Beth curled up in the overstuffed chair in the living room of the Big House, a crocheted throw wrapped around her shoulders. A hot cup of tea, clasped between both hands, remained untouched. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to release some of the tension and anxiety knotted deep in her belly.
Brody drove them straight to his family’s home. Rafe still hadn’t called, so there hadn’t been any more news about Evan or where he might be. She prayed he kept running in any direction, as long as it wasn’t Shiloh Springs.
Jamie was tucked into bed, with Nica to keep her company. Nica volunteered to keep an eye on her, going as far as to suggest sharing her bedroom with her. Beth knew the Boudreaus would be supportive in a crisis, but she’d never imagined how much she depended on them. Ms. Patti had put out a call and rallied the troops, and now the house teemed with people. Antonio and Serena showed up mere minutes after she and Brody. Antonio had been on the phone since they’d arrived, contacting his FBI sources, and going through the legitimate channels to generate any information on her ex.
“Rafe’s on his way.” Ms. Patti eased onto the ottoman in front of Beth’s chair. She reached forward and laid her hand on Beth’s knee. “Can I get you anything, hon?”
Beth shook her head, and took of sip of the tea. Chamomile, hot and sweet, the way she liked it. Warmth spread through her, and she sipped again.
“Everything’s going to be okay. They’ll catch Evan and he’ll be back in Huntsville before you know it. Plus, you’ve got a houseful of folks who’ll keep you and Jamie safe.” Ms. Patti leaned forward and whispered, “I hope they catch him before Brody gets his hands on him. Probably won’t be enough left to lock in a cell if Brody or Rafe find him first. They’ve got a personal stake in making sure Evan gets exactly what he deserves.”
Beth raised her head and stared at Ms. Patti, who simply shrugged, a conspiratorial smile on her lips. “What, I’m just saying what everybody else is thinking.”
“I thought this nightmare was over when Evan went to prison. That I was finally free from the devastation he’d made of my life. Of Jamie’s life. Now, I know it’s never going to end. He’s like the boogie man; he’ll never really be gone. We’re never going to be free of him.”
“Hush. I don’t want to hear you talk like that. Evan Stewart is simply a man. He’s not a bigger-than-life ghoul, he’s just a human-style monster. And if you’ve read any fairy tales, which I know you have because of Jamie, you know the monster can be slayed. Lucky for you, I happen to have a house full of monster slayers.”
The corners of Beth’s lips tugged in an involuntary smile, picturing Brody in a suit of shining armor, sword in hand, standing over a sobbing, cowardly Evan. “Thanks, Ms. Patti. I needed to hear that.”
The front door swung open hard enough to slam against the wall, and Tessa swept through like a whirlwind, eyes frantic until they landed on Beth. Eyes filled with tears, she rushed across the living room and threw herself against Beth, hugging her so tight, Beth squeaked.
“Can’t breathe.”
Tessa’s grip loosened a tiny bit, and she gave a watery laugh. “Sorry. Are you okay?”
Beth nodded and set down her empty teacup, glad she finished it before being hit by Tornado Tessa, or she’d have been wearing it.
“I’m fine. Jamie’s asleep. Nica’s keeping an eye on her.”
“Good. How could this happen? I mean, I know people sometimes escape from prison in the movies, but real life? It’s not right.”
“I…we don’t have any details yet. All I’ve heard is what Brody got from the deputy warden at the prison. Evan and his cellmate escaped, so they must have been planning it. They are pretty sure they got help from the cellmate’s girlfriend.”
Ms. Patti silently stood and motioned for Tessa to take her place on the ottoman and headed for the kitchen. Beth glanced toward the opening between the kitchen and the living room, and saw Rafe standing there, his gaze intent on Tessa. Beth felt a bit envious at the look of love on his face. Not that she begrudged her sister having found the man of her dreams. It almost made her believe in happily ever after again. At least for everybody else.
“Any news yet?” She directed her question to Rafe.
