Shield of Refuge (8 page)

It was an hour trip up the canyon to the mountain resort. They couldn't make more than one trip with all the last-minute decorating she had to do on the cake. Not to mention they were expecting another small storm to bring a few inches of snow to Fossil Creek. That could mean a foot or more at the resort.

Desperate for something to take her mind off everything that had happened, Amber moved the costume masks to the back rack, clearing space for turkeys, snowmen and Christmas decorations.

It was almost closing time when she looked out the front windows and saw Garrett. She dropped the small box of party favors on the floor.

“Are you okay?” CiCi asked, looking out the window. “Did we have another order to be picked up? Did we forget something?”

“The guy coming this way…” Amber mumbled, kneeling to put the plastic turkeys back into the box. “He's the one I ran into.” She wasn't sure why she was explaining his real identity to CiCi. “He's going to be working here for a while. They seem to believe all these mishaps are related to each other.”

“That hunk in the gray polo is a cop?”

She pushed the box onto the shelf and hurried to pick up the packages. “That's him.”

“That's the guy you flipped over to his roof and spun like a top? You didn't tell me he was good-looking and built like Brad Pitt.” CiCi quickly fanned herself. “Oh, my, girl, he doesn't look happy.”

Amber groaned. “I hope that scowl doesn't mean more bad news. It's bad enough the mess I made of my own business. I sure didn't need to ruin someone else's career, too.” She finished filling the box just as he walked into the shop.

“Did they find her?” Amber asked immediately, standing to face him.

He looked a little puzzled. “Find who?”

“The girl who was attacked,” she said, feeling the draft from the open door blow stray hair from her ponytail into her face. “You don't look happy.”

Garrett looked worried. “I just tried calling and no one answered.”

She felt the temperature in the room go up. “The phone hasn't rung, has it, CiCi?” She realized the two hadn't met and quickly introdcued them.

“All afternoon?” he asked, clearly surprised.

“We had one or two earlier, but…” She nervously brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “Sometimes the wet weather knocks out the phones in these old buildings. I'll check with the neighbors, though.”

He raised his hand to stop her. “I'm sorry, I guess I've come to expect the worst this week. I just went to get the tire fixed, and found out it wasn't just a nail that I'd picked up somewhere. Someone put a metal spike right in the middle of it so I couldn't miss it.”

“I'm sorry about the tires, Garrett.” She figured she could ask him more about whether it was related after CiCi had gone. “Do you have any idea who might have done it?”

He shook his head. “I'm sure there's a list of criminals who'd like to get back at me. Anyway, I really wondered if I could interest you in having dinner with me. That is, unless you already have plans.”

Amber glanced at CiCi, then back to Garrett and felt her heart race. “Sure, dinner's good.” She needed to give him her cell phone number in addition to the work number. Maybe this wouldn't have caught her so off guard. “CiCi, if you'll just get the last of the dishes soaking, you can go on home.”

“I really wouldn't mind finishing up here first…” CiCi said hesitantly.

Amber felt a blush creep into her face. “Thanks for offering, CiCi, but I'll be working late anyway. I'll see you tomorrow. You do have my cell number, don't you?”

CiCi nodded. “Tomorrow's another late morning, remember. I'll see you about nine, then, if you're sure…”

“Go ahead and put down six o'clock on your time sheet.” While CiCi gathered her belongings, Amber tried to mentally prepare herself to face Garrett. She couldn't help thinking how odd it was that she had no hesitation spending time with a cop—with Garrett—when she'd disliked police officers for so long. He and his brother seemed totally different from the officers who had changed the course of her life.

Amber heard the back door close and instinctively followed. “I'll be right back.” She ran into the kitchen, pulling her ponytail holder from her hair. She placed her hair band on the coat rack, and peered out the peephole.

After reassuring herself that CiCi had made it to her car okay and no one was lurking outside, Amber turned and ran right into Garrett.

He caught and held her for a moment. He smiled gently, sending her heart into a flutter. “Sorry I startled you. I figured I may as well make sure you've locked up after she left.”

Amber looked into his eyes, felt the strength of his embrace and found herself wanting to stay there. “I'm not used to having…visitors after hours, I guess.”

“That's good information to have.” His smile broadened. “I did consider leaving a message, but didn't want to leave a personal message on the bakery phone. I wasn't sure if you'd pick up the messages, or your employees.”

“Oh, right,” she said, her mind spinning.

“Is this new, or have you always checked on your employees when they leave?” Garrett paused, holding her firmly against him.

