Читать книгу Christmas Haven - Hope White - Страница 9

The warmth of Morgan’s hand holding hers shot a sense of peace across her body as they lay in the grass overlooking Puget Sound. She closed her eyes, savoring this moment, wanting it to last forever.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

She turned to look into his blue-green eyes, filled with love and adoration.

“No, I’m perfect,” she whispered.

“That you are.” He leaned over and kissed her, his lips soft and gentle. Her heart tapped against her chest.

Love. This is what love feels like, she thought. She wanted to hang on to it. Forever.

Then it was gone, her lips suddenly chilled, her hands frigid.

She opened her eyes to an empty spot where Morgan had just been beside her.

“Morgan?”

A gunshot echoed across the water. She jumped to her feet and spun around to see Morgan fall to his knees, clutching his chest.

“Morgan!”

She rushed to him, gripping his shoulders, searching his eyes. They were coal-black, dead. He fell to the ground, blood staining his shirt.

“No!” A sob wracked her chest.

“Yes,” a voice said. Through tear-filled eyes she glanced up, struggling to focus on the man standing a few feet away. “And now it’s your turn.” BANG!

“No!” she screamed.

“Julie, wake up.”

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see past the shooter’s black eyes…Morgan’s lifeless eyes. Heartbreak ripped through her.

“Jules.” He pulled her against his chest. “Wake up.”

A choke-sob escaped her lips as she clung to his leather jacket, willing the images away.

“It’s okay. You’re home,” Morgan said.

Boy, did she feel home as she leaned into his solid chest and inhaled the scent of pine mixed with aftershave.

For a few seconds she basked in the feeling of security…of love. Then the flash of Morgan being shot, the life dimming from his eyes and the blood covering his shirt, shot a new wave of panic through her body.

“I shouldn’t have fallen asleep,” she said, breaking the embrace and casting a worried glance out the back window. They were at her mom’s.

“No one followed us,” Morgan offered as if reading her mind.

She whipped the car door open and charged up the driveway, needing to get away from him. The front door swung open and Mom opened her arms. Julie welcomed the gesture and held on tight.

“Hey, what’s all this?” her mom asked.

Julie couldn’t form words past the terror of her nightmare.

Morgan had been killed. Because of her.

It had only been a dream, but it felt real. She wouldn’t be responsible for the death of someone she cared about, especially not Morgan. Hadn’t she hurt him enough?

“Jules, what is it?” Mom pushed.

“I missed you.”

“Hey, Morgan,” Mom said over Julie’s shoulder.

“Mrs. Burns,” he greeted with concern in his voice.

“What did you do to my daughter?” she joked.

“She fell asleep in the truck and had a bad dream.”

Mom stroked Julie’s back. “Probably about work. Let’s get you some tea. Morgan, will you join us?”

“No,” Julie said, breaking the embrace, but keeping her eyes on her mom. “He’s got someplace to be.”

“Nonsense. I made chocolate-chip-bacon cookies especially for you, Chief,” she enticed.

“How could I say no to that?” Morgan handed Julie her backpack.

“Thanks.” She grabbed it, not making eye contact. “I’m going to wash up.”

“Oh, okay,” Mom said.

Julie rushed up the stairs, away from the nightmare, away from Morgan.

“French Vanilla or Earl Grey?” Mom called after her.

“You pick,” Julie said, not looking back. She couldn’t. The sight of Morgan, alive and well, standing in her hallway, would only send another wave of panic through her body.

She tossed her backpack onto the bed and padded into the bathroom. A splash of cold water would shock her out of the fright of the nightmare. Whenever she’d been awakened by a nightmare as a child, Mom would have her splash water on her cheeks. After a few seconds she and Mom would end up giggling at the mess she’d made, essentially blasting the nightmare’s effects to smithereens.

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and splashed away. Two, three, four times. Studying her reflection in the mirror she whispered, “What am I doing here?”

The nightmare made her realize she could have brought trouble to her hometown, perhaps putting innocent people in danger. Her mom. Her sister.

“Morgan,” she whispered.

She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to him because of Julie’s job. She’d left him years ago to give him the freedom to live his life and follow his own dreams. She knew if she’d committed to a life with him that he’d follow her to Seattle and attend college or find a job. But that wasn’t his path.

His path had been to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a cop.

