Dangerous Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) (12 page)

At the flash of Kate’s headlights he sat up straight. His heart thudded when she climbed from the car and walked toward the back porch.

The regulation hairdo was gone tonight. In its place her hair tumbled to her shoulders and sparkled in the moonlight. He took a deep breath to calm the excitement he felt at seeing her. Even though he’d understood why she wasn’t at the Health Center, he’d wanted her near him all the time he was there. The reality that she was becoming an important part of his life again hit him, and his heart sank. If she knew that, it might undo all the progress he’d made in the last few days toward a friendship with her. He rose and smiled as she stepped onto the back porch.

She looked him over. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m having some pain, but I’ll be okay in a few days.”

A small oil lamp sat in the middle of the table, and the flickering flame cast a golden glow across her face. Her eyes filled with tears. “Brock, I’ll never be able to thank you enough for saving my sister.”

He swallowed and shook his head. “You don’t have to thank me, Kate. As I told Emma, I’m glad I was there to help.”

She stepped closer to him and took his hand. She lifted his arm and studied the bandages. “What did Doc Hunter say?”

Her touch sent electric shocks shooting up his arm, and he grimaced. He longed to wrap her in his arms and forget everything that happened in the past. If only they could go back and undo the events of six years ago.

Reality clicked in his mind. He pulled away and flexed his fingers. “He said the burns were second-degree. I have quite a bit of blistering, but I’ll be all right in a few days. The bandages are there to protect the blisters from being broken.”

She dropped down in a chair and propped her elbows on the table. Running her fingers into her hair above her temples, she leaned forward. “I’ve got to find this guy before he hurts someone else.”

“Did you have any luck?”

“No. It was as if he disappeared out of the midst of everybody at the festival.” She bit on her lip before she glanced up at him. “He sent me a text message right before he threw the firebomb.”

Brock walked around to the chair across from her. “What did he say?”

Her eyes filled with tears, and she pulled the phone from her pocket. “It was sent from Doug’s cell phone.”

Brock dropped down in the chair and exhaled. “Doug’s phone?”

“Yes. I nearly panicked when I saw Doug’s name. Then I looked up and saw the pirate throw the firebomb.” She let out a groan. “Oh, Brock, I’ve got to catch this guy.”

“You will.” He leaned forward. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know what to say. His gaze fell on the pitcher that sat on the table. “Do you want a glass of lemonade?”

“No. I just stopped by to see how you’re doing and to say thank you. I can’t stay long.”

“I’m glad you came by.” He leaned back in his chair and positioned his arm across his stomach.

Kate stared at the lamp’s flame for a moment before she said anything else. “Do you remember what I said to you at the beach the night of Doug’s death about trusting God’s plan for my life?”

“Yes.”

A sob escaped her throat. “Tonight I questioned if I really had put my complete trust in Him to take care of me when I saw Emma on fire. It’s one thing to trust God with your own life. It’s quite another to trust the lives of those you love to Him.”

“I can see how that would be hard. But you say you questioned it. Did you come up with an answer?”

“I got angry, and I told him I couldn’t understand why he would put a child in harm’s way. It wasn’t right for Emma to suffer because somebody hates me.” A tear trickled from the corner of her eye. “But He gave me an answer, and I wanted to tell you.”

Brock frowned. “Why me?”

“Because you came here to find faith, and you asked me to help you. It’s not good if the teacher can’t believe the subject she’s supposed to be teaching.”

Brock leaned forward, and his arm brushed against the side of the table. A rush of pain cascaded through his body. He bit down on his lip before he continued. “What’s the answer God gave you?”

She smiled. “His words flashed into my brain as if He was sitting right beside me. He didn’t promise we wouldn’t have problems, but He did promise He’d be there for us. Tonight He was there in you, Brock. He pushed you onto that stage and saved my sister’s life. I wanted you to know that God loves you and kept you from being hurt worse, too.”

Her words poured over him and soothed his troubled spirit. He blinked back the moisture in his eyes. “I’ve never thought of myself as someone God could use.”

She leaned forward and stared into his eyes. “But you are, Brock. He’s been using you for years in your job, in your new relationship with your father and now He’s using you to help me understand how I can’t go through my life holding grudges and being unforgiving toward people around me.”

His breath caught in his throat. “What are you trying to tell me, Kate?”

