19. Stop And Smell The Roses
CHAPTER 19
Stop And Smell The Roses
I sla knew the men didn’t truly relax until she was inside the farmhouse. Their finely honed protector instincts worried until she was in a safe space.
It might be a little over the top, but as someone who’d rarely had anyone at her back, it was also overwhelming in the very best of ways.
They took up seats around the kitchen table to discuss the next steps as Branna came in from working at the saloon. The light of the day was fading, so Sean flipped on the light and closed the curtains against prying eyes. Hopper and Jabba snoozed at their feet.
They’d searched the area around Stan’s property and along the edges of the creek but had found no further evidence or any indication of where Ed was hiding.
Marcus leaned forward. “It’s too late to start a search tonight, but I’d like to call in the Midnight Lake team and do that tomorrow. The more trained people we have looking, the better. There’s no reason to believe Pringle is comfortable in the bush, although it’s a possibility. The odds are better that he’s going to hide in someone’s barn or shed. I’m going to send out a text telling people to stay inside their homes tonight and to not check on their outbuildings until morning. Pringle has a gun, and he’s likely feeling trapped. He might shoot as soon as someone opens a door.”
Isla shuddered and wasn’t surprised when Levi’s arm came around her. “I think he’s probably scared. That might make him do things he wouldn’t normally do. He’s more weasel than bobcat.”
All the men chuckled at her description.
Marcus smiled. “Even weasels can be deadly if they’re feeling trapped. Tomorrow is early enough to start looking.”
Levi ran his thumb absently over her shoulder. “We’ll stay here tonight rather than at the cottage. Safety in numbers. And we’ll keep an eye on the sensors over there.”
She turned to him. “Do you think he might try to harm the property? Vandalize it, or burn it down?”
Levi shrugged. “Maybe. He probably thinks he’s pretty smart, but nothing he’s tried has worked as planned. He might throw a hissy fit and do something stupid.”
“If he was the one who cut the ladder, he knows a way into the barn.”
Marcus spoke again. “He’s got an alibi for that time, and we still don’t know if that was connected. Pringle was back in Texas, drinking at a bar every day and complaining about losing his job. The cameras Sam installed are active. If he tries to hide in the barn for the night, we’ll know about it.”
The men put in calls to their friends and made arrangements to meet at the farmhouse in the morning to start their search. Troy stood. “I’ll let Ginny and Fiona in on the developments and have them stay alert for him.”
Marcus stood as well. “I’m going to do patrols around the town tonight.” Sean and Branna followed their friends to the front door.
Isla sighed and rested her chin on her hand. “I hope this ends soon. Marcus is going to exhaust himself. And everyone is ignoring their own work because of?—”
Levi held up his hand and raised an eyebrow with a smile.
She sighed again. “Fine. Because of the two idiots who want to hurt me. If no one catches him tomorrow, I think we should leave town for a few days.”
Levi stood up and headed for the cupboards. He pulled a pot out and then found a bag in the freezer. In no time, the scent of popcorn filled the room. He poured it into a bowl, added some butter to the pot to melt it, and then added that to the bowl.
Isla crossed to him. “I’ve never seen anyone make popcorn without a microwave before.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? That stuff is a pale comparison to the real stuff.”
“It’s kind of sexy watching you be all confident in the kitchen.”
Levi laughed. “It’s not even my best room.”
That eased some of the tension from her shoulders as she laughed along with him. His statement might be cocky, but it was totally true, and she wasn’t going to argue with it.
She hadn’t been in the farmhouse often, and she hadn’t been up to Levi’s room because they’d been staying at the cottage.
As they reached the top of the stairs, Levi pointed to the right. “Everyone’s been chipping in when they can to renovate this place. Sean and Branna fixed up their room and bathroom first. They’ve taken down a few walls, and they’re making sure every bedroom is big enough for a king bed and has its own bathroom.”
He turned to the left. “My room got finished second. Troy figured if I had a decent place to stay, I’d be more willing to join up with the group and grow them some hops.”
Isla grinned. With all the stress lately, it was nice to be looking forward to a cozy evening with normal conversation. “I’m glad you decided to stay.”
He smiled as they reached his door. “Best decision ever.”
Inside, the room had been painted a soft grey. The large bed faced the window that looked back onto the fields. An older wooden dresser, a comfortable chair, and an ottoman filled the space. Through the door to the bathroom, she could see the same color on the walls and modern fixtures. “This is great.”
He nodded and put the popcorn on a side table. “Not as great as your cottage, but it’s a good space.”
“I’m assuming Troy is spearheading the mission to get your other two buddies here as well?”
Levi laughed. “He sure is. And he’s picking up the pressure on Slick. I think Garrett’s still struggling with losing his K-9 partner overseas. He’s harder to get a hold of most days.”
Levi pulled the curtains closed and pulled a t-shirt out of a drawer. “You want to wear this for the night? We can head back to your place in the morning for fresh clothes.”
Of course she did. There was nothing like wearing a shirt that smelled like Levi.
Soon, they were snuggled up against the headboard, and Levi had set up a tablet. Then he turned to her. “I don’t even know what kinds of movies you like to watch.”
She laughed. “Life has been too busy to watch anything.” And she wasn’t going to think about that. She was going to enjoy this slice of normal.
“What do you watch when you have a chance?”
She shrugged. “I don’t like anything scary or depressing. I like rom-coms, superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy.”
“Lord Of The Rings?”
“Love it.”
Levi grinned, and in moments, the haunting music filled the room. He tucked her under his arm and set the popcorn between them.
