Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2 (33 page)

“My parents would agree with that assessment.” A grin played on her lips as her gaze rose to meet his. “I don't think they'll ever understand why I didn't choose to play doctor in some nice, quiet town. But still, it's not the same. You can't even begin to compare the dangers of what we do for a living.”

“Why not?”

“Why not? Because...because you can't.”

“What if I can prove it to you?”

“Prove what to me?”

“The fact that we're more alike than different,” he said. “Face it, neither of us would be happy working a nine-to-five job and coming home to our nice white picket fence in the suburbs. We both need something more.”

“Okay, so we have a thing or two in common. But I'm not that same girl you had a crush on, and I have a feeling you're not the same man you were back then, either.”

“True, but I know enough to see that you have a heart for others, and you're not willing to just go with the status quo. You're willing to step out of your comfort zone—”

“That's not enough to base a relationship on.”

“No, but it's enough to start a relationship on.”

Maddie shook her head. “Even if we do get off this dilapidated cargo boat alive, there are still too many complications. There's also Ben. I might be over him, but I'm not looking for a rebound relationship. And I'm going to be a lot more cautious the next time around.”

“Why did you break things off with Ben, anyway?”

* * *

Maddie hesitated at his question. It was personal, but the entire conversation had been personal. If she were honest with herself, Grant was everything Ben wasn't. And everything she'd been looking for. Which on one level terrified her. Ben had thrived on structure. He rarely changed his familiar routine. And she'd never completely fit into his world. He'd called her a free spirit. Not to criticize her, but because it had been true. He'd told her she brought balance to his life. But while it might be true that opposites attract, in the end he'd only managed to smother her. Just like her parents had with their plans for her life. And as much as she'd loved all of them, she'd needed the chance to test herself and find out who she really was, both as a doctor and as a woman.

Moving to Guinea-Bissau had given her exactly that.

But the situation she'd been thrown into the past week had also managed to push her toward the edge. Adding Grant to that scenario could only end in disaster.

“I'm sorry,” he said, “I never should have pushed. I had no right to—”

“No, it's not that. I don't feel...”

Didn't feel what? Attraction? The desire to give a relationship a chance?

She tugged on the straps of her life jacket, a reminder of what was going on around them, and struggled for what to say. Struggled over the fact that a week ago life as she knew it had somehow changed forever, and now not only was someone trying to kill her, but she was falling for the man who'd swept in to save her.

She was falling for him?

The thought took her by surprise, but she knew it was true. A relationship between them wouldn't work...couldn't work. But somehow, all her excuses didn't seem to matter at the moment.

Why can't we take a chance and see what would happen? No commitments or promises. Just time to get to know each other and see what's there?

What if he was right?

Grant took her hands, and brought them slowly toward his chest. “All I'm looking for is a chance to get to know each other. No strings attached, I promise.”

Maddie closed her eyes and breathed in the salty sea air, and knew that as wild as it seemed, that was what she wanted. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

She opened her eyes and nodded, wondering if she'd be able to find a way to deal with the fact that he worked as a deminer. And how could she spend every day worrying if he'd come home? Was she really willing to step out on a limb and trust him with her heart? There were so many questions—and the answers seemed as difficult to reach as the land they were seeking. But maybe this—maybe he—was worth taking a chance.

“Maddie...” His voice was tinged with a deep urgency.

Grant's lips met her own with a passion that she hadn't expected. For a moment, the desperate scene around them melted away. Maddie was aware only of the man who held her in his arms and of the growing feelings toward him she could no longer deny.

Shouts resonated from the deck below. She turned around and grabbed on to the railing. “Grant...”

The water level had risen significantly over the past few minutes and now covered a section of the port bow.

“Looks like they're not able to pump out the water as quickly as it's coming in,” Grant said. “And the extra weight of the water is destabilizing the vessel.”

He didn't have to say anything else. Beyond a certain point—if too much water was taken on—the ferry would capsize. There weren't enough lifeboats for all the passengers and only a handful of buoyed rings.

