SANCTUARY IN AMISH COUNTRY

Horse trainer Jess McGrath only wants to clear her disgraced brother’s name, but enemies keep coming out of the woodwork and danger only gets closer. Jess soon learns that no place is safe—and no one can be trusted...except for the last white knight she’d ever expect to ride to her rescue. Paramedic Seth Travis was the boy behind her high school humiliation, but he’s also the man keeping her alive. When they find sanctuary in the Amish community, can they uncover answers in time to stop a killer—and resolve their past in time to build a future together?

“We can’t stay here. I think our being here has scared whoever is after you past the point of caution. We’re sitting ducks.”

“And how are we supposed to leave? And, even if we do leave, where would we go? The power is still down and the creek’s still flooded,” Jess countered.

She had a point. The situation wasn’t ideal. “We’re just going to have to rough it,” he announced.

Her brows lowered. Her teeth gnawed at her full lower lip. “Seth.”

“Yeah?”

“We’re about five miles out from where Rebecca’s parents live.”

“Do you trust her family?”

“Yeah. I’m sure her family would help us if we could just get to their house.”

He considered it. “Where do they live?”

She told him. “Most of the houses on their street are owned by the Amish. And the lumber mill Levi works at is close by. We could probably get over there and use the business phone to call the police.”

“Better there than here. If we can sneak into the woods without being seen, we have a chance.”

He waited for her slow nod.

“Let’s do it.”

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed Seth and Jess’s story. While this is the third story set in LaMar Pond, it is the first book of a new miniseries which is connected by the local Amish community. I was glad to finally give Seth his own happy-ever-after. And a chance to play the hero. After seeing how much he adored his new sister and her kids, I had to find a special woman just for him. Enter Jess. Jess has been through so much in her life. She is by herself, but has confidence that she is not alone... God is always with her. Her faith has kept her going during all the trials thrown her way. It was such a joy to watch her grow closer to Seth, and in the process, help him regain the faith he had lost.

I was also glad to bring my experience of working with the Deaf and hard of hearing into the story. I had always toyed with the idea of having a Deaf character, and after having been challenged by someone close to me, I decided to take a risk. I have just barely scraped the surface of the richness of Deaf culture here, and I hope to be able to go deeper in the future.

Thank you for journeying with me. I love to hear from readers. Visit me online at www.danarlynn.com, or email me at WriterDanaLynn@gmail.com. I am also on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Blessings,

Dana R. Lynn

DANA R. LYNN grew up in Illinois. She met her husband at a wedding and told her parents she had met her future husband. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today they live in rural Pennsylvania with their three children, two dogs, one cat, one rabbit, one horse and six chickens. In addition to writing, she works as an educational interpreter for the deaf and is active in several ministries in her church.

Plain Target

Dana R. Lynn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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My God will fully supply whatever you need,

in accord with His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:19

This book is dedicated to the memory of my Aunt Norma, who first introduced me to the genre of romance, sparking a lifelong fascination with Happy Ever Afters.

Acknowledgments:

Although writing is a solitary career, I couldn’t do it without the love and support of so many people. First, to my wonderful husband, Brad, and our kids. You alternately kept me sane and drove me crazy during this process, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

To my editor, Elizabeth Mazer, who took the time to brainstorm with me to make this story come to life. You are awesome, and I am so grateful to be able to work with you.

A special bittersweet thanks to my late agent, Mary Sue Seymour, who passed away before this book was completed. She loved this project and cheered me on from the beginning. A woman of great faith, energy and kindness. I was truly blessed to have been able to work with her.

My heartfelt gratitude to my Lord and Savior. I pray that my words will always point to Your love and mercy.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

“Fire!”

Jess McGrath tore the fire extinguisher off the wall before running back to the blaze in her brother’s office. For the first time in five weeks she entered the room where she had found Cody dead from his own hand. Behind her, her hearing aids caught the eruption of sound as her visitors, Rebecca and Levi Miller, scurried to help the two daytime workers release the horses into the pasture. Gratitude surged briefly. Rebecca was her oldest friend. No one else had stuck by her when the scandal started, leading to Cody’s disgrace and the near ruin of their training stables. Her Amish-raised friend didn’t even consider abandoning Jess. It was fortunate that Rebecca had persuaded her indulgent older brother to give her a ride in to visit Jess today on his buggy. With staff down to the bare-bones minimum, Jess needed all the help she could get.

Pulling the pin, Jess aimed the extinguisher at the flames consuming the exterior wall. Would it be enough?

Please Lord, let everyone and the horses be safe. The pictures on the wall connected to the stalls vibrated as the horses were led out. They would go directly to the pasture.

The flames died out and the extinguisher sputtered as it emptied. Jess stared at the destruction before her. Cody’s desk had taken the brunt of it, along with the wall. How had it started? The electrical systems had all been updated within the past three years. And no one had been in the office for weeks.

Not since the police had taken all Cody’s files when he came under suspicion for various charges of fraudulent practices. A third of the clientele to the stables and training facilities she owned with her brother had taken their business, and their horses, elsewhere. River Road Stables was facing bankruptcy if she didn’t find a way to improve business.

Her eyes landed on the still smoldering heap that had been a garbage can. It was unrecognizable. Only the fact that Jess knew what it should be helped her identify it. Her stomach turned. Trembling began from her toes up. Had the fire started there?

The floor vibrated, almost a heaving feeling. Jess spun around in time to see the large bookcase rock forward. The frame was anchored to the wall, but she could see the screws being ripped out. Even as she jumped out of its way, she knew she hadn’t jumped far enough. The heavy shelf toppled, knocking into her as it fell. She crashed to the ground. A sharp pain exploded in her head.

* * *

Jess struggled to open her eyes. The left side of her face ached. Her ears rang. With a groan, she lifted her head, only to drop it as nausea rolled over her.

A warm hand patted her shoulder. She risked opening her eyes again. A paramedic loomed over her, a concerned frown digging furrows in his forehead. He looked vaguely familiar. Her head ached too much to wonder where she had seen him before.

“Jessica? Jess, can you hear me?”

She blinked, incredulous. Who was this man? She had to have met him somewhere. Not only did he know her name, but he had also signed as he spoke. Of course, she was wearing her hearing aids, so it wasn’t fully necessary. It was appreciated all the same.

She moved her head. Oww.

“My head hurts,” she moaned.

He nodded, watching her carefully. “I think you may have a concussion. We’ll know better once a doctor examines you. I did check your vitals. They look good.” He continued to sign while he spoke.

“How did you know I’m deaf?”

His eyes widened, a surprised expression crossing his face. Followed immediately by a guilty one. His gaze shifted nervously before returning to rest on her face again.

“You don’t recognize me?” He seemed wary of her answer.

She shook her head slowly, wincing as her aching head protested. “No, but you look really familiar.”

He sighed. “High school.”

It couldn’t be.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked closer. It was. How had she not recognized him? But he had changed so much from the gangly sixteen-year-old boy she had known so briefly eleven years ago. His black curly hair was shorter, and his scrawny body had shot up in height and was well muscled. The nerdy glasses were gone. But the eyes...she did remember them. Deep brown eyes that she had crushed on for several months during her freshman year before realizing that the sweet boy she thought she knew didn’t exist. He had been a bad boy who was only interested in flaunting the rules and irritating his high-society parents.

