Race Against Time (17 page)

Madison shivered. She couldn’t think about it. Brody was fine.

She walked to the window, waiting for lightning to illuminate her front yard again. Thunder crashed. The lights flickered again.

Madison’s throat went dry.

“Mommy?”

She looked down and saw Lincoln, his eyes still wide. She picked him up. “Yes, honey?”

“I’m scared. I don’t like thunderstorms.”

“Mommy’s got you, sweetie. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” But was her statement even true? She sighed, unable to come up with anything else to say. Instead, she gathered Lincoln close and stared out the window.

Perhaps she should call the sheriff’s office to send someone out. But she knew that by the time they arrived here, their help wouldn’t make a difference. If Brody needed help, then he needed it now. Kayla had said that Daniel didn’t live far away. Hopefully he’d get here soon.

The lights flickered again until the entire house went black. Lincoln whimpered.

“Let me find a flashlight,” she told him, wishing she’d thought ahead to have one nearby. The room was pitch black, and the darkness felt blinding enough to take her breath away.

“Do you have any matches? I could light some candles,” Kayla said.

“They’re in a drawer in the kitchen. You’ll have to feel your way there.”

Thunder again bellowed. As its fury faded to a rumble, another sound echoed through the house. The door. Someone was knocking at the door. The question was, who?

“Madison, it’s me, Brody!”

She pivoted Lincoln on her hip and tried to peer through the peephole. It was no use. Blackness stared back. Of course the voice had belonged to Brody. She flipped the locks and, despite her logic, slowly edged the door open. Relief filled her when she spotted Brody on the other side. He held another man by the arm, though.

“Mr. Steinbeck?”

The two men stepped inside, dripping water all over the entryway. Madison didn’t care.

“I got stuck out in the storm,” Mr. Steinbeck explained.

“So why were you standing outside staring at the house, then?”

“I was contemplating knocking at your door to see if I could come inside until the storm passed. I thought you might think I was crazy if I did that, though. I parked my car off Seaford Road, so I decided to try and make it back. But my knee gave out in my dash down the road.”

Kayla appeared on the scene. “I found the matches. Let me light some candles so we can see. Is everything okay?”

Brody finally released his grasp on Mr. Steinbeck. “Yeah, I think so.”

“I heard there’s a serial killer in town. I should have used more discretion.” Mr. Steinbeck shrugged, looking smaller than usual with his clothes clinging to his narrow frame.

Even Mr. Steinbeck could have a sinister side hiding beneath that kind yet eccentric exterior. Having him in her home made her feel uneasy, even if he did have a decent excuse for his actions. But Brody was here, Madison reminded herself. He would protect them.

Madison took a step toward the bathroom. “Let me get you guys some towels.”

Kayla grabbed a candle. “I can do that.”

Madison tried to catch Brody’s gaze, but darkness still shadowed everything. She wanted to know if he’d been hurt, to know if he bought the story Mr. Steinbeck had told them. He didn’t go far away from the fisherman, Madison noticed.

The silhouette of a broad figure appeared in the doorway. Madison nearly leapt out of her skin.

“Everything okay?”

Kayla stepped forward with some towels. “Daniel. Thanks for coming.”

Madison glanced at Brody. “We knew we couldn’t leave the house, so we called Daniel to come, just in case you were in trouble.”

Brody nodded tightly. “We’re all fine.”

Mr. Steinbeck’s eyes widened. “Madison, you were the victim who survived, weren’t you?”

Madison heaved in a breath, fighting the urge to freeze up in the face of uncomfortable questions. Why did she keep denying it? What good would that do her?

“Yes, Mr. Steinbeck. I was the victim who survived.”

“I was afraid it might have been you. I’m so sorry to hear that. You’ve always been so kind. You don’t deserve to face something like that.”

His sincerity warmed her. “Thank you, Mr. Steinbeck.”

“I saw a man snooping outside of your house last week.”

Madison’s pulse quickened. “What do you mean?”

“I’d just returned from fishing and I noticed a man crouching around the outside of your home. I started to go over and question him but he ran off into the woods. My old legs weren’t quick enough to keep up with him.”

