“Unlikely,” Zoe said aloud, answering her own question. The clang of utensils against dishes mixed with the murmur of conversations around the restaurant. Zoe angled her back toward the other diners while keeping a firm hold on Kylie, who squirmed to be set free from Zoe’s lap. “Garrett is many things... I can give you a litany of faults. But I don’t believe he would do this. He wouldn’t have the know-how. Nor would he expend that much energy on learning to make a bomb.”
“You’d be surprised what people can do given the right motivation,” Chase replied, clearly unconvinced by her argument. “How did you and Garrett meet?”
She sighed. Chase wasn’t going to drop the subject. “When I returned after college to take a job at the hospital, I bumped into Garrett one day at the hardware store. We got to talking and he asked me out. Of course, I knew who he was. He was in your class and on the football team. He had gone to work for his father and was in the process of taking over the business so his dad could retire. He was charming and good-looking.” She shook her head. “I wanted to put down roots.”
“How long were you married?”
“Just shy of seven years,” she told him.
“What happened to break you up?”
Gritting her teeth against the spurt of anger tightening her throat, it was a moment before she could speak. She bounced Kylie on her knee and allowed the love for her baby to push back the resentment wanting to take hold.
“I became pregnant,” she said. “I knew Garrett wasn’t interested in starting a family while he was building up the business he’d taken over from his dad. He’d wanted to expand. In the beginning, I was fine with waiting. I had my own career to think of but then I ended up pregnant. I never imagined he’d abandon me.”
She scoffed, remembering Garrett’s reaction when she’d told him the news. “He was livid. Accused me of cheating.” Hurt spread through her chest at the accusation.
Chase’s expression didn’t change, which helped her to continue.
“Garrett confessed that in high school he had an injury and the doctors told him he would most likely not be able to father children. He kept that from me. I might not have married him had I known. I can assure you, Kylie is his child. He even insisted on a paternity test, which only confirmed what I already knew.”
Chase shook his head, his disdain clear. “He still didn’t want to be a father?”
“No. He thought children would—oh, I don’t know. Cramp his style. He liked being able to party whenever he wanted. To go on trips at the last moment. Usually without me. My job at the hospital wasn’t as flexible then.”
“He didn’t deserve you or Kylie,” Chase said in a tone full of certainty.
His words were a soothing balm that she quickly pushed away. She couldn’t get sucked into Chase’s charm. She’d fallen for a handsome man’s charm once before and it had ended in disaster. Though she knew, logically, it wasn’t fair to compare Chase to Garrett. They were as opposite as night and day. Weren’t they?
She really didn’t know Chase. Of course, she’d known of him for years, just like she’d known about Garrett before they’d started dating. Ha! Look how that had turned out. Chase could be saying what she wanted to hear in an effort to pry information from her. He had a job to do, after all.
What did it say about her that she was suspicious of his kindness?
“I want you to think back over the last few days,” Chase said. “Was there anything suspicious that stood out to you? People in your neighborhood whom you’ve never seen before? A car that drove by more than once that didn’t belong there?”
“I can’t think of anything out of the ordinary.” She paused. “Wait, that’s not true. A few minutes before the house exploded my landline rang. A prank call.”
His eyebrows rose. “What did the caller say?”
“Nothing.” Irritation laced her words. “It was just this weird laughter that totally wigged me out.”
“Laughter?” He considered for a moment then asked, “Male or female?”
Zoe shook her head with a shrug. “I couldn’t tell. I hung up.” Apprehension squeezed her chest. “I took Kylie to the nursery. A few minutes later...”
She shuddered at the memory. They’d come close to dying today. If it wasn’t for Chase... “Thank you, by the way. I don’t think I said that earlier. If you hadn’t found us, I don’t know what would have happened.”
Chase reached across the table and gently took her hand. “You’re safe now.”
Warmth engulfed her. She stared at their joined hands. His was so much bigger and tanned, compared to her smaller hand that very rarely saw the sunshine. Her heart gave a little jolt. She resisted the urge to curl her fingers around his calloused ones, to cling to him. Instead, she extracted her hand and brushed back Kylie’s hair.
Jessie returned to the table with their food and beverages. Zoe was thankful for the distraction as she fed Kylie sweet potato fries and picked at her own garden salad.
Chase had no problem devouring his cheeseburger and fries. Then he said, “Let me hold her while you finish your salad.”
Surprised and grateful, she handed Kylie over the table into his capable hands. He bounced Kylie on his knee while Zoe ate. The nine-month-old was content, her eyes wide taking in the room, clearly undisturbed by being held in the arms of a stranger.