“I started making sure my employees make it to their cars okay when your brother and his partner told me the rapist was in this area. I appreciated the warning. And I get the feeling you're here to issue another one.”

He let her loose and stepped back. “Nothing quite as definite, but the bad news is I talked with some of the other officers, and without going back through the files we were able to recall two police-impersonator calls recently. I have some concerns I'd like to discuss with you. See if you can remember anything more. Too many things are happening. Someone had to have seen you.”

“You really think they're after me?”

He nodded, seeming a little uncomfortable. “Yeah, I do, Amber. Are you okay ordering in, or would you like to go out for a bite?”

She turned and walked away, glancing at her work clothes, which even on a bad day weren't too bad. The long apron she wore protected them pretty well. Under most circumstances she'd freshen up before going out for the evening. Not tonight. She didn't want Garrett to think she was taking advantage of his help, flirting to get out of a ticket, or that she wasn't cooperating with an investigation.

Still, she thought, if he'd meant this to be a real date, he should have let her know earlier, or at least suggested another night. She'd better assume this was an official call. “Takeout would be fine. The pub a few doors down has great food and we could see if their phones are out, too.”

Garrett nodded. “That sounds great. There are a couple things I'd like to clarify first.”

She looked at him expectantly. “Yes?”

“I'm here partially on official orders, but mostly because I want to be here, because I want to make sure you're safe.”

“What?” She stared into his brooding gray eyes, wondering why the police were so concerned all of a sudden. “Why? What did you find out?”

Her smile disappeared, and he cocked his head to one side. “Not much, yet. I believe you…but from what I can tell…”

She stopped and stared at him. “What's happened?”

He hesitated. “I'm not here as a police officer, Amber.”

“They didn't fire you because of me, did they?”

He shook his head. “No. I'm here with the chief's blessing.”

She stared at him, suddenly suspicious. She examined his shirt, noting how tight the polo shirt fit his shoulders and chest, yet was baggy at his waist. His jeans weren't too snug that he couldn't be carrying a concealed weapon. “Are you on duty?”

“No,” he said, his eyes holding hers captive. He held his hands in the air. “I'm still on mandatory leave. You should probably be aware that I do wear a weapon when off duty.”

Amber felt a connection with him that went beyond explanation. It was as if he'd read her mind, first with whether this was official or personal, then the gun.

Still, Samantha Taylor's observations of Garrett were ever present in her mind. He was most likely leaving soon, and she had finally found someplace she wanted to stay. Thanks to the friend who had shown her that a life with Christ beside her was much more fulfilling than drinking and running wild, she now had a purpose.

She'd realized she could listen to God's plan and make the most of the gifts He'd given her. She'd made friends here that she wanted to keep. And she definitely didn't want her police record to keep haunting her. So why, then, would the police chief give Garrett Matthews his blessing to come over here?

Amber backed away and shook her head. “You're creeping me out, Garrett. What's happened to make the chief of police send you over here to be my bodyguard?”

G
arrett stepped away, realizing he'd gone too far, told her too much. Or she'd read him too well. “I know you saw something, Amber. And the chief knows you saw something, but…”

She placed a hand on her hip and squared her shoulders. “But what?”

Her stare was right on target, hitting the bull's-eye, shattering his plan to bits. He couldn't lead her on. “Nothing has turned up. They found no evidence of any kind of scuffle.”

She turned and walked to the front lobby door. “I don't have time for this.”

Garrett looked stunned. “Wait, can I at least explain?” He paused, waiting for her to argue. “They believe you.
We
believe you, that is. It's just that there's still more questions we need answered about the kidnapping. The chief hoped I could talk through it with you again and find a lead.”

Amber looked tired and skeptical. “I've told you everything I know. I've been in to try to talk to the police every day…they've never asked any more questions.” She didn't need to tell him it had been mostly to try to see him again. “No one is willing to even talk to me, Garrett. Most of them treated me as if I'd killed you,” she said in a fragile voice.

“Oh, no, if you'd killed me, you'd never see the end of them,” he joked.

She unlocked the door and motioned for him to leave. “I don't need to cause you, or me, any more trouble, Officer. So just go….”

The smart Aleck in him had apparently shown up at the wrong time. Again. He pushed the door closed, bringing him face-to-face with her. “Trust me, Amber. I'm here to help you. I'm as disappointed as you are that no one's asked you more questions, but trust me I plan to ask a lot more until we find out what's happening.” His gaze held her captive.

