Page 10 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

CHAPTER TEN

Owen had initially been confused when he’d awoken to Emily leaning over him. For a moment, he was back in the cabin, gazing up at her as she tended his wound. He’d wanted to kiss her then too.

So he’d given in to the near constant urge to kiss her. His original thought was to taste her sweet mouth one last time. To carry the memory of their time together with him for the rest of his life on this earth. But he’d underestimated the impact of their embrace. Heat erupted between them, fueling needs he’d thought long dead. He drew her in closer, wishing desperately for something he couldn’t have.

It seemed like another lifetime that he’d kissed a woman, much less one as sweet and beautiful as Emily. He’d never felt this way for anyone else. Not even the woman he’d once considered marrying. He wanted to kiss her forever, but he’d chosen a different path.

The wrong one? Maybe. But it was too late to turn back now.

Emily broke off from their embrace looking adorably flustered. “I—um, Bear is trying to crawl up my leg.”

He chuckled, the sound foreign in his ears, and used the seat lever to bring himself into a sitting position. Emily took a step back and bent to pick up the puppy. The dog wiggled against her, licking her chin, then attempted to jump from her arms into his lap.

“Watch him for a minute.” Emily set the puppy into his arms. “I’ll get the food and dishes.”

He frowned. “Wait, let me give you some cash.”

Her cheeks went pink. “I already have some.” Without saying anything else, she turned and hurried into the store.

His nap hadn’t helped as much as he’d hoped. Sheer exhaustion still made his limbs feel like lead. After scrubbing his hands over his face, he slid out of the car and set Bear down on the ground. The dog galloped away, tail swaying from side to side and ears flapping.

He followed the pup to a grassy area where he did his thing, then began to sniff with an intensity that made Owen think Bear could be a great scent tracker. Imagining Emily training the dog with the other K9s at the search and rescue ranch made his heart ache. That was a future far out of his reach.

And it surprised him how much he suddenly longed for a normal everyday life. One without guns, drugs, bad guys, and hiding out. If only?—

Enough. He couldn’t keep second-guessing his decisions like this. He’d lost his entire family in a matter of months. He’d made the only choice he could at the time.

Besides, they were here now, and all he could do was move forward while fulfilling his promise to keep Emily safe.

He scanned the parking lot as he threw a stick for Bear, smiling as the dog pounced on it with excitement, as if he’d won the grand prize at the state fair.

Emily had done a good job of parking off to the side of the store, close to a grassy area. He would have chosen the same location. That made him frown. He didn’t want Emily to think like him. To be concerned with bad guys following them.

He’d done this to her.

When Emily emerged from the store, he scooped Bear up and strode over to meet her. She had a six-pack of water bottles tucked under her arm and carried a bag of dog food in the other. A third bag hung from around her wrist, bumping against her as she walked.

“I can take those,” he began, but she shook her head.

“Just open the truck for me.”

He did so, feeling like an idiot for standing there while she set the items inside. She then removed the new dog dish she’d purchased, filled it with water, and set it down.

He lowered Bear to the ground, and the puppy eagerly lapped at the water.

“Good boy,” she praised.

Bear wagged his tail and jumped up on her. She scooped him into her arms and kissed his nose.

He set the dish back in the truck, then held out his hand. “Give me the keys. I’ll take over from here.”

She hesitated, shrugged, and then dug them from her pocket. Her navy calf-length pants and matching T-shirt were stained with mud and grass, likely from Bear’s paw prints.

And their mad dash through the woods back at the Elk Horn Lodge.

“We still need gas,” Emily said as he moved the driver’s seat back to accommodate his larger frame.

“I’ll take care of it.” He stepped back into the role of being in charge. He started the truck and headed toward the closest empty pump. He jumped out and strode around to the passenger side of the vehicle to fill the tank.

Once again, he carefully scanned the area. Emily had parked off to the side, which had limited his viewpoint. Now he could see the entire parking lot, at least the cars in the front part of the building. The gas station/convenience store was spread over a large footprint.

From the moment he’d arrived, he’d realized Wyoming was long on land and short on people. He didn’t see any black SUVs in the vicinity but couldn’t help feeling on edge.

He should have been the one to drive here. To make sure they weren’t followed. What was he thinking? There would be time to sleep when he was dead.

