Boone's Surrender, Page 5

  She enjoyed her evening with Bobby. Perhaps in time, it could grow into a friendship, or maybe more. Tonight had been a first step in moving forward, getting out of her rut and embracing life again. A step long overdue.

  “That’s it, buddy. Reel him in.” Boone stood behind Tyler, encouraging him, while the young boy brought in his first trout. Leaning over, Boone grabbed the line, hoisting the fish onto the rocky shore. “Great job, Ty.”

  Removing the hook, Boone checked the size, then put it in the cooler filled with ice.

  “You need to get one, Daddy. Want me to help you?”

  Growing up the youngest of three boys, Boone had never suffered from a lack of advice. Between his father and brothers, he’d been given much more instruction than he ever asked for or wanted. Now Tyler wanted to do the same.

  “Sure. I’ll take all the help I can get.”

  By eight o’clock, they had five fish, plenty for the two of them. Loading the gear into his truck, they made the short trip home, arriving in time to clean the fish, take showers, and get to church.

  The worship service had started by the time Boone hustled Tyler into a pew near the back. Picking up a hymnal, Boone opened to the page shown on the big screen at the front of the church. They usually sat with his family closer to the front.

  When the singing ended, Tyler and the rest of the children left to attend Sunday school, leaving Boone sitting alone at the back, a location he preferred. It gave him time to think—sometimes about the sermon, sometimes about other things. Today, his mind immediately went to Willow.

  “Mind if we join you?”

  Boone looked up to see Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, Carly, and standing a few feet behind them, Willow.

  Sliding over, he motioned to the empty space next to him. “Please.”

  “I don’t know how we got here so late. Seems if you get up at dawn you could get to church on time.” Mrs. Robinson gave her husband, who slid in next to her, a pointed stare.

  Patting his wife’s knee, Mr. Robinson smiled, glancing at Boone. “Got caught up in a project.”

  “Can you move farther down?” Willow stood in the aisle, the last to be seated.

  “Go on around, sweetheart, and sit next to Boone. You know how Carly likes to be on the aisle.”

  Willow’s gaze narrowed on her father for an instant before she nodded, doing as he asked. After a lousy night where she’d gotten little sleep, now she had to sit next to the man who’d been the reason for her exhaustion.

  “Good morning, Willow.”

  She barely glanced at him. “Boone.”

  He didn’t give her too much space, causing their legs to touch when she sat down.

  “Can’t you move down any farther?”

  He motioned to her mother on the other side of him, indicating the lack of room. “Sorry. This is the best I can do.” When she bit her lower lip, Boone leaned toward her. “I don’t bite, Willow.”

  She shot him a disbelieving look. “I happen to know you do,” she hissed, turning to face the front.

  He winced at the retort, not missing her meaning. The comment brought back memories he didn’t want to think about in church.

  Opening the program, Willow feigned interest in every line, including the identical announcements included every week.

  Boone kept glancing over at her. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but he couldn’t lose this opportunity to talk to her.

  Somehow, he needed to take the first step in healing the fissure he’d created, apologize for his part in the accident. If she then chose to turn away, have nothing more to do with him, he’d accept it, even though he wouldn’t like it.

  Turning his attention to the man at the pulpit, Boone forced himself to focus on the message. Forgiveness was this morning’s theme. Asking for it, giving it, and accepting it. The minister covered the subject in detail, providing answers before anyone could formulate their questions.

  One of the reasons Boone liked the minister was the informal gatherings after service. Those who attended church were invited to stay, ask questions about the message. As many as a dozen people would stick around. Before Jenny’s death, Boone had stayed a couple times, trying to make sense of the impending death of a vibrant, young woman. He never quite got there, but along the way, discovered an appreciation for the dedication of the minister. He was the main reason Boone came as often as he could.

  The sound of music dragged his attention back to the service and the woman next to him. Looking over, he saw Willow’s eyes locked on him before she shifted her gaze to the front.

