B00CZBQ63C EBOK (28 page)

Lights dotted the edges of the bay beyond the spit where the smokestacks of the mills rose into the darkness.

“They’ll be okay.” Daniel mustered his most confident tone. “When they show up empty-handed, Brown will have no choice but to release them all.”

Laurie blinked. “I know.”

His arms ached to hold her, but he kept his hands firm on the wheel. “Then what is it?”

“I keep thinking about how I always try to pull the strings on everyone’s lives and make them do what I want.”

“You’re trying to protect them.”

Laurie shook her head, sodden hair slapping against her cheeks. “That’s just it. I’m not. I’m protecting myself.” A shadow crossed her face. “I’ve spent my life searching for one man worthy of my trust. Unfortunately, I seem to be a magnet for rogues and miscreants.”

Daniel fought back a chuckle. “Well, I guess that explains it.”

Laurie jerked her head back, blinking. “What?”

He reached for her hand, this time pulling her close to his side. “How you ended up with a loser like me.”

Laurie smiled and pinched his arm. “I suppose we do deserve each other.” She sighed, the smile withering as the moment passed. “But maybe my goal is all wrong. What if God wants me to trust Him?”

The muscles around his spine tightened. “I understand you not trusting me—but you don’t trust God?”

“I’m trying. But since everyone always breaks my heart . . . ”

Daniel frowned. “I don’t ever want to do anything to hurt you, Laurie. I love you. You must know that.”

Tears glistened in her eyes. She looped her hands around his arm, settling her chin against his shoulder. “I—I know. I think.” She shook her head, as if shaking off an insect. “I find it hard to believe, I guess.” She cleared her throat. “And that’s the thing—instead of searching for someone to trust, perhaps I should be praying for someone to love.”

“Have you found anyone?”

She smiled. “Though I tried to avoid it, I think I may have loved you practically from the moment we met.”

“Was that the moment you cracked me across the face with a flashlight?”

Laurie laughed. “Well, maybe not that moment, exactly.”

He pulled his arm close, squeezing her hand between his elbow and his side. “Can you forgive me for not telling you about my past?”

“I can understand why you didn’t. I hadn’t exactly been a fountain of information either.” She turned and gazed up at him, her eyes peeping out under her wet hair. “I will forgive you, but I have a condition.”

“Name it.”

“You can’t push me away because you’re afraid of what
might
happen.” Laurie took a deep breath. “If I decide to trust God on this, you’d better trust Him, too.”

Laurie had never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment: her face pale, eyes somber, and a tiny droplet of rain lingering on the tip of her nose. A lump formed in his throat. “I can’t believe you’re willing to trust me after what I told you.”

Her soft laugh took him by surprise. “I said I was trusting God. I was right about you all along—you
are
a rumrunner.”

He laughed, too, glancing back at their cargo. “Not for long.”

She tipped her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Daniel cut the engine and grinned at her. “Let’s get rid of that lot.”

Her eyes widened. “You paid a lot of money for it.”

“I paid for Johnny’s life, not for the liquor. I swore to myself years ago that I’d never buy another drink.” He took her hand and kissed it before striding to the rear of the boat. “Give me a hand, will you?”

“Gladly.”

The first light of dawn began to spill over the mountaintops as Daniel gripped the first bag and hoisted it to the railing. “Do you want to do the honor?”

Laurie grinned. She rubbed her hands together and blew on them. Pressing her palms against the burlap, she gave it a shove.

The bundle splashed in the water. It floated for a brief moment before sinking beneath the waves, bubbles trickling to the surface.

Moving faster now, Daniel hefted one bag after another while Laurie shoved them off the side, until the last bag disappeared into the depths.

She came up behind him and wrapped both arms around his waist. “You’re full of surprises, Daniel Shepherd.”

He pulled her arms tighter, staring out into the brightening sky, a lump growing in his throat for a second time that morning. “You deserve some pleasant surprises, Laurie.” He stepped free and turned to take her hands in his. “I hope you will let me keep surprising you.”

