Silence in the Dark (13 page)

“Sí.”

They hurried to the terminal to escape the biting north wind. Inside, Danny and Bailey talked with a guy in jeans and a plaid shirt under his leather jacket. Angel noted the way the man stood, relaxed but alert. His dark eyes seemed to be taking Angel’s measure.

“Oh, here you are,” Danny said. “Angel, Solana, this is Ben Logan.”

Ben stuck his hand out and Angel shook it, liking the firm handshake. Then the sheriff turned to Solana and took her hand. “Danny tells me that you helped Bailey escape today.”

Solana nodded stiffly. “Sí,” she answered quietly, and it hurt Angel to see how tense she was.

“Thank you. You don’t have any reason to fear me,” Ben said. “And Danny said you had your visa and passport, so everything is good.”

Angel felt her physically relax, and he wanted to shake the sheriff’s hand again.

“I do not intend to remain in the US—it was a mistake coming. I must return to Chihuahua.”

A band tightened around Angel’s chest. “Why, Solana?”

Bailey echoed his question. “You can’t go back. Those men will . . .” She glanced down at Maria and shook her head. “You know what I mean.”

“I must. And for the same reason Angel will not remain here—if all the law-abiding citizens leave, the drug cartels will win.”

Her fiery spirit had returned, but still the band constricted his breathing. “No. You will stay here where it’s safe.”

Solana fisted her hands on her hips. “Do not treat me like I am Maria. I will return to Chihuahua when you do.” She tossed her hair back, and he read the determination in her face.

“We’ll discuss this later.”

“There is nothing to discuss, and I’m tired. Can we not go somewhere to rest?”

“That’s a good idea,” Bailey said. She turned her attention to Danny. “Are you in that little red convertible of yours, or something more sensible?”

He shrugged. “Neither. I flew out from the airstrip at Ian’s cabin, so I’m afoot.”

“I’m in my Highlander,” Ben said. “I’ll be glad to drop you off at Kate’s, and on the way, why don’t you call this Joel McDermott you were telling me about from my cell phone?”

“Who is Kate?” Angel asked.

“My mother,” Bailey explained. “Like I said earlier, she runs the bed-and-breakfast.”

Once they were in the SUV, Ben handed Bailey his cell phone, and she dialed. Sitting beside her, Angel memorized the number.

“It goes straight to voicemail.”

“Put him in my contacts, and I’ll keep trying and call you in the morning with a report on what he says.”

Fifteen minutes later they pulled into the circle drive of a two-story gabled house. Even though the area around the house was well lit, Angel didn’t like the long drive lined with trees. Anyone could drive up to the house without being seen. “I suppose it’s too much to hope your mother has a security system,” he said to Bailey.

“Actually, she does. She had it installed a few years ago because she can’t hear customers when they arrive if she’s in the house or working in the back of her pottery workshop.”

That made him feel better, but he would still talk with the sheriff about having a deputy patrol the area. Once everyone was out of the SUV, he turned to him. “Are you coming in, Sheriff Logan?”

“Call me Ben, and no, I have to get home to my family.”

Ben’s apparent happiness sent an arrow into Angel’s soul. He’d had a wife and family once. If only he hadn’t been shot . . . He shook the thought off. He could not change the past. He and Danny hung back as the others climbed the steps to the house. Shivering against the cold, Angel stuck his hands in his pockets.

“Sorry about the cold,” Ben said. “It’s usually warmer than this in late March, although we’ve actually had snow on the first day of spring.”

“Maria would probably love that,” Angel said. “Could I speak with you a moment about security before you leave?”

Ben nodded toward Danny. “He told me the men who tried to kidnap the child might follow you to Logan Point, so I’ve already assigned a deputy to drive by here at different times through the night. I wish I could do more, but we’re understaffed.”

His respect for the sheriff grew. “Gracias.”

“Do you think they will follow you? Or do you know why they want her so badly?”

“I think they will.” As for why . . . he wasn’t ready to share that information.

