Amish Christmas Emergency Read online

  What did it matter what he thought? It wasn’t like the man was going to be a permanent fixture in her life.

  Turning her back on those worries, she opened her book again almost defiantly. And was sucked into the story. She read a couple of chapters, then her cell phone pinged. She glanced up. And screamed.

  Someone was staring through her window.

  * * *

  No news was good, right?

  For the hundredth time, Gavin chastised himself for not checking in with Alexa before he arrived to work that morning. Just to prove to himself that she was fine. Each time, he’d try to convince himself that he’d know if she wasn’t. Zee had driven past her house several times during the night, and she’d talked to Alexa that morning before going off duty.

  It wasn’t the same as calling her himself, though.

  At least he knew that she hadn’t gone to work. That was something. He felt bad about it, but it couldn’t be helped. Gavin leaned sideways in his chair and pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket. It was only ten minutes until five in the evening. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he’d seen Alexa face-to-face and knew all was well with her. He didn’t ask himself why it was so important that he be the one to speak with her. It could have been done by any officer. And he was supposed to be off the clock.

  If only Noah Hostetler could have given him something to go on, maybe he could relax. As it was, Noah had nothing to give him on the shooter.

  Grabbing his coat, he shrugged into it as he stalked out of the office. The parking lot was slick. At least the snow had dwindled to a light flurry. He could handle that. In his impatience, he wanted to run to his car. Instead, he was forced to walk slowly so as not to fall and embarrass himself.

  The drive to Alexa’s house was equally frustrating. The plows and salt trucks were out, but they were a bit behind with their snow removal efforts. What would normally be a ten-minute drive was going to take almost twenty.

  He was within a few blocks when his phone rang. It was Alexa’s number. His gut knotted. Why was she calling? Was something wrong? Despite the fact that he’d been waiting for her to call all day, a feeling of dread pooled in the pit of his stomach. He punched the button to put the call on speaker.

  “Alexa? What’s wrong?”

  “Gavin?” He winced at the quaver in her voice. His concern went up a notch. “Someone was looking in my window. He was staring at me!”

  “Get away from the windows! I’m two minutes away.”

  He flipped the switch to turn on his siren and set his lights flashing. The cars in front of him slowed and pulled over. He moved ahead of them, muttering a prayer for her safety as he traveled.

  The last mile and a half of the trip took forever. Finally, he arrived, pulling into the short driveway. As he hopped out of the car, the front door opened. The light from inside the house surrounded Alexa, giving the impression that she was glowing.

  “Go inside,” he ordered. “I’m going to take a look around.”

  He waited until she had complied, then circled the house. There were indeed footprints by her kitchen windows. The curtains were closed now. Had they been earlier? The prints in the snow circled the house. The stalker had been watching her for more than a few minutes.

  He was bold, that was for sure. And determined.

  Alexa Grant was in grave danger.

  He had his hand raised to knock when the door was yanked open. Alexa grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the house.

  “Did you see him? I was so scared! Who was it?”

  He held up his hands to stem the flow of questions, shaking his head. “Easy. No, I didn’t see him. But I did find footprints beneath your kitchen windows and all the way around your house. I think a police cruiser driving by won’t be enough to deter your stalker.”

  To his surprise, she merely nodded. He’d expected an argument. “I nearly had a heart attack when I saw someone peeking in. I was reading to help myself relax, and I looked up and he was there. But I couldn’t get a good look. It was already getting dark out. I saw a shadow, but no face. And glasses. I think he was wearing glasses.” She hugged her arms around his waist. “It was a good thing you were so close.”

  Startled by her sudden embrace, Gavin stood still for a moment. He had no idea what to do. Comforting damsels in distress was not his forte. He reached out and gave her an awkward pat on her shoulder. Should he say something? His mind was a blank. A hint of fragrance rose from her hair, distracting him. It wasn’t a heavy perfume scent, but a subtle floral. Just a trace. But enough to catch his attention. It suited her.

  Whoa. Where had that thought come from?

  This wasn’t going to work. Clearing his throat, he patted her shoulder one last time then backed up. Her arms dropped. She wrapped them around herself. He watched the tide of red creep up her cheeks.

  Ouch. The last thing he’d wanted to do was to embarrass her. He wasn’t cut out to deal with this kind of stuff. Probably why Lacey had preferred his suave brother over socially awkward Gavin.

  “So what now?” she asked, still not meeting his eyes.

  “Alexa, look at me.” He kept his voice soft, willing her to glance up.

  Slowly her eyes rose to his. Man, she was pretty. “Yes?”

  “I will keep you safe. I will find this guy, whoever he is. And I will put him behind bars.” He knew better than to make empty promises. But these promises he meant with all his being. He would do whatever he needed to protect her.

  Her lips tilted in a smile. It wasn’t reflected in her eyes, but he appreciated the effort. Reaching out, he squeezed her arm.

  “Right,” he said, releasing her. “I need to call the station and give an update. We need to start searching the neighborhood.”

  Before the stalker disappeared again.

  He radioed the call in. Within a minute, his radio began beeping. The dispatcher’s voice broke through the static. When the address was stated over the radio, Alexa rubbed her hands over her face.