Zoe found herself distracted watching this big man with her child. He did well with Kylie, holding her firmly but also giving her wiggle room. The way a parent would.
Giving herself a shake, Zoe finished eating and took Kylie back so that Chase could slide from the booth and pay the bill.
He held out his hand to Zoe. “Come on. I know a place where you’ll be safe.”
Appreciating his gentlemanly manner, she grasped his hand and attempted to awkwardly slide out of the booth with Kylie in her arms. Chase quickly plucked Kylie from her and settled her on his hip. He looked so natural holding her, like he’d been born to be a caregiver. A father.
For a moment, all Zoe could do was stare.
Kylie touched Chase’s face and he kissed her little fingers as they skimmed over his lips. His chuckle resonated through Zoe as she slid out of the booth and reached to take Kylie back. “She likes you.”
He made an affirmative noise in his throat and headed toward the exit. Zoe watched his back wondering about his life. Was he seeing someone? Or was he still grieving his wife?
Ack! She had no business contemplating such questions.
At the door, Jessie hustled over with a to-go bag that she thrust into Zoe’s free hand. “A snack for Kylie.”
Touched by the younger woman’s kindness, Zoe said, “You didn’t have to—”
Jessie waved away her protest. “I know. We all want to be there for you, Zoe. We look after our own.” She lightly touched a fingertip to the end of Kylie’s nose. “I’m looking forward to the reunion. I bought a new dress.”
Glad to know Jessie was eager to attend, Zoe gave the younger woman a quick, one-arm hug. “Thank you.”
Emotions surged and Zoe blinked back tears as she pushed through the door into the late October afternoon. The air was crisp and filled her lungs.
“You okay?”
Chase’s softly asked question drew her gaze. The warmth in the depths of his eyes had her saying, “It’s almost my brother’s birthday, which is why I advocated for the reunion to be in October. Losing Seth to the RMK ripped my family apart. I was his sister. I should have protected him.”
Chase shook his head. “Don’t take on that type of guilt. The only one responsible is the killer.”
She appreciated his words, appreciated his patience with her. “My parents couldn’t stay here in Elk Valley. It was too painful, you know. Memories everywhere. But I returned after college. I didn’t want to forget my brother.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Chase said. “The tribute reunion will honor Seth and the other victims. The committee hopes the community will be brought together and those who’ve lost a loved one will find some comfort.
“A commendable reason for the reunion,” Chase stated.
His praise was unsettling. “Where to?”
After a barely discernible hesitation, Chase said, “A safe place.”
Hugging Kylie close, Zoe had no choice but to follow and trust him.
How long would it take him to find the bomber?
After a stop at the Elk Valley police station to check in with the team, Chase drove Zoe and Kylie to his family home. He led them up the front walkway, noticing the grass needed to be mowed. The shrubs rimming the porch could stand a trimming. The rosebushes were bare but still thorny under the front window. They reached the varnished wood front door of the house he shared with his father. There was no safer place in Elk Valley that he could think of, beyond the police department, than here.
He wouldn’t think about how hard it would be to have a mother and child underfoot, stirring up memories that he worked hard to suppress.
What would Zoe think of the place? Why did he care? “It’s not lavish, but you’ll be safe here.”
“Whose house is this?” she asked, hitching Kylie higher on her hip.
“My dad’s,” he admitted with a bit of trepidation. “And mine, when I’m in Elk Valley.”
She blinked up at him, her pretty eyes searching his face. “This is unexpected. Is this your childhood home?”
“It is.”
Her mouth dropped open slightly. “Are you sure we won’t be in the way?”
“Not at all.” He infused assurance into his tone even though a bout of nerves ripped through him. “My father will be happy for the company.”
His father had been ecstatic, actually, when Chase had called him from the police department to let him know he would be bringing Zoe and Kylie home. He’d been quick to impress on his father the scope of the situation. He didn’t want Liam Rawlston to get the wrong idea and believe that Chase had a personal interest in Zoe and her baby girl.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Yes, it was his job to keep Zoe and her baby safe, and he would. But his heart had been ripped out with the death of his wife, Elsie, and son, Tommy. Now there was a gaping hole he had no intention of filling. Forming an emotional attachment wasn’t something he could allow. He couldn’t ever go through that kind of pain again.
Zoe preceded him into the house with Kylie on her hip.
The sensation of being watched itched over Chase’s flesh like hairy spider legs. He didn’t like it. He paused and glanced back over his shoulder, taking in the modest homes lining both sides of the road. Several cars were parked at the curb or in driveways, but he couldn’t discern any occupants. No window curtains fluttered with curious neighbors. Nothing seemed out of place on their quiet residential street. The police station wasn’t far, an easy walk.
