by Mary Alford
Rachel clutched his arm as the tractor bounced across uneven ground. Thick snow continued to fall, making it impossible to see much in front of them despite the headlights.
“Look.” Rachel tapped his shoulder, and he followed her gaze behind them. Red-and-blue lights flashed across the night sky. Help had arrived.
Walker twisted so he could see. “I don’t see the men who attacked us. I’m guessing they fled the minute they spotted the police vehicles approaching. Let’s turn this thing around.”
Noah was happy to oblige. As they drew near the house once more, the Eagle’s Nest Fire Department rolled onto the scene. As much as Noah hated to admit it, there was little left to save.
He stopped the tractor, and Walker slowly lumbered down. The awkward position he’d been in hadn’t helped the leg’s swelling any.
Theresa reached her husband’s side and put her arm around his waist to help him along.
Climbing down, Noah held his hand out to Rachel. Her green eyes appeared huge against her pale skin as she stared up at the house.
He read all her thoughts and tugged her close. “This isn’t your fault. You didn’t ask for any of this. Don’t take on that blame.”
Her gaze shifted to him, shock likely preventing what he said from sinking in.
He and Rachel went over to where Walker spoke with Megan.
“Did you see them?” Noah asked. The grim expression on Megan’s face was answer enough.
Megan shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I’m guessing they had a vehicle stashed somewhere and took off.” She crooked her thumb behind them. “Aden is checking the woods now.”
If this followed the same pattern, Noah doubted he’d find anything useful.
While Walker ran through the events of the evening, Noah kept a careful eye on Rachel. She silently watched the firemen try to put out the fire. He was worried about her.
Theresa went over and wrapped her arms around Rachel’s shoulders. “Don’t you even think about blaming yourself. Those men are the ones who did this, not you, and I won’t hear of it any other way.”
Rachel bottom lip quivered. “But your home...it’s destroyed. I am so sorry.”
“It’s a place to lay our heads, nothing more. We’ll rebuild. The memories are in here.” Theresa pointed to her heart. “We’re all safe. That’s what matters.”
Noah knew that no matter what Theresa said, Rachel was the type of woman who would carry the guilt with her for a long time.
“You should get Rachel out of here and someplace safe,” Walker said.
There was only one place Noah could think of now. The sheriff’s station in Eagle’s Nest. He told Walker.
“That works. Take Megan with you in case you run into trouble. As soon as this is under control, I’ll call in Ryan and Cole and we’ll run through the details we know so far. The attacks are escalating. I have a feeling none of us are going to be getting much sleep for a while.”
On the way to the car, Noah filled Megan in.
Megan got in the back seat, while Noah held the door open for Rachel. She slipped past him without a word. He wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
As he got in beside her, Rachel leaned against the headrest, eyes closed, fingers kneading the area around her temples. More than anything, he wished he could ease her worries, but after what happened here tonight, he feared the nightmare was just beginning.
Putting the car in gear, Noah slowly eased down the drive, his thoughts swirling around what happened.
The rearview mirror reflected nothing but blackness. In front, the storm raged with renewed force, plastering more snow than the wipers could handle.
Why were the kidnappers so determined? The two men had indicated they were coming after Rachel for money, yet it was established Rachel’s family had nothing of value besides the land the family owned. He thought about Beth. Last he checked, there had been no suspicious activity where she was staying.
He cast a quick look Megan’s way. “Any word from the sheriff in Alamosa?”
Rachel’s eyes flew open and she turned toward him. “Do you think they will come after Mamm?”
Noah squeezed her arm. “No, probably not. I’m simply covering all bases.”
“There have been no incidents reported, and the sheriff has two deputies sitting on the house,” Megan said.
Noah returned to his thoughts. If the men weren’t coming after Beth, then whatever this was about centered solely on Eva and Rachel...which sent them back to square one. He expelled a breath. These men wanted something bad enough to risk imprisonment to gain it. And if they didn’t figure out what that was soon, he worried that the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department might not have enough manpower to stand against what was coming next.
TWELVE
Rachel stared up at the building. In the past, on the rare occasions when she made the trip to Eagle’s Nest, she’d driven the buggy past the sheriff’s station without giving much thought to what the men and women inside did each day. Now she knew firsthand.
While Megan went inside, Noah got out and came around to Rachel’s side. Opening the door, he knelt close and enveloped her hands in his. “I know this has been a rough night, but you’ll be safe here and I promise we’ll catch the people behind this. We’ll bring Eva home. Don’t give up, Rachel. I need you to trust me.”
Rachel ducked her head. She wanted to, but he’d hurt her before.
“I realize I’ve never told you this, Rachel, but I’m sorry about what happened between us before,” he whispered, and her head shot up.
Did she really want to hear his regrets? “It no longer matters,” she murmured without looking at him. “That was a long time ago.”
“It matters to me,” he said earnestly. “I want you to know leaving was never my choice.”
Her eyes widened as she looked at his solemn face. “I don’t understand.”
He stared up at the sky. The storm’s intensity hadn’t weakened. “Let’s go inside. It’s freezing out here.”
