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“BE OF GOOD COURAGE, AND HE SHALL STRENGTHEN YOU HEART, ALL YE THAT HOPE IN THE LORD.” —PSALMS 31:24

K endall was no conversationalist, Sydney decided. The two rode in silence to his mother’s house. She made a few surface remarks in the hopes of starting a conversation but had given up. She glanced at Kendall’s profile. His jaw was relaxed and he maneuvered the steering wheel with one hand. He must have felt her stare because he smiled at her and took her hand. She smiled back and relaxed in her seat. Maybe silence wasn’t so bad after all.

Sydney tried to remember how old she was when she first developed her crush on Kendall. There was a time when she’d lived for a kind word or smile from him. He was the star quarterback, and she was his younger sister’s best friend. It was puppy love, adoration, and infatuation all rolled into one. Even so, that hadn’t stopped her pulse from raising a notch when she realized it was Kendall who was helping her with her flat tire the day she moved to Stoney Creek.

They turned off the road and started up the long driveway. When the house came into view, Sydney felt like she was coming home. She was, in a sense. She’d spent countless weekends at the Fletcher’s. Everyone always thought that Emma was rich because her house looked so impressive from the road. It was set high up on a hill with the winding driveway and pastures sprawled out below. Looking at it now, Sydney realized with a jolt that while the house was nice, it was not a mansion. It was, in fact, a modest brick home with a large sun-porch on the side. The home’s only frills were the two thick round columns on the front. That’s what made the house look so impressive from the street.

She waited for Kendall to open her door and was a little disappointed when she saw that he was almost to the house. She opened the truck door and hurried to catch up. One look at the anticipation on his face, and she forgot her irritation over his lack of courtesy. He was excited about her being there with him. That’s all it was.

He opened the door to the porch. “Mmm. Something smells good.” His voice floated through the sunroom. Sydney followed him into the living room. Emma was standing there, and she had to catch herself to keep from bounding into her arms.

“Hi there,” Emma said, a broad smile on her face. She looked at Kendall with a hint of mischief in her eyes. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

The color started in splotches on Kendall’s neck and rose to his face. Sydney could tell that Emma was thoroughly enjoying her brother’s discomfort. She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Emma was still as lanky as ever, which was surprising because Kendall was so muscular. Her brown hair was almost the identical shade of Kendall’s, but it was curly where his was straight. She had it tied up with a red bandana.

“So tell me about the sawmill,” Emma said. “It must be so exciting.”

“Well, if you consider sweaty, old men exciting, then I suppose it is.”

Emma laughed a loud, uninhibited laugh, and Sydney was delighted to realize that she still liked Emma. For some reason, it made her miss Ginger even more.“

What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a first-grade teacher.”

“That’s wonderful. It’s a perfect job for you.”

“Huh?”

“I mean … um … what I meant is that it sounds like a perfect job.”

Emma laughed. “It has its moments.”

Kendall came up behind Sydney and put his hands on her shoulders. “Hey now, Sydney’s my date. Don’t monopolize her.”

Emma winked at Sydney and stuck her tongue out at Kendall.

“Come on,” Kendall said. “I want you to meet Mama.”

They followed the appetizing aroma to the kitchen. Gail Fletcher’s face broke into a smile when she saw them enter the room. She wiped her hands on her apron and pushed her glasses up farther on her nose.

“Hello, Sydney,” Mrs. Fletcher said softly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

Even as Sydney shook Mrs. Fletcher’s hand, she noticed the cedar cabinets that reached the ceiling and a memory surfaced.

“Kendall tells me you’re from Ft. Worth.”

Sydney nodded. All the while her mind was going back to that night when she and Emma had decided to make a cake after everyone else went to bed. They could only find one cake pan, so they poured all the batter into it and then turned the oven up to 500 degrees so the cake would cook faster. When batter started pouring over the sides, the smoke from the oven set off the fire alarm. They took a cookie sheet and madly fanned the alarm, but the smoke was too thick. J. W. came running into the kitchen and gave them both a good scolding.

Sydney pushed away her memories and focused on what Mrs. Fletcher was saying. She was spacing out far too often. She had to remind herself that these memories were Cindy’s, not Sydney’s. It was all so confusing. Her identities were colliding, and she knew that she’d better get a hold of herself and keep them separate.