Home. With Maria’s hand in her own, Bailey climbed the porch steps with Solana trailing behind. Earlier today she hadn’t been sure she’d ever see it again. But home had its own problems. Especially now, with Danny determined to stick to her like glue. Surely she could talk him out of hanging around.

The door flew open, and her mother wrapped her in an embrace. “Welcome home, baby.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she held her at arm’s length. “Don’t they feed you anything in Mexico? You’re skinnier than Robyn.”

Bailey laughed. From the reports she’d heard about her little sister, that wasn’t possible. She turned and hugged her dad waiting in the background, then put her hands on the child’s shoulders. “This is Maria. And this is Solana,” she said, nodding toward her friend.

Her mom knelt. She cupped the child’s face in her hands, and again Bailey noticed tears threatening. “Bailey has told me so much about you. Do you speak English? I know this much Spanish”—she held her thumb and forefinger close together—“
un poco
.”

Maria giggled.

Kate rose and took Solana’s hands. “
La . . . bienvenida a . . . mi casa.
Bailey and Charlie”—she nodded toward her husband—“they taught me that much, but I’m afraid I don’t practice. I hope I said it right.”

Her mom’s eyes became even wetter. What was with the tears? Kate Adams was not a crier, but in spite of her concern, Bailey grinned at the Southern-accented Spanish. She wasn’t sure Solana understood that her mom was welcoming her into her home until the young woman’s face lit up and a smile graced her lips.

“Gracias. I do speak some English and understand more, so do not strain yourself.”

“Si necesita un intérprete, puedo ayudar.”
Her dad’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, waiting.

“Ah . . . your Spanish . . . it’s
mucho mejor
—I mean, much better than Bailey’s,” Solana said with a laugh. “But I don’t think I need an interpreter.”

“I
should
be more fluent,” Charlie said. “Most of the men I sailed with were Spanish speaking. It was learn it or talk only to myself.”

“He was a merchant seaman,” Kate said.

A familiar voice spoke behind Bailey. “Well, don’t I get a hug?”

Robyn? Bailey whirled around and squealed. “Oh, I didn’t think I’d see you before morning! I thought you’d be home with Abby.”

“I was so worried, I couldn’t wait.”

Bailey looked from Robyn to her mother. They knew?

“Ben told us what happened,” her mom said and picked up Maria.

So that was the reason for the tears.

Maria’s stomach growled.

“Are you hungry?” Kate asked. “I have potato soup and can make you a grilled cheese sandwich.”

Maria glanced toward Bailey, and her expression almost seemed to be asking permission.

“You can answer.”

“Uncle Joel said I shouldn’t ask for food when we go visit.”

“But you didn’t ask,” Bailey said.

“My stomach did.”

The front door opened, and Angel and Danny entered, bringing cold air with them.

“You’re just in time for some of Mom’s famous potato soup,” she said after introducing Angel all around. From the looks on the men’s faces, the vending machine snacks were long gone. Bailey followed the others to the kitchen, her mind replaying Maria’s words. Sometimes she seemed afraid of Joel. Bailey shook the thought off. They were all tired. It was probably something as simple as Joel’s authoritarian parenting style, which was understandable considering he’d never been married. She certainly admired him for taking care of his sister’s child. He just needed to loosen up a bit.

Her mom ladled soup into bowls and handed Angel and Solana each a bowl. “There’s plenty of room at the table.” Then she turned to Danny. “It’s good to see you around here. I’ve missed you,” she said.

“Not nearly as much as I’ve missed being here.” He directed his gaze to Bailey.

Heat rose up her neck as she took her soup and sat beside Robyn. Her mom had always liked Danny, even after they broke up.

With a start, she realized Robyn had asked her something. “What?”

“Did you know Livy resigned from the Memphis Police Department?”

Her cousin wasn’t a cop anymore? “No. What’s she doing?”

“You won’t believe it—private investigator. With Alex, this really hunky guy. He’s the one who helped her find me, and now she’s gone to Texas to meet his folks.”

