Page 19 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

CHAPTER SIX

It was only a scrape. Heather repeated the encouragement as she pressed the compress Allen had given her to the wound on her arm. She’d assumed it wouldn’t bleed as much as it had, but she was already feeling lightheaded and nauseous.

“You still with me?” His steady voice helped her focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

“Yes. Just keep pressing, like you told me.” She closed her eyes and thought back to the hidden crevice. That person groaning down there had to have been Dad. Who else could it be unless they were targeting multiple people?

“I’ve got a med kit back at my office unless you want me to take you all the way to Rapid City,” George glanced at them in the rearview mirror as he drove back toward the ranger station.

“I don’t want to go that far.” And she hoped she wouldn’t have to. The hospital would probably want to admit her, and they’d have to explain what happened. She wouldn’t be able to be there when they looked at the drive. “I’m going to be fine. It’s just a scratch.”

George snorted. “It was bleeding pretty good for a scratch.”

Heather swallowed a wave of nausea and rested her head on the backrest. Every other time these people had shot at her, they’d missed. Intentionally. Now she had a gash in her arm. A few inches over and it would’ve hit her heart. They’d either decided she wasn’t worth the trouble, or they had what they wanted without her.

“I know Dad didn’t know about the drive, so why would they try to kill me now? They need it. I know it’s crazy, but I expected them to keep missing.” Her arm throbbed a warning that she needed medical attention soon.

“At least they didn’t follow us as we left. At the time, I was most worried about that,” George spoke quickly.

Allen wrapped his arm around her back and nestled her to his side. He took the bandage from her and pressed it to the wound. “Rest. We’ll get you checked over at the station. If you need to go in, I will take you. No arguments.”

Heather snorted, not because she was one to argue but because he thought he could control her. Maybe he could though, because each breath made keeping her eyes open harder. Her arm quivered and she felt cold.

His words seemed to hang in her heart like a picture off-kilter on the wall. She couldn’t turn away from them. Why had she allowed herself to look at him like a friend when she knew to her core that he was a cop? He was married to his career. Nothing she or any other woman did would pull him away from that. Even if he did prove her wrong, Dad wouldn’t agree to any kind of relationship with him.

* * *

George glanced back at them from the front seat. “She might be going into shock after that walk. There’s a wool blanket behind you, in the rear.”

Allen couldn’t reach for it without reducing pressure on her arm, unless he unbuckled and straddled her so he could do both. That wasn’t a position he wanted her to find him in if she opened her eyes. He reached across her and held the bandage while stretching over the seat. He almost nuzzled her ear as he stretched. Even after hiking and landing on the ground a few times, she still smelled good.

He tucked the blanket around her and held her close again. If he remembered the route correctly, they would be back at the station in a few minutes. Two other ranger vehicles passed them, heading toward the area they’d left. George had been on the radio telling them where to go and what to expect from the moment they’d gotten far enough away to be sure they weren’t followed.

As they pulled into a parking spot behind the ranger station, a woman in uniform met them. “George, you have the injured woman?” She had a bag with her.

“Right here,” Allen called, motioning her to the back.

The woman opened the door and waited for Allen to get out so she could kneel on the seat and look at Heather. He knew most rangers had to have basic first aid knowledge. Some were basically the equivalent to nurses.

“She’s woozy, but the bleeding has already slowed. Let’s get her inside and clean it up. Looks like it just grazed her.”

“Thank God,” Allen offered a shoulder for Heather to lean on. He wasn’t sure if she still felt like he was the only one she could trust, but until she told him otherwise, he’d act like she could trust him.

Her steps were slow, and her breathing strained, but she made it into the building. The rush of warm air as he opened the door made her sigh. That had to be the best sound he’d heard all day.

“How did I escape getting bitten by a rattlesnake, falling down the rock faces, and stumbling over the uneven terrain, but I managed to get shot?”

The nurse laughed. “Obviously, your sense of humor wasn’t damaged. I think I can clean this, put some liquid stitches on, and send you on your way. I would like you to go see your regular physician in the next twenty-four hours though, just to make sure everything looks fine.”

Heather agreed and remained still on an office chair while the ranger disinfected her wound, then used what looked like super glue over the gash. It dried much quicker than he’d expected, and her color started returning quickly.

“Thank you. I don’t think I could’ve waited another hour,” Heather said to the nurse.