“Supper’s almost done,” Mrs. Fletcher said. “Kendall, you and Sydney go on back in the living room. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Sydney walked over to the fireplace to get a better look at the pictures on the mantle. There was one of a teenage Kendall wearing his football uniform. She could tell from his disheveled hair and the grass stains smeared on his jersey that the picture had been taken right after a game. J. W.’s face was the epitome of a proud father as they smiled into the camera.

A pang of sadness wrenched Sydney’s gut. It was hard to believe that J. W. had committed suicide. He was rambunctious and so full of life, more like Emma than Kendall. He and Avery had been good friends, and he even worked at the sawmill for a short time. What she remembered most about J. W. was that every year on the Fourth of July he was responsible for setting off the fireworks. People would come for miles around and gather on the lake to watch the spectacular show. One time she heard Avery tell Susan that J. W. was the driving force behind the fireworks. J. W. was the only one in Stoney Creek with enough knowledge of explosives to pull off such a feat, he said.

She reached for the picture. “Is this your father?”

“Yeah, that’s my dad,” Kendall said.

She waited for him to say more but the silence loomed.

“Our father died,” Emma added.

Sydney studied her friend’s face and waited for her to explain. “I’m so sorry. How?” The question came out before Sydney could call it back.

Emma started to speak, then stopped when she saw the look of warning on Kendall’s face.

“It’s not important,” Kendall said.

Sydney watched the exchange between the siblings. J. W.’s death was obviously not something Kendall wished to discuss. What had she seen in Kendall’s eyes? Hurt? Anger?

If only he knew how much they had in common.

Sydney stepped onto her front porch and caught a whiff of magnolias floating in the air. She looked next door, and sure enough, there was her neighbor in her front yard, piddling around in her flower garden. She’d asked Tess about the woman. Surprisingly, Tess didn’t know a whole lot, only the woman’s name and that she was from Stoney Creek but had lived in Hawaii. According to Tess, Hazel had been back in Stoney Creek for about five years. “Except for a sister who visits occasionally, Hazel pretty much keeps to herself. It’s probably just as well,” Tess said in a whisper. “She’s a strange duck.”

This time, Sydney got a good look at Hazel Finch. Her figure was round, and she wore a loose floral muu muu, much like the one Sydney had seen her in that first day. This one was purple instead of orange. She wore a lei made of silk flowers around her neck. She peeped over her wire-rimmed glasses at Sydney, her tiny eyes sparkling with curiosity. Sydney chuckled. S he’s as interested in me as I am in her. S ydney couldn’t decide who she reminded her of the most: Aunt Bea or Cinderella’s fairy godmother. She looked at her watch and then at the sky. No time for introductions today. She’d have to hurry in order to get her run in before dark.

With every pound of the pavement, Sydney’s tension eased a little more. Running was the best stress reliever in the world. She enjoyed the rhythm her breathing created as she became one with the pavement. She ran across the viaduct and then headed toward town, her mind alternating between Sean and Kendall. The two men were like dueling forces. Sean hadn’t mentioned anything more about Sydney’s background, and Sydney doubted he would. He was so pleasant at the safety meeting yesterday, almost as though the exchange between them hadn’t taken place. Kendall was always polite on the surface, but Sydney sensed that some deep emotions were churning inside him. She wished he would open up and tell her what he was feeling. She laughed out loud at the irony of her thoughts. As much as she liked Kendall, she wouldn’t dream of telling him who she really was.

She ran past a vacant dilapidated building. It still had the word Grocery printed across the front. Beside it was Murdock’s dress shop. Her mother loved to shop at Murdock’s and often took Cindy with her. Without fail, Cindy would end up playing in the front window with the mannequins while her mother shopped. She thought about the abandoned grocery store. Who built it? Why did it fail and Murdock’s succeed? What were the owners thinking? Did their dreams collapse when they closed their store or did they just move on to another dream?

She’d been trying to get to the heart of Stoney Creek since she moved back here. She looked at all the venerable shops with their glass windows popping out like eyes, watching the town. They’d been here for years and would still be standing many years to come. Was that where the heart was? In the buildings? Maybe it was the collective will of the people. Were they really connected or just strangers living side by side in their separate houses?