  Leaning toward her, he lowered his voice, ignoring the knot of unease in his gut. “Have dinner with me.”

  Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she shook her head.

  “Then lunch or coffee. Whatever is convenient for you.”

  Mrs. Robinson touched his arm. “The minister is speaking again, Boone.”

  Wincing, he leaned away from Willow.

  When the service ended, he followed her outside, touching her shoulder when she started toward her car.

  “Willow…stop.”

  She took a couple more steps, then slowed, turning toward him. Crossing her arms, she looked at him. “What do you want from me, Boone?”

  “A conversation. That’s all I want. All I’ve ever wanted since the night you walked out.”

  Closing her eyes, she stared down at the ground, letting out a deep breath. “If you want to know if I blame you, I don’t.”

  “You don’t have to, Willow. I blame myself.” Placing a finger under her chin, he lifted her head until she looked at him. “I shouldn’t have let you leave that night.”

  Stepping back, she wrapped her arms around her waist, shaking her head. “You couldn’t have stopped me, Boone.”

  “You were upset. I should’ve tried harder to make you stay.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered.” Blinking a few times, she did her best to hide the moisture in her eyes. “I need to leave.” Turning toward her truck, she stopped when Boone gripped her arm.

  “Have dinner with me, Willow.”

  Letting out a shaky breath, she shook her head. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  Boone’s gaze searched hers. “Nothing, except a few minutes of your time. I’m not asking for anything more from you.”

  Willow knew he was right, pushing her to talk. She’d planned to call him and do the same, but she couldn’t find the courage. He’d always had more guts than her.

  “Coffee.”

  He nodded. “When and where?”

  Glancing around, she swiped hair off her face. “Tuesday morning, but not at Evie’s. I don’t want her jumping to any conclusions about us.”

  “Doc will let us into his place.”

  “But he doesn’t offer breakfast.”

  Boone grinned. “He will for us.”

  “Thanks for seeing me, Del.” Burnt River Detective Rick Zoeller handed him a cup of coffee from Evie’s before sitting down, looking around the office. “I see you haven’t changed anything since the last time I visited.”

  Chuckling, Del looked at the almost blank walls, stacks of paper on his desk and file cabinet. “Maybe I should get Amy in here to help me out.”

  “Couldn’t hurt.” Rick took a sip from his cup, his grin disappearing. “We need to talk.”

  “About what?”

  “You know the call you got from Nev McNabb about the abducted girls?”

  Leaning forward, Del rested his arms on the desk. “What about them?”

  “I called a few colleagues. Seems we may have an epidemic on our hands.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small notepad. “Five girls between eleven and fifteen have gone missing around Missoula in the last month. Six from the Billings area. Two from a small town named Splendor, which is north of here.” He glanced up. “You remember Pierce O’Brien?”

  Del nodded. “Of course. Your friend from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.”

&
nbsp; “He knows of four girls missing from towns in that area. All within the last thirty days, all under the same circumstances.”

  Picking up his coffee, Del took a sip, then grabbed a pen and paper. “Tell me about the circumstances.”

  Rick stared down at his notes. “Pretty simple. Each girl was alone. Walking home from school or a friend’s house. One was sitting on a bench in the park, away from all the other kids and families. All were taken between four and eight at night.” Closing the notepad, he looked up. “Not one single witness for any of the abductions.”

  Del’s brows furrowed. “How can that be? Someone must have seen something.”

  “You’d think, but according to reports, no one saw a damn thing.”

  “What about the girl in the park?”

  Rick shook his head. “A couple remember seeing her when they walked by. They sat down maybe fifty yards away, talked for a while, then heard a scream. They ran in the direction of the scream, but when they got there, the bench was empty. Not long afterward, her parents reported her missing. The couple identified her from a photo.”

  “Professionals?”