He walked across the room and placed his hand on his fiancée’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Not much. A state trooper talked to a gas station attendant, who thinks he spotted a couple of men and a woman who stopped for gas. One of them was dressed in prison garb—he thinks. One man and the woman drove off, leaving the third person behind. Unfortunately, he was unable to identify anybody from the photo lineup, so it’s all guessing at this point, but they might have split up.”
“Which means Evan’s traveling alone?”
“It’s only speculation at this point, Beth.”
She wrapped the throw tighter around her, feeling the invisible chill teasing along her skin. Bile rose in the back of her throat, a feeling of lightheadedness sweeping over her. “He’s coming here—to Shiloh Springs.”
“There’s no proof of that, but, yeah, I think you’re right.” He knelt beside her chair, his intent gaze locked with hers. “He’s not getting anywhere near you or Jamie. We’re all here. I’ve got deputies working around-the-clock watching the main roads into town. Antonio’s got the FBI searching. Evan’s not stupid. He has to know you’re protected.”
“He’s not stupid, but he is vain. He’ll take it as a challenge to get the best of you, because you beat him before. I hurt his pride when I divorced him and took his daughter away. To his thinking, what does he have to lose by coming after me…us?”
“Stop it.” She hadn’t heard Brody come into the room, but the vehemence behind his comment had her straightening in the chair. “Your ex isn’t getting near you or Jamie. Not now, not ever.”
There was a finality in his words, a conviction which made her feel safe. For the first time since she’d gotten the call from the prison, Beth felt the knot of despair slowly unfurl deep inside. She trusted Brody, knew with a certainty he’d protect her and Jamie with his last breath.
Tossing the throw onto the arm of the chair, she stood and walked over to Brody. “Okay, my pity party is over. I’ve already spent too much time running from Evan, and it stops now. What can I do?”
“First thing, get something to eat.”
“Brody, I’m not—”
“We missed dinner. You need to eat, keep your strength up. If not for you, you need to be strong for your daughter.” He clasped her hands gently between his. “Momma sent me in to get you. Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Just enough time for you to go check on Jamie and wash up.”
She took a deep breath, then stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. “Thank you for being there for me.”
“Always.”
Brody stretched, feeling the ache in his low back from spending the night on the sofa. He’d refused to leave, wanting, no, needing to be close to Beth and Jamie. All the bedrooms were full up, Momma having called everybody home who could make it. Dane and Liam had doubled up. Lucas had showed up; he’d been down in San Antonio, researching a story, but had dropped everything the minute he’d heard there was trouble. Same thing with Ridge. Tessa shared her room with Serena.
Rafe had headed back into Shiloh Springs late last night, needing to be at the sheriff’s office bright and early, to coordinate and assign shifts to make sure Beth and Jamie were watched round-the-clock, for as long as it took to capture Evan.
The scent of coffee hit first, followed almost immediately by the sweet, sweet scent of bacon. Rubbing a hand over his face, he grimaced at the stubble on his chin. Grabbing a shower was at the top of his list, but first he’d detour by the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee. He needed an infusion of caffeine to jumpstart his morning.
Before he’d taken more than a few steps, there was a knock on the front door. Scratching his stomach, he walked toward the door, a huge yawn causing his jaw to crack. Too many nights with too little sleep was starting to catch up with him.
“Greg?”
Greg Summers stood on the other side of the front door, a sheepish grin on his face. “Hey, Brody.”
“Dude, what are you doing here?”
“I don’t know. I stopped by your apartment, and when I couldn’t find you there, this seemed like the next most obvious place.” Greg gestured toward the door. “Mind if I come in?”
“Sorry. Just woke up. Long night.” He motioned Greg inside, and pointed toward the kitchen. “I need coffee. Want some?”
Greg grinned. “I would love some.”
Making their way to the kitchen, Brody stopped short at the sight of his mother and Tessa, doing a kind of choreographed dance around the kitchen. One worked the toaster, while the other scrambled eggs on the stove. A huge platter of crispy bacon sat on the countertop, and if he wasn’t mistaken, Brody could swear he smelled his momma’s homemade cinnamon rolls. His stomach growled, and Tessa smiled at him.