“Do you remember what he looked like? Anything would help,” Brody said.

Mr. Steinbeck shrugged. “He seemed young, athletic. The way he darted away from the house made it obvious he was in shape. He seemed tall. Close to six feet probably. He had a hat on and black clothing that covered nearly every inch of skin.”

Brody’s steely gaze held fast to Mr. Steinbeck. “Did he say anything?”

“Not a word. He just saw me and ran.” Mr. Steinbeck shook his head.

“Did he have anything in his hands? A crowbar? A camera? Anything?” Brody asked.

“My eyes aren’t that good. I didn’t see anything.”

Madison rubbed her hands together, just as desperate for answers. “Was that the first time you’d ever seen anyone around the house?”

“First time I ever noticed and I’m out every day. I wished I’d seen something that day you were attacked, Madison. Maybe I could have done something. Called the cops, at least.”

“Why didn’t you tell the sheriff that you saw someone outside of Madison’s house, Mr. Steinbeck?” Brody asked.

“I figured I’d scared him and he wouldn’t come back. I had no idea he was a killer. I’m sorry, Madison. If I’d known, I would have done more. But I had no idea.”

“When was that, Mr. Steinbeck?”

“Sunday.”

The day before her attack. The killer was obviously plotting Madison’s demise. The mere thought of it made her knees start to buckle. Brody’s hand gripped her arm, holding her steady. Thank goodness for Brody. He’d kept her from sinking more than once since this whole ordeal began. She could get used to his strength, if she let herself. But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t, no matter how much she desired to do just that.

* * *

“I’d make you guys some coffee, but the power is out,” Madison said as they all stood in the dark entryway with water pooling on the floor.

Brody glanced down. “I noticed. I’d settle for simply getting out of these wet clothes.”

“I can stick around for as long as you need me to,” Daniel spoke up.

Even in the darkness Brody could see Kayla blushing. His cousin was falling hard for the town’s local baseball coach. The man seemed decent enough. Brody nodded toward Mr. Steinbeck. “I think we’ll be okay here. Would you mind giving Mr. Steinbeck a ride home? That would be a huge help.”

“No problem.” Daniel glanced at the drenched fisherman. “You’ll have to make a dash through the rain to get to my truck, though.”

“I don’t know about dashing, but I’ll get there. Beats walking down the lane in the rain.” Mr. Steinbeck turned to Madison. “I’m sorry that I frightened you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just get home and take care of yourself.”

There Madison was again, acting selfless and kind and putting others before herself. Was there really anything not to love about the woman? Not that he loved her…but the idea was way too tempting at the moment.

Daniel paused at the door and looked back at Kayla. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Sound okay?”

She smiled warmly. “Sounds perfect.”

Brody pushed aside an image of him and Madison double-dating with Daniel and Kayla. He wasn’t even sure where the idea had come from. It just popped into his mind and he’d inadvertently entertained it in there for a couple of minutes too long.

After Daniel and Mr. Steinbeck left, the three remaining adults all looked at each other as if wondering what to do next. No electricity meant no dinner, no shower and no lights to be able to see anything. His clothes had stopped dripping, but the soggy fabric clung uncomfortably to his skin. Since the power was out, the AC wasn’t working and the outdoor heat had floated into the house, thickening the air with humidity. The storm had finally begun moving offshore, and the thunder and lightening weren’t nearly as violent as earlier.

“I guess this is good practice for hurricane season, huh?” he asked.

“There’s already a storm heading through the Caribbean. One of the projected paths takes it right up the coast of Virginia,” Madison said. “And since it’s your first year here, in case you haven’t noticed yet, we have a tendency to flood here so you better find your waders.”

Although she tried to sound lighthearted, Brody knew that her nerves were frayed. The scares and threats just kept coming, and she took each one as it came. But how many blows could one person take?

The lights flashed back on at that moment and immediately they heard the AC blowing through the house. “I’m going to go get cleaned up.” He nodded toward the shower.

“I’ll finish dinner,” Madison offered.