Her eyes shone, the sunrise casting a glow on her face. “What do you mean?”

Daniel’s pulse quickened. “I want to marry you, Laurie. I want to spend every day with you—not just crazy nights at sea, stolen moments on the bluff, and coffee breaks at the fountain. I want to wake up and see those gorgeous blue eyes every morning. And I want your face to be the last thing I see at night.”

Her eyes widened, her lips parting and closing, a flurry of emotions scurrying across her features. Her eyes glazed, as if she stared somewhere past his left shoulder.

Daniel squeezed her hands. “Laurie? Will you marry me?” His heart pounded.

Her face paled, hands tightening on his until his knuckles ached. “Daniel . . . ”

“Yes?”

“Another boat.”

He spun, breath catching in his chest as he identified the approaching craft. “Coast Guard.” He glanced around the deck to make sure that no bags remained. “We’ve got nothing to worry about. The liquor’s all gone. We’re just out on an early-morning sail.”

The flash of gunfire made them both jump. He yanked Laurie down to the deck. “Then again . . . ”

The cutter loomed ever closer. Daniel scrambled to the wheelhouse, Laurie on his heels.

“Was that a warning shot?” Laurie’s voice wavered.

“I hope so.” Daniel hurried to the hatch. “Granddad has a set of bunks below. I’ll grab a sheet. We’ll show them we’re not fighting back.”

He climbed down the ladder, searching in the darkness for the berth. His hand closed on a box of matches. The flash of bluish-orange flame lit up a small area crammed with wooden crates before fizzling in his fingers. Daniel struck a second match and held it steady while he leaned forward to read the labels.

Pure Rye Whiskey. Bottled in Bond.

The lit match fell to his feet and Daniel smashed it with his damp shoe. Lunging forward, he lifted the lid on the nearest crate and thrust his hands inside, his fingers closing around smooth glass.

Stumbling back, Daniel cracked his head against the ladder. He scrabbled up to the deck, heart threatening to pound its way out of his chest.

Laurie crouched on the wooden boards, her eyes round.

Daniel pushed past, leaping for the controls. Gunning the engine, he wrenched the wheel to the side.

Laurie pushed to her feet, stumbling as the boat lurched. “Where are we going?”

Daniel glanced over his shoulder, his stomach churning as the cutter approached. He pointed the boat toward the bay entrance and accelerated, sending a spray of water in their wake.

“Daniel, what’s going on?” She gripped the rail with both hands, splaying her feet to keep her balance.

“I need you to trust me.” After their recent conversation, the words tasted bitter in his mouth.

“But, we look guilty.” She staggered as the boat bounced over the swells. “They’re going to think we’re running.”

“We
are
running, Laurie.”

The rocky point of Ediz Hook rose from the water ahead.

Laurie’s pressed both hands over her temples. “You’re almost to the lighthouse—why are we heading for shore?”

“Because I made a promise to your brother!” He slowed the boat and sent them into a gentle curve.

Grabbing Laurie’s arm, he yanked her out from the cab and into the open air at the rear of the boat. “There’s no time to explain. You sure you can swim?”

She pulled against his hold, like a donkey on a line, her lids opening until the whites of her eyes were visible.

Without waiting for her answer, Daniel thrust arms under her back and knees and flung her up on the rail, like one more burlap bag. Only this time, he was the one who pushed.

Chapter
50

T
he icy water closed over her head as her skirt and arms flew
upward, slowing her descent into the dark. She flailed as the salt water rushed into her mouth and nose. Bursting through the surface, spluttering and choking, Laurie rose and fell with the swells. Her vision blurry, she glimpsed Daniel’s boat moving away as a white life ring spun through the air and splashed down a few feet from her.

Laurie’s chest ached and her limbs grew heavy as the chill soaked through her body. She paddled toward the floating object as the waves drew it further out.
God, help.

