Oregon Outback (25 page)

“The
one
…”

They said it together in an exaggerated tone. Lucas laughed along with Jonas.

“I remembered saying that to you,” Lucas scratched his head. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You were thinking that you knew Darcy was the one for me. You could tell. I haven’t met this girl that’s turned you inside out, but I’ve never seen you this intense over a girl. So … is there something standing in your way?”

“Yeah.
She
is.”

“Hmm. Well. I’ve got no advice for that.”

“Maybe it requires some sort of sacrificial offering on my part.”

Jonas laughed. “Oh, for certain, it will require a sacrifice.”

Lucas smiled. Jonas had seen right through him, and somehow, sharing his burden had eased the pain. “If you’ve got time. Let’s eat somewhere.”

He clapped Jonas on the back and closed the door behind him, leaving it unlocked for Avery, though she had a key. It would be good to be out of here when she got back. If she even came back.

He’d told Jonas that Avery was the one standing in the way of their relationship, but Lucas wasn’t sure if that was the truth. Maybe he was the roadblock.

Avery strolled down the hall toward Lucas’s office, thankful she’d decided to come in after hours. Facing him right now would be too hard. Sure, his apartment was at the back of the business, but he rarely spent time in the shop after hours, preferring to play after work.

After her interview in Portland this morning, she’d had lunch with a friend and driven back. She’d changed and did some laundry while she waited until six thirty, when she knew Lucas was certain to be gone. And gone he was—his truck wasn’t even parked at the back. She would have seen it.

She’d been so cold to him on Saturday, all day really, and then when he’d followed her into her house, wanting to hear what was bothering her, she’d only shared a half truth. Part of the whole truth.

Avery opened the door to Lucas’s office, recalling the first time she’d seen the chaos. Things were in order now, but only in his office and accounting system. Avery’s heart was a mess, and she didn’t have any idea how to put things right.

She slung her bag into the extra chair, then sat behind the desk and booted up his computer, preparing to finish the work like she promised.

A familiar scent wafted over her—Lucas’s cologne. He’d been in the office today. He usually stayed away while she worked at the computer.

Oh Lucas
. She’d tried to deny the way he made her feel, and her growing affection for him, hiding behind their friendship. He couldn’t hurt her if there was nothing to hurt, but she was terrified of just that. How she’d allowed things to get out of control, she wasn’t sure. She’d thought that given time, things would pan out one way or another and so she’d avoided any commitment. She’d done exactly what Katy claimed was Lucas’s MO.

Now she was at a crossroads. Could she afford to turn down a job that would be, in essence, a promotion from her last position while she waited to see if her heart was safe with Lucas?

As she stared at numbers on the screen, her chin trembled. Avery swiped at the tears with the back of her hand.
Oh Lord, what am I going to do?

She thought of the print on the wall out front: R
EALITY
: T
HAT WHICH DOESN’T GO AWAY WHEN YOU STOP BELIEVING IN IT
.

What about that which doesn’t go away just because you ignore it?

How could she have known how much Lucas would mean to her? He’d done so much for her, showing her things, giving her experiences she’d only heard about. She’d recovered from her fear of the more impractical and risky side to having fun.

He’d helped her become fearless. Helped her live the scripture,
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

But she’d not gotten over her fear of being hurt. And that …

That was keeping her from love.

But it was all too late. If they called and offered her the job—and she should hear by the end of this week—something would have to happen and fast. She’d need one extreme sign to turn this down and stay in the middle of nowhere with only Lucas and her fear of loving him.

Avery shut down the computer. She couldn’t do this tonight.

A man, late thirties, stocky and antsy, appeared in the doorway.

“I’m sorry, we’re closed,” she said.

“I need an ATV.”

Frowning, Avery stood. “You’ll have to wait until the morning.”

He took another step toward her. “Now.”

“I … can call the owner. Maybe he’d be willing to rent you something.” Avery reached for her phone.

The man pulled a gun from his pocket. “Put the phone down.”

Avery’s knees trembled. This was for real. Why didn’t he just hot-wire the thing, if he wanted it so badly? “Okay—okay. Just calm down. I’ll get you what you want.”

She slid the desk drawer open, grabbed a key ring, and held it out. “The master key to the key box is on this ring. And the box is in the front.”

Sweat beaded on his forehead. “You’re coming with me.”

Avery swallowed, panic and terror strangling her defenses. For lack of something better to say or do, she walked through the door ahead of him.
Lord, please send someone to help
.

All her thoughts of being fearless bled out her feet. Part of her reason for leaving Portland was because of the break-in.

Why couldn’t Lucas be here?

The man shoved her forward. She hurried to the front of the business.

“Now, open that box. Get me a key.”

Hands trembling, Avery fumbled with the keys. Finally, the lockbox opened, revealing four keys to unrented ATVs. The man reached forward, his arm gruff against her shoulder, and swiped them all.

Now what would he do? Would he leave her to call the police? As if he was considering her question, too, he looked at her and frowned. He grabbed a couple of helmets off the shelf.

“Let’s go.”

Too stunned for words, Avery allowed the man to shove her out the door cautiously. She went with him, to the side of the building where the rentals waited.

“I don’t get it. Why would you steal one of these from a rental shop?”

He climbed onto the largest one and started it. Avery glanced around to see if she could run, duck and hide, get herself free, but he looked up at her, still gripping the gun. “This will ride two, and the tank is full. Get on.”

“Why take me? It’s not like you can run away from the police on an ATV.”

“Who said I’m running from the police? Now get on.”