“I want to help! I want to help!” Lincoln said, jumping up and down.

Madison smiled and reached out her hand. “Let’s go, then.”

Brody walked away, enjoying the feeling of having a temporary family a little too much.

* * *

That evening, once Lincoln was asleep, Madison wandered back to the living room to speak privately with Brody. He sat on the couch with his elbows perched atop his knees and a serious expression stretched across his face. He straightened as she approached.

For some reason—and against her will—her heart raced.

He stood. “Madison.”

As natural as if they’d known each other for years, Madison stepped into his arms—or did he step toward her? She couldn’t be sure. She only knew that his arms circled her and she rested her head against his chest. The hammering of his heart seemed to steady her own.

“I was so worried about you today, Madison.”

Was she imagining things or did she hear true concern in his voice? Whether real or imagined, tears popped into her eyes at the mere thought of having someone care about her again. For so long she’d pushed aside the notion that she would ever find someone else to take Reid’s place. It wasn’t that there hadn’t been offers, but she’d simply never met anyone she thought she’d want to open up her heart to again. With Brody, it felt different.

He gently placed a kiss atop her head.

She had to talk to him about this thing between them before her emotions got the best of her. “Brody, what are we doing?”

He pulled back, but his hands still remained on her arms, rubbing them affectionately. “What do you mean?”

Being so close to Brody made her throat go dry, made her want to forget this conversation and simply just enjoy the moment. She couldn’t do that, though. She had to protect not only her heart but Lincoln’s.

She sucked in a deep breath. “I feel like we keep flirting with a…a relationship, I suppose. Maybe a fling. I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m not in the same place in life that I was at one time. Lincoln and I are a package deal and I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“Madison, I’m not looking for a relationship.”

Her heart dipped. Of course he wasn’t looking for a relationship.

He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut a moment. “That came out wrong. I mean, I didn’t
think
I was looking for a relationship. Deep down I knew I didn’t deserve someone like you. But I’ve never met a woman like you before. You…I know it sounds cliché, but you make me want to be a better person.”

She tamped down her fluttered heart. “You’ve told me about your past, Brody. Maybe I shouldn’t bring this up now, but I need to for my sake and Lincoln’s. What about your commitment issues?”

His hands dropped from her arms and he took a step back. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that, Madison. And honestly, even though I had a reputation as a player, I’m not a player. I just always reached a point in my relationships where I realized I couldn’t see myself committing to that person. There was no need to keep pretending or to keep dating if we didn’t have a true future.”

She could admire that. She really could. But she still had more questions. “And six months from now when you discover the same thing about me?”

He shook his head. “I’m not going to.”

“How can you be sure?”

He looked in the distance and sucked in a deep breath before meeting her gaze again. “I guess I can’t be one-hundred percent sure. The truth is every relationship requires risk. I want to take that risk and see what we’ve got, see if it’s real. In my heart I think it is.”

Madison crossed her arms over her chest. What did she tell him? How did she feel? Of course she was attracted to the man. But attraction wasn’t enough.

He stepped toward her again and bent his head. “What are you thinking, Madison?”

“My thoughts are racing a million directions right now.” It was the truth. Her emotions seemed to be swirling around in her head, unable to find a safe place to land.

“Can we sit down and talk?”

She nodded and they sat on the couch facing each other. Brody reached out and took one of her hands. Warmth washed through her at the overture. It was so simple, yet so sweet. She hadn’t felt emotions like this since…Reid.

The lights in the room were still out and everything around them quiet. Ordinarily the dark and the quiet would frighten her. But with Brody close to her she felt safe. She knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, that he would sacrifice himself before he let her get hurt. But that wasn’t enough to build a relationship on.

“Talk to me, Madison. I’m not trying to toy with your emotions here. I really want to know how you’re feeling. If you want me to back off, I will. Just say the word.”

His words brought a measure of comfort. He was leaving the ball in her court, telling her that he’d respect any decision she made. But she wasn’t sure what decision to make. “I’m not one to jump into things, Brody. I guess I just need some more time to process…everything. These are extraordinary circumstances we’ve been thrown into.”