On Deadly Ground (17 page)

Rachel had absorbed the information with mixed emotions. The tone of the note was remorseful, but there was no justification for what he’d done.

Later, in the ER as they waited for the doctor to discharge them, Jake pulled the curtains closed around the narrow bed where Rachel sat, and sank to the gurney beside her. X-rays had shown a hairline fracture of her braced right arm, but aside from the muscle aches and bruising that was already starting, she was fine.

“So, David’s off the hook now.”

“Yes,” she replied. “I still don’t understand why Perris kept pushing for his guilt. Maybe he just doesn’t like me, or maybe he resented my interference and never really believed that David did it. But yes, it’s over.” She dropped her voice and looked at him. “It’s all in the past now. All of it.”

Jake took her left hand in his—stroked his thumb over her empty ring finger.

“It was time,” she murmured, her eyes so full of love that he couldn’t have mistaken it for anything else. And once again, Jake thanked God—for their lives, and for the promise of love that hung between them like a heart-swelling song at the end of a Disney movie. It was corny and sentimental, but he wanted the song to last forever.

He spoke softly. “You know I’m in love with you, don’t you?”

Tears sparkled in her green eyes and she nodded. “Do you know I love you, too?”

“I do now.” Smiling again, he raised her hand and kissed her fingertips. “Do you also know that I didn’t want to love you? I fought it tooth and nail from day one, and for a while, I was winning the battle. But apparently God saw things differently.”

“And because He knows what’s best for us—” Rachel whispered, turning into him and meeting his dark eyes.

“—we should never disappoint Him,” Jake whispered back, then covered her mouth with his own.

Six months later. November.

R
achel smiled as she heard the door open, and Jake came inside the pretty log home that was hers now, too. He’d been gone all day, helping Reverend Landers and a few other men from St. John’s paint and lay new floor tile in the church’s community room. This year, St. John’s was hosting the Thanksgiving Day dinner for elderly residents and those who couldn’t be with their families. Maggie was outside, terrorizing the local squirrel population.

Quickly smoothing a wrinkle on the tablecloth, she lit the candles on either side of her pretty fall flower arrangement and went into the living room. He was just slipping off his boots.

“Hey,” he said, smiling and giving her turquoise, berry and white sweater an appreciative once-over. “You look pretty for a Wednesday.”

She laughed. “Do I usually look like a hag?”

Chuckling, he walked over to her to take her in his arms. “No, you look beautiful every day of the week. You just look exceptionally beautiful today.” He kissed her softly. “Do I smell spaghetti sauce?”

“Lasagna. It occurred to me today that we haven’t had it since—since we warmed it up when we got home that night.” Despite everything, she still felt a little sad about Nate’s death. Oddly, although that night had been terrifying, she now associated lasagna with happiness because that night things had finally fallen into place for her and Jake.

She found her smile again. “Anyway, I called your mom and asked for her recipe, which I imagined was the same as yours. I’ve decided that lasagna should be our ‘celebration’ food.” She grinned. “Now that I think about it, we should have had it at our wedding reception.”

He tipped his head curiously. “So what are we celebra—” He stopped abruptly and his smile stretched wide, lighting the brown eyes she loved. “You picked up the kit today?”

She nodded, nearly bursting with excitement. “If my calculations are correct, we’re going to be very busy the first week in June.”

Rachel shrieked as Jake scooped her up—spun her in a circle, and peppered happy kisses over her face. Then he slid her to the floor again, and they settled into a long, slow, deeply loving, forever kind of kiss. They were so blessed, Rachel thought as sighs broke between their lips and they smiled into each other’s eyes. Six months ago, she’d thought she’d never have a child of her own, and Jake had longed for a family but was afraid to hope it would happen.

Now they were married, and there was a tiny little Campbell on the way.

“God’s given us a good life,” Jake murmured.

“Yes, He has,” Rachel whispered, tipping her face up for another kiss. “And I have a feeling it’s going to get even better.”

*  *  *

1. Feelings of guilt and disloyalty plague Rachel when she finds herself being attracted to Jake. Do you believe there’s an appropriate time to mourn a beloved spouse before moving on? Or do you believe that love is a gift from God and should be joyfully accepted whenever it’s given?

2. Jake’s sister’s violent death caused him to blame God—to completely move away from Him. Eventually, his anger faded, but by that time life had become busy and his faith had been back-burnered so long that he didn’t miss it. Was there a time when life was so consuming that you did the same? If you returned to God, what did it take to bring you back?

3. Do you believe that people who don’t attend church, yet believe in God, can be saved? What about people who don’t believe? Will God reward them if they’ve lived good lives?

4. Did you feel any sympathy for the villain who killed to protect someone he loved?

5. What are your feelings about people who do bad things for what they believe to be “good” reasons? Short of murder, can these actions ever be justified?

6. Rachel finds comfort in the scriptures, particularly the psalms and those mentioned in this book.
Are there favorite passages in the Bible that speak to you?

7. It was difficult for Jake and Rachel to admit their love for each other—even to themselves—because of a betrayal in his past, and Rachel’s loyalty to the husband she’d lost. Was there a time when you wanted to tell someone that you cared, yet held back because admitting your feelings would make you uncomfortable, or you feared your feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated? Did you regret it?

8. Small towns like Charity have their share of gossips. How do you feel about gossip in general? Do you always believe what you hear? Does it end with you or do you pass it on?

9. Before sharing information that could hurt someone—even if the information is true—do you ever consider the Golden Rule—“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"?

10. Rachel is overheard accusing Joe Reston of murder, and is swiftly and soundly taken to task for it. Have you ever wished you could take back something you’ve said or done?

11. The chief of police in this story is an arrogant man who does his job, but his social skills leave much to be desired. How do you deal with people who are cold and insulting for no apparent reason? Do you turn the other cheek? Or do you try to understand
what made them that way and include them in your prayers?

12.
On Deadly Ground
opens in the spring of the year when the woods are greening, and all around there’s a feeling of rebirth. Dandelions fill the fields, songbirds seem to come out of hiding and fawns and newborn elk calves make their wide-eyed appearance in this lovely world God has created for us. Do you ever see and feel God’s presence in natural settings?

Imprint: Mills & Boon

ISBN: 978-1-408-95142-2

On Deadly Ground

©Edie Hanes 2011

First Published in Great Britain in 2011
Harlequin (UK) Limited
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