16
Bailey didn’t really think God kept score of her mistakes. Or did she?
She’d continued to sit in the pottery shop long after her mother left, mulling over her words.
Peace and joy were possible—sometimes she even possessed both. But when something went wrong, like Father Horatio or the cartel, fear and anxiety took over her life. She quit trusting God.
She wasn’t sure how she’d go about really trusting God, but recognizing the problem was the first step. The next step was to focus on what God had done, like keeping them safe this week.
The security buzzer rang, and she glanced up at the security TV. Joel, in the driveway. Good—she had a few questions for him. She hurried inside the house, speaking to her mom and Maria in the kitchen as she slipped on her jacket.
“We’re making apple dumplings,” her mom said.
Maria waved a small rolling pin. “I’m rolling out the biscuits.”
“Can’t wait,” Bailey said. The doorbell rang, and she hurried down the hallway to let Joel in.
“I didn’t expect you back so soon, but I’m glad you are,” she said. “We haven’t had a chance to talk at all.”
“I know. Where’s Maria?” He looked past her.
“Mom has her busy. Why don’t we take a walk?”
The air was invigorating, but a cold front had dropped the temperature from earlier in the day, and Bailey pulled her coat tight against the wind as they walked down the drive. “Angel told Maria he was her father, so you may have questions to answer.”
He nodded. “Leave it to Angel to make my life harder.”
She laughed. “You’re surprised he told her?”
“No, I assumed he would, just not so soon.”
Sunlight filtered through the oak trees that lined the drive. They were beginning to bud, a sure sign winter was over.
Joel cleared his throat. “I’ve noticed Maria isn’t wearing her necklace, so I’d like to take it back for safekeeping. It’s quite expensive, you know.”
She glanced sharply at him. “Maybe you’d like the one you gave me back as well.”
He paled. “Of course not. Forget I said anything.”
She would. Especially since she’d rather not tell him the necklace broke, since he was so preoccupied about the price. Hopefully, she’d have it back before Joel asked about it again. They walked in silence for a few minutes.
“What’s that?” Joel pointed to a green clump.
“Daffodils.” She smiled. “They’re the first ones I’ve seen this year.”
“I thought maybe that’s what they were. My mother had some when I was growing up.”
“She doesn’t anymore?”
“I doubt it. My father always griped about having to mow around all her flowers. One day he just cut them down.”
“I think Daddy fusses too, but he’d never do that. Mom would have his head. Oh, there’s crocus.” She pointed to another green clump, then gave him a sideways glance. “Have you spoken to your parents today? They didn’t mention you being in the States.”
“They don’t know. I talked with my mother early this morning while she was in the ICU waiting room. Talking to her on a cell phone isn’t the easiest thing in the world, and getting her to call when she’s in the room with my father is next to impossible. She was worried about you and Maria, though, and I reassured her you were all right.”
“She seems really nice.” Dried leaves crunched under their feet. “Tell me about your relationship with Angel,” Bailey said. “I’m visual, so I’ve been trying to see what’s going on as a big picture—like a jigsaw puzzle—but I’m having trouble fitting all the pieces together.”
“It’s because Angel isn’t someone you can put in a nice neat package. He’s too unpredictable, and he will lie to you. If you listen to him, there’s no way you’ll ever have all the pieces.”
“He accused you of leading him into a trap.”
“But I didn’t. I was just trying to help my sister’s husband get straight with the law. Angel believes the end justifies the means. At first he stayed under the radar of the Federal police, and I turned my head the other way. But when he started using Claire to procure rifles—I had to stop him.”
“She told you she was helping him?”
“No. I was at their house babysitting Maria one night and found invoices in her handwriting. I confronted Angel, told him if he wanted to join forces with the Federal police and work against the Calatrava, I had a contact there.”
“Why were you going through his papers?”
“I wasn’t.” He kicked at an acorn on the drive. “They were on the desk in the living room. He agreed to a meeting.”
“The one where he was shot.”
