she was halfway up a mountain road few people knew about and even fewer traveled.
He pushed back a branch from one of the saplings and turned to glance over his shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked again.
“I’m fine.”
The mist changed to a steady drizzle. Her hair was matted with rain that ran over her shoulders and down the front of her jacket.
“Fine” was a stretch. She looked cold and about as comfortable as a drenched kitten.
His heart went out to her, but then he realized his mistake. He knew nothing about Hannah Miller, yet a man had chased her through the woods. Maybe that was why Lucas had built the deer stand six months earlier. Had the Lord placed it on his heart to do so, knowing a woman on the run would need a place to hide?
He was still a neophyte when it came to having a relationship with the Almighty. The Good Lord was working on making him a stronger believer and more willing to accept the precepts of the faith he had picked up from the Amish with whom he worked.
Thankfully, they had embraced him with open arms, but he was the one holding back because of the burden he carried in his heart. He’d asked God to send someone into his life who could remove the plank that weighed him down.
So far, God hadn’t answered that prayer.
“Oh,” Hannah gasped.
He turned to grab her arm before she tumbled over a fallen log. She nodded her thanks and leaned closer as she regained her footing.
His pulse hammered in his ears. What was it about this woman that caused him to take note? She was pretty. But lots of women were.
Maybe his protective nature had kicked into overdrive. Once a cop, always a cop, even after eleven months off the job. Still, he’d worked lots of investigations in Savannah and had never felt so engaged with a victim or a witness to a crime. Something about Hannah was different, and whether he liked it or not, he felt sure his life was about to change. For better or worse? Only God knew and, at the moment, He was silent.
Lord, keep me safe, Hannah prayed as she stared at the second man tonight who had peered into her car’s engine.
“Shine the light this way,” Lucas asked.
She angled her cell to where he pointed, grateful for the flashlight on her phone.
“Looks like there’s a hole in the radiator,” Lucas said, confirming what the horrible man in the flannel shirt had already told her.
The bad news was easier to accept from the helpful guy wearing suspenders.
She glanced at the road that disappeared around the mountain. A nervous tingle wrapped around her spine. The lewd guy who’d wanted information about Miriam could come back, especially if he expected to find Hannah huddled in her car, seeking shelter from the rain.
Lucas seemed oblivious to the danger. Although there was no telling what he was thinking with half his face hidden under that wide-brimmed felt hat he wore.
Swallowing hard, she gathered her courage to say what played heavy on her mind. “Do you think he’ll come back?”
Lucas glanced out from under the hood of the car and flicked his gaze to the mountain road. “We’ll see his headlights in plenty of time.”
His comment lacked the reassurance she needed and wanted. Would they really have enough warning to hide if the man returned? Or could a car traveling at a rapid rate of speed surprise them both?
The Good Samaritan’s nonchalance troubled her. Surely he wasn’t in cahoots with the guy in blue flannel. She shook her head ever so slightly and sighed, refusing to go down that road. Better to think of Lucas in a favorable light. So far, he’d done nothing to cause her concern.
Besides, the Amish were peaceful folks. Weren’t they?
Yet he’d said he was almost Amish. What did that mean?
“If we had some water, we could fill the radiator and drive until it ran dry.” Lucas extracted himself from under the hood. “That might give us enough time to get to the B and B.”
“Where you work?”
He nodded. “But as I mentioned, we need water.” He held out his hand, palm up. “And more than a sprinkling of raindrops.”
“I’ve got a case of water bottles in the trunk of my car,” she shared. “I went to the store after work—”
“And forgot to unload your groceries?” he added with a knowing smile.
Even in the darkness, she could see the dimples in his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes.
“I planned to help with the youth at church,” Hannah explained. “The kids are always thirsty.”
“What changed your plans?”
She avoided his gaze. “It’s a long story.” One she didn’t need to share. “Let’s fill the radiator and see how far we get.”
After unlocking her trunk, Hannah grabbed as many bottles as she could carry. Lucas did the same. He jimmied a tiny portion of cloth into the hole in the radiator, and then, together, they poured water into the reservoir.
“Looks like it’s holding.” He held out his hand when she pulled the keys from her pocket. “I’ll drive. The roads can be tricky at night.”
She liked his take-charge attitude and the smoothness with which he closed the hood, scooped the empty plastic bottles into her trunk and held the passenger door open for her. She settled into the seat and watched as he rounded the front of the car and slipped in behind the wheel.
The road twisted and turned, and she was grateful Lucas was driving. She glanced at her watch. Half past midnight.
Coming to an intersection, he turned right. A road sign pointed left to Willkommen. “Isn’t that where I want to go?”
“The town is still a distance from here. The B and B is closer.” He glanced at the clock on the console. “It’s late, and you’ve got a radiator that’s losing fluid. If we get to the Amish Inn, I’ll be more than grateful. You can stay there overnight. The rooms are clean and comfortable and off the beaten path. You won’t have to worry about the guy who followed you.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I wear a lot of hats,” he said with another smile that played with her heart. “One of them is security.”
“But you weren’t working tonight?”
“That’s right. My shift starts at six a.m.”
She hated to pry but another question came to mind. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you get to the deer stand without a car?”
“I live in a house on the inn’s property.
