Page 9 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

CHAPTER NINE

There was no reason for him to feel guilty for leaving Emily and little Bear behind. Owen couldn’t imagine a safer place for Emily to wait for her brother than at the church. Especially since Doug was already on his way to Ranchester, thanks to her contacting him via Angela’s phone.

So why was driving away so difficult?

Because he’d allowed Emily to get too close. To get in his head.

No, actually, it was his heart that she’d taken. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d feel this way for a woman like Emily. She was beautiful on the outside, sure, but more so on the inside. Her sweet caring was something he hadn’t experienced in a really long time.

Doug was right, though; Owen wasn’t good enough for her. He’d been involved in a criminal enterprise and had killed two men. Even if there was some miraculous way to avoid being arrested, that didn’t mean he had a future to offer her.

Going their separate ways was for the best, regardless of how much it hurt to know he’d never see her again.

With resolute determination, he drove through town toward the interstate. He frowned when he noticed a black SUV coming toward him. It looked exactly like the vehicle that had passed the church earlier. The one in which he couldn’t get a good enough look at the driver to distinguish between friend or foe.

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as the two cars passed each other. This time, Owen could see the driver’s face.

The man behind the wheel was not Doug Bridges.

When the guy glanced over at him, Owen quickly averted his gaze. He tensed, half expecting the SUV to brake and turn around to come after him, but it didn’t.

He tried to relax. Maybe it wasn’t the same SUV he’d seen earlier. Using the rearview mirror, he tracked the path of the car. It continued heading straight across town.

Toward the church?

No, the guy could be anyone. An average citizen coming into town to get a bite to eat. Not the gunman. Anyone!

Swallowing a curse, he knew he couldn’t just leave. Not without making sure Emily was safe. He knew he was probably overreacting, but that didn’t stop him from hitting the brake to turn around. All he needed to do was to make sure the black SUV wasn’t at the church. Then he could head back to the interstate.

Owen’s heart thumped in his chest when he lost sight of the SUV. But then he saw the flash of brake lights. The driver was slowing down!

He pulled his gun from his belt holster and set it in his lap. He decided to drive past the church to see if the SUV was heading back to the mountains. But as he rolled on by, he didn’t see any sign of the vehicle.

Sick with dread, he quickly made the turn into the church parking lot, his stomach clenched.

The black SUV was sitting in almost the same parking spot he’d used just minutes before.

No! Owen threw the gearshift into park and grabbed his weapon. He bailed from the truck, carrying the gun down at his side. He darted toward the church entrance, pausing to listen intently.

Hearing nothing, he stayed as far off to the side as possible while cautiously opening the door. He braced for gunfire, but it didn’t come.

He quickly peeked around the edge of the doorframe. The church had a wide lobby-like gathering area. As he opened the door wider, he saw a man dressed in black standing there.

The driver of the black SUV. And he had a gun.

Owen didn’t recognize the guy, but he was certain he’d been sent to find him. He wasn’t a cop, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t fake it. “Stop! Police! Drop your weapon!”

The guy spun around, lifting his weapon toward the doorway. The man in black fired two rounds, narrowly missing Owen. He reared back, but then surged forward, returning fire.

The gunman let out a cry and fell to the ground. Owen hesitated, hoping the act wasn’t a ruse to draw him in.

“Doug? Is that you?” Emily called.

“No, it’s Owen.” He knew she assumed Doug had arrived because he pretended to be a cop. “Stay back.” He slipped into the church, cautiously approaching the gunman. Seeing the blood pooling on the ground beneath him, Owen knew his aim had been true.

He kicked the gun, sending it sliding across the glossy wood floor. Then he bent on one knee to feel for a pulse. It was thready and weak, but at least the shooter was alive.

For the moment.

“Emily, call for an ambulance! He’s hit.”

Owen heard muted voices, then Emily came rushing forward, holding Bear in her arms. She set the puppy down as she knelt on the other side of the wounded gunman. She drew his black T-shirt out of the way to examine his injury.

“He’s hit in the belly.” She winced and rolled the gunman over onto his side. The man groaned but appeared unconscious. “No exit wound, which means the bullet is still embedded inside. Owen, I need you to get ask Pastor Luke to grab any linens he has.” When he stared blankly at her, she added, “You know, the ones he uses for the altar? Just ask!”

He rose and strode across the lobby. Bear ran after him, his ears flapping and tail wagging as if this were a new game. He took a minute to pick the puppy up from the floor, then turned his attention to the man peering at him through an office doorway.

