by Laura Scott
The more the idea rolled around in her mind, the more she believed that had to be part of God’s plan. After ten minutes or so, she opened her eyes and gazed up at the empty altar, feeling a little better. Being in church was so soothing she wished she could spend the night here.
Not that Pastor Tom would approve. And besides, she couldn’t ignore the fact that danger seemed to follow her wherever she went. The last thing she wanted to do was to put Pastor Tom in harm’s way. The hotel that was just a couple blocks away was probably a better choice.
She was about to leave when she had an idea. Why not leave Bobby a note here? Bobby knew how much she enjoyed attending this church and that she always came early enough to sit in this pew. And he’d come on occasion, too. Maybe he’d return as a way to connect with her? Without giving herself a chance to second-guess her decision, she quickly pulled a small piece of paper and a pen from her purse, holding it in her lap so that Declan couldn’t see what she was doing. Somehow she sensed he wouldn’t approve.
She kept the note short. Staying at the American Lodge. Come and find me. Tess.
There was a crack along the edge of the pew and she quickly stuffed the note inside.
She frowned, staring at the note. Hopefully Bobby would come here seeking peace, the way he had in the past. After all, he got along pretty well with Pastor Tom. But what if he didn’t? Or couldn’t come?
Leaving the note was better than doing nothing and provided at least a glimmer of hope. With a sense of renewed determination, she slid out of the pew and then walked back down to where Declan waited. She caught his gaze, wondering if he’d noticed that she left the note.
Since he didn’t say anything as they made their way back out to his car, she figured her secret was safe.
Dear Lord, keep Bobby safe in Your care and please guide him to the note I’ve left for him. Amen.
* * *
Declan had felt out of place even just standing at the back of the church, but since Tess was smiling, he figured the slight detour had been well worth it.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
He flashed a reassuring grin. “You’re welcome. Did it help?”
“Praying always manages to put things in perspective,” she replied as he drove the couple of blocks to the hotel. “And I needed those few moments of prayer more than I can say. Your patience really means a lot to me.”
“No problem,” Declan said, feeling a bit uncomfortable with her gratitude. Obviously she didn’t realize how close he’d been to refusing her request. “After the day you’ve had, you deserve a little peace and quiet.”
“Do you attend church at all?” she asked as he pulled into the hotel parking lot.
He tried not to grimace. “Not really.”
“I’d think in your line of work you’d pray a lot,” she murmured. “Especially since your job places you in dangerous situations.”
He wasn’t sure what to say to that. He remembered listening to her prayer as he was defusing the bomb. At the time he’d been grateful for the assistance, from whatever the source. “I tried a few prayer services while I was deployed overseas,” he confided. “But then after my buddy was killed, I never went back.”
She glanced at him in sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear about your friend’s death. I’m sure that must have been difficult.”
“Yeah.” Talk about a massive understatement. He’d been standing right next to Tony when he was shot. It was a quirk of chance that Declan was here today, while his buddy wasn’t.
“After my parents died, I leaned on my faith a lot,” she continued. “God is always there for us when we need Him.”
He didn’t think she’d appreciate hearing how he had returned home after losing Tony to drown his sorrows in a bottle of booze. He might still be drunk if not for the fact that Karen had needed his help to get away from her abusive ex-husband.
He hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol in the four years since then, but he was keenly aware that it might not take much to send him tumbling down into that black hole. He was, after all, his father’s son. And wasn’t there something about how alcohol abuse tended to run in families?
Depressing thought. He refused to be anything like his father, no matter what. Just knowing they shared the same genes was terrifying enough.
“Thanks for offering to pray for me that night I drove you home after your prom date,” he said.
“I prayed for you a lot,” she said. “I was tempted to write to you but wasn’t sure how to find your address.”
That surprised him. “Really?”
“Really. I guess I should have asked around to see if anyone else knew how to reach you.”
He didn’t want to tell her that he was one of the few marines who hardly got any mail. Karen had written to him a few times, but then those letters had dropped off, too.
Humbling to think that Tess cared enough to at least consider writing to him. Not that she probably would have written the entire time he was gone.
Even one letter would have been great to have.
Okay, enough already. What was the point of wishing things had been different? Tess was far too good for him and a Christian, too. She deserved more than he could ever give her.
And it was annoying that he even considered trying to change for her.
“Let’s go inside,” he said abruptly, cutting off that thought before he could make a fool of himself. “It’s getting late.”
“All right.” Tess slid out of her door and walked toward the lobby. He pulled her suitcase out from the backseat and then caught up with her at the door. He held it open with one hand and quickly followed her inside.
“May I help you?” the desk clerk asked.
“Yes, I need a room,” Tess said.
“Actually we’d like two connecting rooms,” he spoke up, cutting off Tess’s request.
“What are you doing?” she whispered under her breath. “There’s no reason for you to stay.”
