Finding Home (25 page)
Authors: Irene Hannon
Tags: #Romance, #Starfish Bay, #Christian, #Love Inspired
Dangerous Secrets
Shirlee McCoy
Contents
Chapter One
T
he porch light was out.
Shauna Trenton made a mental note to change the bulb as she pulled into her driveway. One more thing to add to her ever-growing Saturday to-do list. And she’d better not forget to do it or she’d hear about it on Sunday. Her day of rest.
More like a day to listen to her mother explain all the reasons why Shauna needed a man in her life. As if having a boyfriend or fiancé or husband would solve all of life’s troubles. Shauna nearly snorted at the thought. Matthew sure hadn’t done that. All her former fiancé had done was cost her a boatload of cash and a broken heart. Not the first time her heart had broken, but it
would
be the last.
She grabbed her book bag and purse from the passenger seat and opened the car door. The cool November day had turned into a cold, dark night while she’d met with parents and discussed their children’s progress. At least tomorrow was Saturday. No parents. No students. Just a whole day puttering around the house, catching up on chores.
Exciting.
“Pitiful is more like it,” she muttered as she fished keys out of her purse and jogged up the porch steps.
A soft sound carried through the darkness. Footfall on grass, fabric rustling as someone drew near. Shauna stiffened, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She glanced over her shoulder, her heart leaping as she saw a shadow moving across the lawn. Medium height. Heavyset. Face hidden in darkness. A neighbor or a stranger?
“Can I help you?” She kept her gaze focused on the approaching figure as she shoved the key in the lock and tried to turn it. It stuck. Of course. Fixing the old lock was another to-do list item. She wiggled the key, her palm sweaty and slipping on the metal door handle.
“Come on!” The key turned, and she shoved the door open as the figure sprinted forward, pounding up the stairs behind her, slamming into her with enough force to send her flying into the door frame.
She screamed, her purse and book bag dropping as she turned to fight. Screamed again as she caught sight of a faceless, featureless person. An inhuman creature.
No. A human wearing a mask.
Carrying a knife!
A knife pointed at Shauna’s heart.
“Whatever you want, you can have it.” The door was right behind her. Another step and she’d be inside. If she didn’t get a knife thrust through her chest first.
The knife-wielding lunatic snagged the book bag and purse, the knife grazing Shauna’s brand-new pants and slicing a neat hole in them.
At least it hadn’t sliced her leg, but it might if she didn’t get her head together and
move.
“Everything okay over here?” A masculine voice broke through the darkness, and Shauna’s attacker turned toward the sound.
This was her chance, and Shauna took it, jumping back and slamming the door, her fingers shaking as she tried to turn the lock. It finally slid home. She pressed her back against the door, her heart beating so hard she thought it might burst from her chest.
The doorbell rang, the lilting chime making her jump.
“Who’s there?”
“Your new neighbor, Levi McLeary. Is everything okay?”
Levi
McLeary? As in sinfully handsome, darkly compelling Levi McLeary? Shauna’s first date, first kiss, first love?
No way. It couldn’t be him.
She peered out the peephole, searching the darkness and finding a tall figure standing on the porch. The tilt of his head, the confident ease of his stance...they were hauntingly familiar, and her breath caught, her pulse raced.
It
was
him.
After twelve years, Levi was back.
Shauna didn’t know if she should open the door, or run and hide.
“Ma’am?” He called out, and she knew she had no choice.
She took a deep breath, braced herself and unlocked the door.
Chapter Two
L
evi didn’t know who he was expecting to see on the other side of the door, but he knew who he
wasn’t
expecting to see.
And there she was. Silky red curls shining in the light from the foyer, blue eyes hidden in shadows. Shauna Trenton. Just as beautiful as she’d been the day he’d walked out of her life.
“Levi! What are you doing here?” She sounded as surprised as he felt, and her hand shook as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I heard someone scream. I thought I’d better come check things out. Is everything okay?”
“Someone came at me with a knife. Took my purse and a book bag filled with paperwork, and then ran off when he heard you coming. I need to call the police.”
“Tell them the guy headed east on Arden Street. Dark-colored car, older model Chevy or Ford station wagon.”
“You saw him?” Her voice trembled, and she scanned the area beyond the porch.
“I almost
caught
him. He was getting in the car as I crossed the yard but drove away before I could reach him.”
“Did you get a license plate number?”
“If the car had one I didn’t see it. But he did leave his knife behind, and that might help the police find him.”
“His knife?”
“It’s over there.” He gestured to a butcher knife lying a few feet away, and Shauna’s eyes widened.
“He must have dropped it when he heard you coming.” She crouched, and reached toward the knife.
“Better not touch it. There might be prints on it.” Levi grabbed her hand, nearly releasing it again as heat raced up his arm. Twelve years apart and a simple touch still shook him to the core.
If Shauna felt the same, she didn’t show it. Just tugged her hand away. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I’d better call the police now. The sooner they start looking, the more likely it is they’ll catch him.”