“Yes, as well as my contact. I didn’t know he was Sergeant Chavez’s brother.” Joel fell silent for a minute. “I don’t know what went wrong that day. While the Federals wanted to rein Angel in, the Calatrava had a contract on his head. Someone informed them that Angel was meeting with the Federals.”
“So all this time, you believed he was dead?”
“Yes. I don’t know why he didn’t get word to us that he was alive. If he had, Claire might still . . .” He kicked at another acorn. “As it was, she just gave up.”
“I don’t think he could contact you. He almost died in the gun battle and spent months in a Texas hospital.”
“He could have if he’d wanted to.” They’d reached the hand-carved signs that advertised her mother’s pottery shop and bed-and-breakfast, and Joel nodded toward the road. “Go back or keep walking?”
Cold had seeped through her coat, sending a shiver through her. “Let’s go back to the house. I’m sure you want to spend time with Maria.”
Twice she’d glanced up and found him looking at her the same way Danny did. She looked up, and he was doing it again. And like before, he quickly averted his gaze.
“Those signs,” he said. “Who made them? They’re quite unique.”
“My dad. He’s quite good with a carving knife, almost as good as my mom is with her pottery.”
“Claire loved working with clay. She was very talented. Sometime I’d like to see your mother’s work.”
“I’ll tell her. She’d be pleased to show you.” Bailey jammed her cold hands into her coat pocket. “I’ve never known for sure how Claire died.”
“A drug reaction. Her doctor gave her an antidepressant, but she was also taking an herbal concoction that increased her serotonin level, causing what the doctors called serotonin syndrome. By the time they diagnosed her problem, she’d slipped into a coma. Then it was too late.”
“That is so sad.”
“Yes.” He put his hand on her arm. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for Maria. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Nothing to repay me for. Maria is such a sweetheart.”
“Yes, she is. And I’m glad for the opportunity to get to know you better. After all that’s happened, will you return to Mexico?”
“I have to finish my contract, but after that . . .” She shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”
“I don’t blame you for that.”
“I’ve been thinking about something Solana said—that if all the law-abiding citizens leave Mexico, the drug cartels will win. I’d like to think when this is all over, I’ll want to go back and try to make a difference.”
“That’s a noble sentiment, but it’s not our fight. Waging war on the drug cartels is futile and foolish. It’s best to just mind your own business.”
Joel’s declaration added to her confusion. “Someone has to stop them.”
“The Mexican people are the ones who have to stand up to them, not foreigners.”
“Like Angel?” They had reached the house and climbed the steps to the front door.
“No, not some vigilante but someone who will work within the framework of the government.” He opened the door, and a tantalizing aroma met them. “What do I smell?” he asked.
“Apple dumplings. Maria was helping my mom bake them. Let’s go see if they’re done.”
When they pushed the swinging door open, Maria was standing on a chair at the sink, wearing an oversized apron. “Uncle Joel, I’m washing dishes. Miss Kate said when we cook, we have to clean up.”
“Good for you, Mrs. Adams.”
“We don’t stand on formalities around here. The name is Kate.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She dried her hands on a paper towel. “I need to check the kiln. Help yourself to an apple dumpling.”
“Thanks.”
Bailey helped Maria take off the apron. The child tilted her head toward Joel. “Did Tio come with you?”
“No, he’s busy with work. Perhaps some evening you can go with me to the hotel to see him.” Joel patted her on the head. “But a little bird told me you did a good job cooking.”
“Mm-huh. We’re having a . . . a cel—” Maria cut her eyes to Bailey. “What are we having?”
“A celebration,” she said and left it at that. Joel wouldn’t consider Angel and Maria’s reunion something to celebrate.
“Oh.” He cupped Maria’s chin in his hand. “I don’t see your necklace.”
Maria looked at the floor and shook her head. “It broke last night.”
“What?” he said sharply. “You broke your necklace?”
“I’m afraid it was my fault, and I should have told you earlier,” Bailey said. “I think it caught in her jumper and the clasp broke when I put her pajamas on. My sister took it to be repaired.”