“Seth Travis.” The words felt bitter on her tongue.

He nodded, then focused his attention off himself. “Do I need to sign, or can you hear me well enough if I just talk? I can help you faster if I don’t sign.”

“Yeah, as long as I have my hearing aids on and it’s quiet and I can see your face, I’m good.”

“I remember that.”

Of course he did. Seth had always been brilliant. On track to be the salutatorian. Not to mention his memory. She had been amazed at his ability to recall even the smallest of details. She didn’t remember him signing in high school, though. When had he learned? And why bother?

“I’m surprised you didn’t recognize me. What with my dad being the senator and all.”

She shrugged. “It’s been a long time since I saw you and you’ve changed a lot. And I don’t pay attention to politics. Never have.”

“So you never saw my old man on television?” His mouth curled in a slight sneer. Problems with his dad, apparently. It was none of her business, but she couldn’t say she approved of his attitude. She would never have disrespected her parents that way.

“I don’t own a TV.” She didn’t add that she had better things to do with her time than to watch the drama of the spoiled rich kid she remembered play out before her.

Rebecca entered the stables, and Jess settled her attention on her dearest friend. Rebecca’s brother, Levi, followed her at a slower pace. It still looked odd to see Rebecca dressed Englisch when she stood next to her Amish brother. But it warmed her heart, too, knowing that Rebecca’s family supported her choices. Jess knew that Rebecca’s social circle was very small, due in part to her deafness. It could have been smaller. If she had left her community after she’d been baptized, she would have been shunned, even by her family. The fact that she had decided to leave her Amish community instead of being baptized had enabled her to keep her close ties to her family.

“Is everyone okay? The horses?” Jess signed to Rebecca, who was born profoundly deaf. Unlike Jess, Rebecca depended totally on American Sign Language, or ASL. People were always surprised to find out how little she could lip read. English was a difficult language to lip read well, with so many sounds looking the same on the lips. Add the fact that Rebecca’s family spoke Pennsylvania Dutch at home into the mix, it was no wonder she hadn’t bothered with it.

“Yes. We helped your two employees move them to the back pasture. How are you? I was scared when I found you unconscious.” Rebecca’s hands flew.

Jess looked at Seth. Did he need her to interpret? Her mouth fell open when he answered Rebecca in almost fluent ASL. That was a whole different skill set than putting signs to English grammar. She was impressed in spite of herself.

“My partner and I need to take her to the hospital,” he signed, indicating someone behind her.

Jess hadn’t even noticed the other paramedic. The woman walked their way, pushing a stretcher. She gave Jess a professional smile.

Jess turned her attention back to Rebecca and Levi. “Did anyone call the fire department?”

They both shook their heads. “We didn’t think it was necessary,” Levi answered her. “The fire was out. It was gut, jah?”

No surprise there. Calling for outside help would not enter Levi’s mind unless it was absolutely crucial.

She hesitated. Part of her was relieved not to have to handle the firefighters or police. She had dealt with so much scandal recently, she didn’t have the heart to face more. But the other part of her wondered if the fire was an accident. It just seemed odd that it started in Cody’s office for no apparent reason.

A stretcher halted on her left side. The female paramedic had reached their small group.

“I called the fire department a few minutes ago.” The blond woman leaned over to check something on the stretcher. “It’s not uncommon for a fire to restart hours after it’s put out. It’s pretty standard procedure to have the local fire department check it out.”

So there was no longer any choice. Jess sighed. She just wanted this day to be over. Quickly, she murmured a prayer for strength. Seth gave her a startled glance, but didn’t comment. Instead, he and his partner loaded her into the ambulance and whisked her off to the hospital.

Two hours later, she was receiving her release papers and, except for a lingering headache, a clean bill of health. What was unexpected was that Seth reappeared as she was getting ready to leave with Rebecca. And with him was a police officer. A very grim-faced officer.

“Jess, this is Sergeant Jackson from the LaMar Pond Police Department. He needs to speak with you for a minute.” He signed the introductions, then started to back away.

Without thought, her hand shot out and caught at his. “Stay. Please.”

He raised his eyebrows, but nodded. She closed her eyes, feeling some of the tension in her chest disintegrate. As little as she trusted Seth, he was someone she knew. Being alone with a police officer was a frightening prospect for her. All she could think of were the accusations of fraud and theft, not to mention the thorough searches she’d endured, that had happened both before and after Cody’s death. No matter how much she and Cody had protested that he hadn’t stolen money from his foundation or rigged horse races, no one believed them. And even knowing the police were just doing their job didn’t shake her feeling that they looked at her with suspicion.

Plus, she reasoned, Seth signed, which could help. As well as she read lips, she sometimes needed to see the words to be sure she understood them. And interpreters were hard to find. She could be here hours if she waited for one.

Sergeant Jackson cleared his throat. “Miss McGrath, the fire department investigated the fire at the stables. It’s their inspector’s opinion that the fire might have been deliberately set.”

A shiver worked its way up her spine. Her day had just gotten much worse.

* * *

Gravel crunched under the tires of Seth’s Ford pickup truck as he turned into the driveway of River Road Stables the next morning. Water splashed up on his tires. The heavy scent of wet hay slipped through the inch-wide crack in his window. It had stormed the night before, and puddles were everywhere. His front tire hit a particularly deep puddle, and he was jarred by the motion as his truck bounced. Man, they really needed to fix the potholes on this driveway.

A yawn crept up on him. He had barely been able to sleep last night. The image of Jess’s distraught face haunted him. A queasy sensation settled in his stomach as he realized that the only reason she wasn’t being investigated for possibly causing the fire was because of her injury. Yet. He had seen the look in Gavin Jackson’s eyes. And he had been around cops enough to know that often arson was committed for insurance fraud.

He expected to continue up the lane to find Jessica in her one-story ranch house where she should be resting, as per doctor’s orders. His plan shifted when he spotted her brown ponytail swaying as she walked into the barn. Pressing his lips together, he parked his truck in front of the barn. Frustration and worry mingled. As hard as it was to believe, she didn’t have a concussion from her accident yesterday. Still, he was sure she probably was feeling some aches and pains. Enough to convince most people to take it easy and rest. A sigh escaped. Not that he was surprised that she refused to slow down. She always had pushed herself harder than others around her. In his mind, he had always wondered if she felt that being deaf, she had to overachieve in order to prove herself.

To be fair, she had probably been right. He could remember the one class they had together—biology. The teacher had tried to convince her to drop the class, telling her in front of her peers that he didn’t have time to waste trying to keep her caught up.

But she had been stubborn. And the guidance counselor had asked Seth to tutor her, to ensure her success. He’d agreed, reluctantly, knowing it would look good to the teachers and guidance counselors who would eventually write him college recommendation letters. And soon found that they had all underestimated her. Had started to admire her, to like her—and that was where the trouble had begun.

He winced. Those were memories he didn’t want to relive.

Parking the truck, he grabbed the wallet he had found on his floorboard that morning. If she had noticed it missing, she might be panicking about now. It gave him the excuse he needed to pay her a visit, although he refused to think about why he was so anxious to see her again. He was a paramedic—it was his job to worry about people, particularly people who had just been injured. He had been skeptical when she had agreed to follow the doctor’s directives. Something told him that she wouldn’t be able to sit still. He had seen the stubborn look in her eyes.

