She slid the keys on the ring slowly, buying time.
“Quit stalling,” he barked and pressed the gun harder, almost eliciting a squeal of pain, but she bit down on her lip to keep from crying out.
She inserted the key in the lock. Stepped back a fraction. Put her hand on the trunk to control the rate it opened. Inch by inch. Slowly she let it rise.
“Knock it off,” he said and tried to swat at her hand.
He was unbalanced and the gun had dropped a fraction. Perfect time.
She threw her arm back, elbowing him just below the neck. He coughed and lurched.
She didn’t look to see if he was incapacitated, she just ran. Hard. Fast. Over fallen pine needles. Through knee-high grass. Toward the trees. Not stopping. Step after step.
Three feet to safety. Two.
“Stop, Emily, or I’ll shoot,” he roared.
She heard the slider on his gun wrench back, but she was too close to stop now and kept going.
* * *
Archer charged into the clearing, but couldn’t reach Ralph to take him down before he got off a shot.
“Ralph,” he called to draw his attention from Emily.
The man spun. Archer prepared himself for a bullet, but when Ralph didn’t fire, Archer held up his hands. “You don’t want to shoot anyone.”
“Fat lot you know,” Ralph shouted. “It’s my only chance not to go to prison.”
“See, here’s the thing,” Archer said and pointed at the woods. “You can shoot me, but my buddy is standing right over there. If you take me out, he’s gonna take a shot. You won’t go to prison, but...” Archer let the implication register for a moment. “So why not hand over the gun and end this now? Sure, you’ll serve some time, but you’ll be alive.”
“I don’t know,” Ralph said, his gun hand wobbling.
“Do it. Please, Ralph.” Emily stepped into the clearing, her hands raised.
“No!” Archer shouted. “Get back behind the trees.”
She shook her head and stepped toward them. “I know you’re not a killer, Ralph. I know it.”
He shook his head. “I have to. It’s the only way.”
“Then it’s me you want, not Archer. He didn’t do anything to you.”
Archer lost his focus for a moment. Emily was offering herself in his place. He should have known she would do that and prepared somehow.
“I’m all yours, Ralph,” Archer said, trying to gain control again.
Ralph glanced between the two of them, confusion on his face. “I—”
“Your decision is simple,” Archer said quickly. “Shoot me now or give me the gun.” He started walking toward him. Slow, small steps to see Ralph’s reaction.
He didn’t move. Didn’t speak.
Archer kept coming. Normally he’d talk about people Ralph had to live for, who counted on him. To talk about the reasons Ralph had to live, but the guy was a loner, without much to look forward to other than travel to delve into his love of history. Without Birdie’s money, he wouldn’t be able to do even that.
A few feet from Ralph, Archer laid his hand out, palm up, and met Ralph’s gaze. “Like Emily said. You’re not a killer. Give me the gun.”
He waffled for a moment then slapped it into Archer’s hand. The cool metal felt better than most anything Archer had touched before. It meant he’d saved Emily.
Jake came out of the woods and strode across the clearing.
“Hands behind your back,” he said to Ralph.
Ralph started weeping and complied without any issues.
Jake soon had him in custody. “I’ve already called for transport and we’ll meet them out at the road.”
“Thanks, man,” Archer said and appreciated the fact that Jake knew Archer needed to be alone with Emily.
Emily swayed and looked like she might drop to the ground. He lurched forward and helped her take a seat on a nearby stump. She didn’t speak but stared ahead, her expression unreadable. She’d just been through a fight for her life. For his life. And she hadn’t shed a tear. Hadn’t broken down. Just remained calm and sat looking ahead in a contemplative stare.
He squatted in front of her to gain her attention, but before blurting out the wrong thing, he took his time to seek the right words to tell her how much she’d come to mean to him. After all, the last time he’d tried it she’d shot him down. He couldn’t let that happen again.
“Honey,” he said, finally getting a response as she gazed at him.
When he expected to see fear, confusion, maybe anguish in her eyes, they were clear and focused. “I get it now. Finally.”
“Get what?”
“What you were saying the other day. I can’t control everything. I have to let go or it’ll eat me up. If I want to live a full and rich life, I have to turn my life over to God. Really turn it over to Him. No matter His response to me. Silence or comfort. I will trust Him.”
“I hear a but in your voice.”
“But it scares me, you know? I’ve had a few hard knocks in life, and I’m just not sure if I can let go and risk living through more of them.”
“I know what you mean.”
“You?” She blinked hard. “You’re the one who said it worked. To let go and let God.”
“I did. I know. I thought I had.” He dropped to his knees. “God was fully in charge until my parents turned their back on me. After that, I just mouthed the words. Said God was the boss, but never really let Him take over again.”
“You were afraid of getting hurt again,” she whispered. “I get it. Trust me.”
“God does what’s best for us, right? I knew that, but deep down I thought, what if He thought it best for me to be in a situation where I came to care for someone and they walked out, too? So I made sure not to put myself in those situations.”