He waved his hand. “No big deal. Tell me where it is and I’ll pick it up.”
“Unfortunately, the jeweler can’t get to it until tomorrow.”
Anger flashed across his face, then just as fast disappeared. “No problem.” He looked at Maria. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, but that necklace cost a lot of money.”
Bailey lifted her brows. If he kept harping on the price . . . “Maybe you should have waited until she was older to buy something that expensive.”
“You’re right. In fact, I have a cheaper one in my bag at the hotel. Why don’t I bring it tomorrow? Then, when you get the other one back from the jeweler, I’ll put it away for her.”
“That’s an excellent idea.”
“Will you put Mommy’s picture in it?”
“I sure will.” Joel glanced Bailey’s way. “You haven’t lost yours, have you?”
“No, it’s in my jewelry box.” She helped Maria out of the chair. “Angel is agreeable to take Maria to see your parents tomorrow.”
“Really. That’s a surprise. Did he say what time?”
“Probably around ten.”
“I’ll let Edward know I won’t be available tomorrow.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Boy, Danny was right when he said I might have a problem getting a room anywhere decent. I’ve had to settle for a room at a motel here in Logan Point.”
She could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn’t happy with the room. She glanced up as Angel and Danny entered the kitchen.
“Then perhaps you would like to stay here.”
Joel turned and looked as though he hadn’t understood his brother-in-law. “Did you say stay here?”
“Sure.” He wasn’t looking at Joel but at his daughter.
“Angel!” Maria ran to him. “Can . . .” She hesitated, looking to Joel then back to Angel. “Can I call you Daddy?”
“Of course you can.” Angel picked her up and swung her up on his shoulders. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”
Joel cleared his throat. “Maria, don’t forget to put a coat on. It’s quite windy out there.”
“Yes, Uncle Joel.”
Angel stopped at the door. “And Joel, think about asking Kate if she has room to put you up.”
“Wait up for me on the porch,” Danny said. “I think I’ll go with you.” He turned to Bailey, asking with his eyes if she wanted to join him.
“Give me a couple of minutes.”
After they left, Joel’s shoulders sagged.
Bailey touched his arm. “I know this is hard and that Maria means a lot to you.”
“He might be Maria’s natural father, but he hasn’t raised her for the past two years,” he said through his teeth. “Where was he when Claire died? Or when Maria had an earache and screamed all night? Daddy.” Joel spit the word out. “He doesn’t have a clue.”
She didn’t know how to respond to his outburst.
He turned to her, and his face softened. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”
“I’m glad you held it in until Maria was gone.”
“Do you think your mother would rent me a room?”
“You’d want to stay here? Why?”
“Maybe for the same reason that Angel suggested I stay here—he wants to keep an eye on me. But that works both ways.”
A blast of heat welcomed Joel as he walked through the door to the reception area at Maxwell Industries. He’d faced the icy north wind as he walked across the parking lot, which chilled him to the bone and increased his foul mood. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the satisfied smirk from Angel’s face.
This trip had been a disaster from the start. After he left Bailey, all he’d wanted to do was pick Edward up at Maxwell Industries and get him to drop him off at the auto rental to pick up his own car instead of using Edward’s, retrieve his clothes, and get settled in the B&B. Instead, Edward insisted he come up to Phillip Maxwell’s office.
“May I help you?”
The question startled him. How did he miss the pretty blonde behind the desk? “Yes. Edward Montoya is with Mr. Maxwell, and I’m to join them.”
“Oh, you must be Joel McDermott. They’re in the office at the top of the stairs on the right. Just knock and go on in—they’re expecting you.”
“Thanks.” He did as she instructed. When he stepped inside the office, the decor surprised him. While the boardroom they’d been in earlier spoke quality, this room went a step further. Rich walnut paneling and thick carpet along with expensive-looking oil paintings. Phillip Maxwell had good taste.
Edward and Phillip glanced up, and Ian turned from the window with a phone to his ear.
Phillip nodded. “How’s your dad?”