  “It’s very unsettling hearing an emergency call at your own address.”

  He smiled at the dry tone in Alexa’s voice. She was handling the situation well, but it couldn’t have been easy. “I’m sure it is.”

  A rusty, reluctant chuckle slipped from her. “I will never again complain about being bored. Having nothing going on is a good thing.”

  He laughed with her. Somehow, he doubted that she complained very much. She didn’t seem like she allowed herself the luxury of sharing her thoughts and feelings that much. Kind of like him.

  Her stomach growled.

  He stood straighter. “It’s dinnertime. You need to eat.”

  She pushed herself to her feet. “Better than sitting and waiting for something else to happen.”

  Following her to the kitchen, he watched her begin to search for something to eat. When it became clear, however, that she wasn’t feeling up to making anything too fancy, he stepped in. No way was he going to have a diabetic emergency on his hands on top of everything else. Ignoring her protests, he clamped his hands on her shoulders and maneuvered her to the table.

  “You rest. I got it covered.”

  Within a few minutes, he had a simple but hearty dinner in front of her. She narrowed her eyes but obliged him by taking a bite. He smiled. It was amazing how much pleasure it gave him just to see her eat a healthy meal.

  Swallowing, she reached for her water and took a sip. “You seem very comfortable doing this.” She waved her hand over the food.

  “I’ve had practice. My uncle Leo had type two diabetes. I lived with him for a couple of years after college. He didn’t take care of himself, and his numbers got way out of hand. I made it my business to make sure his diabetes was under control again.” Allowing his thoughts to dwell on his uncle, his chest tightened briefly. He scowled. “He was a cop.”

  “
Is that why you became a cop?”

  “Yeah. He was the person I most admired.” His lips twitched into a smile. Uncle Leo had been so proud when he’d graduated from the academy. “I used to drive him crazy with questions about the police force. Back when I first lived with him, I thought that being a cop sounded pretty glamorous. It’s not. There’s a lot of details and reports. And sometimes, things get dangerous for no reason at all. But I like to think that I’m doing something that matters. Uncle Leo always said that was the important thing to remember. Always make your actions matter.”

  “What about your parents?”

  The smile melted. The warmth in his heart chilled. He wasn’t ready to discuss that. Some wounds were best left alone.

  He shoved himself away from the counter he’d been leaning against. “Eat up, Alexa. It’s going to be a long night.”

  Hopefully, one that ended without anyone getting hurt. Or worse.

  FIVE

  Within half an hour, flashlights were circling outside. Every now and then, Gavin would look across the street and see curious neighbors and onlookers standing on the sidewalk. Cars would drive by and slow down, the drivers twisting their necks to get a good look at what was going on.

  It wouldn’t surprise him if there was an accident in front of Alexa’s house thanks to all the rubberneckers. He snorted in disgust. People needed to mind their own business. Deliberately he turned his back to the street, forcing himself to concentrate on finding something, anything, that could lead to Alexa’s stalker.

  As he’d expected, there wasn’t much to find. The footprints were smaller than his own size ten and a half. Probably about a nine, if he had to guess. Unfortunately, shoe size alone didn’t reveal any suspects.

  It was going on eight by the time the search was completed. The snow was completely trampled, footprints blending together. There was no point in continuing to look. Chief Kennedy sent the other officer on scene, Sergeant Miles Olsen, home to his pregnant wife, while he finished up with Gavin, who had a lot of respect for his boss. Chief Kennedy was honest, fair and thorough. He was a man of his word who was firmly dedicated to serving the people of LaMar Pond.

  In a low voice, Gavin related all that he had found out to his boss. The chief whistled. “That’s an awful lot for one person to handle. I don’t think she should stay here by herself.”

  Gavin nodded, frustrated. “Agreed. But where would she go? Her only family is a brother, but she refuses to go there. I’m trying to convince her to stay home from work. She said that they are very short-staffed right now.”

  “I will see what I can come up with in the morning. For now, I am going to put on officer on duty here. I want you to bring her into my office tomorrow morning first thing. She may not like it, but she can’t go to work. Let’s see if we can come up with a plan.”

  “Yes, sir.” He hesitated. Then decided to ask. “Chief, is everything okay with Irene? I’m not trying to pry,” he hurried to add.

  Chief Kennedy smiled and bounced once on his toes. The air of glee around the man was almost tangible. Which was totally out of character. “She’s fine, Jackson. Great. Y’all are going to find out soon enough, so I might as well tell you. Irene’s pregnant again.”

  Wow. He hadn’t expected that. “You’re going to be a dad?”

  “Jackson,” the chief said, shaking his head in mock reprimand, “I’m already a dad.”

  Alarmed at his mistake, Gavin quickly tried to fix his error. “Yes, sir. I know that. I didn’t mean to imply—”

  “Relax, Sergeant. I’m just having fun with you. I know what you meant.”