“Do you really believe we're going to sink?” she asked.

Grant squeezed her hand. “I don't think it's a question any longer of
if
, but of
when
.”

THIRTEEN

P
anic was settling over the deck as Grant hurried behind Maddie down the metal steps. They needed to get to the other side, where the ferry was still out of the water, but cargo was shifting on the deck as waves crashed over the sides, making their progress difficult.

How had it come to this?

Reid Johnson had managed to set off a chain of events with Maddie's abduction that had spiraled their situation completely out of control.

Grant paused at the bottom of the stairs, searching for the best route across the deck while some of the crew attempted to move cargo from the port to the starboard side. Antonio and Ana were somewhere where the crew was gathering the passengers. If this ferry sank now, the loss of life was going to be heavy.

“What do you think they're doing?” Maddie shouted above the chaos.

Crewmen shouted orders, and babies cried, while goats and chickens were making a ruckus where they were tied up.

“Looks like they're moving cargo and gear to the opposite side of the leak in hopes of tilting the leak above the waterline.”

“Do you think that will work?”

“I don't know, Maddie.” He grabbed her hand. “But we need to get to the other side of the ferry.”

Because what he did know was that water was coming in fast. Antonio had mentioned they might have hit a sandbar. If that was the case, there was a chance it would keep their position fixed above the waterline until help arrived. Which might end up being their only way to avoid disaster.

They headed toward the rest of the passengers, still searching for Antonio and Ana. They were here, somewhere, amid a sea of weathered orange life jackets, but so far he hadn't been able to find them. They'd almost made it to the railing when something caught his attention along the horizon.

“Wait a minute, Maddie...” He pulled her toward him and squeezed her hand. “I think the cavalry's just arrived.”

Half a dozen fishing boats were making their way toward the ferry.

Thirty minutes later, Grant blew out a sigh of relief as he and Maddie took the last fishing boat. They'd found Antonio and Ana, who were on their way to the island in the boat ahead of them. Behind them, the ferry tilted at a forty-five degree angle, lodged against a sandbar: the only thing keeping a section of the deck above the water. The fishermen had made room for passengers with their boxes of palm wine, petrol cans and livestock. Sails made out of nylon food-aid bags fluttered in the breeze above them. With the afternoon sun sparkling against the blue expanse of ocean around them, he sent up a prayer of thanks. They might not have made it to the capital, but at least they were all alive.

He sat beside Maddie along with a couple dozen other passengers, trying to avoid stepping in the mixture of fish parts and mud at the bottom of the boat. Palm trees waved in the breeze, seeming to welcome them to the island. He was simply grateful they'd been able to avoid the ferry sinking completely.

Gripping the side of the rocking boat where they sat along the edge, he watched the ferry continue to sway in the distance with each wave that struck. “I don't know about you, but once we get to shore, it's going to be a while before I have any desire to get on another boat.”

“You're not the only one,” Maddie said following his gaze out across the choppy ocean. “But it could have been a whole lot worse.”

Sobering thoughts of what could have happened hovered at the forefront of his mind. But now that the crisis was over, he couldn't help but shift his thoughts back to Maddie. He followed the curve of her lips and wondered what she thought about their unexpected kiss. It wasn't that he regretted his actions. Not at all. She'd managed to completely captivate him. And kissing Maddie had been everything he expected—and more. He did wonder, though, what she thought now that the intensity of the moment was over and their lives were no longer hanging in the balance. He needed to find out.

Staring out at the whitecaps rolling in, he tried to battle the uprising of nerves that had settled in his gut. “Maddie, I've never been one to mince words...”

He paused, still not sure what to say, because at the moment, the very opposite seemed true. Even deactivating a land mine didn't have the overwhelming effect that she had on him. He cleared his throat and tried to start over. “Because I deal with deadly situations every day, I tend to grasp hard at life and what's put in front of me. On one hand, it's made me appreciate more what I have, but on the other hand, my way of ‘seizing the moment like a detonating time bomb' has got me in a peck of trouble a time or two. What I'm trying to say is, if I offended you earlier...”

