Stranger in the Shadows by Shirlee McCoy

Author:Shirlee McCoy [McCoy, Shirlee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, General, Religious
ISBN: 9781426808876
Google: J_BL0m3Jw90C
Amazon: B000W9138M
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2007-11-01T13:27:43.203000+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

They went for a walk after dinner, the two puppies tumbling along on leashes, the soft rustle of grass and the gentle lap of water against the shore filling the night. The waning moon cast a silvery glow across the dry grass, giving the world an ethereal beauty Chloe tried hard to appreciate. Tried. Despite Ben’s presence, she didn’t like being out after dark, the open space, the hulking trees and shadowy bushes taking on forms and faces that she was half convinced were real.

“Cold?”

She hadn’t realized she was shivering until Ben spoke. At his words, she pulled her jacket closed, knowing it was fear and not the cold that had her shaking. “Maybe a little.”

“Here.” He shrugged off his jacket, draped it over her shoulders, the masculine outdoorsy scent of it surrounding Chloe.

“Now you’re going to be cold.”

“Not even close. My foster parents loved camping. They used to take us kids into the mountains every fall. That was cold. Compared to it, tonight is downright balmy.” He wrapped a hand around her elbow, leading her along a sparsely covered patch of lawn, the rocks and soil treacherous under Chloe’s unsteady gait.

“I’ve never been camping.”

“Our church sponsors a youth camping trip every spring. You can sign up as chaperone and see what it’s like.”

“It sounds like fun, but spring is months away. Anything could happen before then.”

“You think you’ll move back to D.C.?”

“No, but I may not be able to stay here much longer.”

“I know you’re not asking for my opinion.”

“But you’ll give it anyway?”

He chuckled, the sound filling the night. “Something like that.”

“Then I guess I’ll ask. What’s your opinion?”

“Trouble has a way of following us no matter how far we run from it. If we’re going to have to face it anyway, we may as well face it with people who care about us.”

“Maybe, but the trouble that’s following me is dangerous. Not just to me, but to everyone around me. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to Opal because of me. I’d feel the same way if something happened to you, Tiffany or Jake.”

“You’re making our welfare your responsibility, but we can all take care of ourselves.”

“That’s what I thought about Adam and look what happened to him.” An image filled her mind—fire, hot metal, Adam, blood seeping from his head and dripping onto the white shirt he wore.

“What happened to Adam had nothing to do with whether or not he could take care of himself. What Jackson did was unexpected. Something no one could have known to be prepared for. We’re in a completely different situation now. We know there’s potential danger and we’re prepared for it.”

“Forewarned is forearmed?”

“Exactly.”

“It’s not good enough, Ben. Until we find the person who’s been stalking me, no one will be safe.”

“Jake is working hard to find the answers we need.” He turned her back toward the house.

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