Obviously he had been right.

Didn’t she know she needed to rest? He admitted to himself that he was concerned. Working alone in the barn was not safe for her. And she had said the day before that no one would be coming in until after lunch. It hadn’t struck him until he had dropped her off that someone—meaning her—would have to come out to take care of the horses in the morning. All alone like that, she would be an easy target if the person who’d attacked her stables came back. He shook off the thought. For all he knew, the fire was a random act by a group of kids. Yeah, right.

The stable door was standing open. He headed that way, pausing just inside it. Jessica stood outside the office door, her arms closed tight against her belly, her eyes squeezed shut. He started, ready to rush in and...what? Comfort her? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he didn’t like seeing her so vulnerable. Never had, even though their association had been so brief. Which made what had happened even more contemptible. When he had betrayed her trust, he had left her open to the cruelty of others. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t been a part of the actions they had taken against her. He knew what a soft heart she had. And that she had a crush on him. But instead of protecting her, he’d stepped back and allowed her to be hurt in a disaster which ended with her being pulled from the school.

He drew himself away from his painful memories. Then he noticed her lips were moving. She was praying. Okay, now he felt really uncomfortable. He wasn’t big on prayer. Not that he minded other people praying. He just hadn’t had much experience with it personally. And to be honest, he rather doubted it did any good.

A few seconds later she opened her eyes. They widened as she saw him poised in the doorway.

“Seth! What are you doing here?” Her voice was low and pleasant. Although her inflections were slightly irregular, most people probably wouldn’t even pick up on that.

“You left this in my truck.” He waved the bright pink wallet at her.

Jess’s hazel eyes widened. “Oh, no! I hadn’t even noticed it was missing.”

“No worries. It was safe. And I’m even a little glad ’cuz it gave me an excuse to check up on you. Make sure you were taking it easy.” He gave her a pointed look.

She bit her lip. Dropping her gaze to the floor, she scuffed the toe of her boot in the dirt. When she flicked her glance back up to his face, he was momentarily distracted by her wide hazel eyes. He hadn’t let himself feel attracted to a woman for a long time. His behavior in high school, and his poor judgment six years ago with his former fiancée, had taught him that he was not husband material. As bitter as it made him feel, he had been forced to acknowledge that he was too much like his father. Selfish and prone to hurt those close to him. Shaking himself out of it, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

He held his breath while he waited to see if she would answer. He wouldn’t blame her if she brushed him off. She had no reason to trust him. Past events would tell her not to. But he really hoped she would.

Finally, she sucked in a deep breath. Let it out slowly.

“You know that the police are toying with the idea that I started the fire?” She waited for him to nod before she continued. “What I couldn’t tell the officer last night was the fire wasn’t the first accident.”

“What?” He hadn’t meant to shout, but her words terrified him. He wanted to sweep her into his truck and drive her to a safe place. The feeling surprised him. And made him uncomfortable.

Jess squirmed. Then she lifted her chin and seemed to collect herself. “I didn’t realize at first that they were anything more than accidents. I put it down to carelessness. Until last week. A new ladder broke when I took it out to paint. That’s when I started to wonder if someone was behind the accidents. Then this happened.”

“How long has this been going on?” He kept his voice calm with an effort.

“About three weeks.”

“You should have mentioned it to Sergeant Jackson last night,” Seth admonished her.

Hazel eyes blazed up at him. “And you think he would believe me? Just when my barn suffers extensive fire damage and I’m a person of interest?”

She had a point. It would have looked like she was lying to cover her tracks.

“I think it started because I was asking too many questions.”

He wasn’t going to like this. “Asking questions about what?”

Those soft lips started to tremble. She squished them together. “I know that people think my brother was guilty of something, what with him dying the way he did and all. But I can’t believe that of him. He was the most gentle, sincere person I have ever known. I have been trying to find evidence to take to the police to clear his name.”

He knew something dicey had happened, although he was foggy on all the details.

“What is it that they think he’d done, exactly?”

For a long moment, she stood, jaw clenched. Clearly it wasn’t a topic she enjoyed discussing, and he felt a twinge of guilt for even bringing it up. But he needed to know what they were dealing with if he was going to help her.

“My brother had started a rescue foundation for abused racehorses. Several months ago, one of his volunteers noticed that money was being stolen. The police suspected Cody. The fact that he spent so much time at the race track was suspicious. I guess there was suspicion that he was using funds to support a gambling habit. They questioned him, and there was an investigation. It was never closed. Cody was never even officially charged—they didn’t have enough evidence against him. But when he took his own life, everyone seemed to take that as an admission of guilt. People who had contributed to the foundation felt hurt, betrayed. I can understand that,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t mean I’m all right with people continuing to say such horrible things about him when no one has been able to provide a scrap of evidence proving that he did anything wrong.”

“So you spoke up in his defense,” Seth concluded, “both when he was first questioned, and then later after his death. And that’s turned people against you?”

She nodded.

“Including the police?” he asked.

“Especially the police. Not only was I unable to convince them he was innocent, they made it clear that I was also on their radar, since I worked for the foundation in a minor role. They wouldn’t listen to me.”

Frustrated, he shoved a hand through his hair. “You have to let the police know about the other accidents, Jess. This is no joke.”

She started to shake head. “Don’t you understand? There is no way they will believe me! And the stables are already losing clients. If these things keep happening, then I will have to sell the horses and the stable.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Seth, owning a training stable has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I have already lost my brother. I can’t lose this, too.”

A constriction formed in his throat. It was necessary to swallow several times to ease the tightness. A sudden thought popped into his head.

“Wait a minute! Jess, my brother-in-law is a lieutenant in the LaMar Pond Police Department. You can talk to him.” Why hadn’t he thought of that earlier? Dan was pretty easygoing. And he was head-over-heels ridiculously in love with Seth’s half sister Maggie, which meant he’d do just about anything Seth asked—including hearing Jess out, and giving her the benefit of the doubt.

“I didn’t know you had siblings.” There was that suspicious look on her face again. He was going to have to work hard to earn her trust.

“It’s a long story. But Maggie is my half sister. I met her almost a year ago for the first time, but we’ve gotten close. And her husband, Dan, is a good guy.”

A humorless laugh left her mouth. “I can’t believe I’m considering listening to you. Seth, we knew each other in high school, but that was eleven years ago. And you betrayed my trust back then. Why should I give it to you now?”

Why, indeed.

TWO

Seth’s teeth snapped together with a loud click. He knew his jaw would ache later. Turning away from Jess, he began to pace as he battled to keep the anger and fear simmering beneath the surface from exploding out of him. The temper he had learned to keep under wraps for so long threatened to overwhelm him. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to lose it now.

When he had himself under control, he faced Jess again. She eyed him warily.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Unbelievable. He rolled his eyes.

“Am I okay? I’m not the one whose stable was set on fire and I haven’t been the victim of any strange accidents. I’m amazed you’re not a basket case right now.”

Jess shrugged. Her attempt at nonchalance didn’t fool him. She was scared. He had to admire her determination to tough it out on her own.

But enough was enough.

“Jess.” He took a step closer. Close enough to smell her perfume. Her eyes widened. He needed to make sure he was completely understood. “Come with me to my sister’s house. My brother-in-law is off today so we should be able to talk with him in private.”

