Danger on the Mountain

“Where’s Belle?” Eli asked.

“In her playpen.” Maggie glanced through the door and into the den. “She’s content right now.”

Eli looked at Mitchell, one of his deputies. “Anything on that red substance?”

“It’s not blood.” He held up the cotton swab he’d used to test the writing. “Maybe paint or some kind of marker.”

“Let’s get all this stuff bagged.” He looked at Maggie. “We’ll have to send it off to the lab in Asheville. It may take a while to hear back.”

She nodded and ran a hand through her blond hair. She looked tired, the gray smudges under her eyes attesting to the fact that she hadn’t gotten much sleep since the robbery. She asked, “What do I do now? If this person is determined to get to me, how do Belle and I—” she shot a glance at Mrs. Adler “—and everyone else in my life, stay safe?”

Reese’s jaw firmed. “I live right across the lake, so I can help keep an eye on things.” He looked at Eli. “Would it be possible to have deputies on duty drive by every couple of hours for the next few days?”

Eli blew out a sigh and was quiet while he thought about it. Then he said, “Fortunately, we’re not short-staffed anymore. At least we won’t be when Cal and Abby get back from Washington. They’re due home any time now.” Reese nodded. Cal McIvers was also a deputy on the small Rose Mountain police force. Abby, Cal’s wife, was Reese’s former sister-in-law. Their unconditional love and support had been instrumental in influencing his move to the mountain.

“That’ll help.”

Eli pulled out his notebook again and wrote as he spoke. “I’ll set up a schedule for the drive-bys.” He looked at Maggie. “And we can set up a check-in schedule for you.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“You call either Reese or me throughout the day at designated times to let us know you’re all right. It doesn’t have to take long, just a simple, ‘I’m fine.’”

Reese nodded. “She can call me.” He looked into her eyes. “I’ll be available, day or night. If you even feel uneasy, call.”

He saw her throat work, the protest form on her lips. Before she could utter a word, he stated firmly, “It’s not an imposition. Let me do this. If something happened to you—or Belle—I’d...probably blame myself for letting you talk me out of it. So let’s just save me the guilt, okay?”

“Let him do it, honey,” Mrs. Adler chimed in. “With the crazy stuff happening in this town lately, it wouldn’t hurt.” She shook her head. “First Eli has to take over for a crooked sheriff, then drugs being funneled through the elementary school then someone chasing down that sweet Abby McIvers and trying to kill her...” The woman trailed off, her muttered words making Reese wince.

He’d been part of Abby O’Sullivan McIvers’s grief. His sister-in-law. He’d blamed her for his wife and daughter’s deaths and she’d run from him. Straight to Rose Mountain, where she’d met and married Cal McIvers, one of Rose Mountain’s deputies. Now she had a flourishing pediatric medical practice and the residents of Rose Mountain kept her busy enough that she’d started looking for a partner. Thankfully, Reese had been able to be friendly with her and Cal.

Maggie looked confused. “Dr. Abby?” So she hadn’t heard the story of how he’d come to Rose Mountain.

He nodded. “Yes.”

Before Mrs. Adler could add to her dialogue about all the bad things happening recently on the mountain, a cry sounded from inside the house.

Belle.

Maggie darted inside while Eli walked Mrs. Adler to her car. “Why don’t you call it a day?”

“I believe I will.” She climbed in and drove down the drive that would lead her to the two-lane mountain road.

Reese watched her go. The storm door squeaked open and Maggie stepped outside with Belle on her hip.

His heart flipped then settled.

Why was he reacting this way? He hadn’t felt anything like attraction for a woman since Keira’s death. And now this. He was developing feelings for the mother of a baby. He shook his head at himself and decided he’d better focus on her safety and not the fact that he wanted to push aside his insecurities and fears and lose himself in the possibility that God might have something planned for him and Maggie.