Neither had escaped the fire with more than the clothes on their backs. She glanced down at her nightgown and bare feet.
“Janine’s on duty. I’ll see if she has something you can wear for now.” He rocked to his feet and held out his hand.
Hesitating, she accepted it and stepped up next to him. Noah closed the door with her hand still tucked in his. She needed his strength more than ever because she felt like she was drowning in doubts.
As soon as they entered the station, Janine bustled their way. “Are you two all right?”
Rachel could not get words to come out of her mouth.
“We’re okay,” Noah answered for her. “It’s just been a rough night. Do you happen to have any extra clothing here at the station Rachel could borrow?”
Janine’s brows shot up as she eyed Rachel. “Oh, hon, I’m sorry. I should have realized. I do have a dress I wore to church the other day. When I had to work a shift afterward, I changed here. Let me get it for you. I think I have some sneakers that might fit you, as well,” she said, noticing Rachel’s bare feet.
Noah smiled at the woman’s kindness. “Janine, you’re prepared for anything. I knew we could count on you.”
When it was just the two of them again, all Rachel could think about was his apology.
“Noah,” she whispered, drawing his attention to her. The look in his eyes stole her breath away.
“What is it?” he asked.
She swallowed and gathered her courage. Before she could ask what her heart needed to know, Janine returned.
“Here you go,” Janine said. They jumped apart like a couple of guilty teenagers. The older woman glanced from one to the other, a glint of curiosity in her eyes, while heat crept into Rachel’s cheeks.
“You are such a petite little thing, but I think if you tie the belt real ti
ght it will be okay.” Rachel barely caught what Janine said. All she could think about was Noah.
Janine handed Rachel the simple deep green dress and sneakers. “Oh, and I brought you my sweater. It’s cold in here.”
“Denki,” Rachel managed.
“You are welcome. The restroom is through there.”
Without answering, Rachel carried the dress to the restroom and closed the door. Leaning against it, she shut her eyes. Was it possible she’d been wrong about Noah all these years?
With a sigh, she moved away from the door. None of it mattered anymore.
She stared at herself in the mirror. Several strands of her hair had come loose from the bun she’d managed with the help of a ponytail holder borrowed from Megan. The prayer kapp she’d hastily tied in place during the drive to the station was covered in soot, as was her flannel gown. Smudges covered one of her cheeks. The extent of what they’d all gone through shone in her eyes.
Turning away, she slipped into one of the stalls to change. She removed her gown and pulled the dress on. Looping the matching belt around her waist, she snugged it. Rachel slipped her feet into the sneakers and laced them up. The room was cold, so she put on the sweater and left the stall.
The green color made her skin appear pale, her eyes huge pools against it. She washed her face and then untied the prayer kapp and did her best to fix her bun.
With one final look in the mirror, she left the room.
Janine waited next to the door. “Well, that’s not so bad.” The woman smiled as she gave her the once-over. “Noah’s in the conference room waiting on you.”
She followed the woman to the room.
“Here she is,” Janine announced as they entered. Noah and Megan were talking quietly, and both turned as Rachel entered. The unreadable look in Noah’s eyes made it hard to breathe normally.
She was aware of Janine watching the exchange and pulled her gaze from Noah. “Denki for the use of your clothes and the sneakers.”
Janine patted her arm. “You’re welcome.” With one final look Noah’s way, the woman left.
“I think I’ll check in with Aden. See if he has news,” Megan said, as if realizing Rachel and Noah had unfinished business between them.
Once they were alone, Noah pulled out a chair for Rachel.
He sat next to her and she waited for him to speak.
Noah gathered her hand in his. “I meant what I said earlier. I am sorry for the way things ended between us. My father realized we were getting serious. He told me you would be better off without me. You’d marry someone Amish like your parents wanted. I guess I believed him. I thought I was doing what was best for you.” The bitterness in his tone was clear. “But we were friends and I should have stayed in touch, but it was just too hard. If I could change the past I would. But I want you to know what I felt for you was real, Rachel. I cared about you.”
The sincerity in his eyes broke her heart. Why now? After all the years of wondering, thinking he’d left her because he didn’t share her feelings, the truth was even harder to accept. Noah claimed to care about her, but he hadn’t stood up to his father for her. Holding back tears was hard with her heart breaking again. She’d loved him with everything inside her and he’d left. Why hadn’t Noah fought for them?
* * *
The vulnerability on her face condemned him. She was so beautiful and he’d often wondered what their future might have been if he hadn’t let his father convince him leaving was the best thing for Rachel. All his dad really cared about was getting Noah away from her.
She glanced down at their joined hands. Seconds ticked by before she answered. “Gott had different plans for our lives,” she said, her voice a shaky whisper. “What happened was for His purpose.”
