“Now hold on,” Griffin stated. “Are you sure it was someone after Melissa?”
That was the problem. Miles wasn’t sure about anything. The shots had seemed deliberate and targeted, but how could anyone have found them so quickly? It didn’t make sense.
Griffin advised him to wait to gather more evidence before making any rash decisions and Miles decided he was right. He was jumping to conclusions, acting hastily because the fact that Melissa and Dylan had been found before had him rattled. Bad enough that he still didn’t understand how they’d been discovered at the hotel. But he’d made these plans. No one connected with the marshals office, not even Griffin, knew where they were.
Miles returned to the house, where they all looked at him anxiously.
“What happened?” Kellyanne asked. “Did you find anything?”
He noticed Melissa was on the couch as Dylan played at her feet. Her expression was one of anxiety and she must be wondering, like he was, if they’d been discovered and would have to leave.
“Paul went to the Simmons place to look at their video feed. He thinks it might have been stray bullets from illegal hunting.”
His mother nodded, latching on to that explanation. “Yes, yes, that’s probably right. We do get hunters this time of year.”
“I’m just glad no one was hurt,” his father stated, then promptly changed the topic. “Why don’t we all get ready for some supper?”
Miles glanced at Melissa. He needed to get her alone and talk about this situation. “I think we’re going to skip supper tonight, Mama.”
Melissa stood. “Yes, I think that’s for the best. I should really put Dylan down. It’s been a long day.” He liked how calm and collected she looked. She even smiled, though it didn’t go to her eyes. None of them did. What would it look like to see her really smile? He wanted to make that happen someday.
His family didn’t like the idea of them leaving but didn’t put up much of an argument. Miles loaded Dylan into his car seat while Melissa climbed into the front. They were silent for several moments before she turned to him and asked the question he’d been expecting.
“Have we been discovered?”
He gripped the steering wheel. He wanted to reassure her, but he didn’t want to mislead her. Honesty was the best option. “I’m not sure. I don’t see how anyone could have discovered where you are. No one knows I’m even on the case, let alone that I brought you here.”
“So you believe it might have just been an accident?”
He wanted to. He wanted to believe it so much. “The shots didn’t seem accidental, but like I said, I don’t know how anyone could have found us. I think it’s too early to decide we’ve been discovered. My family is right. We do get hunters on the property this time of the season and Paul said the neighbors have been having trouble with kids trespassing to throw parties.”
“So we’re not leaving?”
“I don’t want to go until we absolutely have to. I still believe you’re both safe here.”
He saw relief in her expression. “I’m glad. I like it here. It’s a lot better than any other place we’ve been. I like your family, too, though I hate lying to them.”
“It’s necessary.”
“I know it is and that’s why I do it, but they’ll be devastated when they discover the truth. They’re already growing attached to Dylan and he to them.”
His instinct was to reach across the seat and take her hand, but he didn’t. That would be crossing a line. It was one thing to play the considerate husband in front of his family. It was another thing entirely while they were in private. Besides, it was better to keep his distance. He’d already gotten too close to the lovely brunette, was too admiring of her strength and determination.
He parked in front of the cabin and carried a sleeping Dylan inside, placing him on the bed. But he stood awkwardly in the doorway as she pulled a blanket over the boy and tucked him in for the night before leaning down to plant a kiss on his forehead. This woman was amazing in so many ways. She kept her calm in the face of danger and plastered a smile on her face for his family. It took a lot of strength to keep up the charade that everything was fine when her world was crumbling around her.
“Are you two going to be okay?” He wasn’t ready to leave them alone and that surprised him. He had stuff to do—make certain their cover was still intact, check the perimeter, follow up with both his brother and Griffin—but his feet were planted in this doorway with this little family that reminded him of everything he’d ever wanted.
“We’ll be okay,” she said, but she didn’t seem to be in any hurry for him to leave, either. She wasn’t pushing him away. “I did enjoy the horse ride. So did Dylan. Thank you for doing that.”
“You’re welcome. It didn’t turn out to be as much fun as I’d hoped.”
“Dylan had a good time.”
She crossed her arms over her body and he sensed the fear she’d kept pushed down was starting to resurface.
Despite his determination to keep his distance, he reached out and stroked her arm. “Everything is going to be okay, Melissa. I won’t let anything happen to you or Dylan.”
A tear slipped from her eye and she wiped it away. “I think I’m just tired. Tired of all the running and the hiding and deceit. Today, for just a moment, I let my guard down and enjoyed myself. I want to be able to do that again. I don’t want to live my life looking over my shoulder, constantly on guard, the way my mother did. And I don’t want my son to have to live that way.”