“I’ve been miserable because I haven’t been able to forgive you for breaking our engagement. Now I’m beginning to see that maybe you weren’t the only one at fault. There might have been some compromises we could have chosen, but we didn’t. Over the past week and especially tonight, I saw that you’re not the person I’ve hated for the past six years. I think God brought you here to show me that, and I want you to know I’ve forgiven you for the hurts in the past.” She took a big breath. “And I want to ask you to forgive me for my attitude toward you.”

He sat in shocked silence for a moment before he spoke. “Do you mean it, Kate?”

She nodded. “I do.”

He reached for her hand, and she laced her fingers with his. “I forgave you a long time ago. I’m thankful that you’ve been able to forgive me. That’s what I wanted when I came here. If your faith in God has helped you do that, then I want that same faith. I’m working on it, Kate.”

She smiled and rose to her feet. “Give it time. It will come.” She paused. “I had intended to tell you tonight I wanted you to leave. Now that’s changed. I’m glad you’re here.”

He pushed to his feet and moved to stand beside her. His heart felt lighter than it had in years. He stared down into her eyes, smiled, and put his uninjured arm around her shoulder. She didn’t resist when he pulled her toward him but stepped closer and laid her head on his chest.

“I don’t want to cause your burns to hurt,” she murmured.

He pressed his cheek against the side of her head. The fruity fragrance of her shampoo drifted up, causing him to recall other moments when they’d stood like this. “You aren’t hurting me. This feels so right.”

Brock hadn’t felt such happiness in years. The journey toward regaining her friendship had begun when he arrived on the island. Tonight it had advanced to the point of forgiveness on her part. Maybe what he hadn’t dared let himself dream could come true. Someday their relationship might progress to something more.

He couldn’t think about that now, though. For the time being he was content to hold her in his arms and dream of what the future might bring.

T
he hot air enveloped Kate and made her gasp as she stepped from the cool interior of the police station into the Saturday heat. Even with the village streets and the festival booths crowded with tourists, it had been a quiet day so far on Ocracoke, and she hoped it would continue during her afternoon patrol.

A seagull squawked overhead, and she peered upward at the bird. Its flight path indicated a destination at the marina. No doubt it was off to join the feathered flock one could see often at the harbor—seagulls waiting for the return of the charter fishing boats that took tourists to sea for the day.

Soon the pilings at the marina would be covered with birds waiting to snatch a bite of the scraps left after the day’s catch had been cleaned. Although it had always been one of her favorite times of day, it now saddened her to see the restless birds waiting for a small tidbit.

Very different from the days when she was a child and the birds didn’t look like beggars waiting for a handout. Then the boats that left the harbor were headed toward deep water so they could sell their catch to the mainland canneries, and they returned with huge catches.

Her island was different now. The boats at the marina made only quick trips to sea as they competed for the money the tourists brought to the local economy. No doubt about it: life had been perfect on Ocracoke before the tourists discovered it.

Kate climbed in her car and followed the bird’s path. Her destination was the same—the harbor. The ferry would dock in a few minutes, and the truck transporting the fireworks for tonight’s big show would unload. She wanted to be on the scene when it did.

Her thoughts turned to Brock as she drove toward the marina. Although he’d protested he felt well enough to accompany her today, she had insisted he stay at Treasury’s out of the heat, and to rest. A smile curled her lips. She had, however, agreed to accompany him to dinner at the Markata, the priciest restaurant on the island, tonight.

Kate pulled to a stop at the marina at the same time the ferry eased into its dock. A small tractor trailer containing the fireworks, the only vehicle onboard as a safety precaution, sat on deck. Within minutes the crew had the huge boat in place and the truck rumbled from the ferry. It turned left at the main village street and pulled into a parking lot that fronted the shoreline. Kate drove toward the area and stopped beside the truck as two workers climbed from the cab of the big delivery truck.

Kate stepped out of the car and approached the men. “Any problems crossing Pamlico Sound?”

The men shook their heads. The older of the two held out his hand. “I’m Pete Hodges and this is Jeff Wallace. We’re the delivery guys. Where is the setup crew?”

She shook hands with Pete and Jeff, then glanced at her watch. “They’re supposed to be here at one o’clock. So they should be here any minute.”

Pete pulled off the cap he wore and mopped at the perspiration on his brow. “It’s a mighty hot day to be setting up a fireworks display. What time is the show tonight?”

“Ten o’clock. It takes our crew about seven hours to set up each year, so they should have enough time to get it done.” She smiled. “The crowds don’t like to be kept waiting, you know.”

Jeff chuckled and glanced at Pete. “We know about that. It happened at the last place we delivered to, and the crowd got mean.”