The pastor was younger than he’d expected. Not that he was an expert on church pastors. He gave the man a nod. “Emily wants linens to stop the bleeding.”

“Right away.” To his credit, Pastor Luke didn’t hesitate to emerge from his office. The man opened one of the glass doors and headed into the gathering area of the church. Pastor Luke grabbed a white table runner from the marble altar. Then he bent to pull linen napkins from another cupboard that was hidden beneath the table. Arms full of cloth, the pastor returned, heading straight for Emily. “Will these work?”

“Yes, thanks.” Emily took the linens and folded them into squares, pressing them firmly against the gunman’s abdominal wound. When she’d made a thick pad, she went up on her knees and put her weight into holding pressure. “You called the ambulance, right?”

“Yes. They’re on the way.” Pastor Luke glanced at Owen, frowning at his casual clothing. “You’re in law enforcement?”

“No. I just said that to see if the guy would identify himself.” Owen squashed the flash of guilt for both lying and shooting the gunman. Shifting Bear in his arms, he knelt beside the gunman. While Emily held pressure on the gunshot wound, he patted the man’s pockets searching for a wallet or ID. Much like the very first gunman Owen had been forced to take out of action, this guy had nothing but cash in his pockets along with the SUV key fob. With a sigh, Owen took the items, shoved them into his pocket, then stood, still holding Bear. “He didn’t identify himself by name or occupation. And he doesn’t have a wallet or badge. I think we can safely say he’s not one of the good guys. He shot two rounds at a man who claimed to be a cop. I had little choice but to defend myself.” And you and Emily, he silently added.

“Owen has been protecting me from killers for the past two days.” Emily glanced at Pastor Luke. “He’s not a cop, but he’s the only reason I’m still alive.”

“I don’t appreciate gunfire being exchanged in my church,” the pastor muttered. “This is a place of peace.”

“I understand, and I’m sorry that I brought this to your doorstep.” Emily’s tone was apologetic. “I was explaining about the danger surrounding me when this happened. At least now you know I was telling the truth.”

Owen took a few steps back, glancing around the church as Bear tried to lick his chin. He’d neutralized the threat, so there was no longer a reason to stick around. Yet it seemed like every time he tried to leave Emily behind, danger returned with a vengeance. He scowled, and asked, “How soon will your brother be here?”

“He’s thirty minutes away, having recently left Dayton.” Emily held his gaze. “I can’t believe you came back.”

“I had to. I passed the same SUV I saw earlier. As soon as I realized the driver wasn’t your brother, I turned around.” Owen swallowed hard. If he hadn’t returned, Emily and Pastor Luke would be the ones lying on the floor bleeding from bullet wounds. Only in their case, he doubted they’d have lived through the shooting.

The image was so clear in his mind that he knew leaving her behind again wasn’t an option. “We need to get out of here. Pastor Luke can hold pressure on the guy’s abdomen until the ambulance arrives.”

“What? You can’t leave!” Pastor Luke’s eyes widened with apprehension. “That’s not fair to me. The police will have questions. They’ll want your gun to match with the bullets that were fired. They’ll need to understand what happened here.”

Owen ignored him, his gaze boring into Emily’s. “You know we can’t stick around for thirty minutes. I’m sorry, but we need to get out of here. We’ll need to arrange for Doug to meet us at another location.”

After a long moment, she nodded. “I think you’re right. Staying isn’t an option.”

Pastor Luke began to protest in earnest. “You can’t just leave. What if this man dies and your boyfriend is wanted for murder?”

Emily reached over to grasp the pastor’s hands, guiding them into position on the thick pad of linens. “He won’t die as long as you keep holding pressure. Lean in and put all your weight into it. Yes, like that.” She flashed a wry smile, rose to her feet, and took a step back. “I’m sorry, Pastor Luke. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“Yes, I’m sorry too.” Owen did feel bad about the shooting, but he wouldn’t have done anything different either. Other than not leaving Emily here in the first place.

Why had he thought the church would be a safety zone? He was beginning to think such a place didn’t exist.

Except maybe in heaven. But certainly not down here on earth.

He pushed Bear into Emily’s arms, then drew her toward the door. He wanted to get away before the police and ambulance arrived.

“Hold on for a sec.” He took a quick peek at the parking area outside. When the coast was clear, he opened the door, stepping out into the sunshine. For a moment, he debated taking the black SUV. He had the key, but then he remembered how the newer cars had GPS trackers inside. “Head over to the truck, okay?”