No one should have to live that way, but he couldn’t change the way the world worked. His job was to make sure she was safe and that often meant constantly being on guard. But she was right. It was no way to live. He would do his best to ensure that wherever she wound up was secure and no one could find her. She might still carry some fear, but hopefully, someday, she’d feel safe again. He’d watched her today when she’d let go and had fun. He’d enjoyed seeing her that way, and he wanted to see her really smile, the kind of smile he imagined made the golden specks in her brown eyes shine. That was the kind of life he hoped for her and Dylan.
He said good-night and left her. She didn’t need him to see her falling apart. She needed her privacy. It was his job to keep her safe, not comfort her...despite how much he longed to do so.
A knock at the door had him reaching for his weapon. He kept it hidden while he glanced through the peephole and spotted his brother Paul. He tucked the gun back into its holster and opened the door, anxious to hear what his brother had discovered.
Paul walked inside and glanced around. “Where’s Melissa?”
“She’s already gone to bed. What did you find?”
Paul pulled out his phone and showed him surveillance-camera images of a pickup that pulled into the clearing between the Simmons ranch and their property. “It’s definitely two young guys, can’t be older than early twenties. I had Josh run the truck’s tags and he recognized the names immediately as some college kids he’s run from the property before for illegal hunting.”
“You think that’s all this was? Illegal hunting?”
“It seems likely.” He slipped his phone into his pocket. “Unless you want to give me more information about whoever it is that’s after Melissa.”
He wished he’d never said anything to Paul, especially if it really turned out to be nothing more than stray bullets from these kids hunting illegally on their property.
“It’s nothing. I shouldn’t have even said anything.”
Paul shot him a look to let him know he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t push the matter, probably figuring that Miles would share when he was ready. But he wasn’t going to share. He couldn’t. Not when it meant putting his family and Melissa in even greater danger.
Paul left and Miles checked the perimeter then locked up. He fell into a chair and pushed a hand through his hair as the events of the day caught up to him. He’d overreacted and it had nearly cost them their safe house. He should have remembered about the illegal hunting problems that were an ongoing issue in the area. He sent off a quick text to Griffin that he thought they were safe after all.
He took comfort in knowing that he’d done everything he could to protect Melissa and that no one should be able to connect them, or find her here. She was safe at Silver Star, safe with him and his family.
Early the next morning, Miles drove Melissa and Dylan back to the main house for breakfast with the family. It was Sunday and that meant all the Averys loaded up for church. Melissa had been a good sport about going when Miles had mentioned it. He’d offered to make up an excuse, but she’d assured him she didn’t mind going.
He parked in front of the house and wasn’t surprised to see activity already happening in the barn. Ranch work demanded an early start. It was one thing he hadn’t missed about being home.
His phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen, noticing Lanie’s number on the caller ID. “I need to take this. I’ll meet you inside,” he told Melissa, who took Dylan and walked into the house.
He answered, expecting to hear Lanie’s voice, but instead heard two voices—Lanie’s and Adam’s. “We’re just here having breakfast together,” Adam told him. “You’re missing out on doughnuts and coffee.”
“Griffin told us about your dad’s relapse,” Lanie added. “We wanted to call and see if there was anything we could do.”
“I appreciate the offer. He’s doing a little better, but I’m going to stick around the ranch until he’s one hundred percent.”
“That makes sense,” Lanie said. “Give him our love and let us know if we can help in any way.”
He thanked them both, then hung up and put away his phone. Lying to his best friends left a sour taste in his mouth. Lanie and Adam had always been the ones he didn’t have to keep secrets from and that had been special to him. Now, everything had changed.
Miles spotted an unfamiliar face working on a piece of equipment and walked over to check him out. He was young, probably no more than seventeen or eighteen, but Miles didn’t recognize him. “What’s your name?” he asked the boy.
“Luke Mitchell.” The boy reached out to shake his hand but Miles hesitated. He didn’t know him or what Luke was doing working on this piece of equipment.
Paul came around the corner and greeted Miles. “I see you’ve met Luke.”
“I did.” Miles pulled his brother aside. “What’s he doing here?”
“He’s one of the kids Josh and Lawson are mentoring and training to work on a ranch. They’re hoping by giving them ranching skills, they’ll stay out of trouble.”
He wasn’t thrilled at hearing his brothers were letting juvenile delinquents onto the property, especially with Melissa and Dylan around. “When did this start?”