A car pulled into the parking lot, and Russell Johnson and his wife, Rose, got out. Two young men climbed from the back door on the opposite side of the vehicle. They turned toward Kate, and she did a double take. Mike Thornton and Kyle Johnson stared at her over the top of the car.

Russell grinned when he saw Kate, and she walked closer. “Hi, Russell. Rose. Glad to see you.” She inclined her head toward Mike and Kyle. “You’ve got some new crew members this year.”

Rose pointed to Kyle. “That’s our grandson Kyle, and of course you know Mike Thornton.”

She glanced at Mike, who dropped his gaze and turned his back to Kate. “I do. In fact I’ve met Kyle, too.” She pulled her attention away and pointed to the tractor trailer. “Glad to see your crew is ready, Russell. The truck just got here with the delivery. So I guess you guys are ready to go. Do you need anything from me?”

Russell shook his head. “No, we’ve been doing this so many years, it just comes naturally now.” He pointed to Kyle and Mike. “I’ve got me some trainees this year. Kyle has wanted to help with this for years. His dad finally gave in and let him come down from Raleigh. He met Mike down at the marina, and he wanted to learn, too. But first we got to get this stuff unloaded.”

“Do you need me to help?” Kate asked.

“No. We’ll take care of it, but I forgot to stop at the Island General Store and get us some water. We’ll need it this afternoon.” Russell pulled some money from his pocket and turned to the two young men. “Kyle, you and Mike go over there and get us some bottled water and a few snacks. When you get back, you can help us unload.”

Kyle grinned and took the money. “Now don’t you get started, Granddad, before we get back.”

Russell laughed. “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty to do.”

Mike Thornton followed Kyle back to the car, and they drove from the parking lot. Kate watched them go before she turned back to Russell. “We’re shorthanded after Doug’s death, and I have some rounds to make. If you’re sure I can’t help, I’m going to get back on patrol. I’ll check back with you in a little while.” She turned to leave but stopped. “I don’t have to remind you to keep all tourists out of this parking lot.”

Russell nodded. “I heard about what happened last night, but you don’t have to worry. I’ve been doing this a lot of years, Kate. Some of the volunteer firefighters are coming to help us, too, so we won’t let anyone get close.”

“Good. See you later.”

Kate hesitated before she got into her squad car and glanced back at Russell. Jeff and Pete swung the big doors of the trailer open, and the three men peered inside. Rose walked over and said something to Russell, and he nodded.

A gust of wind blew off the water, and chill bumps raced up Kate’s arm. The strange feeling she’d experienced twice before had returned. She glanced around the parking lot and the street that ran beside it, but she saw no one.

She didn’t like the idea of leaving the crew alone, but they wouldn’t be alone. Russell said some of the volunteer firefighters were coming to help. Maybe she should stay, too. But she couldn’t. Calvin needed to sleep because he had night duty, and that left her to take care of everything else.

With the bank closed on Saturday and tourists’ sales in the shops and booths skyrocketing, several merchants had requested a police escort to use the night deposit box. It made the shop owners feel safer if a deputy was with them when they carried large amounts of money to a deserted bank parking lot and had to get out of their car to open the night deposit. And with the things that had happened on the island in the past few days, none of the locals felt safe.

She glanced at the group again and shook her head. She was being ridiculous. Russell was a retired park ranger who had settled on Ocracoke, and he had backed up the Sheriff’s Department on many occasions. He would keep a close watch and make sure that no one got too close to the truck.

Kate drove back through the village and pulled into the parking lot at the Island General Store. She got out, climbed the steps to the store and went inside.

Kyle, holding a basket loaded with bottled water, cookies and chips, stood beside Mike in a long line of customers at the cash register. She smiled and waved at them as she headed to the back of the store to the office of Sam Isaacs, the store owner. She stopped at the open door and looked in at Sam, sitting behind a battered wooden desk.

“Ready to make your deposit, Sam?”

Sam jumped in surprise, and he glanced up at Kate, a startled expression on his face. He took a deep breath before he straightened the glasses on his bulbous nose and pushed to his feet. With a glare directed at her, he pulled the white apron he wore down over his rotund stomach and came around the desk toward her. “You scared the living daylights out of me, Kate. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

Kate laughed and waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m sorry. Are you ready to go make your deposit?”

Frowning, Sam picked up a bank bag from his desk and followed Kate out of the office. He’d only taken a few steps before he stopped, muttered something under his breath and strode to a table piled high with beach towels. He frowned at the sight of the unfolded towels scattered about the table. “Would you look at that? The dingbatters have rifled through every display today and left them in a mess.”