“Breakfast is almost ready.” She spotted Greg standing beside him, a faint blush staining her cheeks. “Oh, sorry, didn’t know you had company. Y’all want some coffee?”
“Morning, Tessa. This is Greg Summers, and, yes, we’d love some coffee.” He strode across the kitchen and dropped a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Good morning, Momma.”
“You sleep okay, son?” Her sharp-eyed stare didn’t miss a thing, he knew.
“I got some sleep. Momma, you remember Greg Summers?”
“Of course I do, I’m not senile yet.” She nudged Brody aside, and hugged Greg. “How are your parents doing? I do miss spending time with your mother.” With the familiarity only a mother could get away with, she cupped Greg’s cheeks. “Is everything okay? You look tired.”
“Everything’s fine, Ms. Patti. My folks are doing good. Mom’s getting the treatment she needs in Florida, and Dad’s spoiling her rotten. I came up to talk to Brody about the fire. Thought I’d better drive up and see the damage for myself, maybe get some pictures to send to my dad. He’s…upset about the barn going up in flames. He was counting on selling the property.”
“If you can give me a couple of minutes to change, I’ll take you over to look at the barn.” Brody grabbed the cup of coffee Tessa held out, taking a long sip. “Thanks, Tessa.”
“No hurry, Brody. I should probably have called first, but since it’s the weekend, I figured I’d drive up, look at the damage, and answer any questions you might have.”
“Appreciate it.” He glanced toward his mother and Tessa, who’d moved back to the stove and toaster, continuing breakfast. “I do have a few questions. I’d planned on calling you the first part of the week once I had more answers, but since you’re here…”
Greg held the mug Tessa had given him, staring down into it like it held the mystery of the universe in its dark depths. He shook his head before looking at Brody. “I can’t wrap my head around the place burning down. Do you have any idea what happened?”
Brody gave a subtle shake of his head, letting Greg know he didn’t want to answer. Not yet. He’d answer his questions once they were at the Summers’ homestead, because he had some questions of his own, and he didn’t want to ask them while he had an audience. Besides, Greg might feel more comfortable around their old stomping grounds.
Brody walked over to his mother and whispered low enough Greg couldn’t hear. “I need to take him over to his family’s place. I won’t be gone long. Can you take care of Beth and Jamie? I’ll give Rafe a call, make sure he knows I’ll be gone for a little while.”
“Beth will be fine. So will Jamie. Your brothers are here. Your father is here, too. Nobody’s getting within a mile of either one of them, I promise.”
“Thanks, Momma. Love you.”
“Love you too. Now, git.” She playfully swatted at him with the dish towel in her hand. “I got a whole passel of hungry people to feed, and don’t need you underfoot.”
Grinning, he snagged a couple pieces of bacon, stuffing them in his mouth, and jogged out of the kitchen. Knowing Beth would be taken care of while he dealt with Greg made him feel easier about taking him over to the site of the fire. He had questions, and he hoped his suspicions were wrong.
He needed to wait, get the results from the lab in Austin. Concrete evidence what he suspected was, in fact, true. Within minutes, he was dressed and headed for the door. Greg joined him, and they climbed into Brody’s truck and headed for the Summers’ place.
The ride took about twenty minutes, and they caught up on the things happening in their lives. Greg had started a new job a couple of months earlier, and was dating a woman he’d met at his previous job. From the way his voice warmed when he talked about her, he obviously cared about her. He hoped Greg found some happiness, because he knew things would change as his parents aged, and his mother’s cancer worsened.
Following the dirt and gravel road turnoff toward the barn, Brody gave a curse and sped up until he was parallel with the barn. The brakes squealed as the truck rocketed to a halt, and Brody slammed his fist against the steering wheel.
Smoke spiraled upward from the charred remains of the barn. The walls, which had remained from the initial fire, now lay in ashes and ruin, the stench of gasoline and smoke choking the air.
“What’s going on?” Horror colored Greg’s voice.
“Looks like once wasn’t enough. The barn’s been burned again.”