“But you did, with us,” she added.
His heart was in his throat. He still feared her rejection, but he wouldn’t run from it. He took her hands in his. “I tried to fight it. But I lost the battle. And now, seeing Ralph ready to shoot you, nothing mattered. Nothing but you. I want to get to know you. To start dating.” He swallowed hard. “So what do you say, Emily? Are you willing to take a chance on me...on us?”
A soft smile played on her lips and she rested her hands on his shoulders. “Yes, I would very much like to see where these feelings take us.”
“There’s just one thing,” he said, his old fears coming back. “The money. I have a huge pile of it in the bank. And if we get together, what’s mine is yours, so why don’t I give it to you now and you can save Birdie’s?”
She shook her head. “Taking your money would be a horrible way to start our relationship. If God wants us to keep Birdie’s afloat, then He’ll make the way. I just have to trust in that.”
His heart soared with hope. “So you said relationship. I’m thinking such a big commitment should be sealed with a kiss.” He didn’t wait for a response but leaned closer.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Emily Graves,” he whispered.
“Me, too,” she responded shyly.
He lowered his head and when their lips met, he knew their futures would be truly blessed.
EPILOGUE
Emily sat in the doctor’s waiting room. Archer held her hand, and despite the fact that even after a few months of dating she still couldn’t get enough of holding hands, right now she felt as if she would jump out of her skin if she didn’t soon hear the doctor’s prognosis for Birdie’s recovery from the poisoning. Ralph was in jail for attempted murder and kidnapping, not to mention embezzling, and he’d likely never see the light of day again. And they located a video of Stan buying a gas can and he confessed to the fire and shooting the arrow. He sat in jail on charges of attempted murder.
Th
e door opened and Birdie stepped out. Emily tried to read her aunt’s expression, but she hid her emotions.
“We can talk about it in private,” she said.
Emily didn’t like the sound of that, but she followed Birdie into the hallway.
Birdie turned. “Doc says I’m rapidly improving, and he’s more than happy with my progress.”
“We already knew that,” Emily said, waiting for more.
“Sorry, that’s it. We just need to take it one day at a time and remember the brain damage could be permanent. Or now that I’m away from the poison, I could recover more of the functions I lost.”
“You’ve already come a long way in two months,” Emily encouraged. “I know it will keep getting better.”
“Still not good enough to run the B and B and you need to get back to your own life, so I’m going through with selling the place directly to the developer.” When they learned that Ralph had been embezzling and he had a large savings account, the bank agreed to wait for him to pay restitution and hold off on the foreclosure process.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. The proceeds will pay off my creditors and if I don’t improve and require special care there will be enough money for that, too. If I improve enough to live independently, the money will support me.”
Emily took Birdie’s hand. “You don’t have to worry about that. My new job in Portland is enough for us to live on and my new apartment is big enough for the two of us. You can live with me for as long as you want.”
Birdie grinned at Archer and released Emily’s hand. “I’m pretty sure this fine young man will have something to say about that.”
Emily smiled shyly up at Archer. Being in a relationship was all so new to her, and she loved every minute of it. Sharing her worries. Her concerns. Taking and giving advice. Even arguing. And the kissing. She couldn’t forget the kissing and being held by a strong man who would never willingly leave her.
“Emily’s right, Birdie. Your needs have to come first.” He slipped his hand into Emily’s and put an arm around Birdie. “Let’s get over to the firehouse for dinner.” He led them down the hallway and to his car.
After Birdie’s improvements, Archer had planned a celebratory dinner for the night. He said if they got bad news from the doctor, they could always cancel the dinner.
Archer helped Birdie into the backseat, but he didn’t let go of Emily’s hand except to run around the front and climb in, where he immediately took possession of it again and held it all the way into the firehouse.
Happy voices rang from the family room and she looked forward to joining Archer’s friends. Her friends, too, now. She loved the sound of that.
“C’mon,” Archer said, tugging on Emily’s hand. “I’m starving.”
They stepped into the room and Darcie came rushing over to Birdie. “Well, tell us. What did the doctor say?”
Birdie shared her news.
“That’s good, then,” Darcie said firmly. “I’ve noticed how much you’ve improved, and I know it will keep getting better.” She looked at Emily. “You must be thrilled.”
She nodded and worked hard to keep back the tears that threatened to flow.
“Okay, so, we’re going to eat,” Darcie said. “And then, I’ve got Krista, Morgan and Skyler—albeit she’s going along with it unwillingly—to help me with some wedding planning. Are you game?”
“Of course,” Emily said and wondered just how long it might be before she was planning a wedding of her own.
* * *
Archer watched Emily in the game room. She and the other women were gathered around bride’s magazines, frilly lace, mints, flowers and other things that Archer had no idea what they were for. Birdie sat on the sidelines, but Emily kept drawing her into the conversation and she was having a good time, too. He and the guys had stayed well away from the wedding discussions, except Noah. He had no choice, though Archer had to say the beaming smile on his face said he was glad to help. The rest of them had been playing cards.