“So-so. I’m going to the hospital first thing in the morning to see if I can talk him into the surgery. My mother is beside herself, thinking he’s going to die any minute.” Not that he would. He was too ornery to die.
“Perhaps he will listen to you,” Edward said.
Joel doubted it. He never had. Ian pocketed his phone and took a seat at the table.
“Trouble?” Phillip asked.
“One of the employees had a package stolen from their car. Unlocked, of course.” Ian shook his head. “I’ve warned everyone they should lock their cars, but when one of their own employers argues with me about it in front of them, what can you expect?”
“What are you talking about?” Phillip said.
“Danny and I exchanged words this morning because he never locks his car, and everyone knows he keeps a gun in the console. This very employee was present during the argument.”
“Perhaps this will teach him a lesson,” Montoya said.
“Perhaps.” Ian turned to Joel. “How are things with Bailey?”
“Okay.” Joel hesitated. “Is your cousin involved with her?”
“Danny?” Ian laughed. “He’d like to be, but I doubt anything will ever come of it.”
“Why not?” He’d like to know what Danny was doing wrong. “I mean, most women would find the Maxwell money intriguing, if nothing else.”
“Not Bailey. Money doesn’t impress her, and she’s always been gun-shy around men. To get her, a man will have to be patient, and Danny is very short on patience.”
Joel tucked that piece of information into the corner of his mind. If he got out of this mess and had a normal life, he’d like to have Bailey in it. But she would have to be wooed with kindness and small gestures. Not extravagant gifts like the necklace. He’d have to work on that. When Phillip asked him a question about shipments, Joel turned his attention to the conversation about production schedules.
ACCESS DENIED. Joel stared at the computer screen, his jaw clenched so tight pain shot down his neck. Wrong again. He’d had to try one more time—it had become an obsession. Why couldn’t he remember the stupid number? Maybe it was because he was tired. He’d slept little last night, and then the meeting with the Maxwells went on and on.
He stared at the numbers he’d penciled on the sheet, willing them to change to the right order. Instead they ran together. It wasn’t that he had trouble memorizing numbers, it was remembering them in the right order. He had to be transposing them. But which ones? He had two more attempts before the site locked him out.
Foolproof. The plan should have been foolproof. Engrave the account number in a locket for Maria, put Claire’s photo over it, and then place the small, expensively wrapped box with Maria’s name on it in the briefcase that went everywhere with him. If anyone found the present, he could easily explain he hadn’t gotten around to giving it to her. Just a locket an uncle planned to give his niece.
Then Bailey had to go and find the pretty package, and he’d had to actually give it to the child.
His cell rang, and he pushed away from the computer to answer it. “Hello?”
“Are you with Maria?” Edward Montoya’s flat voice sent dread through his body.
“No, I haven’t made it to the bed-and-breakfast yet. And I didn’t tell you earlier, but she knows Angel is her father.” There had been no opportunity to talk about his brother-in-law with Edward, and his boss would not have been pleased to have Angel discussed in front of the Maxwells.
“So the reports were true. He’s alive.”
“Very much so.”
“Did you learn where he’s been all this time?”
“A Texas hospital. I think he almost died.” When Montoya didn’t respond, Joel said, “Angel suggested I move into the bed-and-breakfast, and I plan to. Actually I’m packing up now. And he’s going to allow me to take Maria to see my parents. You’ll have to carry on tomorrow at Maxwell Industries without me.”
“Don’t be taken in by his charm. He wants something from you.”
“I’m sure he does. Oh, Maria was asking about you. She would really like it if you came to see her at the bed-and-breakfast.”
“I won’t have time. Perhaps you can bring her to the Peabody.”
“I doubt either Bailey or Angel will allow that. They don’t let Maria out of their sight.”
“Has there been another attempt to kidnap her?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
Joel took a small 9mm pistol from his bag and slipped it into his front pocket. “I’ll call you after I talk with Angel about bringing her to see you.”