“They’ve been talking about doing it for a while, but last month they converted that old shed behind the barn into a bunkhouse and Josh picked four boys for the program.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to let criminals, even kid criminals, around?”
“They’re just kids, Miles. None of them are violent offenders. They got in over their heads and need some help straightening themselves out. I think Josh just wants to do whatever he can to keep them out of juvenile detention. Besides, so far, they’ve all been good workers. Especially Luke over there. He has a real knack for mechanical work. It seems to come naturally to him.”
He glanced at Luke, who was also eyeing him with suspicion. Miles still didn’t like it. He hadn’t anticipated having extra people hanging around the Silver Star when he’d brought Melissa and Dylan here. But it wasn’t really his place to tell anyone they couldn’t stay. The Silver Star might be his childhood home, but Josh and Lawson lived here permanently and Paul had been living here during his recuperation from his injuries sustained in a Special Forces operation.
He motioned toward the stables. There seemed to be several new horses he didn’t recognize also. “These are new, too. Lots of changes around here in the past few months.”
Paul shook his head. “These aren’t ours. We’re just caring for them. They belong to the Woodwards, but Clint isn’t able to look after them right now.”
He remembered the Woodwards as a nice couple who’d purchased a ranch closer to town several years ago. A lot of their neighbors had been having a hard time keeping their ranches going. “What happened to them?”
“Their barn caught fire. Clint ran inside to free the horses. They all survived, but he suffered burns. He’s still in a recovery center in Dallas, but even after he gets home, I doubt he’ll be able to take care of them for a while. I’m hoping one of these boys will be willing to help him out until he gets back on his feet.”
Miles was sorry to hear about Clint Woodward. He remembered him as being a nice guy. “How did the fire start? Lightning strike?”
Paul shook his head. “Nope. The fire marshal says it was purposely set. There have been a string of arsons in the area. Four in the past nine months. Unfortunately, Josh and his investigators haven’t found the perpetrator. The other ranchers have been able to rebuild, but Clint’s injuries make it unlikely he’ll be able to.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He stroked the nose of one of the horses. “They’re fine animals.”
“They were traumatized by the fire. Lawson has been working with them, but they still spook easily. It’s going to take some time for them to fully recover, too.” He motioned toward the mare at the end. “Plus, this one is pregnant. The vet has been keeping a close eye on her since the fire.”
He didn’t like the idea that an unknown arsonist was operating in the area, but he knew that wherever he took Melissa, there were always going to be criminals around. That was just the way of the world. It didn’t mean they posed any threat to his witness or to his family. And in this particular case, he was glad his family had been there to reach out to the Woodwards.
He nodded at Luke Mitchell, who continued to shoot him an accusatory stare. He was probably as unhappy to see a stranger asking questions about him as Miles was at having a stranger around. He still didn’t feel great about having four juveniles he didn’t know hanging around, but his brothers were on a mission to mentor and teach them. He couldn’t fault Josh and Lawson for that, especially when it had been his choice not to be around. He had left the ranch behind years before to focus on his career.
He glanced back at the house and spotted Melissa through the window. At least he hadn’t had his entire life turned upside down the way she had. His problems paled in comparison to those of Melissa and her son. He had no reason to complain, even if it saddened him to realize that his existence was empty. Work was all he had and he wanted so much more. He wanted a wife and a family. But that kind of family life didn’t appear to be an option for him.
“It’s good to have you home for Christmas,” Paul stated. “I know Mom and Dad are glad you are here. So am I.”
“I’m glad to be here. Glad I—” he remembered he was supposed to be married and rephrased “—we can be here.” He saw Paul glancing at him and felt the need to explain himself. “My job often keeps me away.”
“You don’t have to explain that to me. It’s been a few years since I’ve been home for Christmas. Lawson and Bree will be home on Christmas Eve and Kellyanne is hanging around until New Year’s. If Colby was here, Mom and Dad would have the whole family together.” Their brother Colby was an FBI agent and, like Miles, often gone for work.
Miles took comfort that his secret assignment would bring his parents a good bit of enjoyment during Christmas...at least until it was time to leave.
After a family breakfast, Miles and Melissa returned to the cabin to change for church. She made do with a dress she’d borrowed from Kellyanne and made certain Dylan looked presentable.
Miles appeared, clean-shaven and with his hair still wet from his shower. He was wearing a suit and tie with his cowboy boots and she felt herself flush, thinking how well he cleaned up.