And that thought oddly made him glance up at the cloudless sky. Was heaven real? If so, he wasn’t likely to end up there.

“Hey.” Emily opened her car door a crack to eye him with concern. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Fine.” He tried to shake off the sense of doom. “You didn’t notice anyone tailing us to Sheridan?”

She shook her head. “The moment I noticed cars coming up behind me, I purposefully slowed down. It didn’t take long for them to whizz past. A few pickup trucks and a black SUV passed me.”

“Okay.” That was another smart move on her part. Nobody followed the speed limit on these open roads. Any driver staying behind her would raise suspicion.

“We need to find a place to call Doug,” Emily said, breaking into his thoughts. “I’m sure he’s in Ranchester and will be able to get here soon.”

He hesitated, then slowly nodded. “Okay.”

Her brown eyes widened in surprise. “Really? You’ll do that?”

“Yeah.” Maybe he was just too tired, or maybe it was their sizzling kiss, but he couldn’t keep running and putting Emily in danger. He wasn’t sure how this kept happening, but he was ready for it to be over. “We’ll drive through town until we find a good spot to stop and wait for him.”

“Thanks, Owen.” She looked so happy a wave of guilt hit hard. There was no reason he couldn’t have agreed to this earlier. “I’m so glad.”

He nodded and finished with the gas pump. He hurried inside, pulling cash from his pocket along the way.

As he paid for the fuel, he frowned. He didn’t have as much money as he remembered. Then he quickly realized Emily must have taken some cash from his pocket to use for Bear’s supplies.

That’s why she was bending over him while he’d slept. He winced, realizing he’d taken advantage of the situation, pulling her into his embrace because he’d thought she was going to kiss him.

Yet there was no mistaking her response. She’d kissed him back.

As he hurried back toward the truck, he noticed a red truck off to the side, sitting with its engine idling. He couldn’t see the driver’s face because the guy was sitting with his head down as if using his phone.

No sane bad guy would try to follow his quarry in a bright-red highly noticeable truck, so Owen told himself to stop being paranoid. Trucks with four-wheel drive were the most common vehicle in Wyoming. He jumped in behind the wheel and headed back to the main highway leading through town.

“Did you see that sign for a ranger station?” Emily asked.

He shook his head. “No, I’ve been watching the rearview mirror to make sure that red truck doesn’t follow us.”

“What red truck?” She twisted in her seat. “I saw one earlier.”

That made his gut clench. Then again, it would make sense that anyone driving into town would stop for gas and supplies when the opportunity presented itself. He made a quick right-hand turn and found himself in what appeared to be a local neighborhood. The houses were sturdy and nothing fancy, but they were well maintained and set on spacious plots of land.

He wound through the streets until he found a dead-end road.

“What’s wrong?” Emily asked.

“I’m just giving that red truck plenty of time to move on.” He grimaced and shook his head. “I’m sure he’s a local, but I can’t help being wary.”

“I’m sure he’s harmless.” She waved off his concern. “I noticed the first digit on his license plate was the number three.” When he arched a brow, she added, “I think that number is the designation for Sheridan County. I saw so many of the plates with that number, it can’t be a coincidence.”

“Okay, that makes sense.” He took a deep breath and relaxed. “Glad you know that sort of thing.”

“I’ve lived in Wyoming my whole life,” she said with a shrug. “Back to that ranger station sign, I think that would be a good place to use as a meeting spot.”

He frowned. “Oh yeah?”

“Of course.” Emily looked at him as if worried he’d changed his mind. “Think about it, Owen. Rangers are peace officers. They’ll have a phone we can use and will also provide backup if anyone shows up other than Doug.”

She was right. The ranger station would be the perfect place to rendezvous with Doug Bridges. It was a much better location than the church.

Especially if there were more bad guys on the way.

“Sounds like that’s our next stop.” He didn’t immediately put the truck in gear, though. “Let’s wait a few minutes.”

Her brow furrowed, but she shrugged. “Okay.”

Bear made a circle on her lap, then settled down and promptly fell asleep. There was a long silence as he waited a full five minutes before putting the truck in gear and pulling away from the side of the road.

He managed to retrace their route through the subdivision. Once they reached the main highway, he turned right. “How far was the ranger station?”

