Everywhere She Goes

“Chandler,” he said, “Cait just called. She says there’s no bomb. It was that son of a bitch Ralston. He wanted to get her alone.”

Fear crested and broke in Noah like some killer wave. His whole body went rigid. “He’s got her?”

“She says she took care of him. She sounded…calm.”

“Calm.”

“Told me to do what I had to do, not to worry.”

Somehow he kept from repeating dumbly, Not to worry? “Where is she?” he managed instead.

“Still at the house.” His jaw tightened. “She says.”

He pulled his car keys from his pocket. “I’ll go.”

“I can send a unit.”

“If he’s hurt her, I’ll kill him.”

No caution to remember the law. Instead, “You’ll call me?” her brother asked.

Noah nodded and was gone.

A five-minute drive took two. Plus side, he didn’t have to worry about getting a ticket; he knew where every cop in town was. The tires squealed on pavement when he turned into McAllister’s driveway. Hearing that, he made himself lift his foot from the pedal so he didn’t skid on the gravel.

No other vehicle was in sight. Lights were on in the house. He leaped out and ran for the porch, taking the stairs two at a time. Then he hammered on the door.

“Cait!” he bellowed.

When she opened the door, he almost fell in.

“Noah?”

Despite her bemused expression, he snatched her into his arms. He could hear his own heartbeat, and his lungs were working like old-fashioned bellows. He swore, viciously, nonstop. All he could think was, She’s all right. Not hurt. Nothing like he’d imagined had happened.

Her arms had locked around him, and he realized she was soothing him by stroking his back. Finally he was able to groan and loosen his hold on her.

“Where is he?”

Her lip curled. “He took off.”

His heartbeat was starting to slow. “What happened?”

“Do you want a cup of coffee?”

“I want,” he said from between clenched teeth, “for you to tell me what happened.”

She blinked. “Blake used the phone call to the library as a diversion. He came, and I kicked his ass.” She sounded so satisfied, Noah’s relief turned into a choked laugh.

“Okay. Now I’ll take the coffee.”

Watching her sashay into the kitchen, her butt swinging, he shook his head and took out his phone.

It rang once.

“She’s fine,” he told Colin. “Ralston is gone. She says she kicked his ass.”

Silence.

“I haven’t gotten the details yet, but she’s unscathed and she sounds pretty pleased with herself.”

Her brother uttered an obscenity. “Ask her if she knows where his car was.”

Noah relayed question and then answer. “No. Says he scuttled away—her words—into the woods to the north.”

“People that own it are never there. He could have parked in their driveway.” Voices were talking to him, and Colin had apparently muffled the phone. After a minute he came back. “Tell her I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

“Okay.” Noah was the bemused one now, going into the kitchen, where Cait leaned against the counter edge.

“What’d he say?”

He told her.

“What a mess. I suppose they’ll have to search the library anyway.”

“Probably.” He shook his head. “I assume someone will be waiting for Ralston at his campsite.”

“Which he doesn’t know has been found.” Her eyes sharpened on him. “How did you know it was found?”

All Noah did was cock an eyebrow.

Cait made a face at him. “I can’t believe my brother is reporting to you. You know he wouldn’t if he knew.”

“That I’m doing his sister?”

“Doing?” She sounded outraged.

“I can think of cruder ways to put it.” He grinned at her. He felt euphoric. She was all right! Not hurt! Damn. “You know, your brother is smart enough to suspect.”

“He thinks he’s hardly taken his eyes off me.”

“He knows we’ve spent a couple of evenings together.”

She was silent for a moment. “He might have a suspicion.”