“By kissing me?” A soft blush splashed across Maddie's cheeks.

“Yeah.”

And I sure would love to kiss you again right now...

“Don't worry.” The corners of her mouth curled into a grin. “If I hadn't wanted you to kiss me, you'd have ended up flat across the deck.”

“Ha-ha, ouch! Remind me to be more careful around you.” It was this same fire and passion that had drawn him to her in the first place. And the very thing that had him longing for the chance that something could develop between them.

“Yeah...you'd better watch it.”

He felt relieved at her playful reaction, because he didn't want there to be any regrets between them. Regrets over the past, or regrets later over what might happen.

A couple of the fishermen jumped out of the boat in thigh-deep water.

He saw Maddie lean back to check the water level. “We're stopping here?”

“Because of the tides we're going to have to wade to shore,” one of the fishermen said.

Grant watched a man balance his belongings on his head and start toward land. People started following him, dropping over the side of the boat carrying sacks, chickens and children.

“There is good news,” Grant said. “From what I understand, this island has a number of tourist hotels. Think of a comfortable bed, a hot shower and meals on the veranda. And while it might not be the mainland, we might be able to find us a telephone that works.”

Grant slipped into the water behind Maddie. “You okay?”

“I had been hoping to avoid getting wet through all of this, but I'm fine. But I hope those hotels you mentioned are five-star hotels where I can get a three-course meal. And I'm talking line fish, buttery mashed potatoes and chocolate mint tart with ganache like my mother makes.”

“I'll certainly see what I can do. I might even be able to throw in an after-dinner show.”

She laughed at his attempts at humor. “Actually, all I really want right now is a hot shower.”

She slowed down as they waded onto the shore and grasped his arm. “Do you think Reid can find us here?”

“I think he'll assume we're going to the mainland. I heard one of the crewmen say that a cargo boat was on its way here now to transport all the passengers to the mainland.”

“And us? What do you think we should do?”

“I think we need to stay here and arrange to catch a ride out tomorrow with Colton at the airstrip. Which should mean no Reid
and
no more boat rides.” He ran his thumb down her cheek. “So all you need to worry about now is a hot shower, dinner and a good night's sleep.”

* * *

Maddie let the lukewarm water wash away the grime that had collected over the past few days. It felt like heaven to be clean again. Breathing in the flowery aroma of the cherry blossom body wash her mom had sent her, she let out a contented sigh. If it were up to her, she'd be perfectly content to stay under the warm water in the tiled bathroom with its mint-green fixtures for the rest of the afternoon.

Instead, she stepped out of the shower onto a thick mat, towel dried and slipped on her purple sundress. The steam fogging the bathroom mirror had gotten rid of most of the wrinkles, but wrinkles or not, compared to what she'd been wearing this past week, a set of clean clothes and shampooed hair felt like heaven.

Gone were the antiseptic smells of the makeshift infirmary in the rebel camp and the constant bleating of goats and squawking of chickens on the ferry. Thanks to the manager of a local hotel, they'd managed to book two of the rooms with breathtaking views of the sea.

Grant's image came to mind as she pulled out the lip gloss her mom had sent her and thought about his kiss—something she'd been unable to forget the past few hours. Maybe it had just been the moment. Tough situations always intensified feelings. What she'd been through the past week had left her feeling vulnerable and exposed, and he'd stopped all of that. Because she knew they would have killed her if Grant and Antonio hadn't shown up to rescue her.

What do I do, Lord? Our lives are heading in separate directions, and when all of this is over...

Would that change everything? She'd planned to move back to the United States by Christmas, but she still had no idea what her next step was going to be. She'd been assured when she left nine months ago that she could step back into her old practice. But she'd also been considering signing up for another nine months right here in Guinea-Bissau.

