Page 41 of Glimmer in the Darkness

Her eyes widened.

“I know it sounds cliché, but whatever it was is likely more scared of us than we are of it.”

Her lips tipped up in an almost smile. “You’re scared of it?”

“Obviously you are. I was trying to make you feel better.”

The smile widened, and she patted his forearm. “It’s okay, James. I’ll protect you.”

He chuckled. “We never did pick up the trail again. I thought if we just kept going, we’d catch it.”

“The kidnapper must go a different way.”

If James and Cassidy had even caught a human trail. For all he knew, the little path he’d found had been forged by wildlife, not humans.

But a cold chill skittered over his skin. He thought of the person in the woods by his house two days before. The person who’d been following Cassidy.

Who’d seen James talk to her. Who’d probably heard him call her name.

Was somebody out there?

Were they being watched?

Chapter Fourteen

Cassidy might’ve downplayed her injuries a little too much. As afternoon turned to evening, her hip throbbed and her shoulder ached. She hadn’t been thinking straight after her fall. She’d been discombobulated at the sight of James rushing to her aid. More than that, at the nickname, Cassy. James was the only person who’d ever called her that, and only after they’d started dating, kissing, falling in love.

Those old feelings had never gone far, and his tenderness had pulled them to the surface.

If this were a romance novel, now would be the time for her to remind herself of all the reasons she couldn’t be with him. Buried secrets, a distrust of men, a desire not to get attached.

None of those defined Cassidy. She’d learned to trust good men. Having lived most of her life separate and alone, she desired attachment more than the average person. And, God willing, as much as it terrified her, her secrets would all be revealed when they found Ella.

In any possible romantic scenario between Cassidy and James—if he had any feelings for her at all—there was just one reason, one giant reason, they couldn’t be together: her part in his sister’s death.

If he could forgive her, if they could move past it…

Two giant ifs.

Giant enough that she tried not to hope. The problem was, hope had saved her and guided her and fueled her for a decade. She could no more tamp it down than she could darken the sun.

The God of Hope—that was the first name for her Lord that she’d latched onto. And she wouldn’t let it go for fear she might get hurt. After all, He was the God of all Comfort, too, wasn’t He? He could handle her hope and her heartbreak. He could handle it all.

As they climbed the narrow trail, hope and pain were in a battle. Hope that they’d find Ella.

Pain begging her to quit.

Another feeling pulled her attention, though. Fear.

Ever since that noise earlier, she’d couldn’t shake the feeling that somebody was watching them. She’d brought it up once, and James had stopped and peered around. She’d expected him to brush her off or offer empty promises that they were safe, but he hadn’t.

“It was probably an animal. But…”

The but was the part that scared her.

There was nothing to do but continue the trek. The exertion kept them from talking. Every so often, James would ask if the surroundings looked familiar. Not yet, though she felt they were moving in the right direction. She didn’t know why, couldn’t have identified the things that gave her that impression. God, perhaps? Or some instinct or long-buried memory? But what had felt futile after her fall no longer did. They’d find the cave, as long as they didn’t quit.

She couldn’t speak for James, but nothing short of death or serious injury would stop her. She’d overcome a lot of risk to get to this place, all to save Ella, to stop the kidnapper from destroying more lives. She’d keep at it until Ella was safe in her father’s arms.