He glanced down at Dash who stared up at him waiting for the release signal for him to go inside the house. The dog wasn’t alerting or showing any sign of distress that would indicate a threat close by. Chase trusted Dash implicitly. He may be a bomb-sniffing dog, but he was also well-versed in protection and apprehension. He’d made sure of that when Dash was younger.
“Release,” Chase murmured, and they went inside.
Chase shut the door behind them and let his senses adjust. Everything was familiar and comforting. The same artwork on the walls, the same furniture, and the same beige carpeting from his boyhood. The only big difference was the large screen smart television in the corner. His gaze zeroed in on Zoe, who had moved to the worn brown leather couch and sat with Kylie on her knee. His father was nowhere to be seen.
“Dad,” Chase called out.
His father emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron over his customary chino pants and plaid button down, and wiping his hands on a towel. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
Liam undid the apron and set it and the towel over the back of a dining room chair. His father walked with a slight limp, left over from his days with the Elk Valley Fire Department. Burn scars had ravished his flesh on both legs and his right hip. The last fire he’d worked had almost killed him.
“You must be Zoe,” Liam Rawlston said, holding out his hand.
“I am.” Zoe took his hand in her delicate one for a quick shake.
Liam moved to sit in his favorite chair. A striped recliner that was a throwback to the seventies. “Chase tells me you’ve had a bit of trouble. And you need a safe place to stay. I can promise you, we will protect you.”
Zoe bounced Kylie on her knee. “I appreciate this. Really. It just feels like we’re an imposition.”
Chase came fully into the living room from the entryway. “Not at all. My father’s former FD but he’s also a decorated Marine.”
“Go on now, Chase,” Liam said with a grin. “You’re going to make me blush.”
Zoe laughed, a soft sound that curled around Chase’s heart.
Abruptly, he turned and headed for the kitchen, saying over his shoulder, “Come on, Dash. Time to eat.”
Contrary to what he’d told Zoe, this would be difficult for him. As he’d sat across from her and her little girl, he’d been charmed. Zoe was so attentive, and Kylie was adorable. His heart ached with tenderness when he’d held her. So tiny and perfect. So vulnerable. Having them in his home would be an adjustment. One he’d never expected to make. The need to see to their protection personally wouldn’t be denied. They were in grave danger, and he couldn’t think of a safer place in town to house them.
The house line rang, and he heard his father answer and then tell Zoe the call was for her. After dishing out Dash’s food, Chase returned to the living room. Liam held Kylie while Zoe talked to someone on the phone. Who could possibly know she was here?
Wariness crimped the muscles in Chase’s shoulders. “Who is she talking to?”
Was it the mysterious bomber? Had the person who called her right before the bomb went off discovered she was staying with Chase and his dad?
“It’s Pastor Jerome from the Elk Valley Community Church,” Liam told him.
Unexpected and unwanted. Chase had no use for God or faith. Not after the tragedy that had taken his wife and child from him. Even as the thought stampeded through his mind, guilt stomped in, reminding him the blame for Elsie and Tommy’s death lay squarely on his shoulders.
“How does the pastor know she’s here?” Chase asked his father.
Liam shrugged. “When I got the call for donations from Martha Baldwin, I mentioned you were bringing Zoe here. Was that not okay?”
Chase cringed. He supposed in a small town like Elk Valley word would spread quickly about Zoe and Kylie staying with the Rawlstons. He’d have to consider moving her out of town. Though he doubted she’d go. Hadn’t he just told her she’d be safe here?
And she would. He’d make certain.
Focusing on Zoe, Chase could see whatever was being said on the other end of the line was making Zoe happy. She thanked Pastor Jerome and hung up.
“The church has gathered donations for Kylie and me,” she said. “We need to head over there and pick up what they have so far. Neither Kylie nor I have clothes.”
Liam hefted Kylie up on his shoulder. The little girl snuggled in close, sucking her thumb.
Meeting his father’s gaze and seeing the understanding in Liam’s eyes made Chase’s heart pound. His father knew how hard having Kylie around was going to be for Chase. For them both. Chase had lost a son and Liam a grandson. The baby was a reminder of their sorrow.
Yet, Kylie was such a sweet little one. Her wispy brown hair sported a tiny pink bow that matched her pretty pink outfit smudged with dirt from the explosion.
Kylie held no resemblance to the towheaded bruiser of a boy Tommy had been. Nor did Zoe resemble Elsie.
