Alaskan Mountain Pursuit Elizabeth Goddard (best short novels .TXT) 📖

They were no closer to finding him than she’d been before she stepped out of her comfort zone and tried to do something that made her feel less like a victim.

So maybe it was time to sit back and acknowledge that she was out of her depth here.

Clay looked over at her. She could tell he wanted to say something. Amazing how well you could learn how to read someone else’s facial expressions when you were with them almost constantly.

Noah went outside, shutting the door carefully behind him.

“Are you okay?”

Summer looked at Clay. “I’m not sure.”

“Why?”

“I...” Her mind felt like it was spinning. She’d felt so good only a few minutes before but right now the weight of her situation was pressing on her and she couldn’t handle it. Was this what a panic attack felt like? Summer struggled to shake it off, but nothing helped. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking.

She shrugged.

“Hey.” He set his coffee mug down, reached out for her hands and took them both. “This will be over soon.”

She didn’t know if she didn’t believe the words or if she was worried it was true, that it would be over soon in a way that would mean the killer had succeeded in—

“I’m not going to let him get to you.”

Clay’s words were quiet.

Summer nodded. Looked out the window as she replayed the conversation she’d had with Mrs. Hunt. Really, truly live without regrets.

The desire to do that wrestled with the unexpected fear that had found her two nights ago at the lodge when there had been the gas leak. For some reason it was that incident that had gotten her attention, more than any other attempt the killer had made on her life. Maybe because it hadn’t just been her in danger. It had been innocent people.

“So what’s the plan?” Summer asked after taking a long sip of tea to steady herself. It seemed to work at least a little.

“We wait.” Clay’s face sobered.

“For him to come try...”

Clay shook his head. “No. It’s a safe house. There’s no sort of plan to use you for bait, Summer. We don’t anticipate this place being compromised at all. We’re just waiting for a break on the case.”

“How can anyone get that if he doesn’t try anything else?”

“They’re still working on the previous crime scenes. It’s not as fast as the movies make it seem—there are other crimes to investigate, other work that has to be done, and most of it is manual, done by actual people.”

Summer sighed. She didn’t like seeming high maintenance but it seemed like there had to be a way for things to go faster. Waiting had never been a strong suit of hers.

Noah walked back in then, the SAT phone in his hand.

“Any news?” She hated how eager her voice sounded.

He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m afraid we’re going to be up here for a while, so I’m going to go get some firewood.”

“I’m in favor of that. I’m not drinking coffee again tomorrow.”

“I’ll be back soon.” He looked at Clay. “Take care of my sister. I shouldn’t be more than an hour.”

And then Noah was gone again.

Summer looked over at Clay, feeling his eyes on her. “What?”

“You won’t have to drink coffee ever again if I can help it.” He smiled.

“I didn’t say thank you...for bringing the tea.” She blushed a little, suddenly self-conscious of the nice thing he’d done for her, and the fact that they were alone.

And that he knew her deepest, darkest secrets and still seemed to care...

“Summer, something you said when we were running near Six Mile Creek...”

Her body stiffened. She looked down, then felt Clay’s hand on her right shoulder. Felt a soft squeeze, brotherly almost.

But when she looked up at him and met his eyes. There was nothing brotherly in the gentle expression he was giving her.

“You are that kind of woman. You’re the kind who goes through hard things and comes out stronger. You still have your childhood faith, I can tell by the way you talk about what happened. If you didn’t believe in God, still have a relationship with Him even if it’s messed up right now, you wouldn’t care so much. You are stronger than you realize, and you can be more than you imagine. It’s up to you.”

He exhaled. “That’s all I wanted to say. I just didn’t get a chance the other day and it has bothered me ever since to think of you wandering around with such a low opinion of yourself. Seeing yourself that way.”

She laughed, but it was without humor. “I do see myself that way. Every single time I look in the mirror.”

“I’ll never see you that way.”

Their faces drew closer. Summer didn’t know who moved first. All she knew was that he was close enough now that she could see the stubble on his jaw, the roughness contrasting with the smoothness of his lips, which were close enough for hers to brush over.

Summer closed her eyes and let her lips find his. And let him convince her with his kiss.

SEVENTEEN

So the timing could have been better, since they were in a safe house and everything in Summer’s life was so uncertain. Clay still wanted to be careful, and he didn’t want it to seem like he was taking advantage of her vulnerability, even a little, but she’d kissed him first. He’d just finished it.

And then he’d pulled away, like the gentleman his mama had raised him to be.

“Clay...”

He smiled, brushed a hand along the edge of her jawline, so softly it felt like he’d barely touched it. “I care about you, Summer. A lot. Enough to tell you that I’m not going to complicate your life more than it is now by making promises or plans. But when this is over...”

She nodded. Smiled just enough that Clay had hope that, even though she wasn’t vocalizing it right now, maybe she felt the same way he did.

He stood and walked to one of