Hidden Legacy

“Hey.” Dalton put a hand out. “You know where you’re going, right? Caroline’s place is past the senior Harrisons’ about a quarter of a mile.”

He knew. This driveway was one long memory. He drove past the short drive to the house where her brother, Blake, lived with his daughter and his new wife, Heidi. He hadn’t had a chance to meet her yet.

As he approached Caroline’s parents’ home, the activity level increased. Officers and patrol cars with lights flashing dotted the mountain. The house glowed like a beacon. He’d spent so many happy hours in that house. Jeffrey and Eleanor had always welcomed him. Until he blew it with Caroline.

He forced his mind back to the present. Dwelling on the mistakes of the past wouldn’t change anything.

He followed the driveway past the Harrisons’ home and farther up the mountain. They’d hiked to the top of this mountain more than once, and Caroline always said this was where she wanted to live. At sixteen, she hadn’t been sure her dad would sell her the land.

Of course, Jeffrey Harrison had done one better. Jason could still remember the excitement in his mom’s voice as she’d filled him in. “Caroline stopped by last week,” she’d said. “She’s so excited. Jeffrey and Eleanor gave her the top of the mountain for her twenty-fifth birthday. She’s meeting with an architect this week and planning her dream house.”

He eased around a final curve. Dream house, indeed.

She’d always been fond of stonework, and the house blended seamlessly into the mountain. Positioned as it was, the views from the deck would be breathtaking, but only one view captured his mind.

Caroline Harrison.

Even after all this time, he couldn’t look at her without seeing his long-lost best friend. If only he could erase that night. That one conversation. That one kiss that had ruined everything. If he’d kept his mouth shut...

No. It had been the right decision then. Still was. Still hurt.

He stepped from the car and made his way through the throng of first responders, most of whom he knew were off duty. He couldn’t fault them. Armed intruders weren’t part of the daily grind in Etowah, North Carolina.

He stepped into the glow shining from floodlights, and she looked into his eyes.

“Jason.”

It was the first time she’d willingly spoken to him in thirteen years, and in her voice he heard a whisper of hope. Not hope for the future they could never have. But maybe hope for the forgiveness he did not deserve.

She offered him a wavering smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”

An olive branch? “Me, too.” He stared into her eyes a few moments longer than he should have. So many things needed to be said, but they would have to wait. Michael and a young officer were headed their way.

“Heard you’d been assigned the case,” Michael said.

“Yeah. Bring me up to speed.”

TWO (#u6fc7dc54-6373-5bd8-b88a-1e8a31c54c99)

Caroline half listened as they filled Jason in.

“Responded to the call at 7:12... Shots fired... Neither Caroline nor Henry was hurt... Caroline said he took off when he heard the sirens.”

At that line, his eyes flicked in her direction and then lingered. Jason’s face twisted with an expression she couldn’t read. Was he angry? Frustrated? Amused? She chewed on her inner lip. She used to be able to read his face from across a classroom and know exactly what he was thinking.

“We’ve checked the property as much as we can in the dark. We’ll be back out here in the morning to look for tracks.”

“Security system?”

“Like nothing I’ve ever seen. But the intruder managed to disable it.”

Jason turned to her. “What’s the story on your security?”

“I don’t know much about it other than that it’s high-tech. Heidi, my sister-in-law, had it installed. She’s an FBI agent.” Jason didn’t seem as surprised as she’d expected him to be. So, his mom had been filling him in over the years. She should have figured. Their moms had been friends for twenty-five years. She suspected they held out hope that she and Jason would kiss and make up.

Not likely.

The kissing was what had messed up everything to begin with.

Michael’s phone rang. He apologized and stepped away to answer it. Jason turned to the other officer, clapping him on the shoulder. “Good work tonight.” The officer, who couldn’t be more than twenty-three, stood taller under his praise.

“Thank you, sir.” He nodded at Caroline. “Ma’am.”

When he walked away, she looked at Jason. “Ma’am? Really? I’m not that old.”

He gave her another look she couldn’t decipher. “No, you aren’t. But he is that young.” He glanced around. “Where’s Henry?”

Caroline pointed toward the house. “He fell asleep as soon as the EMTs were done checking us out,” she said. “One of the officers gave me permission to lay him down in the pack ’n’ play. He can sleep through anything.”

Jason smiled. “I want to meet him, but I guess that will have to wait. Could you walk me through what happened?”

“Okay.”

Unease crept through her as she reentered the house. Was it from replaying the horrible memory of earlier that night? Or was it because the man walking behind her stood on this same spot thirteen years ago and broke her heart as he swore he’d never waste his life living in this little town? Nothing she could say had convinced him to stay. Even when she’d told him how she felt... Her skin warmed in the cool evening air. That was a long time ago. She’d been young. She’d been stupid.

She was neither of those things anymore.

She forced herself to stay in the present and went through the events of the evening, showing Jason how she’d come in, where she’d dropped her keys, the light that didn’t work in the garage.

When she got back to her car, she ran out of words. Someone had tried to kill her tonight. Her home, her haven, her sanctuary had been violated. And now, Jason was back.

Oh, Father, how did my life wind up this way?

She didn’t know how long she stared at her car—a still-life metaphor for her messed-up world.

A gentle tug on her elbow pulled her back to the present. Jason edged between her and the car and looked deep into her eyes. This time, she had no difficulty understanding the emotion she saw there. She’d recognize that look of determination anywhere.

“Caroline.” He swallowed hard and tried again. “You have no reason to trust me, or believe me, or even want me around.” Regret pierced every word. “But I promise you I will not stop until we’ve found out what’s going on.”

Caroline noted that he hadn’t said they’d catch the guy. She’d learned that much from Heidi. No matter what branch they were in, the really good law enforcement officers never made a promise they couldn’t keep. Still, there was comfort in his intensity.

“Thank you, Jason.”

He smiled and quirked an eyebrow at her. “Mom says you come by at least once a month.”

She would have appreciated the change of subject if it had been anything else. Were they going to talk about this now? Keep it light, she chanted to herself. “I like your mom.” She forced a smile. “Of course, I can’t go by more often. I gain five pounds every time I walk in the door.”

Jason patted his stomach. “Tell me about it. I’m having to put in a couple extra miles every day now.”