The woman went over to a nearby sink and turned on only the hot water. “You might have been in worse shape, maybe not. I’m glad I was able to help. George sent two guys to the place you met up with the shooter. We hope to get this taken care of by nightfall.”

Somehow, he doubted it. Whoever these men were, they were one step ahead. He brushed her forehead with his thumb. “No worry lines. We’ll find your dad. I’ll get us back to Wall to meet up with Rod, then we’ll make an appointment with your doctor.” So he was planning her life now? He had to stop.

“And should I plan anything else while I’m at it?” She scowled at him.

“Rest.” The ranger frowned. “I know you want to find your dad, but even a little blood loss forces the body to work harder to replenish it.”

He gave a weak grin, knowing Heather was right about the orders he’d given. “I have a town meeting later tonight. You can rest at the cabin while I go see what the town knows and what they think of the new zoning initiative.”

Heather rolled her eyes. “My home will be classified as residential at that meeting, so I’ll have to find a new location for my office. Dad was talking about it constantly. He’s been angry they would consider restricting the zoning now, after so many years, so I need to be there.”

He didn’t want her there. Her safety was already an issue and that meeting would be full of people.

“That zoning pertains to me,” she insisted.

That environment wouldn’t be safe. “There will be tons of people there.”

Slowly, she rolled her sleeve back down over the wound and stood. “If it passes, I’ll have to move or find a new office.”

“Your zone isn’t even the biggest question. It’s the field a few miles out of town. Some farmers want it for pastureland. It went into set-aside in the eighties and the farmer passed away. His family wanted the land to stay grassland, but a few people have filed a petition to force a sale.” Even though he worked for the government, he hated the idea of people using government loopholes to get what they wanted at the expense of others.

“There are people on the zoning commission who thought it would be a good idea to add everything to the measure they could. Maybe that land should be left alone? If it’s been in that family’s name for so long, why does anyone else get to say what it should be used for?”

Allen leaned against a nearby desk. She expected him to get angry since she was questioning the people who ran the town, which included him, but he wasn’t. His voice remained calm and his expression relaxed. “Would it surprise you to know I’m on your side? Wall is and always will be a small town. It’s a place where most people own their homes. They have to drive a long way to work. The business district is small and close-knit. Farmers and ranchers have owned their land for a very long time. I understand.”

“You do?” She stood to look him in the eye. “Really, or are you saying that because I need to trust you?”

Allen snorted outwardly, but inside he pumped his fist. “I don’t lie. Not intentionally, anyway.”

“Have you lied to me unintentionally?” she kept her voice low.

He was the sheriff, and there were people around. He had to protect his reputation. “No. Not you personally. I was speaking generally.” He turned away from her to give himself space.

“So, we’d better leave if we’re going to have enough time to make it to your office, then to my house. Will you have anyone else there, just in case?”

“The feds aren’t enough?” He snorted as he helped her back into her coat.

“I didn’t mean?—”

Allen held up his hand to stop her. “I was joking. Yes, you’re absolutely right. I’ll have an unmarked car parked outside to keep an eye on your house. I’m not taking any chances.”

* * *

At Allen’s desk, Heather focused on drawing. He’d given her some copy paper to doodle on to come up with a sketch of the man who’d chased her. The paper was less than perfect, the lighting horrible, but her mind was her worst enemy of all. Every time she closed her eyes, she would get a brief glimpse of the man but it would quickly fade.

Frustration with herself made her set the pencil down and massage the tender skin of her eyelids. She had to do this. For Dad. He needed her to remember the guy’s face. Maybe she did too. He wasn’t going to quit until he had her and the thumb drive. After that, she was as expendable as the two guys who’d been killed in Rapid City.

There were too many things warring for her attention. That was hugely invasive, too. Her missing father, the man threatening her, losing the comfort of her own home, and sudden feelings for a man she was supposed to implicitly dislike for more than one reason.

“That’s why my brain won’t work. It’s not because I can’t do this.”

“Need some coffee?” Allen’s gentle, deep voice broke through her clouded thoughts.

He should’ve scared her, coming in here all quiet and then talking when she had her eyes closed. But maybe her other senses, those she wasn’t paying attention to, had known he was there. “I’d love some. Thank you.”

“Be careful. Don’t thank me yet. You’ve never had coffee from a police station. We try to make it so thick you need a spoon to consume it.”

