The Thanksgiving Target

The Thanksgiving Target
Laura Scott

Army lieutenant Max Forrester is home on leave, and looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with his sister, Melissa. Then he finds her fighting for her life in the hospital. All he wants is to protect his sibling…until another damsel in distress crosses his path. Someone's stalking Tara Carmichael, Melissa's social worker, and the danger she's in is very real.Max knows she needs his help–if only he could find a way to protect both women at once! And Tara and Melissa aren't the only ones in danger when the stalker's true target is revealed.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were being stalked?” Max asked.

“Because I didn’t know for sure,” Tara said. “I didn’t really believe it, until I saw…my dog.”

Max stared at her intently for a long moment, then leaned his hips back against her kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “You have fifteen minutes to pack.”

“What?” She stared back at him.

“Tara, I’m not leaving you here alone with some stalker on the loose. I’ll find a safe haven.”

Admittedly, the idea held some appeal. She’d be closer to the hospital, able to keep an eye on Max’s sister. And if she stubbornly insisted on staying in her house, she doubted she’d get any sleep. She’d lie awake, frighteningly aware of every sound.

But going with Max would be a risk, too. She was already feeling too close to him. Too grateful for his protection.

LAURA SCOTT

grew up reading faith-based romance books by Grace Livingston Hill, but as much as she loved the stories, she longed for a bit more mystery and suspense. She is honored to write for the Love Inspired Suspense line at Steeple Hill Books, where a reader can find a heartwarming journey of faith amidst the thrilling danger.

Laura lives with her husband of twenty-five years and has two children, a daughter and a son, who are both in college. She works as a critical care nurse during the day at a large level-one trauma center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and spends her spare time writing romance.

Please visit Laura at www.laurascottbooks.com as she loves to hear from her readers.

The Thanksgiving Target

Laura Scott

In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.

—Psalms 18:6

To my husband, Scott, with love—thanks for a truly

blessed twenty-five years of marriage. I look forward

to many more cherished years together!

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

ONE

“Wait a minute. Stop right there,” a female vice commanded. “Who let you in?”

Lieutenant’s Max Forrester’s head snapped up, and he belatedly realized there was a woman at his sister Lissa’s hospital bedside. A chair with a discarded blanket on the seat was tucked in the corner where she must have been sitting.

Who was she? The ICU clerk had told him Lissa’s visitors were restricted.

“Are you Gary?” she asked sharply, a dark scowl marring her otherwise dainty features. She was young, about Lissa’s age, her long dark hair pulled back in a braid that hung down to her shoulders. She was dressed in a conservative navy blue jacket and skirt, with an official-looking ID pinned to her lapel. Her radiating anger caught him off guard. “Don’t you dare touch her.”

Gary? Who was she talking about? He lifted his hands palm forward, hoping to calm her down. “I’m not Gary. I’m Lissa’s brother, Max Forrester. The woman at the desk checked my ID before letting me in.”

“Her brother?” The petite woman eyed him suspiciously, not giving him an inch. “Melissa didn’t mention a brother.”

She hadn’t? The news hurt. Why hadn’t Lissa said anything about him? True, they didn’t chat often, but she’d been happy to know he was coming home on leave to spend the Thanksgiving holiday together.

Glancing down at his sister, with her bruised and battered face, he realized this woman, who must be a friend of Lissa’s, had every right to be suspicious. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. Lissa couldn’t even breathe on her own because she wasn’t conscious. His sister must have been mugged to end up here like this.

“Here’s my ID,” he said, handing it to her. “I’ve been in Iraq the past three years and just arrived home on leave today. When Lissa didn’t meet me at the airport, I went to her apartment and her landlord told me she was here.”

The woman stared at his ID for a long moment, then handed it back with a weary sigh. “I’m sorry. I should have known Gary wouldn’t go so far as to disguise himself in army fatigues.”

“Who are you?” Max asked, putting his ID back in his wallet. “And who’s Gary?”

“My name is Tara Carmichael. I’m Melissa’s social worker.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed down at Lissa, with sorrow and despair. “Unfortunately, Gary is the man who did this to her.”