  Rick nodded. “That would be my guess. An organized ring of child traffickers. State and federal agencies are on it, but manpower is limited. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone who’s tied them all together. One of my contacts believes they’re being categorized as random abductions of opportunity, not connected to one organization.”

  “You don’t buy it.” Del tossed down his pen.

  “All I know is there are a lot of girls being taken within a few hundred miles of Burnt River. The rest I’ll leave to those doing the investigating.”

  Del stood, picking up the cup, leaning a hip against the edge of his desk. “What do you suggest?”

  “I think we need a local task force to come up with a plan, including making people aware of what’s going on.”

  Del finished the coffee, tossing the empty cup into the trash. “The mayor will never agree if it causes a panic or hinders what little tourism the town has.”

  “Then we need to come up with a plan he can accept that still puts the people on notice. You have his ear, Del. You could explain the situation.”

  Snorting, Del sat back down. “The mayor tolerates me, Rick. He pushed for the other candidate.”

  “Who has his ear?”

  Del pinched the bridge of his nose, then sat back. “Wolf Jackson.”

  “The chairman of Gray Wolf Outfitters?”

  “The same. He and the mayor go way back, the same as my father and the mayor—when my father was alive. The mayor respects Wolf.”

  Rick nodded. “And Wolf respects you.”

  “And as you know, his daughter, Grace, is married to Thorn. She loves children and is going to school to get a degree in education. We should bring her in on this. Wolf will do just about anything for her.”

  Rick rubbed his chin. He and Grace had gone out a few times before she and Thorn reconnected. He’d always been impressed with her. “Having civilians in on this could be tricky. But if it accomplishes our goal, I’m all for it. Anybody else outside law enforcement we could bring in?”

  “Either Shane or Mason Taggert. They’re respected and know most of the people in the area. Maybe Doc Stone. I’ll need to think on it a little.”

  Standing, Rick slid the notepad back into his pocket. “I haven’t gone to the chief on this yet. It might be better coming from you.”

  Del understood his point. In most everyone’s eyes, he and the police chief were considered equals. “Another man who isn’t overly fond of me, but that’s never stopped me from pushing for what I think is right.”

  “Rumor around the station is the man may not run again. He might retire after this term.”

  Del cocked his head, raising a brow. “That’s news to me.”

  Resting his hand on the back of the chair, Rick shook his head. “Word has it he’s been diagnosed with cancer. Possibly inoperable.”

  “Geez, that’s tough. I don’t care for the man, but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

  “Yeah.” Rick walked to the door, opening it. “I’d better get back. Thanks for the help on this. I’m hoping to get something going by the end of the week.”

  Watching Rick leave, Del looked at his calendar. It was already Monday morning. He’d better get hustling if he wanted to contact the right people and get their support before he approached the mayor.

  Boone watched as Tyler walked into the school, feeling the usual pang of emotion. He’d never expected to love the boy this way, as a real father would. The truth was he’d do anything for Tyler, give his life, if needed. The notion surprised him. So much had changed in so little time.

  Driving back home, he thought of tomorrow and coffee with Willow. Boone felt like a kid on his first date, except he didn’t expect this to go so well. There wouldn’t be any goodbye kisses or warm hugs.

  They’d be talking about some tough stuff, painful to both of them. She might even get up and walk out. He had no idea what to expect and couldn’t guess at an outcome.

  Pulling into his driveway, he cut the engine as his phone rang. “Hello.”

  “Boone. It’s been a long time, bro.”

  A grin spread across Boone’s face. “This sounds like Kell. But that can’t be because the last I heard, he’s on some secret assignment somewhere in the Middle East.”

  Kell’s chuckle came through the phone. “Damn straight I was. I’m back now and looking to hang for a few nights. You game?”

  “You bet. Where are you, man?”

  “I’ll be in Burnt River on Thursday. Hoping I can stay at your place a few nights.”

  “You know you’re always welcome, Kell.” Boone’s enthusiasm faded a little when he remembered Tyler. “Uh, there’s one little detail, though.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “If we’re going out, I’ll need to locate a sitter.”