“Sounds like my kind of place.” She finally moved her hands from her eyes and opened them. Allen hadn’t slept the whole night before. He was still in the same clothes as yesterday, and now he was dusty from their trip through the Badlands, and he still managed to look good.

He gave her a slight quirk of one side of his mouth, like he was impressed with her. Why did he have to keep doing that? How did he know that affirmation was her love language? He had to stop, or she wouldn’t know what to do. This situation felt like she was being forced to make a choice between her father and the man who would save him. Not fair.

“What? Your face just went south, and I don’t know what to say.” He waited in the doorway.

“It’s fine. Everything is fine. I’m not going to tell you to stop smiling at me. That’s silly. I just need you to...” What? What did she need?

He snorted, then laughed. “Okay, I’ll do my best.” The gleam in his eye said he’d found her predicament funny. Then again, if she were in his shoes, she would too. Who asked someone to stop smiling? She scrubbed her hands up and down her face, hoping to jog something important out of her brain.

She opened her eyes just barely enough to see the paper through her lashes, but she didn’t focus on it. She directed her thoughts to that day, that face. Starting with an oval shape, she drew a very light cross in the center to make sure the face would be balanced, then added the eyes. Wait, he’d been wearing sunglasses. That was the issue. She’d been trying to remember his eyes when there was no way she could.

After a few minutes, his cheekbones were to her liking. She took a deep breath and was startled when a steaming mug of coffee was set in front of her. “I’m really sorry. I put it in a travel mug because we’ll have to leave in ten minutes if we’re going to catch Rod at your house. Tommy will follow us in his squad car, since I have the only unmarked vehicle.”

She set her pencil down. “I’ll bring this with me. I have better paper at home and can correct any mistakes there.” She took a tentative sip of the coffee and almost choked. He wasn’t kidding. It was so bitter it practically took the enamel off her teeth. “Thanks,” her words came out choked.

“Did you scald your throat or clog it? Should I call in help?” Allen’s brow rose, but he didn’t smile at her.

She snorted. “You win. You’re going to make me laugh whether you smile or not. I don’t want to laugh right now. Dad is missing. I’m in danger. I have to think seriously about how to avoid all of this.”

He helped her to her feet, then gently held her shoulders, all while avoiding pressure to her wound. “You also need to find good things to think about. Trust me. As a guy who is in the thick of every investigation in this town, I can tell you that you can’t deal with stress 24/7. You have to find little ways to let it go or you won’t make it to the end. You will make it through this. I have no doubt.”

“But Dad?” She hadn’t really let herself cry, but tears rushed to burn her eyes.

“If that was him in that cavern, he’s alive. Praise God. Let’s get him back.”

She nodded her agreement because now her throat was clogged, and it had nothing to do with the coffee. She headed for the door, since she couldn’t tell him she was ready.

“I’ll grab the keys. Wait by the dispatch window. If you move, an alarm will go off.”

She gave him a salute to tell him she understood. Why did tears have to come now? She’d always been strong in the moment and fallen apart when no one was looking. When Mom died, everyone had remarked how strong she was. That wasn’t true. She just hid her pain behind a wall until she was alone.

Jackie sat behind her desk, but she was on a call and Heather didn’t want to interrupt her. Standing there felt like being on display, even with Jackie working. Come to think of it, everywhere in the sheriff’s office felt impersonal and public. She glanced up and down the hallway, noticing two more cameras that she hadn’t before.

Everything that went on in that building was recorded. They knew she was there and why. That’s why, if she moved, and alarm would go off. She was standing where she’d been directed to. Everyone in the building was where they should be, from the people in lock-up to the cops on duty. It was eye-opening.

Allen joined her and gently took her arm. “Did you get far on your drawing? I tried not to snoop.”

Her chest tightened. Had he seen what she’d done? It wasn’t ready for any eyes but her own. “A little. I don’t want to show anyone until I’m done and know it looks like the guy. I don’t want to put something out that could get someone hauled in for questioning who isn’t the right guy.”

Allen’s shoulder rubbed against hers as he shrugged it. “That happens. Usually they’re released pretty quickly. There’s often information about a case that only the officers know. If a person who is in for questioning answers incorrectly, we let them go.”

“Still.” She didn’t want to be someone who made life hard for an innocent person.