“Enough,” she scolded herself. She had to stop thinking about the past and figure out a way to stay safe. To keep her family safe.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have come home,” she whispered.

But she desperately needed some time with Mom and Lana before she disappeared off the grid for good. She’d been careful to cover her tracks to prevent anyone from following her, so she’d spend a day or two here, crack her brightest smile and enjoy time spent with Mom, Lana…and Morgan.

No, being with Morgan wasn’t enjoyable. It was torture.

She closed her eyes, remembering the first part of her nightmare, the feel of his hand warming hers, the kiss…

“Stop,” she hushed, trying to wipe the image, the feel of their kiss out of her mind.

It did no good to remember the feeling when it wasn’t real. Well, it had been real ten years ago, but she was pretty sure Morgan felt anything but love toward her right now.

Of course not. She’d broken his heart to follow her own dream. Fine, that’s what she’d use as her shield. She’d talk about her fulfilling work as a counselor, but not mention how dangerous it could be. That would only worry her mom and bring out Morgan’s protective instincts.

She didn’t want Morgan getting involved in her life, caring too much. The nightmare drove home the consequences of that possibility.

She brushed out her long, blond hair, applied lipgloss, only because her lips were dry, and headed downstairs.

Voices drifted into the hallway as she headed for the kitchen.

“No, she hasn’t mentioned anything unusually stressful at work. Why?” Mom said.

“Her nightmare made her cry out in her sleep. I’m wondering if something’s troubling her.”

Julie stepped into the kitchen. “Which tea did you pick?” she asked, changing the subject.

“I brewed us a white-pomegranate blend I’ve been wanting to try,” Mom said.

“Sounds great.” Julie didn’t look at Morgan. Couldn’t look at him for fear the image of a dead Morgan would send a shudder down her spine.

“I was asking your mother about your job,” Morgan said.

“I work at Teen Life. It’s great. Helping kids who really need it is so fulfilling,” she said, driving home that kids around Port Whisper had no worries compared to the homeless kids she counseled in the city.

“I’ll bet,” he said.

She didn’t expect that response. She figured he’d argue that kids in Port Whisper needed help, too. A memory of him confessing his home situation filled her with guilt. He’d opened up to her, told her that after his mom left, the revered police chief of Port Whisper had occasionally hit Morgan out of grief or frustration, and somehow Morgan felt as if it was his fault.

Julie pulled out the teacups and set them on the counter.

“What are some of your recent cases?” Morgan pressed.

Julie hesitated as she poured tea. He was fishing, trying to figure out what made her cry out in her sleep.

“Here, I’ll do that,” Mom said. “You sit with Morgan and catch up.”

Mom kissed Julie’s forehead and smiled. Mom had never given up on Morgan and Julie, especially since Morgan had never married. Julie heard he was engaged once, but it didn’t work out. She wondered why.

Julie sat down across from Morgan and forced a smile. He quirked a brow. Ugh. He knew her too well.

“Well,” she started, “we just had a kid placed in a really good foster home. That’s always exciting.”

“What about her parents?”

“His. They’re drug addicts. Gave up their rights to their two sons.”

“How sad,” Mom said.

Julie didn’t talk much about her work with her mom. She didn’t want to upset her. Or scare her. Julie had found herself in threatening situations from time to time, but she was prepared.

Except for what she saw earlier this week.

Mom served the tea and slid a plate of cookies between Julie and Morgan. She joined them at the table.

“Drug addicts,” Morgan said. “You deal with some pretty dangerous people.”

“Says the police chief,” Julie quipped.

“Police chief of a small, sleepy town.”

A small, sleepy town. Her words spoken to him during one of their last fights.

“So, Morgan, how’s your dad?” Mom interrupted the awkward moment.

“As well as can be expected,” he said. “He’s probably got only a few months.”

“I’m so sorry.” Julie’s mom glanced into her tea.

“Yeah, well, he led a productive life,” Morgan said. “Family, career, he had it all.”

Insinuating Julie had given up one for another.

“Bill is a good man,” Mom said.

Morgan shifted in his chair. His father appeared to be a good man to the outside world, and most of the time he was good. But Morgan and Julie knew there was another side to the chief, a dark, tortured side.

“How long are you staying around?” Morgan asked.

