Silent Witness (23 page)

“She’s going to train a police dog for me.”

“That so?” Liz’s smile widened. “All the way in Montana? A dog for you here in Country Corners?”

Sal looked at her and when he did she read it all in his eyes—his blossoming love for Charlie, his dread about telling Liz he was leaving. But he would be leaving, no doubt.

Liz smiled at him. She’d miss Sal. But she knew this was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He was going to Montana. He would find a new life, a new love and a personal relationship with the Lord. She could never want anything other than that for her best friend.

“I want your gold necklace when you leave,” Liz said.

He shot her a puzzled expression. That she’d figured out what he’d intended shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, she was the sheriff. But she knew her request for his necklace threw him.

“That’s a macho playboy necklace, Sal. You don’t need it anymore. When you leave, I’m going to give it to Paul.”

All four of them laughed—and the sound on the night air was healing and good.

“You got it, boss. Sounds like a great idea.” He waved and went inside with a blushing Charlie.

Liz put her head against the back of her Adirondack chair and sighed.

Adam reached over and grasped her hand. “You handled that well. I know how hard it will be to see Sal leave.”

Liz sent a gentle smile his way. “Not really. My best friend is getting together with my newest best friend. That sounds like a win-win situation to me.”

“Lizzie Bradford, you are full of surprises tonight.”

She tilted her head so she could look him in the eye.

“What surprises?”

“You let your hair down even though you are still in uniform.”

“True. Have you noticed that Jeremy hasn’t been screaming bloody murder anymore when he sees me in my uniform? Do you think he’s starting to adjust to the sight of them?”

“Yes. I think he’s seen enough uniforms in the past three weeks that he is starting to equate them with people who help him and who love him.”

She drew a breath. He knew her so well. She couldn’t hide her feelings from him anymore—and she didn’t want to.

“You’re right. I do love him.” She shifted in her seat. Only the arms of their chairs separated them. “Now that Jeremy is safe, there’s no reason he can’t remain here in Country Corners. The morning after Tom was killed, I applied to be Jeremy’s foster mother…while I wait to see if I am approved to adopt him.”

Adam smiled. The knowing look in his eyes told her he wasn’t surprised at this announcement.

“You’ll make a wonderful mother, Lizzie.”

“Thank you. Coming from you that means a lot.”

“You’ve done remarkably well learning how to nurture an autistic child. I have no doubt you’ll continue to learn and grow as you raise Jeremy to be an awesome adult someday.”

He got out of his chair and moved toward her. He knelt on one knee so he could look directly in her eyes.

“I’d like to be there for you, Lizzie.… If you’ll let me.”

Her heart skipped a beat and butterflies danced in her stomach.

“I’ll be happy for your professional input. You’ve made remarkable progress with Jeremy. He adores you.”

“How about his new mama? How does she feel about me?”

Her heart didn’t skip a beat this time— It stopped beating all together.

“Adam…what we had fifteen years ago…life’s different now… I’m different.”

He clasped her fingers and gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

“You’re right. You’ve changed. You’ve become stronger, independent and confident. You aren’t striving to please people at the cost of your own happiness or looking for love from people incapable of giving it. You have discovered your worth, your place in God’s heart and you beam with it. You are kind and loving and gifted. But one thing hasn’t changed, Lizzie.” He leaned in closer, his lips mere inches from hers. “Your smile still lights up a room like the sun on a spring day.”

Her throat constricted and her eyes misted with joy. He couldn’t have said anything nicer to her—until he spoke again.

“I’ve missed your smile. I don’t want to spend another day of my life without seeing that sunshine, without feeling its warmth on my face. Please forgive me for leaving, Lizzie. I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but I’m on my knee asking you for one.

“I love you, Lizzie Bradford. I’ve loved you since I tossed mud at you in kindergarten. I’m praying that you love me, too.”

Liz couldn’t hide behind her protective armor anymore. Jeremy had found the first crack. Then Charlie and Sal and Adam and even Rerun had chipped away until the cold, hard emptiness inside her chest was gone and more love than she could express filled her being.

Yes, love requires trust and faith. It requires compromise and forgiveness. It requires risk.

And, yes, a person could get hurt.

But not loving…

God never intended people to be so afraid of being hurt that they closed off emotionally to the possibility of love at all. God declared it was not good for man to be alone…or woman. How ironic that the man God sent to teach her that lesson carried the name Adam.

She smiled into his eyes.