Avery glanced to the side of the building. Lucas’s truck was still gone. How could this happen? This was crazy. “Then why do you need me? Just take the thing and go.”

Tears spilled over her cheeks as she stumbled forward.

“I’m not going to hurt you. But I don’t want you calling anyone until I’m long gone, so you’re going with me.”

“Then why did you involve me? Why not hot-wire the thing?”

His frown deepened. “Someone might notice the wires hanging out. Think it’s stolen. This way, we’re just two people out for a joyride.”

He forced her to sit in front of him, his arms stretching around her as he controlled the machine. At his nearness, her skin crawled. How was she going to get out of this?

Avery held on to the hope that he would eventually leave her somewhere in the dunes. Somewhere alone in the seventeen square miles of desert sand.

Her hopes and dreams for the future, her conflicting thoughts about Lucas, were nothing now.

Survive.

Escape.

Avery’s mind scrambled for some way out.

Lord, please, help me
. As she slid on her helmet, she discreetly tugged one of her butterfly earrings out and dropped it.

The ATV rumbled beneath her as her abductor accelerated along the unpaved road that led deeper into the dunes. The ride was uncomfortable. Avery couldn’t imagine why he bothered with her. But eventually, he steered toward the Sand Dunes Wilderness Study Area—an area remote and completely secluded from other recreational riders because it was closed to the public.

No one would find them out there.

L
ucas steered through the parking lot and spotted Avery’s car still there at seven thirty. He frowned. She was serious about working late to complete the cleanup on his accounting system.

Which meant—she was taking the job in Portland. Lucas exhaled long and slow. While he’d enjoyed his lunch with Jonas and they talked well into the afternoon, catching up, his thoughts had never been far from Avery.

His pride stood in the way. But Jonas had convinced him that getting hurt was, in fact, worth the risk. If she rejected him after he spread his heart out for her to see, then so be it.

He parked the truck in the back and jogged around to the side door, letting himself into the business side of the building. The lights were on in his office, and the door was wide open. Avery wasn’t there, but her bag was in the chair, and the desk drawer was open. She was around here somewhere.

This wasn’t the time or place he’d wanted to share his feelings, but he’d let that chance slip over the weekend. It was now or never. Before she got too caught up in the idea of moving back to Portland. If he knew anything about women, she’d probably want some sort of commitment if she was going to give up a great job opportunity and stay in town. He didn’t blame her for that.

Lucas sat in the chair and clasped his hands behind his head, waiting for her to return. Was he ready for more than a confession of love? Was he ready to commit?

If she was the
one,
like he believed she was, then … he swallowed … he needed to practice saying the words out loud or at least in his head. He leaned forward in the chair. Where was Avery?

He shoved from the desk and headed out of the office, calling her name.

She wasn’t in the front room or the restroom. He searched in the back room, fearing she’d decided to move boxes to create her own office. Although why would she do that if she was taking the other job? That might mean she’d decided to stay. Lucas’s heart jumped at the thought.

Could it be?

“Avery?” He looked through the chaotic room. She wasn’t there, nor was she on the floor somewhere hurt because a box had fallen on her. Though relieved she wasn’t hurt, he was getting worried. He stepped through the back to the repair shop. It was dark and empty, other than four-wheelers in mid-repair.

His pulse ramping, he jogged to the front of the building where customers entered and rented their ATVs. The key box hung open. He ran his finger over the key slots. They were all gone.

What was going on? In only a few strides, he shoved through the front door, which wasn’t even locked like it should have been. Around the side, he spotted three ATVs that were left for rental. This was his busy season, so most of the rentals were being used. There were four sitting there when he left earlier in the day, but someone could have rented that, or had Avery taken one for a ride?

Avery’s car was here, her purse was in his office, and she’d left that in disarray. All were unlike her. No, she’d never take a four-wheeler out alone.

Something sparkled on the ground. He bent over and picked up one of Avery’s butterfly earrings.

“Okay, something is weird here.” He ran back into the office. Only two helmets were left. If she left on one of the ATVs, did she take two helmets?

Lucas called Jonas. The call went to voice mail. He hung up and tried again. “Come on, come on, come on …”

“Lucas. What’s up?”

“I don’t know. It could be nothing. But it’s kind of strange.”

“Go ahead.”

“Avery’s car is here and the office is open. She left her purse, and the desk drawer open, and all the ATV keys have been taken. There are still three sitting there, but two helmets are gone, and I found something that belongs to her on the ground next to where the one four-wheeler was parked. Is there something wrong here? Or do you think I’m overreacting?”

Jonas was silent. Then he sighed. “Don’t do anything. Wait for me. I’ll be right there.”

Lucas stared at his phone after Jonas had hung up. Was Jonas crazy? After filling Lucas’s head about the guy who’d bombed someplace and might be looking to hide out in the Oregon wilderness, Lucas wasn’t about to wait on Jonas. He grabbed a helmet and straddled one of the faster model four-wheelers. He yanked the wires attached to the ignition switch and using his pocketknife, cut the red one, then connected the ignition wire, starting the engine.

It wouldn’t be the first one he’d hot-wired. He raced off on the four-wheeler, heading toward the dunes, but he didn’t have a clue where he was going. He’d either find Avery out for a joyride on her own, or with a friend, or she was in trouble.

Either way, Lucas aimed to find her, even if he had to ride every square mile of the sand dunes and more, looking. Unfortunately, the four-wheeler that he suspected was missing had two gas tanks, and could go a hundred and forty miles before needing gas. The dunes would cut that number drastically, but if Jonas’s fugitive had taken Avery and the ATV, where was he headed?