Amish Christmas Hideaway

TWO

Nathan hit the steering wheel again, wishing Alisha’s phone worked. Her battery must have finally fizzled out. He couldn’t reach her. But he’d been tailing her for two miles when he looked up and saw another car coming down a hill toward them.

Then he’d watched in horror when Alisha had made a sharp right turn, his heart stopping while he watched her car careening wildly.

She’d made it off the main road and he was headed to follow her when a big dark SUV coming from the other direction turned onto the same route she’d just taken, cutting Nathan off as it whipped in front of his truck.

“No.” Nathan slammed on his brakes to avoid a collision and then hit the gas pedal again. “Where are you, Carson?” The deputy sheriff should have been here by now. Carson would have alerted the town police, too, since he didn’t have the authority to make any arrests.

But if those men saw the deputy tailing them, they could have shot at Carson, too.

Lord, please protect my friend.

The silent prayer felt foreign and raw inside Nathan’s head. He rarely prayed these days, but he still believed deep down inside. Right now, he needed the Lord to hear him on a lot of accounts.

Alisha needed him. He had to get to her.

He slipped and slid onto the turnoff, noting where Alisha’s car had gone, his heart doing that jumpy thing it always did each time he came back to the place he’d once called home.

The place where he’d fallen in love with a beautiful Englisch girl who had her own dreams and ambitions. The girl who’d walked away from him because she felt as if she’d only remind him of the worst night of his life.

If he didn’t find her, this would be the worst night of his life. He might have lost his sweet little sister Hannah, but he would not lose Alisha.

Not this time.

Nathan hurried along the dark, deserted road and noted the two vehicles up ahead. The big SUV hovered near Alisha’s sedan. He had his weapon concealed in a shoulder holster and he’d shoot first and ask questions later.

When Alisha’s vehicle swerved around a curve, Nathan took off and caught up with the SUV following her. While the sleek vehicle inched closer to her, Nathan did the same with the aggressive SUV.

He knew a certain spot up ahead where if he hit at its back bumper just right, he could force the SUV off the road long enough to allow Alisha to get to safety.

Preparing, Nathan kept his eyes on the two cars up ahead. Then he looked in his rearview mirror and saw another vehicle approaching. A traffic jam on this road late at night? Unbelievable. He hoped Carson had found them.

His cell buzzed. Careful to keep his gaze on the road, he let the call come through his truck’s Bluetooth.

“I’m behind you,” Carson said. “The locals are out in force since they’ve heard what happened. There’s a BOLO out based on the eyewitness description.”

“They’re following that witness,” Nathan replied, relieved for the backup. “I can’t let them get to her.”

“I’m trying to catch up with them.”

“They have to be the same people who killed someone in front of Alisha earlier.”

“Why did she come here?” Carson asked.

“She’s afraid and...she must have been coming to see her grandmother. I don’t know. She panicked, I think.”

She had to have panicked to call him, Nathan reasoned.

“Dangerous situation,” Carson replied.

“Be careful,” Nathan warned. “They’re armed.”

“I won’t do anything stupid,” Carson said. “I’m here to observe and help with transport, if needed.”

“Okay. I’ll tail them until we meet up.”

Carson ended the call and sped around Nathan to alert the town police up on the main road out of town. Nathan watched the road ahead. His friend had the authority to stop them for speeding if nothing else. But these people were dangerous. Carson shouldn’t take that risk. Smarter to get the police out here.

Nathan focused on the vehicle behind Alisha. The big vehicle bumped against Alisha’s car. The driver tried to force her off the road. Nathan gunned his truck, thinking he’d smash into the other vehicle.

Too late.

He watched in horror as the SUV bumped hard against Alisha’s sedan again. Unable to help, Nathan shouted as her tiny car went spiraling across the road and headed into a deep ditch.

“No,” Nathan said, slamming on the brakes as he came up on the scene.

The SUV took off, speeding away. The town police should be waiting up ahead. Nathan had to check on Alisha.