She left the downtown area and ran toward the park, which was a gathering place for many of the locals. Not only did it have the expected playground, but a community swimming pool and tennis courts as well. The road around the park was half a mile. She would run around it twice and then head for home.

The blaring music caught her attention before she saw the truck. She veered off the road and slowed her pace on the grassy shoulder and waited for the truck to pass. The truck pulled beside her and kept the same pace. Its tires were so large they could have passed for tractor tires. The back end of the truck was jacked up, making the front look like it was perpetually going downhill. In a flash she took in the red dull paint covered with rust spots and the two men with their caps pulled over their eyes, their bushy hair sticking out the sides.

Well this was great. Just what she needed. A couple of rednecks gawking at her.

The passenger leaned out the window and gave a loud wolf call. She didn’t even bother to look his direction but kept her eyes fixed straight ahead.

“Man o’ man. Look at them legs!”

They made a few more comments, which she ignored.

“You think you’re too good to speak?”

She just kept running while her heart beat wildly in her ears.

A car came up behind the truck, forcing them to go on. She blew out a breath. Thank goodness for the car. She was only halfway finished with her first lap around the park. She glanced at her watch and decided she wouldn’t risk going around another time. It was getting late and the truck might come back. As it was, it would be dark by the time she made it back home.

A fragment of a documentary she’d seen on the discovery channel popped into her mind, causing her stomach to flip. She could almost hear the announcer’s voice speaking. There must be a sixth sense that warns prey of impending danger. Does the lion’s prey feel it seconds before an impending attack? Or does it rest in ignorant bliss until the instant of the kill?

For Sydney, it was the subtle changes that were the biggest clues. The feeling of being watched and then turning and seeing no one there; a prickling of the skin, causing the hair on her neck to stand; the rapid beating of her heart and sweaty palms for no apparent reason. Was paranoia getting the best of her? Was someone out there? Watching, waiting? It was the feeling she’d had the night she’d driven home from Stella’s in the rain, when she came home to find her door partially open. It was the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach that she was feeling right now!

Sydney shook her head in an attempt to brush aside the oppressive thoughts. She was being ridiculous. Still, she couldn’t help but note that the park was empty. She told herself that she would feel more at ease once she was out of the park and on the main road. She wanted to get out before the truck circled again. She rounded the last curve and started up the hill by the swimming pool. She hesitated when she saw the truck up ahead. It was sitting beside the entrance to the park. Her legs went weak. She would have to run by it to leave the park. There was no other way out. Darkness was descending rapidly, crickets screeched in the distance. Her eyes narrowed. Those rednecks were trying to corner her like a scared animal. She squared her jaw and increased her pace.

When she reached the truck, the man on the passenger side leaned so far out that he looked like he was going to topple out the window head first. “Hey, remember me?”

She lifted her chin and ran past him without speaking.

The driver started the truck and came up beside her. “What’s your hurry, honey? You ain’t too friendly, are ya?”

“It looks like you’d take a hint,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel. “I’m not interested.”

The man in the passenger side chuckled. “You hear that, Sammy? She ain’t interested.” This brought a loud chortle from the driver. “That’s cause she don’t know what she’s missin’.”

Sydney’s heart felt like it would leap out of her chest as she increased her pace again . Another minute and she’d be sprinting.

The men found this amusing. “You cain’t outrun a truck, darlin’.”

“Is there a problem here?”

Sydney looked back in time to see Sean running up by her side. She was so relieved she could have kissed him.

“And just who do ya think you are?” The man on the passenger side scowled. They’d cornered their prey and weren’t going to let her go that easily.

Sean stopped and Sydney followed suit. The truck stopped too. “Let me handle this,” Sean said.

“I believe I heard the lady tell you she wasn’t interested. You need to just keep on moving down the road.” He eyed the men, daring them to defy him. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Sean’s comment was the match that lit the stick of dynamite. The man in the passenger seat began swearing. “The only problem I have is with you!”

Sean pointed. “It’s awfully easy to talk brave when you’ve got lug head over there to back you up.”

Sydney looked back and forth between Sean and the men. The man on the passenger side was lanky, but the driver was big and burly. His arms looked bigger than Sean’s legs. He must’ve weighed at least three hundred pounds. She was grateful for Sean’s help but didn’t want to see him get beaten to a pulp either. She tugged at his arm. “Let’s just go.”