He braced himself to argue with her. Turned out, he didn’t need to. She met his eyes, and slowly nodded her head. Reluctant surrender was written all over her face.

“Will you stay? Just in case I need an interpreter?”

Why did he think she actually wanted him there for moral support? She didn’t say it, but the plea was in her shadow-filled eyes.

“I won’t leave your side,” he promised.

Some of the tension drained from her shoulders, and the corners of her lips tilted in a slight smile. The urge to comfort her with a hug crept up, but he resisted. The last thing she would want would be to be touched by him. He was well aware of the fact that he had a long way to go to make up for the jerk he’d been eleven years ago.

Leading her out to his truck, he held the door while she pulled herself up into the cab. Good thing he hadn’t parked next to a puddle. As he shut the door behind her and jogged around to his side, he ignored the anticipation dancing through him at the thought of spending more time in her presence. It wasn’t as if they were going on a picnic. It started to rain again once they were underway. The overcast sky and the loud patter of raindrops on the roofs made the space inside the cab seem close. The fragrance of her light perfume added to the impression. Perfume? Since when did he pay attention to perfume unless it was too strong? Weird. Just weird.

He glanced into the rearview window, frowning at a car riding right on his tail. “Back up, buddy,” he muttered. Seth slowed the car, then made a right turn. The dark green sedan continued to keep pace with him. The tinted glass made it difficult to see who was driving the vehicle. Someone was in a hurry.

“What?”

He shot a reassuring grin at Jess. “Sorry. Talking to myself. We have a tailgater.”

Jess looked back over her shoulder, and froze. Seth stopped grinning as he saw the look of fear on her face. Her hands were fisted on her lap, the knuckles white.

“Jess? Jessica! What’s wrong?”

“I have seen that car almost everywhere I have gone in the past couple of weeks. I can never tell who’s driving it.”

The thought of someone shadowing her, stalking her, set his teeth on edge. “Are you sure it’s the same car?” He used one hand to sign the question so there would be no mistake.

Jess shook her head. “Sure? No, I have never gotten close enough to see a license plate. And there are hundreds of cars that look like that one. Except for the dark windows.”

Without considering his actions, Seth spun the wheel and started to pull off onto the berm. The green car slowed down. Then it suddenly shot forward. Its tires hit a large puddle, and water splashed Seth’s windshield. His left hand shot out to activate the wipers, hoping to clear his view in time to get a glimpse of the license plate, but it was too late. The car whipped around the corner. And another car was coming far too fast for Seth to get back on the road and follow him.

Frustrated, he waited for the other car to pass and then resumed driving toward Maggie and Dan’s house. His mind was full of questions. And doubts. Was it possible Jess was being stalked, or was she letting her anxiety rule her thoughts? After all, even she had admitted the car wasn’t an uncommon model. Except for the windows. He rejected the idea that she was imagining things almost as soon as it entered his mind. She had always been very down to earth, never one to exaggerate or jump to conclusions. “Okay, we need to remember to tell Dan about the car.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her nodding, but her expression remained troubled. It was time to see if they could make some sense of the current situation, while they were alone. And the quiet of the truck meant she would be able to hear him. And if she couldn’t, it was light enough that she could see him sign, or read his lips if necessary.

“Why don’t we try and get our ducks in a row before talking to Dan. He’s going to want to know about the people you work with at the barn. Because chances are good that one of them might be the person responsible for the fire.”

A shake of her head denied any such possibility, but shadows crept into her expression. As much as she might want to believe none of her coworkers would hurt her, the doubt had taken root in her mind.

“So who worked for you yesterday?” Man, he hated doing this to her. But it was necessary for her protection, he argued with himself.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure if she would answer. Finally she sighed. “Kim and Eric. They’re both fairly young. Kim just started working for us about seven months ago, but Eric has been coming for years, first as a student, and later as a worker and part-time trainer. I would trust him without hesitation.”

“And Kim?”

He knew the answer the moment she bit her lower lip. As painful as it was, Kim was a possible suspect.

“Okay, how about Rebecca—”

The words weren’t even out of his mouth before she interrupted him.

“Don’t even go there. I would trust her and Levi with my life. We went to the same deaf and hard-of-hearing program for years. In fact, we rode the same bus. She was two years behind me, but we stayed friends even after I returned to my home district for high school.”

He nodded. “Okay. And she was Amish?”

“Yeah. Until she was seventeen. She made the choice to leave instead of being baptized, which means she can still visit her family.”

“But still, there would have been years when you didn’t see her because you left...” His voice petered out as he realized what he was saying. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up why she had left high school, and his role in all of it, but it was too late now. If he could, he would have swallowed those words back. But he couldn’t. Maybe she would let it go. He glanced at her. Her lips tightened, her shoulders grew stiff. Nope.

“Yeah, I left to go back to my district’s school so I could be closer to home and take advantage of the clubs and sports programs. Things most high school students take for granted. I just didn’t expect that to include you telling your bully friends that the weird deaf girl you tutored had an annoying crush on you. And I definitely didn’t expect them to decide to teach me a lesson to show me how unworthy I was.”

“I never meant—”

“They ganged up on me, drew the word IDIOT on my forehead with a permanent marker and shoved me into a dark janitor’s closet. It was small, no lights and no windows, and I missed my bus. I was stuck in that small, smelly place for five hours until my parents and the principal found me. I was terrified to go back there. And Rebecca had left the deaf program. Amish students only go to school through eighth grade. I convinced my parents to send me to the Western PA School for the Deaf so I wouldn’t have to face any of my attackers again.”

So that’s where she had gone.

He could hear her ragged breathing. Remorse choked him. What a moron he had been.

“I would do anything to take that back. I only said something to get my girlfriend, Trish, off my back. She was jealous of the time we spent together.”

She grimaced. “She was cruel. All your friends were. Except that dark haired girl you sat with in bio.”

Melanie. His best friend. He’d messed that up, too.

He sighed, wishing he could go back in time and shake some sense into the stupid, arrogant kid he used to be. “I couldn’t believe Trish would do something like that. We had a huge fight over it and finally broke up. I wanted to track you down and apologize...but no one knew where you’d gone.”

“How hard did you look?” she asked, her voice cold and accusatory.

“Not very,” he admitted. “I figured you wanted to leave me and everything I’d done in the past. It didn’t seem right to force you to have to sit through my sad excuses if you’d moved on with your life.”

“And yet here you are.”

“To help,” he insisted. “I know it doesn’t change the past, but you’re in trouble now and you shouldn’t be forced to deal with it alone. I’d like to help you, the way I should have back then.”

Silence settled between them, tense and awkward. After a few minutes, he felt her hand touch his arm. Brow rising in surprise, he turned to face her.

“Can I ask you a question?” Jess’s voice was hesitant. It was an olive branch, and he knew it and gladly seized it.

“Yeah, sure.” His voice was thick. He cleared his throat. He spared her a glance to be sure she heard him. Her face was turned toward him, eyes intent.

“I don’t remember ever seeing you sign before. But yesterday you were signing like you’d been doing it for years. How did you learn? Why?”

He shrugged. “I had a roommate in college who was deaf. Ernie. He taught me some sign. And I went home with him several times. His whole family was deaf, so it was sink or swim. After I decided that I had zero interest in following my dad into law and politics, I took other classes to find what interested me. Including ASL.”