Nathan put the still moving truck into Park, left it running, and hopped out and hurried toward Alisha, pulling open the driver’s-side door.

Nearly out of breath, he called, “Alisha?”

“I’m okay,” she said, her hands tight on the steering wheel, her head slumped over. “I’m all right, Nathan.”

She didn’t sound all right. More like out of breath and going into shock. “I’m calling for help.”

“No.” Grabbing his arm, she said, “Just get me out of here, please.”

He looked at her and then looked down into a dark abyss. She’d somehow managed to stop the car against a jutting rock, but most of the car sat nestled against an old jagged tree trunk. A rotting and weathered trunk that could give at any minute.

Mere inches away from what looked like a sizable drop-off into a ravine.

“I’ve got you,” he said. “C’mon, take my hand.”

She nodded. “My bag.”

“Okay, grab it. But careful.”

She lifted the big businesslike leather bag and handed it to him. Nathan set the bag on the ground and gently tugged at her. “Turn slowly toward me, okay.”

She nodded, the car rocking with each movement. Once she twisted and managed to put her legs on the ground, the car moaned and slipped another inch into the old tree trunk.

Nathan’s heart slipped right along with the vehicle, his breath caught. That old stump wouldn’t last much longer. “On three,” he said. “One, two, three.”

His hands on her waist now, he tugged her up and out and then pulled her away from the now shaking car. With a groan and the hissing of tires and metal, the car plummeted against the weak tree trunk, causing the weathered wood to crumble into a hundred powder-dry pieces. Nathan held Alisha down, the sound of the car’s front right fender scraping against the rock as it slid over the edge of the ravine and crashed down below with a last moan. A hard crash and then the sound of metal breaking apart echoed out over the hills.

They fell together onto the grass near the curve in the road. Nathan held her close, shut his eyes and took in the sweet scent of her hair.

“Alisha.”

She suddenly sat straight up and scooted away from him. “What?”

He lay there, checking her over, the urge to hold her close still strong. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. But my car... It’s gone.”

Nathan took in her dark golden hair all scattered and wispy around her heart-shaped face. “I’m sorry about that, but I had to get you out. Too late for your car but I need to get you away from here.”

Brushing at her hair and clothes, she let out a long, shuddering sigh. “I still owe on that car.”

Still practical, he thought, his pulse pounding like a jackhammer in his ear. “You have insurance?”

She gave him a nod, her expression blank now. “Did you call reinforcements?”

“Yes—a friend nearby and the locals waiting down the road. Tell me if you hurt anywhere. Did you hit your head?”

“No. I mean I bumped against something but I’m okay. When they rammed me, I tried to steer the car toward a tree. I found a rock and a tree. Bounced a bit. I could have died if you hadn’t come along.”

She was shaken but Nathan knew this woman. Tough and stubborn.

“Okay, but you did not die.” He stood and offered her his hand. She hesitated and then grabbed on while he tugged her up, the touch of her skin against his fingers jarring him with a current of awareness. “I called my friend Carson Benton. He’s a deputy sheriff who helps me out a lot.”

“Unofficially, I’m sure. I hope he chased them away.”

“Unofficially, yes. I hope they don’t shoot him.”

Looking her over, he took in the boots and straight black skirt, the tan leather jacket and black turtleneck sweater. Classy. “Alisha, listen, they don’t know you’re still alive. That gives us time. We need to get you somewhere safe, okay?”

“I’m going to Campton House.”

Just as he’d thought, and the closest place to hide for now. “Good. Mrs. Campton has a state-of-the-art security system.”

“I know. I told her to get a system installed because of the sensitive nature of some of our cases. It serves as a safe house at times, too.”

“Well, that will come in handy since we have to hide you until I can figure this thing out. The longer they think you died in that car, the better our odds of keeping you alive.”

“You mean, until we can figure this thing out. I’m the one who witnessed a double murder.”