He had no more than hung up before his phone rang again, and he glanced at the phone. The number wasn’t one he recognized, but it was possible Bailey had gotten a new phone. He answered it before it went to his voicemail.
“Do you have the money you owe?”
Joel almost dropped the phone. “How did you get this number?”
“That doesn’t matter. You owe 150,000 dollars today. Tomorrow it will be 200,000.”
“That’s crazy.”
“No, it’s the price you pay for losing when you can’t afford it.”
Dead silence. Disconnected. He quickly tapped the number, and it immediately went to a message saying voicemail hadn’t been set up. A burner phone, probably.
He paced the motel room. Money. He had to have money, and the only place he could get that amount was from Edward’s offshore account. If he could ever get into it. He halted his pacing to stare at the Grand Cayman bank’s website on the computer screen.
It’d been pure luck, a gift, that he had the account number in the first place. Joel had been in an employee meeting with Edward and the production foremen when his boss sent Joel after a needed file. When he picked up the folder, a scrap of paper with letters and numbers fluttered to the floor. On a hunch, he’d photocopied the scrap and then became obsessed with knowing what the letters and numbers meant. It’d been easy to figure out the long number belonged to some sort of account and the shorter one a password and that the letters stood for a bank. But which one?
It’d taken him less than a week to find a bank to fit the letters. He’d accessed the account and transferred a nominal amount and then waited. Evidently Edward never noticed, because the next time Joel tried, he gained access. But he’d been afraid to transfer more money or to even keep the paper he copied, so he embedded the account number in three different files on his laptop.
Then he’d had the number engraved on the necklace and destroyed the paper. He couldn’t think of any place safe enough to keep it, although he had considered putting it in the safe. He shuddered to think how that would have played out if whoever had broken into his house had gotten their hands on the account number.
The necklace was only supposed to be his backup, one he never should have needed. Not with the account number encrypted on his computer and his computer backed up to an off-site server. But now the laptop was gone, and he couldn’t access the backup, and the locket was at some jeweler’s. It was like he had subscribed to Murphy’s Law.
Somehow he had to get the number to that account and transfer the two hundred grand he owed the casino. He pressed his hands to the side of his face. No, that wouldn’t be enough. At the rate he was going, it’d be twice that by the time he got into the account. If almost half a mil went missing from Edward Montoya’s offshore account, his boss would notice.
Or maybe not. Edward had millions. Surely he wouldn’t miss—
Joel shook his head. Had he totally lost his mind? Edward Montoya was sure to have some sort of alert if that kind of money was moved from the account.
But he’d have no way of knowing who moved it. All Joel had to do was transfer the money, pay the gambling debt, then sit tight. No changes in his lifestyle, no extravagant purchases. Since he’d had time to think about it, disappearing was the worst thing he could do. If he up and disappeared, Edward would know he stole the money, and Joel would always be looking over his shoulder.
What he needed was something to divert Edward’s attention when he discovered the missing funds. His boss tended to focus on one thing at a time—it was one of the reasons for his success.
Joel would simply have to come up with a problem bigger than missing money.
One more person and Danny believed the bed-and-breakfast would explode. He hadn’t really thought Angel was serious when he suggested Joel take a room. The fact that Joel took him up on the suggestion surprised him even more. The undercurrent of tension between the two men vibrated through the house.
He checked his watch. Almost eleven and sleep evaded him. Maybe he would walk the perimeter of the yard—it had helped last night. He shrugged into his down coat and eased down the stairs. Cold air greeted him, and he zipped the coat up to his chin. It wasn’t usually this cold in March, and he would be glad for spring, even the hot temperatures of summer.
Danny scanned the parking lot. Funny. He hadn’t heard anyone leave, but Joel’s car was gone, and so was his Escalade. He didn’t mind Angel using the SUV, but he thought Angel would let him know first. He’d ask him about it in the morning.
A waning moon guided him as he walked by the barn, telling himself Bailey wouldn’t be at the stump. When his prediction proved true, disappointment shot through him. No use denying that he’d hoped she couldn’t sleep either.