Birdie caught his gaze and stepped over to him. “She looks happy.”
“With her wedding only a few months away, Darcie is on cloud nine.”
“Darcie, yes, but I meant Emily.” She smiled at Archer. “She’s finally decided to live in the present, and I owe it all to you.”
“I’d like to take credit, but all of it should go to God.”
“You’re right, but if you weren’t such a fine young man, God wouldn’t have put you in my Emily’s life when she needed a strong man to lean on.”
Archer liked to think the same thing, but it humbled him to hear Birdie say it aloud.
“And thank you for creating the Alzheimer’s foundation in my name. Though I feel like a fraud as I don’t have Alzheimer’s.”
“But you had—have—very similar symptoms so we all know what it’s like.”
“Except, thankfully I’m improving and I certainly won’t get any worse.”
“And we’re all happy about that.” He’d become so fond of her the past few months and was glad she traveled into the past less often. She’d treated him more like a son than his real parents ever had.
He gave her a quick hug. “I’m glad my money is being put to good work.”
Darcie suddenly jumped to her feet, grabbing his attention.
“I mean like this.” She placed her back to the guys at a table behind the women and tossed the bouquet of flowers into the air.
The bundle of silk flowers flew end over end, tumbling and tumbling until suddenly starting a free fall near Jake.
Startled, he grabbed the bouquet before it hit him in the face and glared at Darcie. “What’s going on?”
“I was just demonstrating my flower-throwing technique so Emily could be sure to grab the bouquet on my wedding day, but...” Darcie winked at Jake. “It looks like you’re the next one up.”
Jake scowled at them and Archer took pity on the guy. He was the only person in the group who hadn’t found a perfect mate.
“Hey,” Archer said. “Cut Jake some slack. He’s been far too busy making sure we’re all safe to have much of a personal life.” Archer knew that wasn’t the whole story, as Jake had free time. He just didn’t date.
“Yes, well,” he mumbled and tossed the bouquet back to Darcie, then he picked up his cards, “let’s get back to it.”
Archer hoped Jake worked through whatever was eating at him and he found the woman for him. Ugh, now Archer was sounding like Darcie.
So what? He couldn’t be happier. He’d never imagined sharing a life with someone like Emily would be so rewarding. He’d seen everyone else succumb to love, but he didn’t understand what it fully meant until now. With his parents as his role model, how could he?
But all of that had changed with Emily, and he intended to tell her that right now.
He took her hand and pulled her into the hallway. “It’s been a good day.”
“It has.” She lifted her arms and wound them around his neck. “I’m so glad I moved back to Portland.”
“You missed the city?”
“Actually, no. I like it at Birdie’s, but you’re in Portland and I want to be close to you.”
“I want the same thing.” He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer. “You do know that no matter what happens to you or Birdie in the future, my money is yours from now on. I’ll ensure that Birdie wants for nothing and is well taken care of for the rest of her life.”
“Okay.” Emily smiled.
“What? You finally agree?” He was surprised at how happy a woman taking his money made him.
“I’ll never spend your money on myself, but you know I’ll do anything for Birdie.”
“So why didn’t you accept before now?”
“Because I still thoug
ht I could do everything on my own.” She smiled up at him. “Now I know it’s so much better to let God take charge and have someone like you to rely on, too. Enough with this Lone Ranger business.”
He bent closer, a mischievous smile on his lips. “Trust me, honey. You won’t ever be alone again. I’ll gladly be the Tonto to your Lone Ranger. But if you want to bring Silver into our lives, that we’ll have to talk about.”
She imagined Archer with a horse. Cleaning up after it, brushing it, just being in a smelly stall, and laughter came to the surface. But his lips descended on hers, ending her laughter and reminding her that no matter what came into their lives, with God in control, they were destined for great happiness and peace.
* * * * *
Pick up these other FIRST RESPONDERS stories from Susan Sleeman:
SILENT NIGHT STANDOFF
EXPLOSIVE ALLIANCE
HIGH-CALIBER HOLIDAY
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from FATAL VENDETTA by Sharon Dunn
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Dear Reader,
As I wrote the fifth book in the First Responders series, I was reminded of how much I like to try to control my world, much like Emily does in the book. I was raised by wonderful parents who wanted my siblings and me to be independent and self-sufficient. Good traits, except when you forget to ask God’s will for your life and don’t first rely on Him, or when you fear what His best might entail.
Near the end of the story, Archer comes to realize that though God does have our best in mind, deep down he feared that God might put him in a difficult situation that Archer would rather avoid. It could be painful and unpleasant. We try to avoid those kinds of situations, too, but it’s in the messiness of life that God grows us stronger. So if you struggle with letting God take charge, I hope you’ll remember Archer and Emily’s story, where they learn that it’s only in turning over their lives to God that they find His peace.
Silent Sabotage Page 18