“I’m not leaving, Tess.” This was why he’d waited to even bring up the subject. “Don’t worry, you’ll have your privacy.”
“We have two connecting rooms on the first floor, but you’ll be facing the parking lot. Is that acceptable?” the clerk asked pleasantly.
“Yes, that would be fine.” Declan handed over his credit card and ignored the scowl Tess sent his way. “Thanks.”
“You’ll be in room 110 and 112. Your rooms will be all the way down at the end of the hall.”
“Great, thanks.” Declan took one key and handed Tess the other one. He grabbed her suitcase and wheeled it down the hallway toward their rooms.
Tess waited to get away from the lobby before she spoke her mind. “This is ridiculous. There’s no reason for you to stay here when you have a perfectly good house to go home to.”
“Would you consider going home with me? I have a spare bedroom.”
“No, I wouldn’t.” She crossed her arms over her chest, obviously disgruntled. “I like this location. It’s close to church.”
Sunday was three days away, but he wasn’t going to point that out now. “You may as well save your breath, because if you’re not leaving, then neither am I.”
She sighed, but he was thankful when she gave up her argument. The clerk had indeed allocated them rooms that were way at the end of the building, overlooking the parking lot which was probably a good thing in case they needed to leave in a hurry.
He set the suitcase down and then used his key to open his door. “Unlock your side of the connecting door when you get in, okay?”
“Hrumph.” Tess didn’t look pleased as she lugged her suitcase inside, letting the door close loudly behind her.
He went inside his room and then unlocked and opened his side of the connecting door. Since he didn’t have any luggage with him, h
e decided he’d have to go back to the lobby to get a few bare essentials from the front desk.
By the time he returned with a comb, toothbrush, toothpaste and razor, he noticed that Tess had her connecting door open about an inch. He set his things inside the bathroom and then hesitantly knocked on her door.
“Come in.”
He pushed the door open a bit farther and saw that Tess was sitting in a desk chair reading a Bible. It didn’t look like the ones that were normally left in hotel rooms, so he assumed it was hers. “Everything okay?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t it be?”
Good point. Why the sudden need to check on her? It wasn’t as if there was any hint of danger. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“Good night, Tess.”
“Good night, Declan.”
He closed her door just enough so that it didn’t latch, and then did the same on his side. As he stretched out on the bed, he stared up at the ceiling. Was it possible that Tess was right about faith and church? Did believing in God really bring peace?
For the first time, he wondered if maybe he would have coped differently after Tony’s death if he’d had faith and God to lean on.
But almost as quickly as the thought entered his mind, he pushed it away. After all the trouble he’d caused as a teenager, he was certain he’d sinned too much for God to forgive him. Even his own mother hadn’t loved him enough to take him with her when she left his father. Instead, she’d taken Karen, leaving him behind.
Furthermore, he didn’t have any business thinking of ways to get on Tess’s good side. Granted the more time he spent with her, the more he admired her strength and endurance, but he already sensed she didn’t feel the same way about him. And while he knew deep down that it was better that way, he couldn’t help wishing that things could be different.
That he was the type of man who really could have a home and a family.
EIGHT
Tess tried to concentrate on the book of Psalms, which were her favorite, but she was acutely aware of Declan’s presence in the room next door. She was oddly touched by the fact that he’d chosen to stay with her, so that he could offer his protection.
She couldn’t remember the last time any man had cared about her safety and well-being. Of course, she hadn’t been in danger like this before, either, at least not since that disastrous prom date ten years ago.
Declan had stepped up to protect her back then, too. She’d tried to repress her memory of that night, but now the images came rushing back. The way Steve’s personality seemed to have changed over the course of the evening from being the nice guy she knew in her physics class to the nasty creep who’d demanded sex from her. He’d been drinking all night from a water bottle that really contained vodka, a fact that she realized far too late.
Steve had gripped her wrist so hard that he’d left bruises that had lasted for a full week. She knew Steve would have forced himself on her, but Declan had shown up and demanded that Steve let her go. When Steve was distracted by Declan’s arrival, she’d kicked him and had taken off running. She’d heard someone jogging behind her and had tried to go faster. Soon she realized Declan was the one following her, making sure that Steve didn’t try to follow.
Declan had offered to drive her home, and during that time, she’d shared her dream of being a doctor while Declan had informed her he was going into the marines. He’d given her a light, gentle kiss, a moment she still savored. Even though Declan had been the town troublemaker, she’d never felt as safe as she had that night.
Until now.
She gave up trying to read and crawled into bed. But she couldn’t sleep. Memories of her eventful day kept crowding her mind. The bomb under her desk, the explosion outside, the crash in Declan’s old neighborhood.
Searching for Bobby.
Her phone rang and she bolted upright in bed, her heart hammering wildly. She reached for the device and wanted to weep with relief when she saw Bobby’s number. “Bobby? Where are you?”
