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“I don’t smell anything. What is it?” The breeze carried the second man’s words to her, distorted by the sudden stomping sounds of deer or some other four-legged creatures obviously made unhappy by the proximity of humans in their territory.
The first man turned slowly again, stopping when he faced directly toward her. Sally ducked down as though it might be possible for him to see them through the thin moonlight and the tree branches.
The man looked back toward his companion. “Perfume. I smell perfume. I think we’re close.” The echo hadn’t died from his last words when frenzied barking broke out. “See. Cowboy smells it too.” He turned back and cupped hands around his mouth. “Sally! Jen!”
“It’s Jonathan and Cowboy!”
Sally still whispered, despite her relief, and hot tears welled in her eyes. Determined not to let them fall, she pushed Jen through the pine boughs, then took a moment to compose herself. Jonathan worked for Luke’s Aunt Peg at the lodge. Besides Rachel, he was Sally’s only close friend. What was he doing out here looking for them? Was he with Luke? Eager to know Luke was all right, Sally stepped out of the trees just as Cowboy, the former military K-9 Luke’s brother had brought back from Afghanistan after they both were wounded, bounded to Jen and danced around her excitedly. Jonathan laughed warmly as he scooped her daughter into a bear hug.
He stopped when he saw her just standing there. “Sally? Are you okay?”
“Almost.” She strode toward him, suddenly self-conscious of Luke’s T-shirt and her disheveled hair. “I didn’t expect to seeyouout here.”
Jonathan grinned. “Well, I didn’t really expect to be out here looking foryoueither.”
“Is Luke with you?” From the corner of her eye, she caught a movement and turned, expecting to see him smiling at her. The smile was familiar, but it was worn by Luke’s brother, Garrett, as he covered the last few feet to join them.
He placed his cell phone to his ear. “We got ’em…yeah…see you in a few…yep, here she is.” Garrett extended the phone to Sally, and he didn’t have to tell her who it was.
Knowing Luke was alive turned her knees to rubber, and it was all she could do to force herself to take the phone. Somehow, she rasped out Luke’s name.
“Are you and Jen all right?” He sounded exhilarated and relieved at the same time.
“We’re fine, Luke. Are you okay? Where are you? What happened? We heard gunshots.”
“Slow down. We’ll catch up later. I’m not far from you. I called Garrett as soon as I crashed my ride. He and Jonathan came to help me find you.” He paused, and Sally got the feeling he was listening to her erratic breathing. When he spoke, he was dead serious. “I told you I’d find you, babe.”
Sally nodded but didn’t know what to say to that. “Is your truck history?”
Luke snorted. “That gutless piece of shit? It’s time I bought a new one anyway.”
They laughed together and, for the first moment in a very long time, Sally felt whole. Was it possible to go back? Recapture something that had died such a resounding death? Sally shook her head and squeezed her eyes closed. She’d never know unless she opened herself up to the possibility, but the thought of trying and failing again scared her to death.
Chapter Six
Luke reached the abandoned logging road, where Garrett had told him the vehicles would be parked, before anyone else arrived. His brother’s Jeep and the lodge’s old beater pickup that Jonathan drove glimmered in the starlight ahead. Approaching cautiously, Luke focused all his senses to discern whether any unwelcome visitors waited there. Satisfied the area was deserted, he dropped his duffel—saved from the doomed pickup at the last moment—and knelt in the shadows by one of the Jeep’s wheels. Still on high alert, he was anxious to see with his own eyes that Sally and Jen were unharmed.
He didn’t have long to wait. Quiet voices drifted to him, and he studied the darkness until he caught sight of the beam from the flashlight moving through the trees. Cowboy loped into the clearing first, followed by Jonathan, carrying Jen. Luke rose silently and moved a step away from the Jeep. Jonathan evidently spotted him, bent at the waist and set Jen on her feet.
The little girl jogged toward him. At the last second, Luke dropped to his knees and caught her in a hug.
“Luke!” Her voice was low, yet filled with excitement and joy.
He held her tightly, picking her up as he got to his feet, her heart beating rapidly against him. She wound her arms around his neck and her quiet sniffling gave away her tears. Strong emotions formed a lump in his throat.
Damn. He loved this little girl and he wouldn’t handle it well if anything happened to her. “It’s all right, Jen. You’re safe.”
Luke couldn’t read Sally’s expression when she finally stepped into the feeble light cast by the moon. Worry was obvious and understandable. The axis of her world had just tilted several degrees. He’d fix it if he could, but it wasn’t within his power. All he could do was give his life if that was what it took to keep them both safe.
He settled Jen on one arm and held his other out to Sally. She hesitated a moment, searching his eyes, then shuffled toward him. Luke reached for her when she paused and pulled her in for a three-way hug. Once she was beside Jen, Sally relaxed against him and her stuttering sigh yanked at his heartstrings even as her warmth reminded him of comforts he’d not thought of for a long while.
Jonathan strode toward his pickup, and Garrett was futilely trying to control a pleased grin when Luke frowned at him over Sally’s head.
Garrett cleared his throat, propped his hands on his hips and became the serious big brother. “Mission accomplished. Now let’s get you back to the lodge. These two young ladies are asleep on their feet.” He walked to the Jeep and opened the driver’s door.
Luke released Sally, then set Jen on her feet next to her mother. “We won’t be going to the lodge.”
Sally’s surprised gaze darted toward him.
