by Karen Young
“I’m so glad to have you back home, Michael,” she whispered.
He didn’t say anything, just looked at her with wide, serious eyes. His hand stayed intertwined with hers.
“I don’t ever want you to leave again. No matter what happens. No matter what you see or think you see. We’re a family, Michael. You, me, Jake and Scotty. Nobody can just take off.” Her voice blended with the soft gurgle of the water. “Because when someone you love is missing, nothing can fill that hole in your heart.”
He looked away quickly, but not before she saw the glint of his tears.
“Promise me, Michael.”
“Okay.” It came out a croak.
She brought their clasped hands to the V of her shoulder and neck and squeezed. “Thank you for going to Scotty. Thank you for protecting him, for being there and helping him handle his fears. But even if you hadn’t found him, Michael, I would still want you as my son.”
Manfully, he tried to blink back his tears, but they spilled over anyway. Rachel smiled through tears of her own. “Now, are you too old or can I please have a hug?”
He went into the haven of her arms as though it were the most natural thing in the world to do. And it was.
TRYING NOT TO MAKE a sound, Rachel eased back into bed beside Jake. With a sleepy grunt, he pulled her close until they fit like spoons. She relaxed, loving the feel of him. His breath stirred the hair at her nape and she felt safe and happy. She thought he’d fallen back to sleep when he spoke softly.
“Where have you been?”
“Checking on our children.”
“Mmm. They okay?”
“Uh-huh.”
His hand caressed her shoulder. “How about you?”
She didn’t reply right away. After a moment, she turned onto her back and rested her head on his arm. “I guess I’ve got to be the luckiest woman in the world tonight, Jake.”
“Counting your blessings, hmm?”
“Miracles, Jake. It’s been a day of miracles.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
“So many things could have gone wrong.”
“But they didn’t.”
“I thought I would die when Biggs came out on the porch and that dog with him. Thank heaven Todd was there.”
“Yeah.” Jake shifted so he could look at her. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Do you realize what a crazy stunt it was following us out to Biggs’s place like that? And bringing Todd with you.” He shook his head. “He could have been hurt, Rachel. Both of you could have been hurt.”
“I thought he was going to wait for me in the car,” she said lamely, knowing he had every right to scold. Not because she’d felt compelled to help in the rescue of her children, but for endangering Todd. “As for myself, I felt I had to be there. And it’s a good thing I was. Don’t forget we used my car to get everyone out of there safely. If you had tried to get back to yours, someone might have been shot.”
He grunted. “Speaking of which, Rick Streeter was really ticked off when the shooting started.”
“What happened? I thought it was understood you needed time to get Scotty and Michael out before they began the bust.”
“He’s got a leak somewhere. And because of it, the bust wasn’t as successful as it would have been. They confiscated a substantial amount of cocaine and marijuana, and they destroyed a laboratory where Ramirez was manufacturing designer drugs, but unfortunately Ramirez had time to organize his men. As soon as his lookouts spotted the Feds, they began shooting and managed to salvage some of his inventory.”
“But how?”
“They hauled it out in pirogues, the same type of boat Frank and I used. Silent and quick. Impossible to trace.” He lifted a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “They probably made a connection somewhere deep in the swamp and are airborne to St. Louis by now. Or Detroit. Or New York.”
She sighed. “So it goes on.”
Jake settled back again, pulling her close and entwining her legs with his. “I’m afraid so. Not in Kinard County, but the cartel will simply find someplace else. As long as there is a demand for illegal drugs, there will be people like Ramirez to supply them. But at least we’ve destroyed the pipeline into our town and our schools. That’s something.”
“Why did he do it, Jake?”
“Who, Ramirez?”
“No, Biggs. Why would he take a little boy away from his parents? How was he able to watch Scotty’s bewilderment and fear and do nothing? He must have been so scared, Jake. What would make a man so…so vile?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, but he’ll have a long, long time to think about it.”
Rachel shivered. “Jail seems almost too kind for a person like that. He won’t ever be hungry or cold or ch-chained like…”
His arms tightened around her. “No, he won’t.”
Both lay silent, struggling to banish the ugly pictures that would probably be with them forever. But it was a small price to pay to have Scotty safe at last and home where he belonged.
“Aren’t you proud of Michael?” she asked, wanting to ease Jake’s tension.
“Yeah.” She didn’t see it, but she felt him smile.
“Me, too.”
He stroked her jaw with his thumb. “I sorta sensed that.”
“I guess his vocation is pretty much a sure thing.”
Jake’s hand stilled. “Did you hear what he said about ‘deep cover’? I didn’t even know he knew what deep cover meant.”
Rachel giggled. “You’re going to have to cut the hours he spends at the department, Jake. You really are. He has to finish high school and college before becoming a cop.” She sobered then. “But between you and me, I was pretty impressed by what he discovered while he was supposedly Biggs’s prisoner.”
“Yeah, but Biggs’s stupidity is the really amazing thing. The man was running a whole network of kids from middle school to Tidewater High. Naturally, Mike recognized a bunch of them.”
“James Moody, the preacher’s kid, for one.”
“It was monumentally stupid to conduct business right in front of Mike.”
“The sheriff’s son, no less,” Rachel said, stroking the sheriff’s chest. “And in case there was any doubt before, I think it’s a sure thing you will continue to be the sheriff as long as you want it.”
Jake chuckled softly, bringing her hand to his mouth. “Such confidence.”
“You bet.”
“But about Mike…I don’t think even my most seasoned undercover man could have done a better job than he did while he was kidnapped.”
Rachel curled into his warmth. “Must be something in the genes.”
Soft male laughter rumbled from his chest.
Suddenly serious again, Jake looked into her eyes. “I love you, Rachel.”
“I love you, Jake.”
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding on, feeling pure joy and pleasure. Celebration. Commitment. Renewal. She felt it all. And gloried in it.
Outside, the storm had quieted to soft rain. Thunder still rumbled, but it was distant and moving farther and farther away.
No one noticed.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1297-8
TIME TO HEAL
Copyright © 2011 by Karen Stone
Originally published as THE SILENCE OF MIDNIGHT
© 1992 by Karen Stone
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