“Are you sure you don’t mind going to church with my family?” he asked. His insistent questioning made her wonder if he wanted her to give him an excuse to skip the service, but she wasn’t going to do that. Going was the least he could do for his parents, especially given the whopper of a secret they were keeping from them.
She moved toward him and straightened his tie. “Growing up, my mother had me in church every time the doors opened.”
He smiled. “Same here. Do you still attend church as an adult?”
“I did. After Vick died, I had no one but my mother to lean on. God was my strength during that time. But now... He seems so far away. What about you? Do you still attend as an adult?”
He shook his head. “Not regularly. I’m a member of a church, but my job keeps me away so frequently that no one blinks if I miss several weeks in a row. But I’m there so irregularly that there’s no connection there to anyone.”
He shrugged like it was no big deal, but Melissa felt for him. Without her faith, she wouldn’t have made it through pulling her life back together after Vick’s death. But it was her mother who had been her real strength. Now, she was gone, too.
He glanced at his watch. “We should get going. We’ll meet them at the house and follow them into town.”
Melissa was nervous by the time Miles pulled into the church parking lot. She’d grown up with her faith and it had meant a lot to her, but now with everything that was happening—her mother’s death, them running for their lives and living in secret and danger—she was questioning everything, including God’s presence in her life.
Where was He and why had He allowed this to happen to her?
She walked inside with Miles. Word had obviously spread about their marriage, and everyone crowded around to wish them well. She accepted the congratulations, but she felt wrong just being here, lying to everyone. The people they met were welcoming and Melissa wished her real life was this way. Even before the revelation of her mother’s past, she hadn’t had any close friends. Her mother had always frowned on her getting too close to anyone. Now, Melissa understood why she’d been the way she had, but she’d promised herself that Dylan would grow up differently, that she would get him involved in social activities. She’d hoped to be the one with the house where he and his friends wanted to play. A tear slipped from her cheek. That would never happen now. She would end up raising Dylan just as her mother had raised her—overly cautious, because they would have to be. His life depended on her keeping him close and viewing others with suspicion.
She took a seat with the family and Miles’s hand on her back was a relief. They were only pretending to be married, but she found comfort in the gesture. She felt safe with him. Safe and protected. And it only served to reinforce how different this life was from what she was entering into.
She wiped away a tear that slipped from her eye. She was already crying and the service hadn’t even started yet. How was she ever going to explain that?
The music was wonderfully soothing and she leaned into the melody of it. She missed God, missed the closeness she used to share with Him, but that had all been based on a lie, hadn’t it? How could God ever bless a secret life, a lying life?
Dylan shifted and fidgeted and Miles’s father pulled him into his lap and comforted him. He settled down quickly enough. She was ever so thankful for this family that had taken her in, but she wondered what would happen when they discovered it was all a lie. Dylan was becoming close with them, as they were with him. They believed they finally had a grandchild and she and Miles would soon take that away from them. What a heartless and cruel thing to do.
She sat down and listened to the preacher and her heart ached. She longed to feel the Holy Spirit moving, but God seemed so far away from her now. Since her mother’s murder, her old faith seemed hollow and naive. God wasn’t there. Not for her, not anymore.
When the service ended, she excused herself and walked to the ladies’ room. She splashed cold water on her face and tried to rein in the emotions the service had stirred in her. She couldn’t fall apart. She had to remain strong for Dylan. She wiped her face and smoothed down her hair, but the wedding ring on her finger glinted in the light, a reminder that she was lying to everyone she’d met today, even the pastor. All those well-wishers from earlier had been deceived and she didn’t deserve their friendliness. When the truth came out, they would all know they’d been misled.
Suddenly the hairs on her neck rose as she sensed someone nearby. She saw no one in the mirror but still spun around. She pushed open each stall door. No one was there. The restroom was empty except for her. Why then did she still feel eyes on her, watching her?
She rubbed away the goose bumps on her arm. She was just being paranoid. No one was there. No one was watching her, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling until she was back in the SUV with Miles on the drive to the restaurant where they were going to have a family lunch. He reached across the seat for her hand and held it, and she liked the way her hand felt wrapped in his.
“You seemed pretty emotional back there. I guess that’s to be expected.”
“I hate this,” she told him. “I hate the lying and deception. It doesn’t feel right.”
He pulled his hand away and she regretted her words. She hadn’t meant to sound as if she was criticizing him or the way he was handling things. She felt safer with Miles than she had since this entire nightmare had started.
“I’m just anxious,” she confessed. “I’m worried about all of this.”