“Yes.” Emily quickly carried Bear to the truck. He noticed that the black electrical tape he’d put on the license plate was beginning to peel away. Swallowing hard, he knew sticking with the stolen truck was a risk too.

He slid in behind the wheel and quickly started the engine. Then he drove out of the church parking lot. They’d barely cleared the place when a sheriff’s deputy squad and an ambulance came rushing in from the other direction.

“That was close,” Emily murmured as she stroked Bear’s fur.

No lie. He drove east toward the Interstate 90 interchange. The town of Ranchester was too small for them to find a place to wait for Doug. They’d need to stick with his original plan. Get across the state line into either Montana or South Dakota. At this point, he didn’t care which.

“Thanks for saving my life,” Emily said as they approached the interchange.

He didn’t want her gratitude. He wanted this nightmare to be over.

“Oh, rats, I forgot Bear’s dog food and dish.” Emily frowned. “We’ll have to stop and pick up additional supplies along the way.”

The way she said the comment so casually brought a flash of annoyance. They were dodging bad guys, not out for a weekend holiday.

Maybe it was time for him to stop running. He was so exhausted he could barely see straight. Much less think clearly.

This had gone on long enough—with too many near misses to keep track of. Maybe it was time to throw himself on Doug Bridges’s mercy.

Especially if doing so would eliminate the target that was etched on Emily’s back.

* * *

Emily still couldn’t believe Owen had come back to the church in time to save her life for the fourth, or was it the fifth, time? She’d really expected him to have been on the interstate by now, putting miles and miles of distance between them. Especially since she’d sneaked behind his back to call Doug, alerting him of their location.

Yet here they were, back in the stolen truck approaching the interstate.

She couldn’t summon an ounce of regret. If these next few hours were all the time she had left with Owen, she’d gladly take them.

She still hadn’t given up on her mission to help Owen find and accept Jesus. Bear repositioned himself on her lap, making her smile.

Yes, there was still time for her to get through to Owen.

“Which way?” He glanced at her as Interstate 90 came into view. He pulled off to the side of the road, keeping the truck engine idling. “The highway basically runs east to west, but it also leans slightly north toward Montana. If we go east, we’ll eventually reach South Dakota.”

“Looks like the next closest town is Sheridan, Wyoming, which is to the southeast.”

He hesitated for a long moment, then turned the truck to get on the eastbound ramp. “It’s a little obvious, but I’m hoping Sheridan is big enough that we can find a place to lay low for a while.”

She hadn’t considered the possibility of their next location being obvious. Her only goal was to reach a neutral spot for Doug to come and pick them up. Owen had included himself in the plan, which was a big step for him.

At least, that’s what she’d heard. Maybe he’d only included himself to convince her to go along with leaving the so-called sanctuary of the church.

She wanted to ask, but when she glanced at him, she noticed his features were strained. He suddenly appeared exhausted and worn out. He blinked, rubbed at his eyes, then stifled a yawn.

“You need to get some rest.” She frowned, thinking back to when this all started. “You haven’t gotten any sleep in well over thirty-six hours.”

“I know. Soon.” He didn’t look over at her as he pulled away from the curb heading for the highway.

When he yawned again, she couldn’t help feeling concerned. “Owen, I think you should let me drive.” She snagged his arm. “Don’t get on the interstate yet, okay?”

“Huh?” He didn’t seem to understand at first. Then he slowly nodded. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I might need to crash for a while.”

“Exactly.” She was relieved when he passed the on-ramp and pulled over along Highway 345. She lifted Bear up and opened her car door. Owen was doing the same on his side. She handed him the puppy before going around to get behind the wheel.

Owen reclined his seat all the way back, settled Bear in his lap, and closed his eyes. By the time she had adjusted her seat and the mirrors, his breathing deepened in a way that made her think he was asleep.

With a sigh, she put the truck in gear and pulled away from the curb. As she headed east on Highway 345, she realized this road would take them all the way to Sheridan too. Owen had thought the interstate would provide more anonymity, but she decided to stay on the highway. Both routes would get them to their destination. And if the smaller highway took a little longer, that was fine with her.

Owen needed all the rest he could get.

She glanced over to see Bear had his nose pressed against Owen’s neck. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the adorable picture they made.

An image that made her long for a future. Her and Owen, Bear, and maybe a child of their own.