Then he turned toward the front of the property, soon leaving the light of the house and barn behind. The quiet wrapped around him, broken only by the soft hoot of a barn owl and dried leaves under his feet.
His thoughts went back to the conversation with Kate. Could she be right that God could use him? Out here under the vast expanse of sky, it seemed possible. He looked up. Was it just last night that Bailey pointed out the North Star? In the crisp atmosphere, stars stood out against the velvet sky, stirring a sense of yearning in his heart. The heavens held him in its grip until he became unaware of time or his surroundings.
And in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . . . The words formed in his head, and this time, they didn’t remind him of a fairy tale.
Could he forgive himself for not going to the store when his mother asked him to? He could have handled the ice patch that killed her.
“Danny, there’s nothing you can do that will separate you from God’s love. Jesus died for every bad thing you’ve ever done, ever will do. Don’t ever forget that.” Words his mother had told him long ago. He’d believed then. But after the wreck, he’d let guilt drive him away. Maybe it was time to let go of the past.
Bailey’s voice brought him back to earth, and he turned. She stood a short distance away with a flashlight in her hand. “You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, but he was so glad she was.
“You are.” She flicked the flashlight off, and the overhead barn light illuminated her silhouette.
“I couldn’t sleep. Do you know where Joel and Angel went? His rental and my SUV are missing.”
“No. I heard a car leave right after I went upstairs, but I didn’t know who it was. I didn’t hear a second car. Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“I started thinking about last night, and I wanted to see if I could find the Little Dipper and the North Star again.”
“Did you?”
He’d gotten so caught up in the beauty of the sky, he’d forgotten to look. “No. Which way do I look for the Little Dipper?”
Bailey came closer and slipped one arm through his and turned him slightly. She raised her right hand. “Follow where I’m pointing. See, there’s the pan.”
He followed the movement of her finger as she traced the four stars that made the bottom of the dipper. “Oh, wait. I see it. There’s the handle.”
“And at the end of it is the North Star.”
“Polaris. I see it.” He turned to her, glad for the moonlight so he could see her face, her incredible eyes. These last two days of being around her and not being able to hold her in his arms had been killing him. “I’ve missed you.”
She pressed her lips together and looked down. He tipped her face back up with his hand. “Have you missed me?”
Bailey licked her lips. “Yes.”
His heart filled his chest, pounding so hard he could barely breathe. He lowered his head until his lips found hers, sending a shiver through him. Slowly, relishing her nearness, he kissed her lips, then moved to her closed eyes. He pulled her against his chest. “I’ve never stopped loving you.” He whispered the words against her hair.
She pulled away and looked up at him. “Heaven help me, but I’ve never quit loving you either.”
His heart soared as he held her gaze in the dim light, trailing his finger down her cheek. He cupped her face in his hands and captured her lips, kissing her again, gently at first. She slipped her hands up behind his head and pulled him closer until he lost himself in her arms.
When they broke apart, she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She tilted her head back. “Are you kidding?”
He wrapped his arms around her, just in case. “I still want to marry you.”
“I know.” She stepped back and took his hand. “Let’s go to the barn where we can sit and talk.”
At least she hadn’t run off screaming. But neither did she say yes. That would have been expecting too much too soon. They walked to the barn in silence, their breath making white puffs in the cold air. They probably should return to the house. But he was afraid if they did, the magic of the night would end, and he wasn’t ready for that to happen. He didn’t think Bailey was either.
Hay stacked to the ceiling made it not quite as cold inside the barn, and they sat on one of the bales. “Oh, by the way, your mom gave me a Bible, and I was reading it before I came outside.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s wonderful.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know how wonderful it is—it’s a little hard to understand.”
“Try asking God to help you.” She squared her shoulders and took his hand. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
His body tensed. “Then do it.”
She bit her bottom lip. “I want to apologize for the way I broke our engagement and then ran off to Mexico.”
His muscles relaxed. He’d been afraid she was going to tell him to get lost. “Apology accepted.”
“Like I said before, I do that a lot.”