“Maybe a mile or two?” She craned her neck as they moved through town. As they approached a rib and chop house, she leaned forward. “I see it! There, turn left on East 5 th Street.”

Seeing the sign, he obliged. The road crossed under the Interstate 90 bypass, and the ranger station was a smaller government building a half mile farther down the road.

He pulled into the parking lot and stopped. This was it. The end of the road for them. He forced himself to push the car door open to get out. Emily did the same, carrying Bear.

“Ready?” Her brown eyes were filled with an anticipation he wished he could share. He nodded and fell into step beside her.

As they approached the building, he was glad to see there was one green pickup truck with a game warden logo parked near the front entrance. Game wardens were armed with handguns, and he figured having that guy on their side was much better than utilizing a church pastor.

He wanted to turn around and leave Emily to make the call. He could be back inside the truck and out on the highway in less than a minute.

Yet the last two times he’d tried that, she’d almost been killed. No matter how safe she should be here at the ranger station, he couldn’t make himself leave. Not yet. He’d wait until Doug arrived.

From there, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. And that scared him. Because he was seriously considering doing exactly what Emily had wanted from the very beginning.

Throw himself on Doug’s mercy.

* * *

Emily was giddy with relief when she entered the forest ranger station. This was going to work! She and Owen would be safe here.

A large woman sat at the front desk, eyeing her curiously. “May I help you?”

“Yes, I need to borrow your phone.” Emily offered a smile. “I lost mine, and it’s important that I contact my brother.”

“I’m sorry, but we don’t allow tourists to use our phones.” The woman frowned, looking at her with disdain. “I’m sure if you head back to one of the local restaurants, someone there can help you.”

“No, I can’t do that.” Emily’s nerves were starting to fray. She shifted Bear in her arms and slapped one hand on the counter. “We’re in danger and have been running from gunmen for the past thirty-six hours. So don’t tell me to go somewhere else. I plan to use this phone right here to call my brother so that we can be safe until he can pick us up.”

“Danger from gunmen?” The woman scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Come on, you really expect me to believe you’re on the run from guys with guns? For Pete’s sake, you’re standing there holding a puppy!”

“Yes, I do expect you to believe me.” Emily couldn’t control a flash of temper. “I have a puppy because we were forced to rescue him after his owners were brutally shot and killed. Do you have any idea what it’s like to see dead people up close? It’s not pleasant.” She stepped closer to the counter, narrowing her gaze. “I’m not exaggerating the seriousness of our situation. I came here for help. I need to use your phone.”

“What’s going on?” a male voice asked. A tall, lean man wearing a red western-style shirt with the name tag Campbell over his left breast pocket emerged from an office somewhere behind the woman. His weathered features indicated he spent the bulk of his time outdoors, and his salt-and-pepper hair made her think he was in his early fifties. He propped his hands on his hips and frowned. “What’s this about danger?”

Emily did her best to dial back her temper. “Ranger Campbell? My name is Emily Sanders, and this is Owen”—she belatedly remembered that she had no idea what Owen’s last name was—“uh, my friend. My brother is Doug Bridges. He’s a DEA agent covering the state of Wyoming. I really need to call him as soon as possible.”

“And you’re really in danger?” Ranger Campbell pressed.

“Yes, I’m not lying to you. The danger is real.” An idea popped into her mind. “If you don’t want to let me borrow your phone, you should make the call. My brother will confirm my story about the danger we’re in. And as a fellow peace officer, I’m sure he’ll appreciate your full cooperation.”

Ranger Campbell glanced from her to Owen, then back. He stepped forward and reached for the phone receiver. “Okay. What’s the number?”

Relieved, she rattled it off. She knew Doug would answer because she’d called from a variety of phones over the past few hours. Angela’s number, Pastor Luke’s number, and now the ranger station.

Still, it seemed like an eternity before Ranger Campbell said, “This is Ranger Campbell calling from our station in Sheridan. I have an Emily Sanders here who claims she’s been in danger and needs to talk to you.” Another long pause as the ranger listened to whatever Doug was saying. Then he nodded. “Yes, I understand, thanks for explaining that. She’s right here. Hang on.” He stretched the phone receiver past the large woman who didn’t look happy that her opinion had been overridden.

“Thanks.” She brought the receiver up to her ear. “Doug? How quickly can you get to Sheridan?”