That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

Fighting her feelings for Owen proved fruitless. Emotions were rarely logical, and she couldn’t help who she was attracted to. Besides, she knew full well Owen wasn’t the bad guy he’d pretended to be.

Hearing how his brother had been murdered was heart-wrenching. She didn’t approve of Owen’s desire for revenge, but she could understand why he’d started on this path. Yet she also knew it was time for him to take a new path. One toward the light, rather than allowing himself to be sucked into the darkness.

She hadn’t taken the time to fill Doug in on everything when she’d borrowed Pastor Luke’s phone to call him. Doug had sounded upset that she wasn’t still in Dayton but had promised to get to Ranchester as soon as possible. She’d thanked him but had ended the call without giving him time to ask more questions.

Would Doug help Owen get out of this with little to no jail time? She wanted to believe he would because Doug was a kind and decent man. Newly married to a wonderful woman with a baby on the way. Doug would want that for her too.

Yet her brother could also be stubborn when it came to holding bad guys accountable for their crimes. And while she knew Owen had killed in self-defense, she couldn’t be sure what other crimes he’d committed.

Probably more than she wanted to know.

She lifted her gaze to the blue sky overhead and prayed. Lord Jesus, please offer Your protection and guidance as we face this threat and find those responsible. Amen.

Feeling calmer, she kept an eye on the rearview mirror. The traffic on the highway was light, but it didn’t take long for a vehicle to come up behind her. A red truck came into view, and since she was only going five miles per hour over the posted speed limit—something unheard of in these remote areas of the state—it didn’t take long for the red truck driver to zoom past her, quickly disappearing into the distance.

The next vehicle was a white truck. The driver of that car did the same as the red truck driver. She breathed a little easier once they passed her by. If this kept up, she was hopeful they would make it all the way to Sheridan without running across another bad guy.

But she knew she had to remain on high alert, as she couldn’t figure out how they kept getting found. Even with a dirty cop being involved, it seemed like a stretch that they’d have gone to the church in Ranchester to find her.

Owen’s breathing deepened; his body was completely relaxed as he slept. He didn’t stir, even when Bear moved around to find a more comfortable position.

The next car that came up behind her was a black SUV. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel, silently praying there weren’t bad guys coming up behind them. She didn’t have Owen’s skill with a firearm.

The black SUV didn’t pass right away, which only increased her anxiety. Then the vehicle increased its speed and zoomed around her.

Thank You, Lord!

An eighteen-wheeler semitruck came toward her on the opposite side of the highway, going way faster than the posted limit. She edged as far away from the center of the highway as possible, giving him plenty of room.

One of the semitruck tires kicked up a rock that smacked into the windshield of the truck. The loud crack made Bear jump.

Owen didn’t move. The guy was down for the count.

The crack in the windshield wasn’t bad and didn’t obstruct her view, so she didn’t pull over. Sheridan was only six miles away. They were almost there.

When she saw a sign for a general store combined with a gas station, she decided to pull in. She’d pick up some items for Bear first, then worry about filling the gas tank. She wanted to get dog food, dishes, and bottled water.

Doggie treats, too, if they had them.

She slowed and pulled into a parking space located on the far side of the building out of view. She also took the time to back into the spot. Scary, the way she was thinking like Owen.

When she killed the engine, Bear popped up, anxious to get out of the truck. Owen still didn’t move, and she debated between letting him sleep or waking him up.

She pushed open her door and slid out. Then she reached for Bear, who wiggled with excitement at the idea of running around. She set him down, leaving her driver’s side door open so it wouldn’t get too hot in the car, then followed Bear as he ran toward a grassy area to get busy.

“Good boy!” Since she didn’t have a treat, she walked around until she found a stick, then tossed it for him. The pup chased after it, gnawing on the end before finally bringing it back. She threw the stick three more times, then headed back to the truck.

Reluctant to wake Owen, she checked her pocket. All she had was ten bucks. With a wince, she opened Owen’s door, smiling when he still didn’t move. She didn’t like invading his personal space, but she carefully pried open his front right pocket just enough to find some cash. Seeing the bills folded inside, she gingerly pulled them free.

Owen awoke with a start, reaching out to snag her hand to hold her in place. He stared up at her as if he’d never seen her before.

“Sorry, I was just going to borrow some cash to get food for Bear.”

“That’s fine.” His voice was low and husky. When he didn’t release her hand, she tilted her head to the side.

“Something wrong?”

“Nope.” A half smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he pulled her close and kissed her.