He liked her spirit but heard that stubborn tone in her voice. “And I’m the one who’ll protect you and help you find justice. You have to stay hidden.”

He took her by the arm. “I’ll report the crash from the truck. And before you start up, it’s too cold out here to argue about this right now.”

“I’m not going to argue,” she said. “I’m exhausted.”

Nathan’s heart went out to her. “Alisha...”

“Don’t,” she said, holding up a hand. “Don’t baby me, Nathan. Just get me to my grandmother’s house.”

Nathan grunted and let her open her own door. Then he grabbed her big leather bag and hopped in on the driver’s side. “Here’s your purse.”

“This is not a purse. It’s full of work, my laptop and a flash drive, clothes. And my phone. My life is in this bag.”

And hidden chocolate, if memory served him.

“That’s a lot of life crammed into one fancy lady purse.”

“I don’t have a life,” she said. Then her gaze met his in sheepish surprise. “It’s a briefcase.”

“You didn’t mean to admit that, did you? The part about not having a life.”

“I’m tired. Not making much sense.”

“Well, if I have it my way, you’ll have a lot of life left in you.”

His cell buzzed. “It’s Carson.” Hitting Accept, he said, “Did you find them?”

Carson’s voice came over the Bluetooth connection. “Saw them, followed while the locals gave chase and we had them surrounded.”

“But?” Nathan glanced over at Alisha since she could hear the call. Her expression held dread.

“They crashed the SUV near the main highway down the mountain. Got out and ran away on foot. We’ve got men searching the area and we’ve called in the K9 unit, but I have a feeling they had another ride coming. It’s still not safe.” Then he added, “One of the escort officers is alive but critical. The other one died at the scene. I’m sorry, Nathan. The police are up to speed and they’ve alerted the proper authorities in Philadelphia, including the FBI.”

Alisha let out a sob, her hand going to her face.

“Thanks.” Nathan said, glancing at Alisha. “I have Miss Braxton with me. I got her out of the car, but it went into the ravine. They’ll send someone to circle back around to make sure she’s dead. I’d like them to think that for a while. Just until I get her somewhere safe.”

“Understood,” his friend said. “But you know how this will end, right?”

“Yeah. With me bringing these people to justice.” Nathan ended the call and turned to Alisha. “So you heard. Your pursuers managed to escape. You’re not safe.”

He saw the shudder she tried to hide. “What they did was horrible. I can’t get it out of my head.” Looking out into the darkness, she whispered, “I should have done something for those officers.”

“You did the only thing you could do—you got away. It was probably too late for the one who died at the scene and hopefully, the other one won’t die.”

He didn’t want her to meet that same fate.

“That will be in the news, too. His poor family. To lose him at Christmas. Maybe I should have gone back to Reading.”

“No.” Nathan couldn’t tell her that he was glad to see her, glad to help her. “No. You need to be with family right now.”

She nodded, her head down.

“Tell me what you saw tonight,” he said in a gentler tone, wishing he could touch her, hold her and make her feel better.

But that would be the worst idea he’d ever had and he’d had a few bad ones at times.

She nodded and started speaking, her voice strained and weary. Once she’d finished, Nathan couldn’t stop himself. He reached over and took her hand. This reeked of a professional hit. But he wouldn’t tell her that until he did some digging.

“You’ll be safe at the Campton Center for now.”

She stared down at his hand and then pulled hers away. “Of course I will. It’s solid.”

“And I’ll be there to make sure.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“That means we’ll be spending Christmas together,” he replied with a soft smile. “Because I’ll be staying there with you until we find these killers.”

THREE

“Oh, no,” Alisha replied, the shock of his statement overtaking the shock pumping through her body. “That is not going to happen.”

“It’s happening,” he retorted as he took all the back roads she’d planned on taking. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

“I won’t be alone. I have my grandmother and Mrs. Campton.”

“Right. Two elderly ladies who have to use an elevator to get downstairs.”

He had a point but Alisha wasn’t ready to concede. “And a good security system.”