“A few days,” Julie said. That had been the original plan, although now she wondered if everyone would be better off if she got out of town sooner rather than later.

She still didn’t know how dangerous this situation was or what her pursuers wanted from her.

Sure you do. You witnessed a crime. They want you dead.

She shuddered.

“Honey, let me get you a sweater.” Mom jumped up and went to the front hall closet.

Morgan leaned across the table, narrowing his intense, blue-green eyes at her. “Are you going to tell me what’s really going on?”

She couldn’t rip her gaze from his. He knew something was wrong and he wasn’t going to back off. But she didn’t want to involve her family or Morgan in whatever danger was stalking her, and she surely didn’t need a lecture about the dangers of her job.

“It’s not your problem.” She got up and went to get a spoon to stir sugar into her tea.

“It is my problem if you’re in trouble and you’ve brought it to my town.”

She closed her eyes. Right. It was about Morgan protecting his citizens, not about him being worried about her.

Julie was about to tell him to mind his own business when Mom breezed into the kitchen.

“Here you go,” her mom said, hesitating. She glanced from Morgan to Julie. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Mom. Everything’s fine,” Julie said.

With a shake of his head, Morgan downed his tea and stood. “Thanks for the tea and cookies, Mrs. Burns.”

“You’re very welcome,” Mom said with a questioning frown.

“Good night.” With a nod Morgan left, shutting the front door with a resounding click.

Julie sighed and closed her eyes.

“Jules, sweetie, talk to me.” Mom placed her hand on Julie’s shoulder.

“I’m just burned out at work.”

“Julie?”

She glanced at her mom.

“I love you with all my heart,” Mom said. “I think a part of Morgan’s heart still loves you, too. We’re worried—”

“I’m fine,” Julie snapped, sitting at the kitchen table.

Mom walked up to her and rubbed her shoulders. “Whatever it is, we can work it out together.”

Julie wasn’t so sure. If the police couldn’t help Julie, Mom and Morgan surely couldn’t. Nor did she want to get them involved with whatever criminal element was stalking her.

She loved her mom too much.

Which would make it that much harder to leave again. But she had to. She couldn’t risk trouble following her here, to her mom’s house, to Morgan’s town.

“Honey, please,” her mother pleaded.

“Something happened at work.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Julie shook her head. “I can’t. Not yet.”

Mom frowned. “Well, you’ll tell me when you’re ready. But, sweetie, you can’t run from your problems. You should know that.”

Was she referring to Suzy’s death? Or to Morgan?

Sadness washed over her. So much loss.

Mom stroked Julie’s hair. “It’s okay. You’re home now. And Lana can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see her, either.”

“She’s coming for breakfast.”

“Awesome.” And it was. Julie kept so busy at work that she had little time to miss them. But right now, sitting in Mom’s floral kitchen, she remembered the joy and laughter they’d shared. An ache crawled through her chest.

“You look exhausted. How about I tuck you in?” Mom offered.

“That would be great.”

Morgan pulled out of the Burnses’ driveway, but didn’t go far. Parking a few houses down from the old Victorian, he eyed the upstairs window. Julie’s room.

He guessed whatever made her scream out in her sleep was the same thing that drove her back home to the safety of family and friends. And now she was having second thoughts.

He could read it in her eyes.

It still amazed him how connected they were after all these years. Why didn’t she trust him enough to ask for his help? Because he still wasn’t good enough? He was only a small-town cop and she needed…what?

He whipped out his cell phone and called Ethan Beck, an old friend who was a detective with the Seattle Police Department.

“Beck.”

“Hey, E, it’s Morgan Wright.”

“As in Chief Morgan Wright?”

“Knock it off.”

Morgan and Ethan had recently reconnected thanks to another old friend, Jake Walters.

“Good to hear from you, man,” Ethan said. “Jake told me you were chief pooh-bah out there in Port Whisper. How’s that goin’?”

“It has its good days and bad.” Like today. “Listen, I need a favor.”

“Name it.”

“An old friend’s returned to town and I think she’s in trouble.”

“Is she cute? Available?”

“Yes and no.”

“Really?” Ethan teased.

“Can you check your database for anything on Julie Burns, female, twenty-eight? Seattle social worker for Teen Life.”

“You mean the Julie Burns?”

“Yup.”

“What am I looking for?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You think she’s into something criminal?”