“I appreciate your worry, but we often have to bring in a lot of people before we find the right one. Don’t let that stop you from doing what could be the only thing that’ll help us catch these people.”

He was right. She’d seen his face. He might not be the man behind the thumb drive, but he was connected. Oliver had said he hadn’t looked at the guy because he was too busy watching out for Heather. So, the drawing was up to her. “I’ll finish it. If I feel like it will be accurate, you can use it.”

“Great,” he said as he pulled into her driveway. A squad car parked right behind them in the street. No other cars waited for them.

“I guess he’s not here yet. We’ll give him a few minutes.”

Children played in their yards, since school had just released a few minutes before. An ache started low in her chest as she watched her neighbors swinging on backyard swings while others raced around the house. They all played together for as long as she could remember.

She had very little connection with her neighbors. Being unmarried and without children, they often assumed she didn’t want to be a part of their get-togethers. The only time she’d been invited was to take a picture of the whole group of them. Until then, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted a sense of community and a family of her own.

She glanced over at Allen and noticed him watching the children as well. Did he want a family? Not that he was an option. If he had children, the mother would have to do the bulk of raising them, since he was married to his career. Wasn’t he?

“What do you do outside of work?” That question could get her information. Did he do anything else? Hobbies meant he had time for other things.

“Do you mean fun?” He sucked in a breath, his face crumpling in a fake grimace. “Um, I walk my dog. Does that count? He requires a lot of walks and exercise, or he gets inventive.” Allen snorted. “Sometimes, I hike.”

“I can imagine.” Dog walking wasn’t really what she wanted to hear. She’d hoped he liked to travel. Something that got him outside the town of Wall where he couldn’t be called at any time. “Do you ever take vacations?” She controlled her voice, containing any hope that might slip through. Why did it matter? Even if she knew he could get away, a few weeks a year didn’t make time for a relationship.

“Not really. Every vacation I ever went on as a kid was part of school, so it was planned out, down to the minute. Maybe that’s where I became so regimented. I don’t know. Like I said in the cabin, there wasn’t any money to stay, even locally. When you don’t do things as a kid, you don’t think of doing them as an adult.”

School trips were often expensive or required a lot of fundraising. She wondered if someone sponsored him or if he worked to earn his way on those few trips. What would it be like to take him away from Wall and away from his day-to-day grind? Would he relax and smile even more?

A car pulled into her driveway, and it was everything she expected an FBI agent to drive. It was perfectly clean, black, with tinted windows, and nondescript. If she had to guess, the guy would fit the profile too.

As Rod exited his car, Heather laughed. For some reason, seeing a man who looked just like the television portrayal of an FBI agent put her at ease. If he’d shown up in a brown suit, she’d have questioned whether she could trust him.

“Fits the vibe, doesn’t he?” Allen seemed to know her thoughts.

“Yeah, I guess I’m not surprised. Maybe the image of an agent was formed by watching actual agents?”

He nodded his agreement and got out of the car, then came around to open her door. With her sore arm, she appreciated the help. He waved to Rod, who came over and offered her his hand. “I’m Rod Peterson. I have a secure computer with me, but I need to warn you, sometimes even our systems aren’t foolproof. Just trying to see what’s on this thing could destroy it.”

“We need to know.” If the drive was destroyed, they’d have to rely on her drawing to catch whoever was after her.

“Agreed. Let’s go inside and get to work.”

She followed the two men to the door and stopped partway. Something felt off. Glancing down the street, she noticed a car she didn’t recognize. All the kids had gone back inside. Coincidence or safety? The hair on the back of her neck tingled and she took a deep breath.

“Heather? You coming?” Allen asked.

She nodded, not wanting to point out the car where they could see her. When she reached the doorway, she tugged Allen aside. “See that red car at the end of the street? It’s not the car from the abduction, but I’ve never seen it before. Could be someone visiting a friend, but this is a weird time of day and a weird day of the week for visitors.”

He nodded his agreement and leaned against the doorframe, closer to her, like they were a couple, and he was whispering something in her ear. She held her breath, taking in everything about him. Was he going to kiss her? Why in the world did her mind immediately go there? She reached up to push him away, but his chest was solid and there was no moving him.

“Don’t worry. I’m just getting a good look at the car without letting them know.” He paused, and she heard him suck in a deep breath. “By the way. You smell good.”

He turned away from her and headed into her house.