Discovering Pride (Pride Series) (31 page)

By the time they made it to the pond, Lacey realized she was out of options. They stood at the water’s edge as large flakes clung to Lacey’s eyelashes and hair. Then, she heard the dogs barking, and the sweetest thing on the earth followed. She heard Aaron calling her name.

Todd and Iian were heading over to see their sister, Iian had a stack of books that she had requested. When they rounded the corner to go up the drive, they saw Aaron’s truck turning in before them. Waving to him, they followed him up the long drive.

Just as they reached the house, they noticed the silver sedan. Both men jumped out of the car before Todd had put it in park.

“What the hell?” Aaron slammed his truck door shut and raced to the opened front door, yelling for Lacey.

Iian noticed it first, bending down in the doorway, he saw the blood, and yelled for the other two men.

Just as Aaron reached the doorway again, Bernard came running up, he was shaking, and barking. When Todd reached down to grab his collar, he noticed blood on his nose, lots of blood.

“Damn it, where the hell is she? Bernard, where is Lacey?” Aaron said, stepping out on the porch, looking frantically around.

Iian bent down and grabbed Bernard by the collar. “Find Lacey” he said and snapped his fingers.

Bernard took one look at the trio, then barking, he ran down the path towards his master.

Sprinting ahead of the other two, Aaron could see Bernard’s tail, just as he cut to the left, heading towards the pond.

“The pond.” he yelled out for Todd and knew Iian would follow.

When Aaron reached the edge of the clearing, he saw Lacey and Jennifer standing on the large rock near the water.

Jennifer held a large knife pointed at Lacey’s heart.

Just then, Jennifer swung her arm up, he saw the knife arc downwards.

Aaron screamed.

Then, Lacey stepped backwards just as Bernard lunged at Jennifer. Bernard’s teeth sunk deep into Jennifer’s arm, the knife dug deep into Bernard’s fur.

Just for a minute, he thought he might be fast enough to reach the edge of the pond to catch her before she went in.

Lacey’s socked feet slipped on the icy rock, her head hit the edge, and then she fell into the cold water and sunk below it’s dark surface.

As he ran to the water’s edge and saw a brown spot rush past him, it went straight into the water going after Lacey. Bernard had Jennifer on her knees, her arm firmly gripped between his teeth, the knife dropped, as he continued to yank on her arm. Blood dripped from Bernard’s shoulder, but the dog didn’t pay any attention.

When Aaron pushed past them, he could see the large crack in the ice where Lacey and Cleo had disappeared. Not even giving Jennifer a thought, he leaped into the pond, just as Cleo was coming back up for breath. The small dog paddled around barking, then dove back under the cold water and followed Aaron on his search.

The water was cold, very cold, freezing cold. He had to find her! Using all his strength, he reached out, looking, feeling his way around the dark pond. Where was she?

Lacey was floating, drifting in a weightless dream as white puffy clouds floated above her head. She could hear the dogs playing near the shore through the soft lapping sound of the water. It tickled her sides as she floated, cooling her hot skin.

Then, she could hear someone calling her name, she tried to open her eyes, but something was pulling her back into the darkness. She hurt, and the darkness provided a reprieve from the pain. She thought about floating for a while longer.

He felt something brush against his foot, reaching down, he felt fur, Cleo. Letting her go, he continued his search, reaching and searching.

He
searched until his lungs screamed then he surfacing to gulp in a desperately needed breath.

Iian had Jennifer held down the knife held tightly in his hand. He was yelling for Lacey, screaming her name. Todd had jumped in the pond shortly after  Aaron had.

Diving under again, Aaron continued to search for what seemed like hours. Again, he ran into Cleo, but this time the small dog had something in her mouth and was trying to get to the surface. Grabbing hold, he rushed the trio upwards.

Lacey could see colors and hear voices and she felt hands touching her. She heard a baby cry and more voices, she felt herself being lifted and rearranged. Then she felt warm liquid in her arms, warming her entire body. She couldn’t stop shaking. Why couldn’t she stop shaking?

Then it was quiet, so quiet she opened her eyes and stared at a white ceiling. She felt dull. Her eyes had a hard time focusing and she blinked a few times to clear her mind. She couldn’t remember where she was or how she’d gotten there. She just hopped it wasn’t the hospital again!

Everything was a little too blurry for her to see clearly. Then, he leaned over her and her eyes focused on him and nothing else mattered.

Lacey was floating again, this time, the cool water was a welcome from the scorching heat.

Bernard and Cleo, her heroes, were both happily barking and splashing around making waves in the cool water. Bernard had his stitches removed and had been given a clean bill of health.

It had taken a few weeks for her to get back on her feet after the last dip she’d taken in this pond. Blocking the memory from her thoughts, she continued to look up into the blue sky and watch what little clouds there were.

By this time next month, she would be Mrs. Aaron Stevens. Smiling now to herself, she could just see it, walking down the aisle in her church, Aaron standing there with Father Michael and her brothers. The whole town of Pride there, to celebrate. Of course there would be a large party afterwords at the restaurant, where all of Pride and her family would join in the celebration.

Hearing a splash, she looked over towards the shore just in time to see a large wave. Knowing what was coming next, she quickly ducked under to play a quick game of cat and mouse with her soon-to-be husband. Just who was the cat, and who was the mouse, had yet to be decided. But, s
he knew they would both enjoy discovering the answer, together.

Iian Jordan was a very successful chef who owned one of the top rated restaurants along the Oregon coast. He was in high demand running a successful business. He had his career; his restaurant, and his loving family, one that was growing bigger everyday. Why then, did he feel like something was missing? And he wasn’t talking about his hearing, which he’d lost in a tragic accident ten years ago on his eighteenth birthday.

No, what he was missing was the same someone who had just driven back into town. Someone he had always loved from afar. Now, it was time that he step up and grab what he wanted, before she got away again.

Allison Adams had made a name for herself in the art world. All she was looking for now was some peace and quiet from all the hassles of the high pressures in the city. She wanted to get back to what she loved, painting. But, when she arrived home, what she finds instead, is her mother trapped in an illness that consumes her every waking moment.

Now, with the help of the good people in her hometown, and a man she’s always admired, she just might have returned for something different, true love.