive. As a matter of fact, we don’t really know much of anything.”
“We know that someone connected to your time in Kenya is in the States, and we know that whoever it is, is coming after you. I won’t be satisfied until that person is behind bars.”
“I’ll be okay. Isn’t that what you’re always saying to me?” Her hands rested on his waist, tentative and light, her smile sweet. She smelled like sunshine and flowers, her skin soft as a rose petal as he touched her bare arms.
“Have I told you lately how beautiful you are with flour in your hair?” he asked.
“I have flour—”
“Just here.” He gently brushed the dusting of white from the fiery hair near her temple. “Of course, you’re always beautiful.”
“Seth, I—”
“How about we not discuss all the reasons why this isn’t a good idea, and spend a little time talking about why it is?” He cupped her shoulders, studying her face—her fair skin and dusting of freckles; her golden-red lashes and strong cheekbones. It wasn’t her beauty that tempted him, though. It was her. Everything about Tessa appealed to him, and he thought that if he lived another hundred years, he wouldn’t meet a woman who filled his thoughts the way that she did.
“What if I’m not ready for a relationship?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Then I’ll wait until you are, and we’ll go from there,” he responded honestly. She rewarded him with a wry smile.
“You’re too good to be true.”
“Try telling my siblings that. They’ll set you straight.”
“At your big Thanksgiving get-together?”
“If you want.”
She stared into his eyes for a moment. Finally, she nodded. “I think I do,” she whispered.
“Great. Hopefully, being around them won’t convince you that I’m less than the perfect specimen of humanity that you obviously think I am,” he teased.
“Never.” Tessa laughed, stretching up on her toes and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.
He turned his head, capturing her lips with his, and just like that he was lost in her, lost in the way it felt to be so close to her.
When his cell phone rang, it took him a minute to hear it, and he had trouble breaking away. “Sinclair here.”
“It’s Logan. One of my officers just reported movement on the hill above Tessa’s house.”
“What kind of movement?” Seth walked to the window above the sink, slowly pulled the shade aside and looked out into the backyard. A small light jumped through the woods near the top of the ridge.
“A light. It’s been there and gone a few times over the past hour. It looks like whoever it is is moving closer. I’ve dispatched officers to check it out.”
“I’m going to check it out, too.” He glanced at Tessa.
She looked scared. Good. As long as she was scared, she’d play it safe, stay close to home and make it easier for the people who were trying to help her succeed. “You have an officer stationed outside her house, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“As long as Tessa is locked in, and your man is doing his job, she’ll be fine. The more people we have up on that hill, the more likely it will be that we’ll find the guy who’s after her.” He disconnected, shoved the phone in his pocket and grabbed his coat.
“What’s going on?” Tessa asked as she followed him to the back door.
“Someone is up on the hill behind your house.”
“People walk there all the time.”
“With flashlights?”
She paused. “Not that I’ve ever noticed.”
“That’s what I figured. Logan already has an officer out searching. I’m going, too. You need to stay near the front of the house. Keep the doors locked and don’t go near the windows.”
“Maybe you should leave it to the police.” She bit her lower lip.
“I’ll be fine.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, the warmth of her lips making him want to stay by her side. He forced himself to move away from her and stepped out onto the back deck. “Lock the door. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He ran across the dark yard, his feet crunching the nearly frozen grass. The night seemed too still, too quiet, the air heavy with rain and the dark energy that seemed to precede trouble.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, his body humming with adrenalin.
He glanced up the hill, and saw the light bob once and then go out. He dove behind a small shrub near the edge of the property. Someone had been watching the house. Whoever it was had seen him walk out the back door.
Did the person have a handgun or rifle?
Did he have night-vision goggles?
The questions shot through his mind as he eased along the property line and stepped into the deep shadows at the base of the hill.
Please, God, help me find him. Please keep Tessa safe.
He continued to pray silently for the woman he was falling in love with as he slowly made his way deeper into the forest.
SIXTEEN
Tessa knew exactly what she was supposed to do.
Stay near the front of the house.
With two police cars parked on her street there was little chance that someone was going to take a shot at her from that direction.
The woods behind her house were a different story. They were so dense that it would be fairly easy for someone to hide there during the day. At night, a person would be almost impossible to spot. If an attack were going to come, it would come from that direction.
But even though she needed to stay near the front, she wanted to go look out back. That’s the way Seth had gone, and she had the absurd urge to go after him, to drag him back to the safety of the house.
She walked into the living room, pacing near the fireplace.
Seth was risking his life for her.
It didn’t feel good.
It felt even worse to cower in the house while he did it.
“Please, Lord, keep him safe,” she prayed aloud, because she didn’t know what else to do. She wanted desperately to believe that He was there, ready and willing to help.
Bentley whined in response, his tail brushing the living room floor. If she let him out back, he’d probably take off in whatever direction Seth had gone. More than likely, he’d make enough noise to scare any bad guys away.
Or to get himself shot again.
She frowned, crouching next to the big dog and scratching his knobby head. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt again, Bentley. You’re going to have to stay close to home for a while. As a matter of fact, I want you to stay right here. Stay!”
&nb
sp; He barked, licked her hand and sat at attention, waiting for her next command.
Good. One problem solved.
Tessa turned off the living room light and the light in the hall, making sure there was no way she’d be backlit when she went into the kitchen. Then she crept through the dining room, crouching low as she passed the windows.
Bentley barked, the sound so startling that Tessa jumped.
She glanced back and saw that he was inching toward her on his belly.
“I said stay,” she commanded, and he sat near the dining room doorway, even though she could tell he didn’t like doing it one bit.
Hopefully, he’d stay there.
The house fell silent again as she inched her way to the sink and looked out the window. Nothing moved in the yard. Not even the leaves on the trees near the edge of the lawn. The forest stretched black and thick along the hill. Whatever light Seth had seen was gone. Hopefully, whoever had been carrying the light was gone, too.
Please, Lord, please keep him safe, she prayed as she scanned the ridge at the top of the hill. She’d walked there dozens of times during the day. She’d always felt safe—the trail that led through the woods was well traveled by people in the community. She’d been on it after dark only a few times. Things were different then, of course. What was safe during the day often seemed dangerous when the sun went down.
She felt that as she stared up the hill. A million eyes could be staring back, and she wouldn’t know it. She shivered, but didn’t go back to the living room.
Seth had gone to hunt for the person who was hunting her. She didn’t take that lightly. Everything he’d said about dating and meeting his family and moving forward to see where they were heading would mean nothing if he died. And if he did, it would be because of her.
Please.
She prayed again, wondering if God were listening. If He cared. She’d often wondered where He’d been when Daniel was murdered. She’d wondered if He’d heard when children and their mothers were screaming for mercy. A piece of her soul had rebelled at the idea of God allowing such carnage. She’d believed in His mercy, His love, even His judgment, but she’d never believed Him to be cruel. Seeing the bodies lying between the huts, holding Daniel bleeding body while he whispered for her to go and not look back, living through the horror of all those things had made her wonder if God had turned His back and didn’t care enough to intervene.
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