Adam withdrew a small platinum ring with a tiny diamond in the middle.

“I bought this for you fifteen years ago. It was the best an eighteen-year-old boy could afford. But I never gave it to you. I ran away.”

“You’ve kept it all these years?”

“I could never get rid of it. In my mind and my heart this ring always belonged to you.”

He slid the ring on her
right
hand. The tiny diamond sparkled in the candlelight.

“I’m giving this to you now as a promise ring. I promise to prove to you I am worth the risk. You can open your heart to me, Lizzie. I will never let you down again.”

He kissed the back of her hand.

“And I promise to give you the time you need to come to that conclusion yourself—a week, a month, a year? Whatever you need. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be right here, Lizzie, loving you.”

He kissed her chin, her cheek and then lowered his head to claim her lips with his own. The taste of his lips, the feel of his breath, the warm, passionate kisses that followed melted away once and for all any wall, any coldness, any barrier she had ever built around her heart. She was basking in love and joy.

Adam looked deeply into her eyes.

“I promise—when you’re ready—if you can find it in your heart to love me back, that I will build a life with you and Jeremy. We will fill our home with children—lots of children—our own and those others have discarded who need us. We will place God as the foundation of our life together. We will fill our home with love and laughter and happiness.”

Even in the candlelight, he couldn’t hide the glistening in his eyes.

“And I promise that the ring I slip on your
left
hand will be considerably larger than this puny little promise ring.”

Liz laughed out loud and playfully swatted at him.

His gaze deepened in intensity and his voice trembled with emotion.

“I promise, Lizzie…my heart…my life…my love…forever and always…when you are ready to receive them.”

Liz tenderly cupped his face with her hand and smiled. She leaned forward and kissed him…tenderly…then passionately. When the kiss ended she raised her eyes.

“I’m ready now, Adam. Forever and always.… I promise.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt of
Threat of Darkness
by Valerie Hansen!

We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

You enjoy a dash of danger.
Love Inspired Suspense
stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives..

Visit
Harlequin.com
to find your next great read.

We like you—why not like us on Facebook:
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

Follow us on Twitter:
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books:
HarlequinBlog.com

Subscribe to our newsletter for special offers, new releases, and more!

Harlequin.com/newsletters

Harlequin and Mills & Boon are joining forces in a global search for new authors.

In September 2012 we’re launching our biggest contest yet—with the prize of being published by the world’s leader in romance fiction!

Look for more information on our website,
www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com

So you think you can write? Show us!

ONE

T
he keening wails echoing down the usually quiet halls of the Serenity Medical Center made the hair on the back of Samantha Rochard’s neck prickle. Every natural instinct told her to flee. Instead, her experience as a registered nurse sent her racing toward the sound of misery.

A doctor, white coat flying behind him, shoved her aside and burst through the curtain into an E.R. exam cubicle. She heard him start to speak. Then, his words were abruptly cut off.

A sixth sense brought Samantha to a skidding halt before the weighted curtain had stopped swinging behind him. Was that scuffling? Fighting? A thud?

She peeked through a slit between the panels. Dr. Weiss, the physician who had elbowed her out of his way, lay on the floor, moaning. A thin, scraggly figure she judged to be male stood with his back to her. The only thing about him that caught her attention and held it was the small, silver-colored revolver he was waving.

Samantha wheeled and flattened herself against a nearby wall. Hands trembling, she pulled out her cell phone, called 911 and cupped her hands around the instrument to muffle her speech.

“We need help at the medical center. Hurry.”

“What’s the nature of your emergency, ma’am?”

“I don’t
know.
” Samantha wanted to shout instead of whispering. “I heard a scream and…”

When the dispatcher interrupted to ask, “Is that you again, Ms. Rochard?” she figured her report wasn’t going to be taken seriously. So what else was new?

“Look,” Samantha said, “we’ve got a guy in our E.R. with a gun. Isn’t that enough?”

“Okay. Stay where you are and let us handle it.” There was a rumble of conversation and beeping noises in the background before the dispatcher returned. “We have units on the way. Stay on the line with me.”

Samantha was about to reply when someone grabbed a fistful of her shoulder-length, dark hair and jerked her off her feet. The cell phone hit the floor with a splintering crack. She was being dragged backward into the exam area where Dr. Weiss lay!

Her scalp felt as though it was on fire. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t reason. All she could do was keep screaming “No! No!” and try to regain her balance enough to fight back.