Oregon Outback (32 page)

“Darrow!” A man’s voice called.

Smit …

Justin’s heart sank. He’d allowed himself to forget about Smit for today. Why did Smit continue to pursue Darrow? Couldn’t he see she didn’t love him?

The man’s lithe, tall form exited the tree cover and strode toward Darrow. She glanced up to where Justin stood on the ledge looking like she was disappointed, too.

T
race slid the key across the counter to Darrow, who put it back in its place. “All taken care of.”

Stepping out of Trace’s path, Darrow offered a wry grin. “I knew I could count on you.”

Darrow had asked Trace to handle any business pertaining to Justin, especially moving him when required. He’d stayed in the cabin for longer than expected, and now the lodge had a cancellation, and he could move back inside, which he preferred.

Trace squeezed her shoulder as she passed. “He asked about you.”

“Really?” Darrow tried to stifle her smile. The news shouldn’t make her happy. “What did he—you know what, it doesn’t matter.”

Trace frowned. “I’m not convinced.”

A man approached, outfitted for his hunting trip. Darrow ignored Trace’s comment and left Trace to do her job. It had been three weeks since she’d first encountered Justin. She didn’t trust her heart where Justin was concerned, and there were too many unknowns, so she’d tried to avoid him ever since the hike.

She caught a glimpse of him now and then. If only she knew why he was staying at the lodge.

Did you lie to me when you sent me here?

Who was he? Why was he here? The questions continued to plague her, and the only thing she had in answer was that Oregon was his hobby. Yeah, right.

But it wasn’t her business. She wanted him gone because he served as a reminder of her discontent with Smit.

Lord, why can’t I be rid of these doubts?

Smit had recovered from the flu and had joined her on the hike the day Justin had been there. Smit had attended church with her Sunday and then yesterday as well. She’d been stunned to see Justin in the back row. When the service was over, she’d caught him staring at her. He nodded and she looked away.

She and Smit had dinner together a couple of times, but nothing more was said about him taking her somewhere special. Something had definitely changed in Smit, but Darrow didn’t know what it was.

She stepped into her office.

Arms slipped around her from behind. “How’s my girl?” Smit’s warm breath caressed her ear.

She turned to see his smile. “You’re in a good mood today.”

She hadn’t seen him smile like this in weeks.

“This Friday, we’re going somewhere special.” He squeezed her to him then planted a kiss on her lips.

Darrow swallowed. The old Smit was back, along with her pre-engagement jitters. “I can’t wait.”

Trace found her in the hall with Smit. “Darrow, somebody needs help on the trail, up by the boulders.”

Darrow’s heart raced. “What kind of help? Did you call an ambulance?”

“I’m not sure. A woman came into the lobby asking for help. Her grandson was stuck. She sounded desperate.”

Smit released Darrow and they rushed from the lobby. Once on the trail, Smit took off ahead of her like he meant to be a hero. She wished she had more information.

God, please let them be all right
.

Darrow was out of breath by the time she caught up to Smit. A crowd had gathered at the boulders where Darrow had stumbled upon Justin on his phone. A woman covered her face with her hands and intermittently shouted for someone named Jeffery to be careful. Darrow looked up to see Justin, making his way down the boulders, presumably Jeffery on his back.

Slowly he climbed along the smaller rocks stacked against the large ones. How had Jeffery made that climb? And where had his grandmother been while he was getting into mischief?

She reached out to the woman and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “He’s going to be just fine. Don’t worry.”

The woman grabbed Darrow’s arms and held on.

Justin slipped. The crowd gasped. But he found his footing again.

“I should help,” Smit said.

“No. You’ll make him lose his concentration.” Darrow couldn’t stand the thought of Justin or little Jeffery tumbling down the rocks.

Finally Justin’s feet touched the base of the boulders and Jeffery scrambled from his back. The small crowd clapped their approval. The grandmother had already released her grip on Darrow and made her way to squeeze the boy. Darrow figured the woman would scold him much later, but first she thanked Justin.

Darrow approached to thank him as well.

“You’re a hero. I want to do something for you,” the woman said. “What’s your name?”

“That’s not necessary.” His jaw clenched.

He didn’t appear to want all the attention but had been there to aid someone in need.

“Justin Love,” Darrow said.

His gray eyes glanced up at her and seemed to drink her in.

Smit cleared his throat and thrust out his hand. “She’s right. You’re a real hero.”

Justin shook it.

“Say, aren’t you related to Carver Love, who’s got a ranch north of here?” a man in a red flannel jacket asked.

“He’s my brother.”

Now that was something Darrow hadn’t known. An answer to some of her questions and yet the information raised more. She watched him expertly pry himself from the attention and disappear down the trail. Then she glanced at Smit.

He studied her. What was he thinking? Did he wonder if Darrow was the woman of his dreams? Would he finally ask her to marry him? And when he did, what would she say?

Justin trudged through the woods not knowing exactly where he was going. He’d driven to Winter Ridge that overlooked Summer Lake and Darrow’s lodge, and hiked in to the Fremont National Park. Maybe he could get some privacy in a remote, secluded place. In the wilderness nobody knew he was a hero. He shouldn’t have done it. He shouldn’t have gone after that boy, but there was no one else around at the time. Seconds counted when a child was in a precarious situation.

Just like the seconds had counted when he’d failed to do his job as a police officer and someone had died.

With the unwanted attention he’d garnered, he feared that Carver would hear Justin was back in Oregon. He’d left three years ago when his nightmare first started. He hadn’t aimed to come back, but the situation with Reed had drawn him here. More like driven him to do the deed he’d promised Reed’s wife.