“Are you okay?” Doug demanded. “You’re killing me, Em. I went nuts when you weren’t at the church. Especially after I heard how Owen shot a man in the lobby! What in the world happened?”

“We’re both fine,” she said, putting emphasis on the plural. “Owen shot him in self-defense, just like the others.”

“Others?” Doug shouted. “How many others?”

She didn’t want to admit she’d lost count. “Doug, please. I need you to remain calm. How soon can you get to Sheridan?”

“I can be there in twenty,” Doug said, his tone curt. He sounded angry and frustrated, and she couldn’t blame him. She felt bad about the wild-goose chase he’d been on since her very first call. He sighed. “Twenty or less, okay?”

“Sounds good to me.”

There were muted voices in the background, then a car door slammed, and the car engine roared to life. Easy to imagine Doug getting into his SUV. “You need to be waiting for me there at the ranger station, Em. I mean it. No more chasing from one city to the next.”

“I promise we’ll be here. Thanks, Doug.” She quickly handed the phone back to Ranger Campbell. “I appreciate your help more than you know.”

“You can both come back here to wait,” Campbell offered.

She glanced over at Owen, who stood as still as a statue, his face expressionless. She sensed he wanted desperately to leave, but he didn’t.

“I need to take the puppy out first.” She smiled. “I don’t want to risk him making a mess. He’s been good so far, though.”

“Don’t take too long,” Campbell said. “If even half of what your brother said is true, you’re in grave danger.”

She wished she knew exactly what Doug had told him. “I know, trust me, I’m ready for this to be over. We’ll only be a few minutes.” She turned and walked to Owen. “Come outside with me?”

He didn’t say anything but held the door open for her. Together, they walked into the bright sunlight. She caught Owen’s hand, tugging him toward a corner of the parking lot where Bear could do his business.

“Ross,” he said in a low voice. She frowned, confused. “Ross,” he repeated. “My legal name is Owen Ross.”

“Thanks for telling me.” She wanted to hug him. “I’m so glad you’re willing to stay with me, Owen. I know this is all going to work out for the best.”

He gazed up at the sky for a long moment. “You really believe in God?”

“Yes, Owen.” She released his hand just long enough to set Bear down on the ground. The puppy ran in circles, then found a place to get busy. “I wish I had a Bible with me so that I could be more eloquent as to why I believe. I don’t have that many verses memorized either. I’m not an expert like our church pastor. I will tell you that the Bible speaks the truth about how God sent his only son, Jesus, to walk among us. To preach God’s word and to heal those who were sick so that we may believe. Jesus prayed for us, expected us to follow God’s word, and He ultimately died for us. So that our sins would be forgiven and that those who believed would have everlasting life. Not in body, but in spirit.”

He nodded. “In heaven.”

Hope filled her heart. “Yes, in heaven.” She reached for his hands. “Oh, Owen. I can’t wait until we’re back in Cody. I’ll take you to church with me so you can learn the truth for yourself.”

He offered a sad smile as he tugged free of her grip. “I don’t think that’s how things will work out.”

“Emily?” She turned when she saw Ranger Campbell striding toward her. His stern expression caused alarm bells to go off in the back of her head. “You and Owen need to come inside.”

“What’s happened?” She bent to scoop Bear into her arms. The puppy wiggled, wanting to go back down.

“I spoke to your brother again.” This time, Ranger Campbell turned a wary gaze toward Owen. That’s when she noticed he held a pair of handcuffs in one hand. “You both need to come inside with me.”

Owen abruptly turned and sprinted toward the truck. Acting on pure instinct, Emily rushed toward Campbell, stepping in front of him and grabbing his arm. “Wait! What’s going on?”

“Owen, get back here!” Campbell shouted. “You’re under arrest!”

“No! Wait! This is a mistake! Owen is in danger too!” The words were barely out of her mouth when Campbell shook free of her grip and dodged around her to chase after Owen.

But the ranger was five seconds too late. Just as Campbell got close to the truck, Owen put the vehicle in reverse and shot backward. Then he abruptly turned and drove away, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

Campbell cursed and spun toward her. “Why did you let him get away?”

She stood frozen, sick at heart as the truck sped off. Owen would have cooperated with Doug if only her brother hadn’t told Campbell to arrest him.

Now he was gone for good.