“Ernie Mitchell?”

His eyebrows rose. “You know him?”

“He attends Deaf church with me.”

The mention of church was unsettling. He and Ernie had stayed in touch since college but they didn’t talk religion much. Seth blew out a relieved breath as his sister’s house came in view. Soon, he would be able to tell Dan everything. Then the police could take control of the situation. Jess would be safe and would no longer need him. That last thought made him frown. The idea of walking away from her now when she was in danger didn’t sit well with him at all. But sticking around held the risk of his becoming attached to her. He realized that he liked and admired her. The last thing he wanted was to see her hurt again. And he would hurt her. How could he not? He was his father’s son, after all.

Pulling into his sister’s driveway, he frowned, feeling uneasy. Dan’s truck was there, but the minivan was nowhere in sight. And the blinds were closed. Maggie always opened the blinds. Getting out of his truck, he walked over to the garage and peered in. The motorcycle was there, but no van.

Whipping out his cell, he sent his sister a text. Hey sis. Where r u?

A minute later he received an answer. And groaned. Pittsburgh. Visiting Ty. Back 2morrow. Everything OK?

Ty was Dan’s foster brother. What now? He would just have to keep an eye on Jess until Dan returned. He sent back a text to tell his sister he needed to see Dan as soon as they returned. Then he climbed back in his truck. Jess was watching him, those gorgeous hazel eyes wide and curious. How would she react to the news that she’d have to wait to talk with Dan? Would she give up on speaking to the police altogether?

“Okay. Change of plans. Maggie and Dan are in Pittsburgh for the day.”

A soft sigh came from the woman beside him. Relief or resignation? Hmm. Not sure he knew.

“Do you want to go back to your place?” he offered. Man, he hated the thought of bringing her back to that ranch house alone. The stables were far too secluded. Her face paled.

Taking a deep breath, Jess squared her shoulders and lifted her jaw. Probably trying to look brave. To his sympathetic eye, she looked vulnerable. And scared. As she glanced up, her posture shifted. Eyes narrowing, she looked closer at the fancy invitation trapped behind the sun visor. Her slender fingers reached out and touched the fine paper, hesitant, almost awed.

“May I?” she asked. Unsure what she was thinking, he nodded.

Jess plucked the card from its spot and brushed her hands across the return address on the engraved invitation. A stallion was prominently embossed on the front.

“Ted Taylor,” she breathed. “You know Ted Taylor.”

Huh? Her voice was almost reverent.

“Yeah, that’s my uncle.” Seth gently pulled the invite from her fingers to glance at it. “I had forgotten this. He’s throwing a big blowout tonight.”

“You could help me!”

Seth found himself on the receiving end of a stunning smile. Jess leaned toward him, and he could practically smell her eagerness. For some reason his stomach tightened. He had the feeling he wasn’t going to like what she suggested.

* * *

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Jess grinned and rolled her eyes. That was the third time Seth had complained. He was smiling and shaking his head as he said it, though, so she decided he wasn’t too upset with her. Plus, he was driving toward his uncle’s house.

She couldn’t get over the fact that she had never connected him with Ted Taylor. Ted Taylor owned the most renowned stable for breeding racehorses in this part of the country. He was an influential man who sat on various committees dealing with equine care and treatment. His passion was abused horses. Just as Cody’s had been. His endorsement could sway public opinion in her favor.

She shivered. On the other hand, a cold shoulder from him would convince many she and her brother were guilty. But she had to try.

And he was also well known for throwing lavish parties. Like this one. Parties where everyone brought an overnight bag because one day wasn’t long enough to celebrate. Not to mention the fact that he lived almost an hour away from LaMar Pond on the outskirts of Spartansburg. Ted always opened the spring season up with a bang. Anyone who was anyone in the equestrian circle in northwestern Pennsylvania would be there. Breeders, coaches, trainers. All people who she and her brother had met in one capacity or another. It was possible that someone there might be able to provide some answers about what had really happened in the last few months of Cody’s life.

“Are you sure you can spare this much time away from the stables?”

Seth was precious when he was concerned. No way. Not going there. Even if it was true, it would do no good for her to become attached. The butterflies currently fluttering in her stomach would go away if she ignored them. She cut a quick glance toward him and met melting brown eyes. Instead of going away the butterflies intensified.

What was the question? Oh, yeah.

“The stables will be fine. I texted my staff so they’ll know to come in and take care of the morning chores. Even if I don’t show up for a few days, the workers keep things moving. We keep charts on which animals need what to be done, so someone will be able to pick up the slack.”

As the truck sloshed through the back roads toward Ted Taylor’s party, she watched as the puddles on the road became progressively deeper. Rain continued to pound on the truck. The rhythmic swipe of the wipers could barely keep up. Her teeth tugged at her lower lip. Maybe convincing Seth to bring her to the party with him as his “plus one” hadn’t been a great idea. With weather like this, they wouldn’t be able to leave the party quickly or easily if she was treated badly by the other guests—which was a definite possibility. Many of them had treated her as if she had leprosy since Cody’s death. Or as if she were a criminal. Which certainly accounted for the fact that she had not received an invite to this weekend’s event for the first time in two years. Willa Taylor was a social snob.

Of course, it was also possible that one of them was responsible for the accidents. She shuddered and promised herself that if she saw a dark green sedan parked outside the ranch house, she’d have Seth take her home again. She cautioned herself against relying on him too heavily. She had struggled hard to prove herself to be a strong, independent woman. It wouldn’t do to allow her former crush to gain too much leverage over her.

“This water is getting really deep,” Seth stated, a frown pulling down the corners of his mouth. Outside, everything was gray. Gray clouds, gray sky, gray pools of liquid surrounding them as they drove. They went over the bridge. Jess looked down and felt a niggle of dread. The water was higher than she had ever seen it.

“There it is.” Seth raised one hand to indicate the sprawling ranch ahead of them. His blinker flashed as he steered the truck into the long winding lane that served as the Taylor residence’s driveway. The driveway was like the rest of Pennsylvania. It rose and dipped. It wasn’t the smoothest ride, but Jess still released a sigh of relief that they’d finally arrived. It was followed by a shriek as Seth’s tires hydroplaned. The back end of the pickup swerved to the right. Seth managed to get the vehicle back on track just in time to drive it through the next puddle. Only the puddle was more like a small pond. The motor sputtered and stalled. Stopped.

They were stuck at the ranch.

Seth tossed her a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we can find someone to help us get the truck started again. Or a lift back to town. It’ll be fine.”

She wasn’t fooled. His grin was strained, and his jaw was tight.

Seth opened the door and splashed over to Jess’s side to help her down. Grabbing her overnight bag with her fancy dress and toiletries safely tucked inside, she let Seth take her empty hand and jumped out. She landed with a muddy splash and grimaced. She was almost knee-deep in freezing water. Her cowboy boots would be trashed. Good thing she hadn’t decided to wear the dress and heels in the truck. Seth shrugged out of his jacket and slung it over her shoulders. And shushed her when she started to protest. Giving in gracefully, she allowed Seth to grab her hand again and pull her up to the lane to the house. Standing beside Seth, she tensed as he raised his hand and jabbed the doorbell with his finger. Within seconds, the door swung open and their host came out to grab Seth in a bear hug.