But he knew deep down, the Lord had given him a strong nudge, and Justin, hungry to make things right—hungry for redemption—had allowed himself to bend. It was either that or be broken. But being back in Oregon for a few weeks didn’t mean he wanted to face his brothers.

He’d been shocked to hear that Reed hadn’t seen his sister in five years. But Justin had stayed away from his brothers, having no contact with them for three. He was no better than Reed on that point.

A breeze blasted over his face. Everything was happening much too fast. Coming back to Oregon, facing the demons of his past and now … Darrow. He’d sworn off any entanglements of the romantic kind, seeing too much heartbreak in one form or another, of course he’d have to fall for a woman who had a boyfriend she planned to marry.

Justin’s incredulous laugh disturbed the silent forest, bouncing off the trees. Why did he have to be tortured, watching her with Smit at every turn, even at church? Nearby, a brook trickled. He found a smooth rock nestled alongside it and sat, surprised that snow didn’t blanket the ground yet.

“God, I know You’re there, so listen up. I’m staying here one more week. If Reed doesn’t show up then I’m gone.” Justin added a silent heartfelt apology for his attitude. But even if he tried to hide his frustration, God could see right through him anyway.

Earlier when he’d rescued Jeffery, he’d almost lost his concentration when out of the corner of his eye, he’d seen Darrow arrive on the scene with her boyfriend. He shoved thoughts of her aside to get the boy to safety. Somehow the child had managed to pick his way up the side, but when it came time to come down he started crying.

Once relieved of his burden, Justin had allowed an errant glance at the beautiful woman who’d remained close to his heart, who’d been a constant companion to his thoughts since the day he’d met her. She’d stared back at him. The admiration in her eyes had almost done him in. But Smit, like a trusted and loyal guard dog, stood by her side.

Justin had tried to shake her from his thoughts, but she wouldn’t go away without a lot of effort.

One more week, God
. He had a feeling God wasn’t about to be given a deadline.

Maybe if he only had one week left, he should confront Darrow about her feelings for Smit. Maybe she didn’t feel the same about Justin, but he meant to find out why she was settling for Smit. That Smit was a good man Justin had no doubt. But Smit just might deserve a woman who truly loved him.

Still, Justin hated to put himself as judge and jury over someone else’s life.

He shoved up from the rock and began his trek through the woods and back to the Tahoe he’d rented. He’d bartered with the local car rental place to keep the thing for a month. Time was running out.

One more week.

The night already upon him, he hadn’t realized he’d stayed in the woods so long. The Tahoe stood fifty yards away when the rain began pelting him. Icy cold rain that would probably turn to snow at this elevation.

By the time he climbed inside he was soaking and cold to the bone. It wouldn’t be too soon if Reed showed his face tonight. At least he’d parked in front of the Rimrock Lodge.

His thoughts in a jumble, he rushed up the porch to his cabin before he remembered that he’d moved back to the lodge. He crept off the porch, hoping the new guests hadn’t spotted him. A stranger’s appearance at their cabin door would probably scare them.

It was still pouring when Justin jogged up the path and, in the fading light from the cabin’s porch, he could scarcely see in the dark. Once he was free from the trees, raindrops pounded him and the ground as well. A woman rushed by, covering her head with a newspaper.

Darrow?

Like an idiot, Justin followed her instead of taking the path back to the lodge. She glanced behind her, probably wondering who the stalker was, then kept moving. She ran across the small yard, splashing through the puddles and onto the porch, Justin a few feet behind.

When he clomped up the steps, she faced him, dripping wet despite the newspaper.

Wet from the rain, her face glistened in the soft lamp of the porch. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know.” With a grin, he shrugged. “I went to the cabin because I forgot I’d moved to the lodge.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “That’s great.”

He took a step closer. “You think it’s funny, do you?”

Her gaze was expectant and wary at the same time. With his next step, he gently gripped her waist and searched her eyes. Would she reject him? Did she want him to leave? No.

He saw what he was looking for. Her eyes sparkled with longing, and she closed them as he drew near. Justin put his lips against hers, savoring their sweetness.

The kiss rocked him to the core.

Something slapped the floor, jarring them apart. A model in an immaculate gown stared back at him from the cover of a bridal magazine. Justin swallowed the acid rising in his throat.

“Are you going to marry him?” he asked.

Regret colored her soft gaze and tore at Justin’s insides.

D
arrow stared at the mirror on her dresser as she brushed her hair, teasing it a little on the top to give it lift. She inspected herself, admiring the silky teal dress she’d bought just for this occasion.

“Somewhere special,” Smit had said. Later in the week he called to advise her that he’d made reservations at a fancy restaurant. There weren’t any near the Summer Lake area, but she wouldn’t try to figure out where. After dating the man for eight months, Darrow knew him well enough. He’d always been a complete gentleman, and for their dates, he took her out to eat or cooked for her, or she cooked for him, or they caught a movie together.

But never before had he taken her “somewhere special.” A man like Smit didn’t play games or waste his time. Darrow had been hoping for this night for weeks. Planning for it for months. Her excitement had led her to ordering the bridal magazine so she’d have plenty of time to decide on the kind of dress she would wear.

She left the dresser and sat on the bed, looking at her hope chest given to her by her grandfather—it had belonged to her mother who hadn’t taken it with her when she married. Not every girl had one, but Darrow had been fortunate. She’d filled it with small items for her future home as a married woman, items she’d collected here and there.

What if she’d misread Smit? What if he hadn’t planned to propose at all? Even worse, what if he did propose?

Biting her lips, she frowned. For weeks now she’d been excited about a future with Smit. But tonight, all her expectancy was gone.

Her excitement turned to dread.