“Tess, I need help.” Her brother’s voice was barely a whisper, so soft she had to strain to hear. “I need money. Can you meet me at Greenland Park?”
She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the stab of disappointment. “Where have you been? I’ve been searching all over for you. Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been about you?”
There was a slight pause before her brother responded, “I’m sorry...I can explain everything when you get here. Please, Tess, it’s important. I need your help.”
She closed her eyes, fighting a wave of nausea and a nagging headache. Bobby knew that she didn’t like going to Greenland Park, the site of her near rape, but obviously he was in trouble. She was afraid to hear the details, yet she knew she’d have to help him. No matter what. “Okay, where do you want me to meet you?”
“I’ll be waiting in picnic area number three. Thanks, Tess.”
She barely had a chance to say goodbye before Bobby hung up. Her brother sounded as if he was under a lot of pressure for some reason. She didn’t mind giving him money, but she needed to understand what he was involved in and how she could help him get back on track. He’d skipped school, for heaven’s sake. What happened to the earnest young man who’d promised her he’d graduate?
Tess took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn’t have a car, which left two choices. Call for a cab or wake Declan.
Her first instinct was to go with the cab option, but there was a good chance Declan would hear her. It made her a little nervous to tell him about Bobby’s request, because who knew what legal trouble her brother had gotten into? But at the same time, she didn’t really want to go to Greenland Park alone at eleven-thirty at night.
Before she could move toward the connecting door, Declan rapped on the frame to get her attention then poked his head inside. “Tess? I heard your phone. Was that Bobby?”
“Yes, he wants me to meet him at Greenland Park. Will you drive me?”
Declan frowned. “Of course, but why does he need us to go to him? Why can’t he come here? What exactly is going on?”
“Bobby said he’d explain everything when we get there. I need you to trust me on this.” She was afraid to mention the fact that Bobby wanted money. Deep down, she suspected that Declan might share Jeff’s philosophy of how to manage a teenager. Her ex had made it clear she was too lenient when it came to her brother, yet she knew that being strict wasn’t the answer, either. Of course a happy medium would be nice, but at times like this, she knew that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
“I don’t like it,” Declan muttered.
She didn’t have an answer for that, so she grabbed her purse before following Declan out of the room. He headed outside to where he’d left the car.
Her stomach twisted painfully the closer they came to Greenland Park. Being there at night brought back memories she’d rather forget. She was relieved to be reuniting with her brother, yet at the same time, she’d rather be anywhere else than Greenland Park.
“Where are we meeting him?” Declan asked as he drove into the park’s north entrance.
She forced the words through her dry throat. “Picnic area three.”
The darkness enveloped them as the towering trees lining the park road blocked out the light from the moon and the stars. From what she could tell, the area was deserted and there weren’t any other cars or people that she could see. Soon their headlights flashed on the sign labeled Picnic Three. “Pull over,” she urged.
Declan stopped his car and hesitated before he turned off the engine, including the headlights, plunging them in complete darkness. “Maybe we should leave the lights on, so Bobby can see us?” she whispered.
“Not right now. First I need to be sure you’re safe. Since we haven’t seen Bobby yet, he’s either hiding o
r hasn’t arrived. There’s no sign of his truck, but for all we know he could have parked elsewhere and is heading over on foot.”
She didn’t argue, because something about all of this didn’t seem quite right. Granted she already knew Bobby was probably in trouble, but still, using the park as a meeting place felt—off.
“We’re going to walk across to where those three picnic tables are clustered beneath the oak tree,” Declan said. He reached up and fiddled with the dome light, and she was surprised when he removed the tiny bulb. “I want you to stay right next to me, okay?”
She nodded and looped her purse over her shoulder as she opened her door. Her foot hit the curb and she slipped, falling against the side of the SUV with a soft thud. Declan was there in a heartbeat, to steady her.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Declan held on to her hand as they gingerly made their way across the grassy embankment toward the three picnic tables. The dewy grass made her running shoes damp as they walked, making sure not to trip over branches or rocks. She peered through the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of her brother. Was Bobby hiding somewhere nearby? Was he watching them right now? Was he disappointed that she hadn’t come alone?
She shivered and hoped Bobby wouldn’t try to do anything foolish, especially since she knew Declan was armed and a highly trained member of the SWAT team. When they reached the middle picnic table, they stood for a while, anxiously waiting for her brother to show.
But he didn’t. Where was he? Had he expected her to take more time to arrive? Was he on his way here right now? Or had something prevented him from coming at all?
The latter thought was far too depressing. She sat down on the bench seat of the picnic table, but Declan stopped her.
“Wait,” he said in a hushed tone.
She froze while Declan pulled out a small flashlight. He swept the tiny yet powerful beam over the area. There was no sign of anyone hiding nearby, although there were certainly enough trees and brush to hide behind.