She stared at her reflection and caught the dark circles under her eyes. The past week had drained her both physically and emotionally. But she also didn't miss the hint of brightness in her face. A gratefulness for being alive, along with an assurance that all of this would be over soon. Definitely. But she knew the way she felt wasn't just due to her relief that they were off that boat. Because as much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew Grant was part of the reason.

Where he fit into the picture, though, she still had no idea.

She pulled out the letter he'd given her from her mother and stepped out onto her room's patio, careful not to wake Ana who'd quickly gone back to sleep after the afternoon's ordeal on the water.

Outside, Maddie sat down beneath a wide umbrella on one of the mocha-colored cushioned lounge chairs that overlooked the sea, still fingering the letter. She held it up and inhaled the subtle scent of her mother's perfume, before opening up and reading it again.

My Dearest Madison,

I have no words to even begin to express what I am feeling at this moment, because I don't know if you're even alive. Fear, dread, panic...none of those words seem adequate. I don't even know if you will see this letter. Or if you'll ever walk through the front door again. And I don't want to go through that again.

When I watched you board that plane earlier this year, I knew that once again I had to let you go and let God take complete control. But I'll be honest. Letting go hasn't been easy, and I've managed to fight Him the entire time. In some ways it was like the first day I sent you off to kindergarten, except this time the stakes are higher. Because I don't know where you are, who has you, or how to get you back.

There are literally hundreds praying for your return right now. Jamie has set up a Facebook page, and I can't keep up with the comments. But I can feel their prayers and God moving, because sometimes that sliver of faith is the only thing I have left. And because we won't stop until you are home.

Which is why, while you read this letter, I'm going to assume that you're with Grant, and he's bringing you home to me. He offered to bring you a small bag of things you might need and, being the practical person I am, I included deodorant and clean underwear. I'm assuming you will greatly appreciate both.

We put up the tree last night so it would be ready for you when you get back. The lights, the stockings on the fireplace, everything is ready for your return. Because I have to believe that Grant will do everything in his power to keep his promise and bring you home for Christmas.

I won't go into how hard this is for me. How I've already lost one child and don't know how to face losing another. So I will simply keep praying that God will answer my prayer this time and that Grant will find a way to bring you back safely.

I will see you soon. I have to believe that.

Mom

Maddie tucked the letter under her leg and leaned back against the cushions. Grant had told her they needed to wait to call her family. Reid would be expecting them to contact her parents. Which meant they had to assume it wasn't safe. While she didn't want to put her life at risk or the lives of her family, she needed them to know she was okay. Needed them to know that she was alive and all this would be over soon.

At least that was what she was praying was going to happen. An end to the fear and panic that still gripped her. She closed her eyes, the afternoon sun warm against her legs, suddenly realizing how sleepy she was.

She was safe. Grant was nearby, and Reid couldn't find her here.

* * *

Maddie sat up with a start. Grant's towering figure loomed above her. He'd shaved and changed into a pair of shorts and a chocolate-colored T-shirt he must have had stashed in his backpack. She couldn't stop the buzz of contentment that swept through her.

He sat down across from her on the second lounge chair. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.”

“No...it's fine. I must have fallen asleep.” She sat up, put her feet on the ground beside the chair—their knees almost touching—and took a second to orient herself. Except for a bird chirping in the background, and the waves lapping against the shoreline, it was quiet. And instead of the foul odors of the cargo boat, all she could smell was the spicy scent of Grant's cologne.

He handed her a glass of fresh mango juice.

“Thanks.” Maddie took a sip. “Mmm...this is good. What time is it?”

“Just after six. Almost time for dinner. I thought this might wake you up.”

“I didn't mean to sleep so long.”

“You needed it.”

“I guess so.” She held up her arms for inspection and ran her fingers across her face. “I'm not burnt, am I?”

“Nope. Except for your toes and these bright red nails, you're still pretty much in the shade.” Grant laughed. “Feel better?”