“I don't blame you, Garrett. You were hurt. But they didn't even talk to any of the businesses in the area.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I asked!” she blurted out in frustration. “They didn't even know anything about what had happened Thursday night,” she rambled on. “The girl is probably dead by now. If I'd just backed up into him…” She let out a heavy sigh of responsibility.

Garrett took her hand and pulled her into his arms. “Hey, don't do this to yourself.”

She shook her head. “Don't be nice, Garrett. I ran into you. You're hurt and it's all my fault.”

“Accidents happen, and I'm not hurt that bad. Just a twinge now and then, see?” He raised his arm and moved his head from side to side, hoping the pain stayed away. “I can think of easier ways to meet a beautiful woman, but they aren't nearly as interesting.”

Her lips twitched. “I don't date cops. I don't even like cops.”

“That's okay, I don't like sweets, so we're even.”

She looked at him and the moisture in her eyes gave way to laughter. “So why are you really here, then, if it's not to find the girl, and it's not to feed your sweet tooth?”

The silence in the room turned deafening, and Garrett wasn't sure how to answer her. He wished ChiefThomas had never issued the order to keep her out of the way.

“Give me a chance to figure this out, Amber, before the suspect can target you, too. I'm not giving up on this case until I have answers. But first and foremost, I don't want to let you down. I want to change your mind about cops. One cop, anyway.”

Amber lowered her long eyelashes. “You don't have to do that,” she said softly.

He waited a few minutes for her to argue. “Maybe I want to. I don't want you hurt. So, are we still on for dinner?”

She opened her eyes and looked into his with a skeptical smile. “I don't understand why you think I'm in danger.”

“Gangs have tagged the area heavily this week. Not that it has anything to do with you personally, until that rock came through your front window anyway. The downtown area has been one of their favorite hangouts for a while now, as you've probably noticed. The Old Town Association has put a lot of pressure on the mayor…. In any case I'd rather not take the chance. And if we work together to find this guy before he can strike again, he won't have another opportunity to threaten anyone…mostly you.” He leaned his head closer, waiting for her to meet him halfway. “Yes?”

Garrett couldn't out-and-out lie to her. He cared too much about Amber to do that. He couldn't explain it, not to the chief, and especially not to her. He couldn't understand what had happened the night of their accident. His life seemed to have changed in that split second. He knew the outcome of this one assignment could end his career and nix any hopes he had of moving up to a federal agency. He hoped it was worth the risk, personally and professionally.

She nodded and stepped closer into his arms.

He'd never thought much about why he was never able to find the right woman to settle down with. He was determined to break away from the stereotypical youngest-child syndrome, even though his adopted sister, Kira had officially knocked him out of the position. Through school, he'd been the class clown. The one they didn't expect to go far. The one least likely to have a steady girlfriend. He'd pushed hard to break away from the low expectations.

In the process of proving himself, he'd forgotten to live, laugh or love. Amber Scott made him want to do all three.

“One more thing that might make you feel more comfortable. I've asked my brother and his fiancée to stop by…to go through it with us.”

Suddenly he felt as if he could make a difference right here in his hometown. Even though his life hadn't flashed in front of his eyes, even though he'd come nowhere near dying, it seemed like he'd been given another chance to find God's plan for his life. And running from everything he'd known seemed like the biggest mistake he could make.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Just so you know up front, Garrett, I'm not the girl that you're looking for.” Her hand was an inch from his gun.

He backed away from her. “And how would you know who I'm looking for?”

“I don't think that's part of your investigation, is it?” Amber watched as he studied her. “So, now that we have that cleared up, let's order dinner.”

Amber hoped to get a better idea of whether Garrett was serious about finding the missing girl, or if this was all just a game he was playing.

And maybe by the time they'd finished eating, she'd be able to put up the shield to protect her from her own weakness—charming men.

“So should we order food for Nick and…”

“Sarah. Sure, I'll pick out something for my brother. You can choose a meal for Sarah.”

“I don't even know Sarah.”

“Yes, you do. She's the one who rented the chicken costume from you for the Harvest Festival last month. The short, dark-haired officer…”

“His partner?” She stepped back. “He really is engaged to his trainee? I thought that was just a rumor,” she said almost to herself.

“Who have you been talking to?”

She didn't reply immediately, realizing that if she told on Samantha Taylor, he'd probably figure out why she thought she wasn't his type, too.

“Amber, who told you about their engagement, besides me, I mean?”

“I plead the Fifth,” she said, flashing him an innocent smile.

“I'll let you get away with that for now, since they'll be here soon,” Garrett said as he studied her. “But be forewarned, if it's going to come up eventually.”