She pushed again, commanding her shaking legs to plow through the freezing water. The rollers from the boat’s wake hit her in the face, sending more water into her nose and mouth. It also pushed the life preserver toward her. Laurie gulped air as she lunged, her numb fingers barely closing around a rope dragging alongside it.

Locking her arms around the floating ring, Laurie panted as the swells lifted her. The rocky shore loomed nearby. She kicked with her feet, her shoes dragging against the water.

Treading with her legs and flailing with one arm, she pressed herself toward the shore, the waves alternately pushing her forward and sucking her back. Her feet scraped against the rocks and she forced herself up onto her knees, the wind cutting through her wet clothes.

Daniel hovered at the railing, heart racing, until Laurie reached for the life ring. With a lump in his throat, he dashed back into the wheelhouse and gunned the engine. He gripped the controls to steady himself, his legs threatening to give way.
I don’t care what happens to me, God, but help Laurie get away.

Daniel dragged a hand over his face.
My own grandfather?
A hole opened in Daniel’s chest, threatening to consume him. Granddad had never once given him reason to doubt, but the evidence lay under Daniel’s feet.

He steered for the bay, entering the gentler waters of the harbor, the cutter growing steadily closer. He sucked in a deep breath and cut the engine. As the boat drifted, Daniel stepped from the wheelhouse, his gaze skirting the harbor. The sun sat perched atop the foothills, sending its radiance over the town he’d spent so many years avoiding. Daniel’s shoulders sagged, a numbing cold creeping through his body. He’d arrived in Port Angeles with every intent of returning to Seattle. Now the idea settled in his gut like a stone.

The ship finished its approach, crew at the ready. Three sheriff’s deputies stood ready, tommy guns at attention.

Daniel lifted his hands, his chest squeezing until he could scarcely take a breath. “I’m unarmed.”

A familiar figure joined the others on the deck, equipped with a handgun and a self-satisfied smile. “Daniel Shepherd, fancy meeting you out here.” Samuel Brown shoved back his hat until Daniel could see his glittering cat-like eyes. “And to think, Laurie Burke
assured
me you weren’t a rumrunner. She does seem to have a blind spot when it comes to you.”

Daniel kept his hands in the air, his eyes trained on the deputies and their rifles.

As the ship pulled alongside, Brown and the deputies boarded, faces grim. Samuel gestured to the men with the barrel of his gun. “Go take a look below.”

Daniel scowled as the men went down the ladder. “Why bother? You think you already know what’s down there.”

Samuel smirked. “Maybe I just wanted a minute alone with my suspect. Give you a chance to plead for mercy.”

Daniel gritted his teeth. “Unlikely.”

Brown pressed the gun against the Daniel’s side. “Laurie Burke showed up at my house today. Such a pleasant evening . . . I like to hear women beg, don’t you, Shepherd?”

Daniel squeezed his fingers into a fist. “I think you’d better watch what you say.”

“Unfortunately, that’s all she would do. Too bad. You might have gotten a pass otherwise.” He shrugged. “But probably not.”

“Laurie would never be interested in a degenerate slime-sucker like you,” Daniel growled.

Brown’s arm shot upward, striking Daniel in the face with the barrel of the gun.

Daniel staggered backward, instinctively grabbing for the agent’s arm. An ear-splitting pop sounded in his ear as searing pain tore through his shoulder. Daniel crashed against the rail, sliding onto the deck.

Brown stood over him, a grin snaking its way across his face. “Attacking a federal agent? Not a smart move.”

Laurie pulled herself from the water, teeth chattering so hard her jaw ached. Wrapping her arms around her body, she stumbled across the rocks, traversing the spit on rubbery legs. Topping the berm, she scanned the harbor.

The Coast Guard vessel bobbed alongside Daniel’s boat, men with guns roaming the decks. One individual stood out from the others, the familiar gray fedora sending a shudder through Laurie’s body.