Ted Taylor was an impressive-looking man in his mid-fifties. Now that she saw him and Seth side by side, she could see the resemblance in the shape of their faces and in the way they held themselves.

“Seth! So glad you could make it, son!” His booming voice made the voices inside the house grow silent. “So many people canceled because of the weather. You and your girlfriend will make an even dozen.”

Jess forced herself to stand still and smile as he turned kind eyes to her. “It’s good to see you again, Jess. I was very sorry to hear about your brother. Cody was a fine young man, and I for one have never doubted his integrity.”

Blinking to clear her suddenly blurred vision, Jess cleared her throat. Even so, she knew her voice sounded more like a croak when she spoke. “Thank you, sir. It means a lot to hear that.”

She stiffened her knees to cease their sudden trembling. If Ted believed in Cody’s innocence, and hers, there was hope.

“What’s she doing here?” an angry voice said.

Heat crawled up her face as Jess found herself the target of hostile stares. Apparently, Ted’s faith in her wasn’t universal. Well, she hadn’t expected it would be. Yet. Resigned, she turned to face Ted’s snobbish, socially conscious wife.

“Aunt Willa, this is my friend, Jess. My good friend.” Her bruised heart warmed when Seth squeezed her hand.

Hardly a good friend. But she appreciated the show of support when those gathered glared.

“I’m surprised you would bring the likes of her into your family’s house,” his aunt said with a scornful sniff. “Or perhaps you saw a pretty face and didn’t realize what kind of girl she was.”

What kind of girl she was? Seriously?

“Actually, Jess and I go way back. Since high school.”

Jess could just barely make out the sound of voices tumbling over each other. Yet even without hearing the words, she could tell by the frowns on their faces that the other guests were not pleased to have her in their midst. But none of that seemed to affect Seth. She read his lips and saw that he was basically telling his family that he believed in her and trusted her. Suspicion was nudged out of the way by shame and gratitude. Gratitude that God hadn’t completely abandoned her. And shame that she was still harboring a grudge against Seth. Mortified, she remembered her bitter words in the truck. Was that really just a couple of hours ago?

“Seth, that girl’s brother was...”

Ted shook his head at his wife. Sullenly, she quieted, but the baleful glint of her eyes let Jess know she was far from appeased. With false joviality, Ted pulled them into the house and began introducing them around. Jess found herself the recipient of several slights and sneers. It didn’t help that her hearing aids amplified all the noise of music and voices to the same level. The harsh jumble of sound made separating individual voices out from the background ruckus impossible. She was forced to rely totally on lip reading. Soon her eyes grew strained and she felt a tension headache coming on. She understood enough to realize that the majority of the guests had felt in some way cheated or betrayed by her brother, and they were quite willing to transfer that anger to her, even though she wasn’t deeply involved in the foundation. She should have been more invested. And maybe if she had been, she’d be more aware of what had occurred.

At one point, she looked over in the corner and saw a familiar face. Her brother’s fiancée, Deborah, gave her a nod, but made no move to come over. She understood. Deborah had suffered enough. She had told Jess quite clearly after the funeral that she needed to put it all behind her. The man standing beside Deborah was familiar, too. Russ Breen, one of Ted’s star trainers. She had heard that Deborah had attached herself to a new man. It seemed a little quick, and Jess’s throat tightened seeing how rapidly Cody had been replaced in the other woman’s life. It had only been a few months. She couldn’t understand how someone could move on that easily.

She sure hadn’t.

Seth tapped on her shoulder. Glancing over, she was surprised to see anger tightening the skin around his eyes. What had she done? Her own eyes widened when she realized that he was angry with the others, on her behalf. He lifted his hands and signed to her.

“We can’t stay here. Let’s get some help with the truck and go. I will help you find answers another way.”

Glancing around, she swallowed. He was right. She wouldn’t be able to get any answers here. She nodded at him.

Seth asked around to find out who could lend a hand with the truck. Soon they had a group of four men who agreed to help. She followed them outside and down the driveway. And gasped.

The truck was where they had left it. Water was up to the top of the wheels.

The bridge was gone.

Further investigation confirmed what she already suspected. All the roads were under water as a flash flood washed in. The ranch itself was safe on raised ground. But every path out of it was blocked.

Walking back into the house beside Seth, she folded her arms in front of her, rubbing her hands up and down them to bring some warmth back into her chilled body. The lights flickered, but thankfully stayed on. When she had suggested coming to the party with Seth, it had sounded like a good idea. She would have a chance to meet with people from the horse community and gauge their reactions. Maybe even be able to get some clue as to what had really happened. She had been so naive.

Ted walked back over to where she stood with Seth. He said something in a low voice that she wasn’t able to catch. And he didn’t move his lips much, so she couldn’t read what he’d said. Seth angled his body and signed discreetly to her.

“Uncle Ted says our rooms are ready if we want to go up and rest or clean up a bit.”

Translation: the other guests were not happy with her presence. And she understood that he felt it was better if they were moved away from the party. She wouldn’t complain. The sooner she was away from the angry and disapproving stares, the easier she would feel. She walked up the stairs to her room ten minutes later, Seth behind her like he was guarding her back. Which, in a way, he was.

In the hallway, a man with a cowboy hat approached from the other side. There was something familiar about him. She had probably seen him at some horse event, but had never been introduced. Odd, because she knew most of the equestrian crowd in the area.

He never even glanced at her as he was passing. But instead, with a quick side step, he knocked her into the wall with his shoulder. Pain lanced through her as she hit the wall. He dashed down the steps.

“Hey!” Seth turned, clearly intending to give chase.

“No, please, Seth, I don’t want to be up here by myself.”

He hesitated, but nodded, a grim look around his mouth. She was fairly certain that he wasn’t going give up. He’d be watching for that cowboy. And given his fantastic ability to recall details, he would be able to spot the man in an instant.

Outside her door, there was a copy of today’s newspaper. On the front page was a picture of her barn, with a police car in the parking lot. The article was circled in red. Had the cowboy left it here? Was he the person responsible for the fire?

Her breath caught in her throat. She was trapped with a house full of hostile people. And one of them was out to get her.

THREE

Seth pushed open the door to the guest room assigned to Jess and stalked inside. The anger simmering inside him demanded action, but he had no outlet for it at the moment, other than making sure she was safe. Leaving no corner unchecked, he searched her room for any dangers, hidden or otherwise. It really burned him that someone had decided to play games with her. She was an innocent, no matter what her brother may have done. Or not done. Because right now, he was feeling like there was something other than revenge behind these attacks. Not that he could make that call. He wasn’t a cop.

Speaking of calls, he pulled out his cell and glanced at it. Still no bars. He had tried to contact the police department on Ted’s landline, but couldn’t get through. He’d lived through enough flash floods and tornado warnings to know that the lines could get overwhelmed. Or that power lines in town could get knocked out easily enough. So now they were sitting ducks. Which meant that it was up to him to see that Jess was safe.

He needed to have a talk with his uncle about the dude in the hallway. His gut said the man wasn’t the same person who had been following them earlier. Why act out in the open after being so secretive? But he was definitely a threat.