“What? Break engagements?”
“No, run away.”
“When? Besides when you gave me the ring back.”
She dropped her gaze to the barn floor, and he waited.
“I’ve been thinking about my life a lot these past few days. I think the running away started when I was a kid, and Mr. Carver killed Jem and Cassie—”
“But you were just a kid yourself.”
Bailey grew quiet. “God was supposed to protect us that night.” The soft words fell like bricks in the void. “I remember thinking the three of us had just been baptized and nothing bad could happen to us. And then they died.”
For a minute Danny didn’t know what to say. He turned to Bailey. She leaned back against one of the barn posts, her eyes closed.
After a minute of silence, she continued. “I said something to my Sunday school teacher, and she said I wasn’t supposed to question God, and I wasn’t supposed to get angry at God. I don’t know how she knew that I was mad, but I decided I must be a bad person. I thought if I worked really hard and did everything I was supposed to do, God would love me more, and he wouldn’t let bad things happen to me.”
“Does it work that way?” he asked.
“No, and I know that, but knowing and believing are two different things.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “I can’t stop thinking that I gave up everything—you, my family, my teaching job here in Logan Point that I loved—to go to Mexico. Even that didn’t please God.”
“What happened in Copper Canyon?”
She sighed. “As soon as I arrived, the local priest took an instant dislike to me because the women and children were drawn to me. He got really upset when the women came to my tea parties for purses and makeup and then came back because I talked about a God who loved them.” She smiled. “It was amazing to see them transform right before my eyes as they discovered who our amazing God is. That’s when the priest began a campaign to run me off. Said I was a witch because of my eyes.”
“But they’re beautiful, and they always see good in everything, even me.”
“You’d have to admit they’re unusual. Not many people have a gold starburst.” She shivered. “I found things in my car on a regular basis, and the last was rattlesnakes. That’s when I left, actually when Global Missions moved me to Chihuahua to teach at their school.”
“I wouldn’t have stayed after it happened the first time,” he said.
She smiled. “You would if you thought God called you there. Evidently I was wrong about that, and now I’m wondering if I’ve been wrong about everything I believe. How could God love me and allow so many bad things to happen in my life? When I was hiding in the basement from those men after Joel had been kidnapped, even as I quoted Scripture, I wondered where God was. Why he didn’t help us.”
Danny’s breath stilled. Bailey’s belief in God was what defined who she was. With everything else around him in flux, he’d always known he could count on one thing and one person who was always the same, who always had the same answer to problems—give it to God. Just knowing that comforted him, even if he didn’t agree with her. Bailey had always been like a rock. When she broke their engagement, he’d thought it was because of her deep commitment to God.
“But Bailey, he did help you—he sent me to rescue you.”
Her eyes widened, and Danny caught his breath, as surprised as Bailey. The words had popped out of his mouth, but could they be true? Danny pulled her close, and she snuggled against his body.
“I’ll always be here for you,” he whispered against her hair.
“Even if we take his daughter, Angel Montoya will never join his men with the Calatrava.”
El Jefe pinched the bridge of his nose. The board had given him a week to bring Montoya in line, and he didn’t need resistance from Enrico. “If we have his daughter, he will.”
“But he and Danny Maxwell watch her like a hawk.”
“Then be like the barn swallow that chases the hawk away. I don’t care how you do it, just get her.”
“Why is Montoya so important to you? Why not just kill him?”
El Jefe ground his molars. He didn’t like his orders being questioned by subordinates. “Can you see nothing? Because that would make him a martyr. His death would only serve to unite the people who are loyal to him. Already the Angel of the Streets inspires them to the extent they are willing to die rather than pay for insurance. But if we bring him under our control, they will not have the heart to oppose us. Do I need to get someone else to take care of this job?”
“No. It will be done. How much ransom will we ask?”
He pressed his fingers to his temple. “Do you understand nothing? We are not taking her for money.”
“No money at all? That is foolish.” Disapproval sounded through the phone. “And the missionary?”
“Kill her.”