  The silence had Boone wondering if Kell heard him. “As in a babysitter, Macklin?”

  “That would be the kind. You’ve been gone a while. We’ve got a lot to catch up on.” He heard Kell snort on the other end.

  “Seems we do. I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you Thursday afternoon. And keep this number. It’s new.” Kell hung up before Boone could respond.

  Getting out of the truck, he slid the phone into his pocket, the smile still on his face. He and Kellen Brooks had been friends since first grade, causing more trouble than he cared to remember. Now he saw him maybe once every couple years when Kell was home from assignment.

  Bounding up the steps to the front door, Boone walked inside, already running through a mental list of who might be able to watch Tyler for a couple nights. Del and Thorn for sure, but after that, he had no one. Well, he had a few days to come up with someone.

  They’d probably make dinner and hang at the ranch Thursday night, give Kell a taste of what fatherhood would be like if he ever took the plunge. Most likely, they’d go out Friday and maybe Saturday. Once word spread about Kell being back, there’d be plenty of old friends to keep him company.

  Boone grabbed his work gloves and headed outside, feeling a little lighter than he had in a while. It would be good to see a friendly face. Yep, darn good.

  Chapter Six

  Willow turned off the engine, making no move to get out. Other than her truck and the one she recognized as Boone’s, there were just three other vehicles in Doc’s parking lot. At least they’d have a lot more privacy than at Evie’s.

  She checked herself in the mirror, feeling a little foolish to worry about her appearance. Boone didn’t care what she looked like. His only reason for insisting they meet was to clear his conscience—the same reason she’d agreed to see him. Willow needed to clear her own.

  Getting out, she walked around to the front, seeing Boone through one of the large windows. He spotted her right away, lifting a hand in greeting before standing. By the time she walked to the table, he had pulled out he
r chair, a cup of coffee already waiting for her.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

  Sitting down, she hooked her purse over the back of the chair. “I would’ve called if I couldn’t make it. Besides, it’s time we came to some kind of understanding about the past.”

  “Understanding?” Boone asked, tilting his head to the side.

  She let out a frustrated breath, picking up her coffee. “Clear the air.” Taking a sip, she set the cup down. “I didn’t handle things well after the accident, and for that, I’m sorry.”

  Leaning forward, Boone cradled his cup with both hands, rolling it between them. “There’s nothing to apologize for. You were going through a tough time. It couldn’t have been easy deciding not to tell your parents about the pregnancy. I wish you would’ve let me help.”

  “You tried several times to talk and I ignored you. I’m ashamed of how I treated you.” Shaking her head, she looked down at her trembling hands.

  Reaching across the table, he laid a hand on top of hers. “Don’t be. Neither of us handled it well.” Boone swallowed the lump in his throat. “It should never have played out the way it did.”

  Both quieted at the sound of footsteps coming toward them. “Doc asked me to see if you wanted more coffee.” The young woman held up the pot in her hand.

  Boone nodded, lifting his cup. “Thanks.”

  She filled both cups. “We have sweet rolls in the back. Would you like some?”

  Willow shook her head. “Not for me, thank you.”

  “I’m good. Does Doc need us out of here by a certain time?” Boone asked, adding sugar to the coffee.

  “He wanted you to know you can stay as long as you want. The lunch crowd starts arriving a little before noon. I’ll be in the back if you need anything else.”

  Once she disappeared into the kitchen, Boone cleared his throat. “I know you have no reason to reconsider us, Willow, but that’s what I’m asking.”

  Her lips parted, a whoosh of breath escaping. “Us?”

  “Yes, us.” He sat back, his hands resting on the tabletop. “I want to try again. What happened the last time, well…I wasn’t ready. When you told me you were pregnant, I said all the wrong things. I realized it not long after you left that night.” A haunted look crossed his face. “By then, it was too late.”