“Why don't we run down to check on the phones and order dinner? Then I'll come back and clear a place for us to eat.” Amber lifted the phone to check the connection. “Nothing. I sure hope it's not just my line.” She put her coat on and joined Garrett.

Half an hour later, Amber greeted Sarah Roberts while Garrett was gone to pick up the meals. “Hi, it's good to see you again,” Amber said.

Sarah looked around the shop. “You, too. You've been busy in here, and it looks like your hard work is paying off.”

“It's been going really well. I'm just busy enough through the holidays, and then I'm expecting a lull. People are kind of tired of sugar after the holidays.”

“True,” Sarah said, roaming the costumes. “I've been meaning to call and see if you have time to do a little cake New Year's Eve, for a small, quiet celebration.”

Amber wasn't sure how serious Sarah was. If it was for a wedding, she was getting an awfully late start. “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“I'll call you later to discuss the details. I'm not sure of everything yet. How're you doing after the incident the other night?”

Amber pushed the racks toward the window to give them an extra thick curtain of privacy. “I'm getting along okay.”

“If you ever feel you need to get away from here, let me know. Sometimes it's easier to be around other people. My sister and I have an extra room.” Sarah kept up the conversation as if they were long lost friends. “So, how many cop costumes have you rented out?” she asked.

Garrett walked in the shop with two sacks of food just as Sarah asked the question.

“I looked that up the next day, just to be sure I was ready in case a detective asked, but it's been three days and so far, no one has contacted me to verify anything about the incident.”

“I understand your frustration,” Sarah said sympathetically.

She pointed to the costume racks. “I bought a dozen police costumes because they were so much less expensive to buy that many. They were on back order for a couple of weeks and didn't get in until the twenty-fifth, so most of the interested customers had to go elsewhere. I did rent out three, but they were all to men from the senior home,” she answered, “so it couldn't have been them.”

“That would have been too easy if he'd rented the costume from you, wouldn't it?” Sarah said sarcastically.

Garrett set the takeout food on the table. “Has anyone talked to Nick?”

“Estimated time of arrival five minutes,” Sarah said.

Garrett walked over to the costumes and quickly thumbed through them.

Amber smiled at him. “Shopping?”

“I thought you said the cop costumes were popular,” Garrett responded. He joined the women at the table, waiting for Amber's answer.

“I had at least a dozen other calls before I even started carrying costumes, which is why I bought so many. I've been tempted to take them off the racks completely after this.”

Nick arrived right on time. “Hi, Amber, Garrett.” He turned to Sarah and his face lit up as he pulled Sarah into his arms and kissed her. “Hi, how was your day?”

“Productive,” Sarah answered with a smile. She was clearly in love. “I have a new lead to follow, so that'll give me something to use for training. There's just nothing as motivating as the real deal.”

Amber felt like she was spying on them as she set out paper plates and flatware and asked what everyone wanted to drink.

Sarah followed her to the kitchen to fill the orders while Nick went to wash up.

When they were all seated Nick said a blessing. As they started to eat, Garrett wasted no time in explaining why he had asked Sarah and Nick to join them. “I've been thinking about the guy you saw. You think he stabbed her because you didn't hear a gun, right?”

“I don't remember hearing anything, but he had something sticking into her back because she arched away from him. When Lieutenant Chavez and Officer Taylor searched the scene, they didn't see any sign of blood or an altercation at all, so I don't know. After all of this time, I'm beginning to wonder if…”

“Don't go there,” Nick warned. “I can understand why you might be tempted. It's discouraging and frightening….”

“It wasn't your imagination, Amber,” Garrett finished for his brother.

“But you said there was no evidence. Except the yellow SUV. It was still there,” she said.

“It still is, same spot. I'm going to see what I can find out about it,” Garrett said.

“Be careful, Garrett,” Sarah cautioned. “Maybe Kent and I should do some digging, keep you two out of more trouble.”

“Who's Kent?” Amber asked.

Nick took a drink and sat down. “Our other brother, he's an undercover narcotics officer.”

“You're all cops?” Amber said, arching her eyebrows.

Nick laughed. “Our dad's a retired one.”

“I figured as much. He's so much like the two of you. Is your sister a police officer, too?” Amber asked of no one in particular.

“No,” Garrett said quickly.

Nick and Sarah looked at Garrett with an odd expression on their faces. “So Amber, tell us what you recall.”

She let out a deep breath. “I didn't hear a gun pop, unless he used a silencer. I don't know,” she said, feeling insecure. They all knew far more about crime scenes than she did.