Tears stung her eyes as she stumbled down the spit and straight into the arms of two fishermen.

“Agent Brown, I think you ought to see this.” The deputy’s voice wafted up from the hatch.

Daniel lay still, his hand clamped against the oozing wound in his shoulder. Fingers of pain spread through his arms and chest until even drawing a full breath became a challenge.

A calculating smile spread across Brown’s face as the uniformed man began hoisting crates onto the deck. “Not a rumrunner, eh? I suppose you’re going to claim that those bottles don’t belong to you. Maybe they just found their way into your hold by accident.”

Daniel gripped his shoulder, laying his head on the wet boards.
What will this do to Laurie?

“Talk to me, Shepherd. Who’s the brains of this operation, because it obviously isn’t you?” Samuel chuckled as he crouched down beside him. “My colleagues at Freshwater Cove said the boat there came in clean. What do you know about that? Are you working with those hooligans?”

“No.” Daniel’s thoughts jumbled, images of his grandfather, Laurie, and Johnny swimming in the foggy haze of his mind. He struggled up to a sitting position, wiping the sweat from his face with his forearm. “No, I work alone. I’ve been bringing whiskey into Port Angeles for months—ever since I arrived here. I’m the one you want.”

Brown raised his gun, pointing it at Daniel’s face. “And that’s exactly what I had hoped you would say.”

Laurie huddled in a blanket, in front of Amelia’s fireplace. “I don’t understand it. Why would they arrest Daniel? We threw the liquor overboard.”

Amelia poured a second steaming mug of tea and forced it into Laurie’s hand.

Johnny shook his head. “Mr. Simon from the grocery store said Brown found cases of liquor on board. He saw them unloading the crates onto the dock.”

“I’m telling you—we threw them over the side.” Laurie shivered, tea sloshing onto her fingertips.

Johnny sat down in the rocking chair, kicking his lanky legs out in front of him. “It couldn’t have been our stuff, anyhow. We always dump the boxes—we wrap the bottles in newspaper and stick them in bags.”

Amelia stood over her friend and gestured to Laurie’s cup. “Drink!” She turned to Johnny. “Could Daniel be running booze, too?”

“No way.” Johnny bounced his knee, the corners of his mouth pulling toward his chin. “But . . . ” He chewed on his lower lip. “The boat belongs to his grandfather.”

Laurie stopped mid-sip, the hot liquid scalding down her tongue as his words took hold. “Mr. Larson? Do you think they could be his?”

“I suppose, but it doesn’t seem likely.” Johnny situated another log on the fire. “Likely or no, it sounds like Daniel is in a boat-load of trouble.”

The cot squeaked as Daniel collapsed across it, his shoulder bandaged and throbbing. The day dragged at him like an anchor. Sitting in jail was the least of his troubles. He laid his head back and covered his face with his good arm, trying not to think about Laurie.

Brown stood outside the bars as the metal door slid shut. He hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his pinstriped trousers. “Won’t Laurie Burke be pleased? She saved her brother and freed herself of a villainous wretch, all in one fell swoop. I guess maybe she is worthy of my affections after all.”

Daniel mentally recited the periodic table to keep himself from rising to Brown’s taunts, but he doubted the chemical reaction churning in his gut would be contained for long.

“In fact, I think I’ll go over and see her. Rumor has it she took an early swim in the harbor this morning. Seems like an odd choice of activities. Maybe I’ll ask her about it over dinner.”

Daniel tried to struggle upright but slumped back against the bed, his stomach threatening to turn against him as well. He dug his fingers into the thin mattress. He hadn’t stepped in Brown’s trap; he’d jumped in with both feet. “Leave her out of this. I told you, I work alone. I’m the one you want.”

Brown laughed, the sound echoing through the cellblock. “Oh, Daniel, that’s rich. Haven’t you figured it out yet?” He lowered his voice until it seemed to float like a dark fog through the room. “
She’s
the one I want.”