Though her answer wasn’t unexpected, it still stung. What had he thought she’d say? The Amish believed things happened by God’s will. Had Olivia’s death been part of God’s plan? Cynicism rose once more. Olivia was an innocent victim. Noah had been trying to get even with his father, and all he’d done was cost Olivia her life. Since her death, he’d tried his best to make amends. Joining the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department seemed like his calling for a while, but lately, he found himself longing for the less complicated way of life he’d had when he was with Rachel.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were married?” she asked, her question taking him by surprise.
“Who told you?” he asked without answering right away.
“Theresa.”
His mouth twisted in a bitter smile and he cleared his throat. “I don’t know. I guess...” He stopped, not sure what he’d wanted to say. “We were only married for a short time. She died in a car accident.”
The familiar pity he’d come to expect whenever he mentioned Olivia’s death appeared on her face.
“I’m sorry, Noah, I didn’t know. It is hard to lose someone you love.”
He felt like a fake. Rachel cared for her husband. Olivia had been a means to get a rise out of his father.
Coming up with an answer was impossible. Noah was grateful to be spared the need when voices carried down the hall. Seconds later, Walker came in.
He could tell from Walker’s drawn expression how difficult the evening had been for his mentor.
“Did anything useful turn up?” Noah asked without much hope.
The sheriff shook his head. “Not so far. Ryan is meeting Aden and the crime scene unit over at the house. I sent Theresa to her brother’s place outside of Eureka. She’s going to stay with him and his wife for a while until we can figure out what we’re doing with the house.”
Walker was a strong Christian man who had taught Noah what it meant to live in faith. He and Theresa would get through this, but Noah couldn’t conceive of how hard it must have been to see the home in which they’d raised their two kids destroyed.
“Many of the men from the Amish community showed up to help out,” Walker said to Rachel. Noah wasn’t surprised. The Amish were all about helping those in need. He’d seen this acted out many times in his youth.
Janine came into the room and motioned to Walker and Noah.
They stepped out into the hall.
“What’s going on?” Walker asked.
A grim line formed around Janine’s mouth, warning bad news was to follow. “I took a call from a man who came off the Lake Koocanusa Bridge near Rexford. He stopped there to take a break.” She hesitated. “Sheriff, the man is convinced he saw a body lying at the edge of the water.”
Nothing could have prepared Noah for hearing this. “Is it a woman?” he asked, fearing the worst. Eva.
“The man wasn’t sure, and he was too scared to get too close and it’s dark. He said he could barely make it out as human.”
“I’ll get Megan and head over there,” Walker said. “Call Cole and have him meet us. We’ll need an ambulance and the coroner.”
“You got it, Sheriff.” Janine hurried off.
“Dear God, please don’t let it be Eva,” Walker prayed aloud.
Drawing in a deep breath, Walker said, “If it is Eva, they have whatever they were after and won’t need to keep Rachel alive any longer, either.”
The implication was frightening. Noah blew out a breath. “Rachel’s going to want to come to the scene. In case it’s Eva.”
Walker glanced into the room at Rachel. “Let’s hope that isn’t the case.” After a moment, he patted Noah’s arm. “Watch out for her, Noah. I’ll see you there,” he said and left Noah to the task.
Blowing out a breath, he returned to the room.
Rachel looked up from pacing. “Something’s happened.” She saw what he could not hide. “Is it Eva?”
Noah wished that he could reassure her differently. “We don’t know. Someone spotted a body near the water’s edge on Lake Koocanusa.”
Her hand flew to
cover her mouth. “Oh no.”
He held her arms and forced her to look at him. “We don’t know anything yet.”
“I want to go there. Noah, I have to see. If it’s Eva, I want to be there for her.”
After everything that happened, taking her out in public was dangerous, but he understood why she wanted to go, and half of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department would be there. He prayed it would be enough.
Dread enhanced the faint lines on her face. “What if it is Eva? What am I going to do?”
He drew her into his arms. “We’ll face it together. You’re not alone.”
When she pulled away, he let her go.
Noah cleared his throat. “If you’re ready, we should go.” All the old feelings from his youth rose to the surface. Letting them go was hard, but he’d hurt her enough already. He wouldn’t hurt her again.
With Rachel next to him, he stopped at Janine’s desk to let her know they’d be leaving.
Not answering, Janine stared out the window, a worried frown on her face. Very little rattled the woman.
He quickly whirled to the window. “Do you see something?” he asked. Noah squinted through the darkness, the streetlights barely providing enough light with the snow flurries.
“There’s someone out there. I saw a man near your car.”
The sheriff and Megan had already left. Aden and Ryan were at Walker’s house. Cole was en route to the lake. Noah was on his own. “Lock the door. Stay here, and both of you get out of sight. I’m going to take a look around.”
Rachel clutched his arm. “Noah, you can’t go out there. It could be them.”
“I’ll be okay,” he sought to reassure her, though he wasn’t nearly as confident as his words suggested. “Make sure both doors are locked and stay out of sight.”
Janine nodded. “Be careful, Noah. Whoever these men are, they’ve been watching the station. They probably know it’s just you here.”
He slowly opened the door and waited while Janine secured it behind him. As he peered through the falling snow, he noticed footprints—more than one set. Drawing his weapon, he eased toward the car.