“Okay, Jess. I don’t see anything,” he declared after ten minutes. “I think you can go ahead and clean up. I’m going to go downstairs and grab us something to eat. Lock the door behind me. I think we should stay up here tonight, and then tomorrow see if we can find a way out of this mess.”

She nodded, but didn’t look comforted. Her mouth opened, then shut again. He waited.

“Do you think someone is just trying to scare me? Or am I really in danger?” Her hazel eyes glistened, but she didn’t cry. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she had. The urge to comfort her and tell her everything would be fine was strong. But even stronger was his need to be honest. His father had taught him how to deceive, and he resisted any semblance of similarity to that man.

“Jess, as much as I want to tell you no, I really think you’re in trouble. Whoever this jerk is, we have to assume he’s dangerous. He didn’t hesitate to start a fire at the stables, did he?”

The last expression he expected to see cross her face was a smile. It was no more than a slight upward curling of her lips, but it was there. “What?”

She glanced down, heat staining her pale cheeks. “It’s been a long time since I felt like someone was on my side, other than Rebecca and her family. Even the other workers at my stable aren’t really people I feel I know. Cody hired them, not me.”

That surprised him. “What about your parents?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“My parents were killed in a car accident the summer I graduated from high school. My brother became my guardian.”

Seth groaned. “He was all you had.” Reaching out, he snagged her into a hug. She resisted for a second, then accepted the embrace, leaning against him. But only for an instant. When she started to pull away, he let her go.

“I wasn’t alone, Seth. I had the Lord to lean on. And Rebecca’s family was great. They have been checking on me constantly.”

“What about the people at your church?” he asked. “Surely, you feel some sort of connection with them?”

Even her ponytail seemed to droop as she shook her head.

“No, not really.” Furrows appeared on her forehead. She brought one hand up and rubbed at them, as if she could massage them away. “To be honest, I didn’t give them much of a chance. At the funeral, I could see people staring at me, and couldn’t deal with their pity. So I changed churches. I drive to Erie each Sunday and attend there where no one knows me. Well, except for Ernie. But he doesn’t pry.”

He blinked, but didn’t ask any questions. He was anxious to move the conversation away from the topic of God. He had an itchy feeling whenever she mentioned her faith. There was even a brief moment when they arrived when he had been tempted to say a prayer. Just to see if it worked. Tempted. He didn’t succumb. That didn’t stop the feeling that he was on a slippery slope. There would be no point to it, he knew. His mother had trusted in God all her life. And she ended up cheated on and betrayed by her own husband. Not just once, but over and over. No, he was just fine as he was. God was okay for others, but he didn’t see the need for himself.

But he was saddened to see Jess abandon her church community. His mother had found support in hers.

Jess tilted her head. Probably wondering where he had gone mentally.

The flickering lights reminded them both of their situation.

“I will be back.” Seth retreated to the hall and pulled the door shut behind him. He waited until he heard the door lock click. Then he made his way down to the kitchen, hoping he wouldn’t run into anyone along the way. Answering questions or fending snide comments about Jess was not high on his list of things he wanted to do. For the first time in his life, he found himself grateful that his uncle had inherited his family’s taste for ostentation. The house he had built in the middle of nowhere, in addition to having enough bedrooms to rival a modest hotel, had two staircases leading down to the main level. Seth took the back stairs, which ended in a short hallway right outside the kitchen. Which was empty. His uncle had gone all out and had the event catered, so all the food and beverages were displayed in a fancy buffet line in the dining room. Music and laughter pounded in the air.

Efficiently, Seth put together some sandwiches and grabbed some bottles of water. He nabbed a couple pieces of fruit from a basket on the counter. Where did his aunt keep plastic bags? Opening the cupboard under the sink, he found one and stuffed the food inside.

Turning back to exit, he was dismayed to find he was no longer the sole occupant of the kitchen. The man standing in the doorway was watching him with cold eyes, a distinct sneer on his face. Great. First the man on the stairs, and now this guy. As far as Seth could recall, he had never seen him before. He was a bulky man, his beefy arms crossed over his barrel chest as he scowled at Seth.

Seth moved forward. He had done nothing wrong, and he was in his uncle’s house. This man wasn’t going to keep him from Jess.

“Where’s your girlfriend, boy?” the man growled, an ugly edge to his rough voice.

“Excuse me.” Seth made to move past the man. But the guy just wouldn’t let him pass. Instead, he planted himself firmly in Seth’s path.

“How dare you bring that little crook here? She and her brother cost me thousands of dollars. And a prize horse. Spreading tales about honest folk.” Fury oozed from him. Quivering, he took a step toward Seth, nostrils flaring. Seth had no idea what the man was talking about. “I’ll bet she’s here to spread her brother’s lies, isn’t she? Thinks good ole Ted Taylor will be on her side? Well, I won’t let her get the best of me again. She’d better watch who she messes with.”

He probably expected Seth to back up. Seth wasn’t about to give in. Instead, he took a step closer to him.

“You need to let me pass,” Seth stated, keeping his voice low. “Whatever happened, it had nothing to do with Jess. And from what I know, you don’t even have solid proof that it had anything to do with her brother, either.” He took another step forward. And another. Satisfaction filled him when the man’s eyes widened, confusion on his face. Seth managed to keep his expression and voice clear of all emotion. Years of dealing with his father had taught him that the best way to get a reaction was to show no emotion. “You don’t want to do this. Not in my family’s home.”

The sneer returned to his opponent’s face, although Seth noted he did step aside to allow Seth to move past. Still, he managed to get out one last taunt before Seth could walk away.

“I would be careful who I hung out with. She’s going down.” He swung around and stormed back toward the other guests. Seth watched him, filing away in his mind details about the man’s appearance and what he said. That was definitely someone to keep a close eye on.

Carrying his cache of food, he returned back upstairs the same way he had come. He breathed easier when he arrived at Jess’s room without further incident. He rapped sharply on the door, then grimaced. Deaf girl. Could she hear the knock? Maybe he should slide something under the door...

The door swung open, causing him to jump. Color flooded his face as she observed him, her eyebrows lifted, an amused expression on her face.

“Didn’t you expect me to answer the door?” she queried.

“I wasn’t sure if you could hear me knock.”

Jess nodded, making her brown ponytail bounce. “It depends on how low the sound is.”

A thought occurred to him. “We should have found a way to signal you, so you would know it was me.”

When she shrugged and reached for the food, he recalled the meeting in the kitchen. Casually, trying not to seem too concerned so she wouldn’t worry, he mentioned the confrontation and described the man.

A disturbed look came into her eyes. Lowering her chin, she sighed. He wished he could have waited before telling her something that so clearly upset her, but she needed to know. For her own protection.

“It sounds like Bob Harvey. He and his wife Lisa are very involved in breeding racehorses. They have been the loudest voices against us.”

A sharp, sizzling sound made Seth jerk his head up. It was followed by a pop. A transformer had been blown. The room was pitched into darkness.

* * *

Jess froze. Her entire body grew tense.

She’d never told anyone, but she was afraid of the dark. And closed-in places. Had been ever since the incident in high school. A cold sweat covered her body as she remembered the feeling of cobwebs brushing against her skin. The musty smell of a wet mop sitting in a bucket of dirty water. The smell was so pungent, she could taste it on her tongue. Clenching her fists, she folded her arms across her chest and shoved her fists under them. She could still feel them shaking. The trembling spread to her legs.

