Holiday Hideout. Lynette Eason
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A shaft of longing swept through her. Would she ever have a relationship in her life that lasted longer than one interrupted dinner? Most of the men she’d dated—and there hadn’t been that many—didn’t like the fact that when she was on call, she didn’t waste any time getting to the hospital to deliver a new life into the world. If that meant leaving the dinner table, walking out of a movie or being unavailable on Saturday night, so be it.
But she wanted a man who could handle the crazy hours she sometimes worked.
Her mind flashed to Cal. Someone like Cal would understand. She was sure he put in some crazy hours himself as a cop. Then again, how much crime could there be in this little town?
Fiona ran a hand over the black-and-gold granite countertop. “This is my favorite place in the house. The kitchen. I love to cook and Joseph loves to eat, so it works out well.”
Abby took another glance out the window and said a small prayer that the snow would stop. Then she grimaced. She’d given up talking to God the day her sister died. No need to start now. He hadn’t listened then, He sure wouldn’t listen now.
But a small part of her wanted to get over her anger at God. The other part argued that He could have saved Keira and she had every right to be angry with Him.
Fiona touched her arm. “Are you all right?”
Abby jerked. “Oh, sorry, just thinking. Yes, I’m fine.”
Fiona didn’t look like she believed it but nodded. “The great room is off the kitchen through here. This is where we spend most of our time.”
The big-screen flat-panel television mounted over the fireplace played a news channel but was on mute. Noting yet another Christmas tree in the corner of the massive great room, Abby moved to the oil painting on the wall. “Is this the ranch?”
A soft sad smile curved Fiona’s lips. “Yes, a cousin of mine did it for me about a year ago. It’s almost a perfect rendering of what the ranch looks like from a bird’s-eye view.”
“It’s beautiful. Your cousin is very talented.” She leaned forward and studied the signature. Brianne Sawls.
“Yes, she was. Thank you.”
Was?
The sad smile and the use of the past tense made Abby wonder if the cousin was dead. Before she could ask, Fiona seemed to shove off her melancholy and said, “Two bedrooms are down the hall and two are upstairs. I thought we’d let you keep the apartment in the basement. It’s more private and we won’t bother you.”
“The apartment is lovely. Everything is. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you letting me stay here.”
A knock on the door sounded. Fiona excused herself and walked over to open it.
“Hi, Aunt Fiona.” Abby heard Tiffany’s high-pitched little girl voice.
“Hey, there, darling. Hi, Mom.”
Abby followed, watching as Fiona helped the little girl off with her coat. Mrs. McIvers said, “We decided to take a walk in the snow and stop in to check on you.”
“We’re fine. I was just showing Abby around the house.”
Fiona’s mother held up a bulging bag. “Jesse went into town to stock up on some groceries and ran into Mrs. Paula. He dropped these off and said he gave him this for us to share.”
Fiona laughed. “Fruit or veggies this time?”
“A little of both, I think.”
Fiona took the bag while her mother hung her coat on the rack next to the door. “That’s so kind of her.” She looked at Abby. “Paula is in Mom’s Bible study at church. She owns the fresh market in town and is always providing us with fresh fruit and vegetables.”
“Nice.” Abby’s heart did something strange at that moment. And she realized what it was. A longing to belong to something like this. A community. A group of people who cared about one another, took care of each other—shared something as simple as a bag of fruit.
She loved her patients and the babies she delivered, but in the end, they were in and out of her life after about a year. She had a few “repeat customers,” and that was nice, but … bottom line, Abby wanted more.
She had few friends because of her work schedule and because she’d quit going to church after Keira died. In the face of this family’s love and caring for one another, her own loneliness was like a slap in the face.
Swallowing hard, Abby pushed aside the lump in her throat and decided she’d have to postpone the pity party. Fiona walked over to the sink and placed the food in it. She looked at her mother and little Tiffany. “You guys want to help me cut up and cook some fresh veggies?”
“I do!” Tiffany cried.
Fiona said, “Great. You’re in charge of putting them in the steamer after I cut them. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Abby asked Fiona, “Do you have a computer I could use? I don’t need the internet. I just need to look at something on a flash drive.”
Fiona nodded. “Sure. You can use my laptop. We have wireless internet throughout the house if you want to check your email.”
“No,” Abby said quickly. “That’s okay.”
Not only was she afraid to use her cell phone, but she was afraid her brother-in-law—or one of his friends—might be monitoring her email account. He would be able to tell when she logged on and then trace her back to Fiona’s. And that couldn’t happen. Unless he’d already followed her, knew she was there and her caution was useless. The attack on her said that might just be the case.
Then again, maybe the person who attacked her was just some random trespasser and she’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a ranch, in the mountains, several miles from the nearest town.
Right.
Possible? Maybe. Did she believe it? Not really.
Abby flashed back to the train station. Had she been hallucinating when she thought she’d seen Reese’s face? Or had he truly been there?
There was no way to know at this point and she sure wasn’t going to ask Deputy Sheriff Cal McIvers to find out for her.
Fiona emerged from a bedroom down the hall and gave Abby the laptop. She said, “You’re welcome to stay up here. While I have some good help—” she looked at Tiffany and grinned “—I’m going to start working on supper.”
Abby placed the laptop on the kitchen table.
Laughing, Fiona and Tiffany got to work while Abby stared out the window. Had she seen something? A glint from the sun off something metal? She waited to see if it would happen again. For several minutes, she listened to the others in the background and kept her eyes on the area where she’d seen the flash.
When nothing else happened, she shivered.
If it was Reese out there, she felt sure he would make another move soon.
She would just have to sleep with both eyes open and pray she could get away before he could fulfill his terrifying threat.
In the bunkhouse living area, Cal looked at the men in his employ and gave a silent thanks for their expertise and loyalty to his family. It was one of the leading reasons he’d hired them.
“I don’t know who that guy was, but we need to make sure he doesn’t come back. Who’s willing to lose a little sleep at night? Maybe split the night shift? I’ll pay you overtime, of course.”
Donny nodded. “I’m in.” Donny’s family lived on the edge of Cal’s property. “If he’s causing trouble on your land, he might bring it over onto mine.”
Mike shifted. “If he’s out there, I’ll spot him.” Mike had been a homeless man his father