“You’re right,” Sean said. “He’s not worth it.”

At this, the man in the passenger seat jumped out of the truck and lunged at Sean. Sydney stepped back. Sean sidestepped the man and then turned and punched him in the jaw, sending him sprawling headfirst across the pavement. This brought the big man out of the truck. “Look out,” Sydney yelled but it was too late. He came up behind Sean and caught him in a chokehold. The lanky man stumbled to his feet. He used the back of his hand to wipe the trickle of blood from his mouth. “I’ll teach you a lesson, city boy.” He moved to punch Sean in the stomach. In an instant Sean flipped the big man over his shoulder where he landed with a sickening thud on the pavement. There was surprise in the lanky man’s eyes the split second before Sean punched him again in the face. The big man got up. Sean gave him two swift punches in the stomach, causing him to double over, gasping for air. The men backed away from Sean and stumbled to their truck. “Come on. Let’s get out here. She ain’t worth it, nohow!” one of them said. The engine came to life and they squealed off.

Sydney turned to Sean. He was shaking his right fist.

She reached for it. “Here, let me see.” His knuckles were cherry red. She grimaced. “You’ll have a big bruise.”

He smiled humorlessly. “I guess you’re worth it.”

The joke went over Sydney’s head. She was still reeling, but he didn’t look nearly as affected by all this as she was. “How? Where—where did you come from? And where did you learn to fight like that?”

Rather than answering, he started jogging. “Come on. I left my car up at Brewster’s .”

“Brewster’s ?”

“Yeah, Brewster’s Gym .”

“Oh, I’ve seen that place.”

She had to lengthen her stride to keep up with him. “You never answered my question,” she said between breaths.

“We’ll jog now and talk later. It’s getting dark, and I don’t want to be out here if those idiots decide to go and get their guns.”

Her eyes widened. She looked sideways at him to see if he were serious. The smile on his face let her know he was teasing.

When they reached his car, he insisted on taking her home. She didn’t argue. He opened the door for her.

“Ouch, that must’ve hurt.”

“What?”

He touched the scar on her right arm, and she realized that her sleeve had ridden up.

She tugged at her shirt. “I got burned when I was little. I pulled a pan of boiling water off the stove.”

He shook his head. “You’re lucky. It could’ve been much worse, I’m sure.”

“Yeah, I’m really lucky,” she said under her breath as he closed the door.

A moment later he started the engine.

“Okay, I want to know how you ended up at the park.”

“I was getting a workout when I saw you jog by. You were keeping a pretty good pace, so I thought I’d see if I could catch up with my favorite co-worker.”

“It sure took you long enough.”

He laughed easily. “Oh, Syd, you’re some piece of work.”

She knew his remark was meant as a compliment, and it sent a warm glow rushing over her. She glanced at his handsome face and then looked away. First he was her accuser and now her rescuer. There were times when she hated him and then there were other times … No, she wouldn’t let herself get caught up in the moment and make another dumb mistake. She’d learned that the hard way from Adam.

“Well, here we are,” he said, pulling into her driveway. He lifted his sore hand off the steering wheel and clenched it. “I’m afraid you were right. I’m gonna have a nice little souvenir to show off tomorrow. It’s already turning purple.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Didn’t your mama ever tell you not to go jogging alone?”

She laughed. “Is that an invitation?”

“Maybe.”

He turned his face towards her. His nearness caused her pulse to jump.

Did he feel the same attraction she did every time they were in the same room? She willed herself to think of Kendall.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?”

He leaned back against his seat. “I grew up in a place called The Woodlands, just north of Houston.”

She waited for him to elaborate. “And?”

“Have you ever been to Houston?”

“Once.”

“Rough place.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, anyway, I just want to thank you for what you did tonight. I would invite you in, but I have a few projects waiting for me inside …” Her voice trailed off and she thought about the files she’d left scattered across the kitchen table.

“It’s all right. I would’ve turned you down. I need to get home.”

This took the wind out of her sails.

“Goodnight, Syd.”

That was her cue to get out of the car. She fumbled around for the handle. “Goodnight.”