“That helps but we both know a good criminal can work around that.”

Right again. But Alisha wasn’t about to let him hang around. Yes, she’d called him in a moment of panic but reason was taking over now. “Nathan, I’m a big girl. I can hide out there while I do some checking. For all we know, they might give up on me and go into hiding.”

“I’m not willing to wait and see if that happens. Are you?”

She shook her head. “No. I have a week before I go back to the office in Reading the day after Christmas.”

“Call your boss and make that two weeks. Just until the New Year.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can. Explain the situation. Take some vacation time.”

“I’ll take the time I have allotted and I’ll use that time to track these killers.”

“You do realize Christmas is not the time to work, right?”

“Yes. But watching a gunman shoot up a Christmas market five days before the holidays kind of puts a damper on things.”

“Are you going to tell the ladies the truth?”

“I have to,” she said, hating the idea. “They need to be warned so they can be aware.”

“And they need protection, too.”

“Maybe I should stay somewhere else.”

“No, this is the best plan for now. But, Alisha, I’m going to stay there with all of you whether you like it or not. I know the place has a couple of extra bedrooms in the main house. I’ll bunk in one of those.”

Bad idea. So why did she feel safer, just knowing he’d be nearby?

Because she was frightened, shaken and... She’d need his help. Nathan Craig was good at his job and he could go where others didn’t dare go. He found people. Good people. Scared people. Lost people. And sometimes, the worst of people.

“I can see those wheels turning inside your head,” he said when she didn’t retort right away. “What are you thinking?”

She twisted to stare at him as they turned onto Creek Road. “I don’t have much of a choice. I need you—I mean I need your experience and expertise.”

Her head told her to be logical, while her heart shouted that she did need him, too. She’d always needed him.

But she’d been fighting that need since she’d first met him the summer after her senior year. Funny, how he’d been on the fringes of her life for most of her life. Around but always out of her reach. Once, they’d been so close. Teenage sweethearts. But they were both adults now. Professional and on a case. Nothing more. Because neither one of them had anything more to give.

Tonight, he’d saved her. Alisha couldn’t forget that.

“Don’t worry,” he said in a tight tone, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. “I’ll stay out of your way. I’ll have plenty to keep me busy.”

Justice. The man always wanted justice.

Well, so did she, but she sure hadn’t planned on getting it with Nathan’s help. She didn’t want to spend her holidays chasing after a killer, but her instincts told her the murderers would keep chasing after her.

“I’ll be busy, too,” she said. “I just want this over.”

“Are you referring to this murder investigation or being forced to keep me around?”

“Both,” she admitted.

Nathan pulled the truck up to the quiet, looming house and switched off the motor. “We’ll have to wake them and I’ll need to hide my truck in the garage.”

Alisha stared at the stately redbrick mansion trimmed in white columns, the rows of tall windows now looking vulnerable instead of comforting, the big evergreen wreath on the door reminding her of all the holidays she’d spent here.

Too many memories for tonight, coupled with Nathan being here beside her. A great weight of fatigue and shock pushed at her soul. “Yes. Let’s get inside and do what we have to do.”

Nathan quickly came around the truck and opened her door, his gaze scanning the old oaks and high shrubs and then the driveway and parking areas. “At least the backyard is gated and fenced.”

“We have security lights and alarms everywhere.”

He helped her down, his hands on her waist. Alisha stared up and into his eyes, really seeing him for the first time in a long time. He had always been good-looking, but that world-weary cragginess that shadowed his face made him handsome and mysterious. His eyes, so cobalt blue and shimmering, held too many secrets and his dark hair, always unruly, curled against his neck. A rogue sweep of heavy bangs shielded his frown while his gaze held hers.

He was off-limits and yet, right now, she wanted to reach up and brush those thick curls off his forehead.

“Thank you, Nathan,” she said instead.

“You can thank me when this is all over,” he replied, removing his hands as if he’d been burned.