Kate cast a quick glance around and moved closer to the paunchy storekeeper. “Not so loud, Sam. Somebody will hear.”

Sam glanced around at the customers in his store, then leaned toward her. “Why should I care? Ever since I can remember that’s what we been calling people that don’t live on our island.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be calling your customers—”

Her words were cut short by a loud explosion in the distance. Before she could react, a second
boom
rocked the building, sending items on shelves plummeting to the floor. Customers in the store froze in place.

Sam’s eyebrows arched, and his face paled. “What was that?”

Kate’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. There was no doubt in her mind what they’d just heard. “It sounded like the—”

Before she could finish, a chime from her cell phone signaled an incoming text message. She flipped it open and stared in horror at Doug’s name displayed as the sender. The message sent chills rippling through her body.

Have you seen The Dock of the Bay? It’s the perfect ending for the festival.

She snapped the phone closed and bolted for the door. Kyle and Mike stared at her with wide eyes and ran behind her to the front porch of the store. Outside she glanced in the direction of the marina and spotted a large mushroom cloud of smoke rising in the sky.

“That’s coming from the marina!” Mike Thornton shouted.

“My grandparents,” Kyle groaned. The basket filled with snacks dropped from his hand. A bottle of water rolled past Kate’s feet as she dashed down the front steps toward the squad car.

Lisa’s voice crackled on her lapel mic before she could start the car. “Code 3. Code 3. Parking lot by ferry. EMS on the way.”

Kate turned on the siren and careened from the store’s parking lot. Everywhere she looked people ran in the direction of the marina. A car pulled out from a side street. Kate blew the horn and swerved around it. She had to get to the marina before the crowd converged on the area.

But what would she find? What about Russell and Rose? And Pete and Jeff? A few minutes ago she’d been talking with them. Would they be there when she arrived?

It only took a few minutes to navigate the traffic on the clogged main street before she caught sight of the parking lot at the end of the marina. Black smoke still boiled up. The fire truck with the volunteer firefighters Russell had mentioned pulled into the lot in front of her.

She cut her siren, skidded to a stop and jumped from the squad car. The wail of an ambulance sliced through the afternoon air. It sped into the parking lot and came to a stop next to the fire truck.

Long strips of metal that had once been the sides of the trailer lay scattered in a circle around the vehicle’s charred base. The debris, fanned around what had once been a tractor trailer, looked as if some giant titans had released pickup sticks in preparation for an afternoon game. Fire blazed all along the shoreline, and patches of red flickered in the debris.

Kate spotted Russell and Rose lying in the midst of the wreckage. She started toward them, but a firefighter grabbed her arm. “No, Kate. Let us make sure there’s no danger from further explosions before you get closer.”

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. He was right. They had their job to do, and the paramedics would take care of the victims. Her job was to keep the crowds back, but she didn’t know how one lone deputy could do it.

Then she saw them. The crew from the ferry ran toward her, and several hotel and shop owners rushed from the other direction. The island residents were responding as they always did when help was needed. She had no doubt other volunteers would arrive shortly. Their job at present was to keep the crowds that hurried toward the parking lot from getting close to the scene while the firefighters and paramedics did their jobs.

All she could do was hope that they weren’t too late to save the lives of the four people she’d talked to no more that fifteen minutes ago.

Brock had just sat down with a glass of iced tea and the day’s newspaper at the table on the back porch of Treasury’s house when he heard the explosion. Startled, he jumped to his feet. The second explosion sent him hurrying down the steps and around the house to the front yard. He stared in the direction he thought the sound had come from and spied a black cloud of smoke drifting upward.

Treasury, holding a broom in her hands, ran onto the front porch. “What was that?”

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling it’s something bad.”

Treasury gazed at the cloud. “That looks like the marina area. Didn’t Kate say something about the fireworks being delivered today? Do you think some of them might have been set off?”

He gasped and almost bent double at the pain that kicked him in the stomach. Kate! She said she had to be there when the truck rolled off the ferry. What if she had been involved in that explosion?

Panic surged through his body, paralyzing him with fear. His chest tightened, and he struggled to breathe. He had to find out if Kate was all right. He took a step toward his car but stopped. If a disaster had occurred, the streets might be blocked with emergency vehicles and the cars of sightseers. The fastest way to get there was to run.

“I’ll go find out what it was,” he called out to Treasury, as he dashed into the street.