“I know you are, but I’m not going to allow anyone to harm you or Dylan. That’s a promise.”
She appreciated him saying so, but she knew he might not be able to keep that promise. She’d been found before, three times, and her and her son’s lives had been in danger over and over again. What made this time so different?
“Being on the ranch means I can protect you and Dylan a lot better. I trust my family, Melissa. You’re safe here.”
She wanted to believe him, because she loved being here—and so did Dylan. He was starting to remind her of his old self, how he’d behaved before this nightmare began, and they’d only been here a few days.
But this would all be over too soon. They would be transferred to another place, another city, another marshal, and Dylan would once again be traumatized. She wondered if they would be here for Christmas and what a Christmas celebration with a family like the Averys would be like.
The tree in the corner of the living room was twice as big as any she’d ever had and the lights and decorations were amazing. This family took Christmas seriously and not just the gift-giving part. They celebrated the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Christ, just as she had with her mother. The two celebrations were different in the particulars, but similar in that aspect.
How had her mother done it? How had she had such faith after all she’d been through?
Miles parked and she unbuckled Dylan from his car seat before following him into the restaurant, where his family was waiting. His mother was so busy with projects for the upcoming Christmas banquet at the church that she didn’t have time to make Sunday supper, as usual, so the family had chosen to eat out. Melissa joined them, taking a seat beside Miles as Kellyanne took Dylan from her arms and buckled him into a booster seat beside her. Miles’s sister was getting so attached to Dylan and while she was pleased for the attention for her son, she worried about the aftereffect once they were gone. Kellyanne would be heartbroken to learn this marriage had all been a ruse and Dylan wasn’t, in fact, her nephew.
She hated to think that these people would be punished for being kind and welcoming. If they’d been less open, less eager to accept her, they wouldn’t be as hurt by her leaving and taking Dylan with her. They were good people. She could tell in the way they watched out for one another and treated her and Dylan as family, despite their absolute disbelief when they’d learned Miles had gotten married without telling them. Strangely, she realized that none of them seemed too surprised by his actions once they’d calmed down from the initial shock. Based on her conversations with Kellyanne and Mrs. Avery, it seemed that Miles was known to be aloof and extremely private. Of course, she understood his reasoning for not telling his parents or his siblings about his work, but it was a little surprising to hear that his family accepted him as he was without a need for explanation. Had this man always been so stoic and unassuming? And how was it possible that someone so handsome didn’t stand out in a crowd? She supposed it had to do with his training. In his job, the less he stood out, the more protected his witnesses were.
A chill rushed through her and she shuddered and rubbed her arms.
Miles slid his arm behind her and leaned toward her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Just a sudden chill.”
She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but the same feeling of being watched suddenly besieged her again. She glanced around. The restaurant was crowded and anyone could be looking her way. She scooted her chair closer to Miles. She couldn’t explain the feeling and couldn’t see anyone watching them, but she felt the angry, bitter stare burrowing into her.
Miles put his arm around her. “You’re shaking. What’s the matter?”
Her chin quivered and she felt silly. “I don’t know. I just... I feel like someone is watching me.”
He glanced around the restaurant, then leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I’m going to have a look around. Don’t worry. You’re safe here at the table with my family.” He stood and excused himself, then walked off. Paul and Josh followed him a moment later.
Kellyanne looked surprised when they left. “What do you think that’s about?” she asked her parents.
“I have no idea,” her mother commented.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” her father said, shrugging away the issue. He seemed to have an easy faith in his children.
Melissa reached for her glass and pretended to sip it, hoping Kellyanne wouldn’t look to her for an explanation. She didn’t. Instead, she turned back to giggle at Dylan, who was making a mess with a bowl of mashed potatoes.
Miles and Paul returned to the table several minutes later.
“Josh got called to work,” Miles told the table. “Something about a bad wreck out on the highway.”
“Oh, dear, I hope no one was injured,” Mrs. Avery said. “We’ll wrap up his meal and take it home with us. He can reheat it later if he likes.”
And with that, the conversation turned to something else.
Melissa leaned into Miles and whispered in his ear. “What did you find?”
“Nothing. You’re perfectly safe.”
She turned back to her meal, realizing how silly she was being. Of course, she was safe. No one could possibly know where she was or who she was with. She’d never felt as secure as she did at the Silver Star with Miles. She chalked up her fears to lingering paranoia. She’d been on guard for weeks. It was normal that she was having trouble adjusting now.
And that probably explained why her delicious meal tasted bland in her mouth.