The terror in her golden eyes flashed across his mind. “No, but my gut tells me she’s in trouble.”

“I’ll see what I can find.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure. You hear about Jake and Robin? They’re engaged.”

Morgan took a deep breath. “No, I hadn’t heard. That’s great news.”

“How soon do you need this information about Julie?”

“As soon as you can get it.”

“Check. Take care, buddy.”

“You, too.”

Morgan ended the call and dropped the phone on the seat beside him. Staring up at Julie’s room, he leaned back and considered what could be going on with his fragile ex-girlfriend.

She was suffering from some kind of post-trauma issue, that’s for sure. Maybe her work had finally gotten to her, listening to the gut-wrenching stories of abused teenagers, counseling them, hoping they’d find a better life, only to have them return to an abusive living situation.

It had to get to her, haunt her dreams, trigger nightmares.

Yet she’d called out Morgan’s name when she’d awakened from the nightmare in his truck.

Maybe she’d been dreaming about one of their last fights, the harsh words he’d uttered out of sheer agony of losing the one person he’d trusted most.

He wondered what life would have looked like had he followed her to Seattle, left his father and chosen another line of work. But his life was here, making his father proud, earning his respect and protecting the citizens of Port Whisper.

It had been his destiny.

At one point he thought Julie had been a part of that destiny.

“Get over it already.” He thought he had. He’d fallen in love with Renee, at least he thought it was love, and he’d appreciated Anna’s company, her bright smile and sense of humor.

Seeing Jules again, rescuing her from whatever threat was stalking her, brought it all back to the surface.

Regret burned in his chest. No, he’d done the right thing by letting her go to follow her dream. The pit in his stomach said otherwise.

He clicked the radio on and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. Something told him to stay close. He had tomorrow off. He could go the night without sleep.

Even if he went home and climbed into bed, he knew he wouldn’t sleep, not with the image of Julie’s frightened eyes haunting him.

“You’re going to tell me what’s going on,” he whispered, eyeing her bedroom.

The light went off. He took a deep breath and considered his next move. He’d see what Ethan turned up and he’d go from there.

Tomorrow he’d confront Julie about her situation, but under no uncertain terms would he discuss their past. This was business. He was the police chief sworn to protect the people of Port Whisper.

As long as Jules was here, she was under his protection just like everyone else.

A vibrating sound awakened her from a deep sleep. She opened her eyes and spotted her cell phone dancing across the nightstand. The bedside clock read four-thirty. She flipped on the lamp and grabbed her phone, recognizing the caller ID as William’s work number. William and Julie had consulted with one another on unusually complicated cases. But why call at such an odd time?

“William?” she answered.

Silence.

“William?”

“You can run, Blondie,” a gravelly voice said. “But we’re always right behind you.”

She jackknifed in bed. “Who is this?”

The line went dead and a surge of panic ripped through her. Fearing for William’s safety, she called his cell. She paced her room as it rang. Two, three times.

“Hello?” he answered groggily.

She sighed and shifted onto the bed.

“You’re okay,” she said.

“Julie? It’s—” he hesitated “—four in the morning.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“I just got a threatening phone call from your work number.”

“A threatening call? I don’t understand.”

“I’m in trouble, William. Ever since I witnessed Dane’s kidnapping, strange things have been happening: hang-ups, the office break-in, and I think someone’s been following me.”

“Call the police.”

“What can they do? Put a twenty-four-hour watch on my apartment? No, I have to disappear for a while.”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll be in touch.”

“Julie—”

She ended the call, and nervously paced to the window.

We’re always right behind you.

Which meant they were trailing her to Port Whisper? How? She’d taken her personal files with her mom’s contact information from the office. Morgan said no one had followed them from the ferry. She glanced at her phone. Were they tracking her through a GPS chip? Had they already found her?

She had no choice. She had to run. And destroy her phone along the way.

Julie packed up her things. There was a commuter bus that stopped in town around six. She’d catch it and head west to a larger town, like Port Angeles, where she could blend in.

She flipped off her bedroom light and padded across the hall to Mom’s room. As she peered inside, she realized if she woke Mom she’d only talk her out of leaving. But Julie had made up her mind. She didn’t want to risk bringing trouble to Port Whisper and put the townspeople in danger.