Pretty, in a girl-next-door way, Zoe had a down-to-earth attraction that surprisingly appealed to Chase. She was as she appeared, there was no pretense with Zoe. Honest and earnest. A devoted mom. Charming. He shoved those thoughts aside. He didn’t want to be charmed. He wanted to find out who had tried to kill her and her daughter.
“We’ll be fine here,” Liam said. “I can make a bed for Kylie on the floor with the couch cushions and a couple of blankets.”
Zoe hesitated, the conflict of whether to leave Kylie or not was evident on her pretty face.
Chase didn’t want to go. The idea of setting foot in a church sent ribbons of anxiety winding through him. After the loss of his family, he’d given up on God, angered that God had taken his family from him. “We can have the donations brought here.”
He’d have one of the task force members head over to the church.
That he was willing to use government resources for his own agenda was a minor infraction, and he’d deal with whatever fallout came as long as it kept him from having to go.
“That won’t be necessary,” Zoe said, seeming to come to a decision. “I think Kylie will be just fine here with your dad. You and I can zip over and bring everything back. I’ll need to go through it all to make sure I get the right sizes for us both. And we’ll need to visit the bank so I can access my money and then stop at a store to get a few other things since I have to wait until the fire department releases my house. Though most everything will smell like smoke and be unsalvageable, not to mention the water damage.” She shuddered and made a face. “At some point, I’ll also need to go to the DMV since my purse with my ID was destroyed.”
Zoe stood there with her expectant gaze holding his.
Chase’s breath stalled. His heart jammed in his throat. He swallowed hard. She needed him to go with her. He couldn’t deny her this. He didn’t want to cause her more pain or disappointment because of his issues. He was going to have to suck it up and face God in His own house.
Zoe gripped the door handle of Chase’s truck as he sped up. Blood pounded in her ears. “Is something wrong?”
“We’re being followed,” he said, his voice strained.
She twisted in her seat. Behind them, a white sedan drove so close she couldn’t see the car’s hood, let alone the license plate. Was the car trying to make them crash?
Without warning, Chase took a sharp turn, the truck tearing up the drive to the Elk Valley Community Church.
The sedan zoomed past the church parking lot entrance and raced down the street, turning left and disappearing out of sight.
“What was that about?” Zoe asked as Chase brought the truck to a halt in front of the church’s main doors. Her heart rate was too fast, making her body shake.
“Not sure,” Chase said. “But nothing good.”
The grimness in his gaze had her on edge as they climbed from the vehicle and headed for the entrance to the church. The temperature was cool inside as Zoe stepped into the dark wood-paneled narthex. The smell of candle wax and furniture polish teased her nose. She realized Chase was literally dragging his feet behind her. Like an errant schoolboy unwilling to go to the principal’s office.
Or was he still concerned about the sedan that had tailed them to the church?
He’d left Dash home to give Kylie and Liam extra protection. Plus, he’d called the Elk Valley Police Department to have a patrol car cruise the area. All in an effort to put her qualms at leaving Kylie behind at ease. Chase was a decent man who cared for her and Kylie. His thoughtfulness was appreciated.
Remembering how jaded he seemed, she was surprised he’d agreed to come with her to the church.
She pushed through the swinging doors to the sanctuary, letting the peace of God envelop her and settle her racing heart. She knew the church was just a building and God was with her always. But for some reason, she felt His presence more acutely when she was here. And she had to admit she also felt safe with Chase following behind her. There was no question in her mind, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. And she had to trust that Liam and Dash would protect Kylie.
Pastor Jerome came out of a room at the front of the sanctuary. A tall man with black curly hair and kind, dark eyes, he exuded a sense of well-being as he held out his hands for Zoe.
“Zoe, it’s just terrible what happened,” the pastor said, giving her hands a squeeze before releasing them. He turned his gaze to Chase, who came to stand beside Zoe. “Special Agent Rawlston. I didn’t think we’d ever get you into our humble building.”
“We’re here about the donations for Zoe and Kylie.” Chase said in a voice ripe with irritation.
Zoe frowned. She couldn’t abide rudeness. “Yes, we are. And we are very grateful for the church’s help.” She gave Chase a pointed look.
Pastor Jerome’s smile held understanding. “We have everything downstairs in our children’s ministry room. This way.” He turned and headed out a side door.
Chase moved to follow, and Zoe grabbed him by the elbow. “What is going on?”
She really wanted to understand him. Though she shouldn’t give in to her curiosity. But there was something about him that tugged at her heart in a way no one else had. She needed to ignore it. Yet, the curiosity and the need to help him find peace were stronger than her need for self-preservation.
And that was nearly as terrifying as being in the crosshairs of a bomber.