Breathe, Jess. Breathe. Spiders are NOT crawling over you. You are not locked in a room. And you are not alone. Stranded for hours and hours. Getting colder...

No! She wouldn’t think about that! She was a grown woman now. Surely she could get past this irrational fear. The fear that even now was holding her paralyzed. After a few deep breaths, she baby-stepped her way in the direction of the window, grunting as her shin knocked into something. At the window, she felt around until she located the cord to the blinds. Tugging on it, she sighed in relief as light drifted into the room. It pooled in the center of the room, leaving the edges in shadow. She shivered. Creepy.

Light? Where on Earth was light coming from? It was pouring outside. Glancing out the window, she saw a row of solar lights. The kind that only come on when it is dark outside. Ah. She hadn’t noticed them before, probably because there had been other sources of light.

Seth stepped into the light, and she shivered again. For a very different reason.

“Jess, are you okay?”

She nodded. “Fine.”

He folded his arms. Clearly she wasn’t convincing enough.

“What do we do now?” she asked him. Focus, Jess. Yes, he’s handsome and being kind. And yes, she was enjoying his company. But there was a maniac in this house waiting to get her and this power outage—whether accidental or deliberate—might give her attacker an opportunity. She needed to deal with that possibility. Attraction to Seth was a complication she couldn’t afford.

“I’m not leaving you alone to deal with this tonight.”

She shook her head, frowning. “You can’t stay in my room. It wouldn’t be right.”

Did he just roll his eyes? Was he mocking her convictions? Drawing herself up to defend her beliefs, she paused when he raised his hands.

“I’m not suggesting that I stay in your room. But I do intend to camp outside your door.”

Something soft and melty nudged her heart.

“But you need to rest, too,” she argued. “Your room is just down the hall. You’d be close by if I needed you.” It was a token protest at best. The idea of him going so far away in this hostile environment made her feel vulnerable.

Seth scoffed. “Like I’d rest in my own room? Sorry, Jess, but I’d be coming out to check on you every five minutes. There’s no way I’d be able to sleep not knowing if you were safe.”

The tension which had locked onto her neck loosened and rolled off her shoulders. He wasn’t leaving her.

Jess squinted and looked at him. Really looked at him. His jaw was clenched and he was glaring at her. Like he was daring her to argue. A smile tugged at her mouth. He had no idea how unappealing the idea of staying here alone was. Deciding to let him think he’d won, she nodded. He nodded back. And although he didn’t smile back at her, she sensed that her response had eased his belligerence.

“Good. Now that that issue is settled, I suggest we eat.”

Gingerly, she lowered herself to sit cross-legged on the floor. Seth followed her example, then handed her a sandwich and a bottle of water. The darkness surrounding them made the room feel oddly intimate. Her cheeks grew warm, and she became aware of the subtle scent of his aftershave.

In complete silence they ate. The moment they were done, Seth excused himself to clean up. He made quick work of it, she was relieved to note. Then she scolded herself for being anxious just because he had left her side.

“I will be right outside the door,” he promised. He used the flashlight app on his phone and pointed it so he could look around the room. What was he looking for? He strode to the desk and grabbed the plain wooden chair. Dragging it out into the hall, he placed it firmly in front of her door. She retreated back into the room. Even in the dim light, she could make out the bed. And if she remembered correctly...yes. There was an extra blanket on the end of it. Silently, she handed it to Seth. He smiled his thanks.

“Lock the door.”

“Seth...”

She stopped when he shook his head. The weariness on his face tore at her, but she knew he wouldn’t give in. One thing that she remembered clearly about Seth was that he had always been stubborn. It was no use trying to get him to change his mind. And frankly she was too tired to bother. Closing the door, she left him in hall—locking the door, as he’d ordered. Grabbing her bag, she changed into sweats and a T-shirt. With a prayer for their continued safety she moved into the room and lay down on the bed.

Turning on her side, she tried to get comfortable, but her hearing aid was pressed into the side of her head. It wasn’t painful, but the sensation bothered her. Should she take the hearing aids off for the night? She always did when she went to sleep. It drained the batteries to wear them constantly. But she was almost completely deaf without them. At least with them, she could hear voices and environmental noises, even if she couldn’t make out what was being said. When had she last changed the batteries? Was it really only this morning? Calculating, she figured even if she left them in tonight, she had another three days. And she had spare batteries in her overnight bag.

That settled it. They were staying in.

Flopping over onto her back, she sighed.

She didn’t expect to fall asleep, but soon found herself drifting off.

She woke suddenly and bolted upright, heart pounding.

Grabbing her phone, she checked the time. She had been asleep for two hours. What had wakened her? Sliding her legs over the side of her bed, she stood up and glanced around the room for some clue. Thunder rumbled and shook the house. The storm was directly overhead. That must have been what had startled her from sleep.

While she was relieved to have an explanation, she still felt anxious and unsettled. Rushing to the door, she opened it and peered out. Darkness enveloped everything. She knew the shadow in front of her was Seth, but dread filled her. She needed to see his face, to make sure he was safe.

“Seth?” she whispered. Her hand reached out and touched his face.

His phone light flashed on. He brought it closer to his face, probably so she could see his lips better. Standing, he stepped just inside her doorway.

“What’s wrong?” he said, signing at the same time.

“I don’t know. I just suddenly felt something was wrong.”

He started to answer her, then abruptly stopped. His head swung around to the left, and he used his phone to peer into the darkness.

“What?”

He made a shushing motion. Bringing the phone close enough so she could see his hands again he signed, “I think someone might have just walked out of my room.”

“Why didn’t you notice them going into it?” she signed back.

“I fell asleep. The storm just woke me.”

He stood up, every movement careful, and motioned that he was going to check his room. She grabbed his arm. Was he crazy, going after some maniac by himself? Using his phone for light again, he signed. “We are trapped. We’ll be safer once we know. Wait for me in your room.”

She wasn’t so confident that confronting her attacker would make them any safer, but it did make sense to figure out who they were dealing with. But as for waiting for him in her room... She looked back into the dark cavern beyond her doorway. Uh-uh.

Decision made, she stepped out into the hallway and started to follow him. A frown crossed his face. But he didn’t argue.

They crept to his room, but didn’t enter. He pointed toward the stairs and signed. She nodded to show she understood. Someone was arguing downstairs. Possibly whoever had left his room. She needed to keep close. He began to creep down the stairs, his steps exaggerated. For a second, she hesitated. She could make out the sounds of muffled voices below. The voices were too low and garbled for her to decipher much more than that. There were at least two voices, but she couldn’t even tell what gender they were.

Seth was getting ahead of her. She watched his shadow creep down another step. She went after him, using her hands to guide her along the wall. Fortunately, there was enough light coming in from the windows on the outside wall that she could make out the outline of the steps. She took care to step as gently as she could, fighting panic, knowing she wouldn’t hear it if the stairs creaked. But whoever was at the bottom of the stairs would.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Without knowing why, Jess knew something was wrong.

A hand grabbed her shoulder. Jess jumped, starting to turn. For a brief instant, she was aware of a slight aroma that she could not quite place. A second hand touched her back. A single hard shove propelled her toward the edge of the stairs. A scream ripped from her throat as she crashed downward into the darkness.

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