She tiptoed downstairs, glancing across the warm and welcoming living room. Sadness welled up in her chest as she remembered the many Christmases she’d enjoyed in this very room. She’d had a wonderful childhood, safe and happy, unlike the kids she counseled. Julie thought she’d been doing the honorable thing when she’d left for the city. She had the solid upbringing and faith in God that grounded her and gave her strength to help the kids at Teen Life. Faith that had been tested, ripped apart and destroyed as she watched one kid after another fail.

It was on those days that Julie missed the comfort and innocence of Port Whisper.

Innocence that would be destroyed if her stalker tracked her here. Andy Trotter was missing. She’d seen Dane Simms being shoved into a van. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew witnessing the abduction had put her life at risk.

She placed a note on the hall table, opened the front door and slipped outside. The cool morning chill slapped her cheeks as she started down the porch steps. She’d catch the commuter bus and head to Port Angeles, find a safe place to hide and…

What? Get a job in a burger joint? Take a nanny job? She hadn’t thought past getting away and escaping the threat.

As she headed down Oak Street she thought about her childhood friends from the youth club, Carrie, Megan and Taylor.

And Suzy.

There wasn’t a day that passed when she didn’t think about Suzy.

“Don’t go there,” she muttered, flipping her collar up against the breeze. The hair on the back of her neck bristled.

She narrowed her eyes and focused ahead, looking for signs of danger.

Don’t be paranoid. It’s Port Whisper.

A small, sleepy little town, Morgan had said yesterday in the kitchen, repeating her words from their fight years ago.

She’d intentionally kept Morgan at a distance, yet somehow he was still able to sense her fear. Another reason to leave town. If she saw him again, he’d do his best to break down the wall she’d lodged between them.

The brisk walk to town brightened her spirits a bit, if that was possible. Watching the sunrise had always been a treat, especially when she’d shared it with Morgan, his arm around her, humming in her ear.

She could never watch a sunrise without thinking of him, or remembering the time they were questioned by a cop at Squamish Harbor. They’d fallen asleep while waiting for the sunrise.

Turning the corner to the Town Center, she eyed a spot behind the post office where she could wait until the bus came. The post office overlooked the water, so peaceful at this time of the morning.

She shook herself out of the false sense of peace. She had to plan her next move. Her phantom caller threatened to be right behind her. Even if he didn’t find Julie, chances were whoever was after her would keep abducting kids, kids who didn’t seem to matter to anyone but her.

The kids sometimes reminded her of Morgan before they’d started dating. He’d had his share of challenges—a learning disability, an absent mother—which had led to anger issues and fights in school. Somehow Julie had gotten through to him and they’d fallen in love.

After she left she’d worried that he’d slip into that dark place again. But the night he’d told her they would marry someday, he’d also said that he’d changed. Because of her.

That was the first time she felt she’d had a positive impact on someone’s life. She surely didn’t have one on Suzy’s.

She tossed her phone into the water, figuring that would destroy the GPS. All her contacts, photos and text messages… gone. But she had to get used to being alone. She eyed Sahalish Island across the water, uninhabited except for tourists who visited for the day or campers who sailed onto the small shore and pitched tents in the rugged terrain. The island reminded her of her baby sister, Lana, who ran Delightful Tours, a business that took visitors to the island, out of a snack shop called Stone Soup. Lana was never going to forgive Julie for leaving town without seeing her.

This is so messed up.

She wished she could pray to God to tell her she was doing the right thing, but she’d given up on prayer somewhere around the fourth year in her job. Where was God when horrible things were happening to these kids?

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a tall, male figure step around the corner. Glancing away, she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and wandered in the other direction. Calm, casual.

She climbed down the rocks to the shore, remembering a path she and Morgan used to take when strolling along the water to the main dock. They would hide out beneath the pier, steal a kiss, confess their fears and share their dreams for the future.

“Miss?” the man called after her.

She picked up her pace. She’d given directions to the guy at the ferry and he’d found her on the boat. But Morgan said no one had followed them from the ferry, right?

“Hey, wait!” the man called.

She broke into a full-blown sprint. Not easy considering the unstable rocks beneath her feet. She never should have come back here, should have known better. She shot a glance over her shoulder at the guy, who stood on the pier, watching, but not following her.

She turned and slammed into something hard and firm.

The man’s partner?

“Where do you think you’re going?”