She hurried into the house, and Levi followed, ignoring the frown she shot his way as she lifted the phone and dialed. Despite her seeming calm, her hand still shook and her eyes were filled with fear. She was terrified, and there was no way he planned to leave her alone. Not with a potential killer on the loose.
Shauna met his eyes, the wariness in her gaze unmistakable. He should step away, give her some space, but he hadn’t expected to see her his first night back in Deer Park, Washington. Now that he had, he couldn’t stop looking. Couldn’t stop remembering the way her arms had curved around his waist when they were teenagers, the way she’d shared her dreams so willingly. Small-town dreams that he hadn’t wanted for himself. He’d told her that the day he’d walked out of her life.
He hadn’t regretted it, though he’d always regretted hurting her.
Maybe that’s what he should say to her when she hung up the phone.
She frowned again, turning her back on him.
Or maybe not.
Chapter Three
S
hauna hung up the phone, shooting Levi a look that told him exactly how she felt about having him in her house. Not happy. And he couldn’t blame her. They hadn’t parted on good terms, and that had been all on him. She’d wanted to compromise, find a way to work things out. He’d wanted a fresh start with nothing to hold him back from pursuing his dreams.
No
one
to hold him back.
“The police will be here in a few minutes. If you want to go back home, I’ll give them your contact information, and they can let you know if they have any questions.” Shauna was hinting broadly that she wanted Levi to leave, and if he’d been another kind of man he might have.
But he wasn’t.
When he started something he finished it. He’d run out of his house when he’d heard her screaming, planning to do whatever it took to help. He wasn’t going back to his house until he was absolutely certain he
had
helped, that Shauna was safe, and that there was no danger of the knifeman showing up on her doorstep again.
“I think I’ll stick around until they get here.” He dropped onto the sofa, ignoring her irritated scowl.
“I really don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Because having me here makes you uncomfortable?”
“Why would it?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe you can fill me in while we wait.”
“You’re as exasperating as ever, Levi. You know that?” She sat on the edge of an easy chair, her cheeks pink.
“And you’re as lovely as ever.”
“Still a shameless flirt, too? Why am I not surprised?”
“Actually, I gave up flirting years ago. What I just said was a compliment, pure and simple.”
“Then I suppose I should thank you.”
“But you won’t?”
“I’m way past the days of enjoying childish games, and that’s what this conversation feels like.” She frowned, crossing the room and staring out the window.
“I apologize. That’s not what I intended it to be.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I’m the one who’s sorry. After what just happened, I’m on edge, but I shouldn’t take that out on you.”
“You’re not.”
“I
was,
so let’s not argue about it.” She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck. “Deer Park is supposed to be—” The sound of sirens filled the room, cutting off her words. “It sounds like the police are here.”
She hurried from the room, and Levi followed, waiting a few feet away as she opened the door. Cold air drifted in, carrying the scent of pine needles and rain. They were the scents of Levi’s past and, for better or worse, his future. His uncle’s illness had forced him back to a place where he’d never thought he’d be.
And dropped him back into Shauna’s life.
There
was
a reason for that. Levi believed that as surely as he believed that God had led him back to Deer Park, back to the life he’d once turned his back on. Maybe, eventually, God would see fit to fill him in on the reason for that. Until then, Levi would just have to go with the flow and pray he didn’t make as big of a fool of himself at thirty as he had at eighteen.
Chapter Four
F
ootsteps sounded on the porch and a uniformed officer appeared in the doorway, his gaze jumping from Shauna to Levi and back again. “Heard there was some trouble here, Shauna. What’s going on?”
Levi stayed silent as Shauna filled the officer in. Her face was pale, her hands fisted. Still, she managed to sound calm and composed. That was something he’d forgotten about her, the way she faced troubles with determination and strength. He’d admired that as much as he’d admired her easy-going nature and loving heart. What he hadn’t admired were her small goals, her little dreams. He’d told her that the day he’d broken up with her.
Not one of his finer moments, but, then, he’d been young and foolish and sure God had more in store for him than work at his family’s contracting company and marriage to a woman who wanted nothing more than a teaching job and a big family.
“Levi McLeary, right?” The officer took a step toward him, his words pulling Levi from thoughts of the past.
“That’s right.”
“I thought I recognized you. It’s been a long time.”
“Twelve years,” he responded, but couldn’t quite place the man’s deeply tanned face and dark brown eyes.
“Bet you don’t remember me. We didn’t exactly hang with the same crowd. I’m Richard Anderson. We were in English composition together our senior year.”
“Nice to see you again, Richard.”
“Shauna said you got a look at the perp’s car?”
“It was American. Chevy or Ford. Big. Looked like an old-model station wagon. Dark color. Black or blue.”
“Sounds like you got a pretty good look. That should help us find the guy.”
“I hope so. I don’t think I’ll feel safe again until I know he’s behind bars.” Shauna spoke quietly, her gaze on Richard, and Levi had the impression that she’d rather stare at the officer all day than look his way.
