Chapter 42

She opened the front door and smiled as a rush of warmth flooded her. “Aiden. Hello. Come in.” Stepping aside, she motioned for him to enter the house. “I was just going to put on a pot of tea. Join me.”

He followed her through to the kitchen and leaned against the counter. “How've you been?”

“Fine.” She smiled a brittle smile. “Just fine. How are you?” She set the kettle on the stove to heat, and bit down on her bottom lip. How are you? Could she be any lamer? Next, they’d be discussing the weather. “How’s Amanda Jacobs? Did her surgery go well?”

He nodded. “She’s still in the hospital, but I spoke to her doctor this morning. She’s expected to make a full recovery.”

“That’s good. Real good.”

Amanda had survived months with Abraham, showing enough fortitude to escape twice. She’d recover physically, but her emotional wounds would take years of therapy to heal.

A fragment of guilt raised its head. If only Candace had done more to find the girl on that long-ago afternoon when she’d spotted Amanda’s tracks in the snow.

As if reading her mind, Aiden said, “It’s not your fault. You know that, right?” His gaze delved into hers. “You wouldn’t have found Amanda that day, no matter what you did. She told us that Abraham caught her and moved her out of the park to an old travel trailer parked in an empty, wooded lot just outside of town. He didn’t move her back to the park until a few weeks ago.” He shifted closer and trailed a warm finger along her bare arm. “There was nothing you could've done to help her.”

She knew he was right, but she’d never really forgive herself. The what-ifs of her life would haunt her all her days. She just had to learn to live with them.

“I missed you.”

“You missed me?” For the first time, she took in his unshaven cheeks and the dark circles under his eyes. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since he’d rescued her from the mountains. At least, she hadn’t seen him in person. He and his partner were the heroes of the hour, and it seemed every time she turned on the television, they were on one news show or another.

Joe Breacher loved the limelight, and he grinned like a Cheshire cat at the cameras as he described his part in the daring rescue.

Aiden—not so much, especially when the media uncovered the unfortunate events that had transpired in Seattle. He held his body stiff and still, his expression blank, and only gave the briefest of answers to the reporters’ questions, letting Joe speak for both of them and take the glory.

“I saw you on TV.” She grimaced. “Sounds like Detective Breacher was a real hero.”

“Yeah. Good old Joe. He’s quite the guy.” He pushed away from the counter, his golden gaze drilling into hers. “I—” His throat worked. “—I wanted to see you.” He shook his head. “No, that’s not right. I had to see you.”

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. “You did?”

He moved another step closer, his expression serious. “Do you have any idea how terrible it was for me when I went to your house and found you’d been abducted?”

She shook her head. “No, I—”

“It was the worst day of my life.” He threaded his fingers through his hair. “I thought I’d never see you again. And then when I finally found you, that man was chasing you…” Moisture shone in his eyes. “I saw the bruises and the pain on your face and knew he’d hurt you.” He swiped his upper lip. “I was terrified I wouldn’t reach you in time.”

“But you did.” She grasped his hand and squeezed. “You saved me. If it hadn’t been for you riding that horse over the mountain, I’d be dead.”

“I don’t ever want to feel that way again.” He inhaled a noisy breath. “I love you. Do you know that? I couldn’t bear if something happened to you.” He tugged her closer. “Candace Cooper, I love you.”

“Really?” Inches separated them. She breathed in his unique scent…freshly laundered cotton, citrus, and him.

He nodded.

He loved her! Joy filled her heart. This wonderful, decent, strong man loved her. She smiled her first real smile in days. “I love you too, Aiden. I’ve loved you for weeks.” She moistened her lips. “Kiss me. Please.”

A slow smile spread across his handsome face, and he slipped his arms around her. “I never thought you’d ask.” He pressed his lips to hers.

Finally.

She buried her hands in his hair and hung on as he deepened the kiss. Her body melted against his as if it were a chocolate bar under a searing sun. She opened her mouth, drinking him in. The kettle whistled, but she blanked out the high-pitched squeal and focused on him and the sensations rioting through her.

He pulled his lips away, his chest heaving. “You’d better get that.”

She groaned and slipped out of his arms and stumbled over to the stove and shut off the burner.

The whistling stopped.

“There’s something I have to tell you.”

And just like that, her euphoria vanished. She turned and faced him. “What is it?”

He stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his faded jeans. “We found Mary Jorgenson. Looks like Abraham killed her and hid her body under some tarps in your neighbor’s shed. The neighbor was away and didn’t discover her body until this morning. I’m sorry.”

Her throat worked, but no sounds emerged. Poor Mary. Another of Abraham’s victims.

“I’m afraid there’s more.” He rubbed his hand over his chin, the rasp of beard loud in the silent kitchen. “The crime-scene techs found human bones in the forest behind the snowmobile warming hut. DNA tests showed they’re your sister’s remains.”

She swallowed, and her knees wobbled. Grabbing onto the counter, she held on tight. Abraham had hinted that Charlene was dead, that his father had killed her shortly after the police raid, but to learn her sister had been held in the same root cellar in the forest floored her. “Do—” She swallowed. “—do you know how she died?”

“According to the medical examiner’s report, she had a broken arm and two broken ribs, but death was probably caused by a blow to her head.” His jaw worked. “Her remains were discovered at the bottom of a ravine under a log. We think she was running away, but Isaiah caught her and killed her.”

Tears filmed her eyes. Charlene died fighting, determined to escape. That was just like her big sister. She never gave up. Candace wiped away her tears. After all these years searching for answers, she finally knew what happened.

“I’m so sorry. I know this news is a shock, and not what you wanted to ever hear, but you deserve to know the truth.”

“Thank you for telling me.” She wiped her damp eyes with the back of her hand. So now she knew. Charlene was gone, had been dead for years. A lump clogged her throat, and she bit back a sob. Her sister would never walk in the door and call her Candy Girl again. All those years searching, hoping, praying for a miracle were over.

Inhaling a shaky breath, she grabbed a tissue from the counter and wiped her eyes. “I’m glad the police finally found her. Maybe now she can be at rest.” At long last, the burden of guilt she’d worn like a shield, slipped from her shoulders. For the first time since Charlene vanished, she felt light and free. She’d found her sister. Just like she’d promised her parents. Now was her chance to start healing, to look toward the future rather than dwell in the painful past.

He enveloped her in his strong arms and drew her close until her head rested against his chest.

His heartbeat thumped in her ear, and she pressed closer, burrowing into his embrace, seeking his very essence. A sense of being protected and loved washed over her. She’d seen the worst mankind had to offer. Now was her chance to experience the best—together with this man. She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, instilling all her deep feelings into the kiss.

Hours—or was it minutes later?—the kiss ended, and his gaze fixed on her. “You’re quite a woman. You know that?”

“I do.” She smiled, but then she remembered something Joe had said after she was rescued, and her happiness faded. “Was your captain angry?”

“About what?” His brow furrowed.

“Joe told me you didn’t wait for backup when you rode that horse over the mountain. He said you could lose your job.”

“I could have, I guess.” He shrugged. “But I didn’t care. I needed to do whatever it took to find you.”

“But you’re okay? You still have your job?” She knew how important being a detective was to him, and she couldn’t bear the thought of being responsible for him losing his career.

He smiled. “We caught a murderer who kidnapped and murdered young girls across the state. The mayor’s ecstatic with all the positive press. I’m the golden boy.” His grin widened. “You can’t punish a hero.”

“You certainly can’t.” She pulled him close for another deep kiss. When she drew away, she was short of breath. “Do you want to bring that handsome dog of yours and go hiking tomorrow?”

“Hiking? Are you up to that? You had some pretty serious injuries.”

She threaded her fingers through the soft dark curls at the nape of his neck. “I’m still sore, but I think I can handle a walk in the woods. The weatherman says it’s supposed to be a beautiful day.”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Really?”

She nodded.

He heaved a heavy sigh. “I guess I’ll have to buy a pair of hiking boots if I’m going to hang around with you.”

“Don’t forget the bug spray.” She chuckled. It felt good to laugh. Damn good. Her laughter was cut off when he claimed her mouth with his in another deep, soul-penetrating kiss that took her breath away.

Oh man. She loved him. Her hero. Her rock. Her future.

THE END

A word about the author…

C.B. Clark has always loved reading, especially romances, but it wasn’t until she lost her voice for a year that she considered writing her own romantic suspense stories. She grew up in Canada’s Northwest Territories and Yukon. Graduating with a degree in Anthropology and Archaeology, she has worked as an archaeologist and an educator, teaching students from the primary grades through the first year of college. She enjoys hiking, canoeing, and snowshoeing with her husband and dog near her home in the wilderness of central British Columbia.