Alisha accepted that, the loss of his touch already moving through her with aching clarity. Grabbing her briefcase, she hurried to the double doors of the carriage house entryway, where an open portico separated the garage and the upstairs apartment from the main house. Glancing up at the enclosed upper breezeway, which allowed people to move from the garage and second-floor apartment to the main house during bad weather, Alisha breathed deeply and shivered in the late-night cold. She had a key but she rang the bell instead so she wouldn’t scare her grandmother by slipping into the house.

“Alisha?”

Hearing her grandmother’s sweet voice over the intercom brought tears to Alisha’s eyes. “Yes, Granny. It’s me. Sorry I’m so late.”

“Come on up,” Bettye said, buzzing the door open.

Relief filled Alisha’s soul but with it came the letdown of adrenaline and the horrible realization of what she’d witnessed. Her hands started shaking but she held her briefcase with a death grip to keep from falling apart.

Nathan stepped up and placed his arm across her shoulder, tugging her close. He then took the heavy bag. “I’ve got you,” he whispered as he pushed open the door for her. “Don’t fall apart on me now, okay?”

Alisha swallowed her fears and the delayed reaction to everything she’d been through in the last few hours. “I’ll be all right.” She didn’t want to fall apart and she didn’t want him to be kind to her.

But she didn’t push him away. She did need Nathan. And not just to help her stay alive. The strength of his grip reminded her that he’d once made her feel so secure. That feeling had returned tonight, but she’d have to get it out of her system.

Bettye Willis met them at the landing where the stairs from the portico doors met the second floor in a wide entryway. A small table held a sparkling ceramic Christmas tree, the smell of cinnamon-and-spice potpourri lingering in the air.

Bettye took Alisha into her arms in a tight hug. “Alisha, we were beginning to get worried.” Stepping back to get a good look, she said, “I sent Judy on to bed.”

Then her grandmother saw Nathan there in the shadows. Her surprised gaze moving from Alisha to him, Bettye asked, “Mr. Craig, what are you doing here?”

Nathan smiled at Bettye. “That’s a long story, Mrs. Willis.”

“He’s here to help me, Granny,” Alisha said, hoping her grandmother wouldn’t press. “We can explain in the morning.”

Bettye scoffed that away. “I was up reading,” she said. “Come into the kitchen and I’ll make you something to eat. And then you can tell me what’s really going on.”

When they hesitated, her grandmother put her hands on her hips. “You do realize that while I’m old, I’m not completely hapless and senile. Alisha, you would not bring Nathan Craig here in the middle of the night without an extremely good reason.”

Alisha shot Nathan a warning glance. “I’ll explain then, Granny. No need to keep you up all night wondering.”

“That’s unbelievable,” Bettye said after Alisha retold what had happened to her. Turning to where Nathan sat in front of a half-eaten roast beef sandwich, she patted his hand. “I’m so thankful Alisha thought to call you, Nathan.”

Nathan stared at the cookie waiting by his plate and then glanced at Alisha, concern hitting him in the gut. What if he hadn’t answered his phone? What if he hadn’t been at the cabin?

He wouldn’t think about that. He was here now with her and she was safe. “Me, too, Mrs. Willis.”

“Call me Bettye,” the older woman said. She wore a blue flannel robe to keep warm in the wee-hour chill of the spacious art deco–style kitchen. “More coffee?”

Nathan held up his cup, thinking he wouldn’t get much sleep tonight anyway. “Thank you.”

Alisha sat holding her mug, absorbing the warmth. Her grandmother had found her a cozy sweater and a pair of jeans. Alisha kept some clothes here since she often worked pro bono into the late hours and spent the night now and then.

“So, you’re going to be our protector,” Bettye said, nodding her head. “We’ll explain all of this to Mrs. C in the morning. She’ll certainly agree that this is the safest place for both of you right now.”

“I don’t want to put you or her in any danger, Granny,” Alisha said. “This is just for a couple of days.”

“Until after Christmas,” Bettye said. “Remember, you have the whole week off.”