Bailey realized her mouth had dropped open, and she snapped it shut. Livy must really be serious about this Alex. Her cousin had been her ally after Bailey broke off the engagement with Danny. “We’ll be two old maids with fifty cats,” Livy had said.
A sigh settled in her heart. Now it looked like one old maid. She fingered the locket Joel had given her this morning.

“That’s a beautiful necklace,” Robyn said.

Her face flushed. “Maria’s uncle gave it to me this morning.” She nodded toward Maria. “She has one just like it, only with her initial on it.” Bailey dropped her hand. “I’m glad for her.”

“Glad for who?” Danny said as he sat across the table from her.

“Our cousin Livy.”

“Oh yeah. I met Alex, and he’s okay.” He grinned at her. “Let’s see . . . Taylor, Robyn, there’s even Ben, and now Livy. Looks like that’ll just leave you the only one not married.”

“There are worse things than not being married,” she said, making a face at him.

“Name one.”

“Being married to the wrong person.”

When the color drained from his face, she wished she could snatch the words back. Instead they hung in the room like a bad odor.

“At least you didn’t make that mistake.”

She didn’t know what to say. Denying it might give him false hope, but neither did she want to hurt his feelings. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Yeah, you did. But that’s okay—it’s completely understandable that you might view being married to me as a bad thing.”

“What I said about being married to the wrong person had nothing to do with you.”

He lifted the locket and examined it, his nearness sending a shiver down her spine. “Joel has good taste.”

With the mood Danny was in, it would do no good to tell him there was nothing going on with Joel.

Then his blue eyes swept over her. “Just don’t forget, like it or not, you’re stuck with me for as long as it takes to know you’ll be safe.”

She yanked her gaze away, searching for Maria, and found her snuggled in her mom’s lap, completely engrossed in the song Kate
quietly sang to her. “You don’t have to hang around. It’s not that I’m not thankful you were there in Chihuahua today. I am, but I believe we are completely safe in Logan Point. Besides, Angel is here.”

“Sorry, but you’re stuck with
me
. When I thought those men had taken you . . .” He shook his head. “I want to be here if anyone tries something like that again.”

Danny’s sincerity touched her heart. And that was something she had to guard against.

11

W
eariness seeped into Bailey’s bones, and between the warm kitchen and a full stomach, she could barely keep her eyes open. A glance around the room confirmed she wasn’t the only one ready for bed. Maria had fallen asleep in her mother’s lap, and Solana’s sagging shoulders reflected her own weariness. “Why don’t we all go to bed?” She looked at her mother. “Where are you putting everyone?”

“You and Maria are in your old room, and Solana is in Robyn’s room.” Her mom glanced at Danny. “Are you staying?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Bailey sighed. From Danny’s tone, she knew there would be no dissuading him.

“Then you and Angel decide who gets the third bedroom and who gets the study with the daybed, although there are bedrooms downstairs.”

Danny shrugged. “Other than remaining upstairs, it makes no difference to me.”

“Or me,” Angel said. “You take the bedroom. If I can’t sleep on the daybed, tomorrow night we’ll switch.”

Tomorrow night?
Reality sank into Bailey’s mind. This nightmare would not be over in the morning. Maybe not for weeks. And what if those men had recaptured Joel? What if he was dead?
What would become of Maria? She didn’t care what Danny said, tomorrow she had to try to contact Joel. And Maria’s grandparents. Oh, wait . . . Ben said he would call Joel. There was still so much to do. What would it hurt to let Danny be here in case she needed him? She sighed.

“What’s the matter?” Danny asked.

Concern deepened his blue eyes. She’d put him through a lot today. “I bet you didn’t expect to sign on as my bodyguard when you got up this morning.”

A slow grin spread across his face. “I didn’t even expect to see you. But I’ll take whatever I can get, even if I have to run for my life. But what were you sighing about?”

“I’m not sure where I should start in the morning.” She shivered as he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. How easy it would be to just let him take care of her and her problems. She threw the idea off and straightened her shoulders. She wasn’t some fragile china doll that needed to be encased in a glass box. And that’s what Danny would do if she didn’t watch it.