She snuggled in and thought life was almost perfect.
Tomorrow, she’d meet her dad for the first time in twelve years. The nerves of that bounced through her veins, but it was a good anticipation. Tomorrow, she hoped they would also catch Ed.
Levi kissed her hair. “Shut down that beautiful brain and set it all aside for tonight. Let’s focus on the good guys winning because they figure out how to work together.”
She nodded and shoved the worries aside. Tomorrow would be there soon enough.
T hey had just finished breakfast the following morning when Troy and Piper arrived. Then Marcus. Then the entire group of twelve from Midnight Lake. Isla could only look around in shock. These people were all here to help look for Ed. “But what about your plans for the day? I don’t want to pull you away from anything important.”
Tansy laughed and hugged her. “You’re more important than any tasks.”
Sam patted her back. “We had a scheduled off-day for Midnight Security today, so we didn’t have to cancel anything.”
Isla’s gaze moved from person to person. “Thank you. I know that’s not adequate, but thank you.”
Graham rolled his eyes. “It’s more than adequate. We’ve got each other’s backs here.”
She was working to control her emotions when Tansy used a tablet to pull up an aerial map of the town and the surrounding area. “Tessa helped me divide into grids, but we’re not from here, so we don’t know if they make sense. Any adjustments you locals suggest?”
As Troy and Marcus moved to get a better look, Piper grinned. “What are the locals called, anyway? Phails? Phailites? Phailonians? Phailures?”
Everyone laughed, and Troy shrugged. “I don’t think it’s ever come up before. I’ve never used a collective noun for the people who live here.”
Piper grinned. “Sounds like a new poll to put up on the website. We’ll get some input from the town and see what they choose. We need a cartoonist to start making some local gear. Josie, are you up for another job? Or Nimii?”
Josie laughed and shook her head. “Not my forté. At all.”
Tansy and Joe shared a look. “There’s a cartoonist in the town where our cousins live. It’s called Bloo Moose, and Emmy does all kinds of fun things with the name. Maybe she knows someone who wants to move to Phail and wants to do the same job here.”
Isla was grateful for the attention being pulled off of her. These people were great, and she longed to be a real part of their group. A part who contributed and gave. Not the one needing all the help.
As always, Levi sensed her mood. He moved behind her and looped his arms around her, then pulled her back into his chest. Wordless support.
Tears threatened, so she blinked her eyes to hold them back. Her phone beeped with a message, and she pulled it out. Her father had arrived.
She held up the text so Levi could see. He kissed her hair and took her hand. “Isla’s father is here. We’ll be back in a few minutes with him.”
Everyone nodded, and she let Levi lead her to the front door. Her body shook, and she wasn’t sure she would have been able to keep moving without Levi.
He paused with his hand on the knob. “You’ve got this, Isla. You know he’s going to be happy to see you.” Then he kissed her lightly and opened the door.
The large open space in front of the farmhouse overflowed with vehicles of the people who’d come to help. Her father had parked his rental near the road and was walking toward them.
His step hitched when he spotted them. Then he picked up his speed and hurried. Isla had reached the bottom of the stairs when he stopped briefly in front of her, eyes full and mouth trembling. “Isla.” He breathed her name and then threw his arms around her.
Isla burst into tears, completely overwhelmed by the love and safety she felt from those arms and the way he breathed her name.
Her father kept murmuring, apologizing, and gulping back his own tears. Finally, they pulled apart, smiling and wiping tears.
He stepped back and took her shoulders in his hands. “You’ve grown up to be such a beautiful woman, Isla. So like your mother. She would be so proud of you.”
That brought more tears and more hugs.
This time, they were laughing as they broke apart. Pieces of her heart had been bouncing around for years, but now she felt them shuffle into place, settle in, and seal back together.
She initiated the next hug. “Thanks for coming, Dad. It means so much to me that you would be here.”
“I hope I can help. Or at least be another layer of protection around you. Now, what’s the plan to capture these idiots?”
Isla turned to the stairs where Levi stood, watching the surrounding land. She hadn’t even thought about the threat. Levi smiled down at them. “We’ve got a team working on that inside. Nice to meet you, Mr. Duggan.”
They climbed the stairs, and the men shook hands. Then, her father pulled Levi into a hug as well. “Call me Reg. Thank you for looking out for my girl. That’s a debt I can never repay.”
Levi slapped him on the back. “It’s been a pleasure, Reg. Isla is an amazing woman.”
Isla’s cheeks flamed while Levi took her hand and opened the door to usher them all inside. After he closed and locked the door, she leaned up on her toes to kiss him. “Thanks.”
He raised an eyebrow in question, and she smiled. “For being right about seeing my dad. For watching over us while we got through those first few minutes.”
He kissed her. “You’re welcome. I’m glad it’s good. Now, let’s introduce him to the gang.”
A few minutes later, her dad was battling back tears again as he spoke to her new friends. His voice was thick and shaky. “I haven’t had my daughter’s back in a very long time. I’m thankful to you all.”
Isla hugged him again, and then they all turned their attention to Marcus, who had divided everyone into groups and assigned them areas to check for signs of Ed or Glen.
“We’re working on reconnaissance here. If you spot either of them or their vehicles, stay back and call in the rest of us. We want to keep everyone safe.”
Because they didn’t know the area well, Marcus paired Isla, Levi, and her dad with Troy and Piper to search along the water behind their farms and to the north.
Levi and Troy would be armed, but Isla hoped they wouldn’t need weapons. With a chill of foreboding, she walked into the windy morning and hoped they could find a way to end this.