  He should just let it go. Gavin knew that. But suddenly he wondered how Irene’s two boys, AJ and Matthew, would feel about the new kid? Would they feel like they were second best? Somehow less than the new child? He knew that feeling all too well. Feeling like he was walking a very tight line, he decided to speak his mind. “Please don’t take this wrong way, sir. I know you’re a good dad. I’ve seen you with AJ and Matthew, and it’s obvious you think the world of them.”

  How to proceed?

  The chief nodded, his expression neutral. “Go ahead, Jackson. Speak your mind.”

  “I just want to say, it’s really important that they know that just because there’s going to be a new baby in the house, it doesn’t mean that they are loved less. They need to be reassured that because they’re stepchildren doesn’t mean they are less your kids than the new one.”

  He puffed out his cheeks, then let the breath whoosh out of him, knowing he’d overstepped. He could not regret it though. Not if it helped those boys grow up knowing their worth. Not like he had. Although, he hadn’t been a step-child. But he did know what it was like to be constantly in a sibling’s shadow. Sam had always been the child who garnered the majority of their parents’ attention. He excelled in everything he did. Sports. Academics. Gavin could recall hearing his parents say that they expected great things from Sam. They were so proud of him.

  “What about Gavin?” they’d been asked.

  His dad had just shrugged.

  It didn’t matter if his parents thought he was second best. God loved him. Even with his flaws. Even if no one else valued him, he knew God did. That was enough.

  Instead of telling him to mind his own business, the chief gave him a deep look, one that told Gavin his chief heard more than he’d said. Certainly, more than he was comfortable with the man knowing. “Jackson, I hear you. I also agree with you. That’s why Irene and I have decided that I will adopt the boys. They will always know of Tony, but I will be their father. I already love them as much as if they were my own flesh and blood.”

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, Gavin ducked his head briefly and cleared his throat. “Right. I will bring Alexa by in the morning.”

  The chief smiled, clearly not fooled. Gavin was relieved when the man went along with the subject change.

  Gavin went into the house to talk to Alexa. She wasn’t going to like what he had to say, but that was just too bad. Her safety, and the safety of those at the clinic, had to come first.

  Five minutes later, he found her inside, talking with Zee. The two women were speaking in low voices.

  “Ladies, may I interrupt to speak with Alexa for a few minutes?”

  Both women looked at him. While Zee gave him her usual smile, Alexa’s gaze was considerably cooler. Uh-oh. He recalled the way he’d refused to answer her question earlier, before the others arrived. He knew his tone of voice had been abrupt. If he had to guess, she was still upset with him about that. He held back the wince that wanted to form on his face. He was here to investigate a crime, not to protect her feelings. Or to discuss his past.

  That didn’t mean he needed to be rude, though. He sighed. There was no way around it. He’d have to apologize.

  “Sure, Jackson. I need to go talk to the chief anyways.” Zee left the room.

  Silence descended. It was thick.

  “Alexa, I apologize if I was rude before. One thing you’d know if you knew me better is that I tend to be abrupt. Nothing personal.”

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s not much of an apology. But I suppose I shouldn’t have asked something personal. I know you’re here to protect me and to find the guy who’s after me. Not to be my friend and hold my hand.”

  Actually, the idea of holding her hand had its appeal.

  What? No. Absolutely not. He was not going there.

  “Glad we got that cleared up. The chief wants you in his office in the morning. We need to see what we can find out about your stalker.”

  “What you’re really telling me is that work tomorrow is out of the question.” There was no inflection in her voice. He couldn’t tell if she was agreeing or asking him.

  “Exactly. Yeah.” He stood quietly, waiting to see what her response would be.

  She surprised him. Moving
to the window, she lifted a slat on the blind and peered out. From the back, he saw the muscles in her shoulders tighten. The finger holding the slat shook slightly.

  “What do I do if he comes back tonight, Gavin?”

  Her voice was soft, but he could still hear the tremor layered beneath it. She was terrified and doing her best to keep it under wraps.

  “Lexie.” He stepped closer. Her shoulders tightened even more. “I won’t lie to you. He’s still out there somewhere. But the chief is putting an officer right outside all night. We might end up moving you, even. For now, though, you aren’t going to be left alone.”

  “Why’d you call me that?”

  Huh? He’d expected a question about what he told her, not that. What had he called her? Lexie. Oh yeah. You don’t give people you’re protecting pet names. Too late. He shrugged. “Lexie? I don’t know. It just slipped out. Sorry.”

  She moved a quarter turn, so that her face was in profile. It was hard to see her features. They were in the shadows. “It’s all right. I don’t mind. My grandfather used to call me that. When I was a kid. He died when I was nine.”

  “If it bothers you—”

  “It’s fine.” Visibly shaking herself out of her mood, she released the slat. It settled back into place with a click. “So I need to call in tomorrow. Fine. Dr. Quinton will probably fire me, but hey, it’s just a job.”

  He couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. “Sorry, but that’s the way it has to be. For now.” If only there was something else he could do for her.

  “Gavin, can I ask you something?”

  He glanced back at her, surprised at the hesitant tone of her voice. “Yeah. Go ahead. What do you want to know?”

  He assumed it was about the case, or about the protection detail. He was wrong.

  “At the hospital, you told Naomi that you put your trust in God. Were you being serious?”