Targeted in the Desert, page 18
She waved them to sit.
“We wanted to tell you in person,” the social worker said. “The DNA tests came back.”
The air seemed to be charged with energy. Here was the answer to the technical question of sisterhood, but not the spiritual one. Her pulse slowed down. She and Gracie were family because God had made it so, not any piece of paper or blood test results. “All right. I’m ready.”
The social worker continued. “Felicia, you and Gracie are biological sisters.”
Felicia’s heart felt like bursting. Uncle Abe gripped her shoulder. “Sisters?” he asked.
At first, she did not understand his question. “Sisters...not half sisters?”
“Not half,” Carol confirmed.
Felicia let the information dance around in her mind. “So Luca was my father, too.” The social worker nodded. “Keira and Luca had a relationship as young teens, which produced you. From what we can tell, they broke up for a while but got back together. DNA doesn’t lie. You and Gracie are sisters.”
Luca and Keira, her father and mother. The realization was twined with love and loss for the people she would never know this side of eternity. Keira had reached out to find her, the baby they’d given away. They’d gifted her a sister. Uncle Abe embraced her.
“Two treasures,” he said, his voice choked with tears. “Your mother will be over the moon.”
She felt Jude’s gaze on her. His eyes were sapphires, shining more intensely for the tears she saw gathered there. He smiled, telling her without words that this was how it was meant to be, and he was glad for her.
For all the happiness, there was pain when she considered what she could have had with Jude if things had been different. She’d pushed him more than she had a right to, hurt him probably. But why, oh why, did her heart always drift back to him, this man for whom she could not stop yearning?
It doesn’t matter what you feel, Felicia. He doesn’t want you—not enough, anyway.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she looked away. Hugging and kissing her uncle, she thanked the social worker. “I’ll tell Gracie when the moment is right. For now, I want her to just enjoy the day.”
“Absolutely. You have my number. Call me if you need anything.” Carol left.
Felicia expected Jude to leave, too, but he got up and paced a few steps, eyes on Gracie.
She wasn’t sure why he lingered, and she didn’t know how to ask.
Finally she got up, too. “I guess I’ll take Gracie to the pool. The doctor says she can swim now. I’ll...I’ll see you around, Jude.”
“I’ve never been scared as a sheriff,” he said abruptly, gaze on Gracie. “Did you know that?”
Felicia had no idea how to answer.
He continued. “Sure, I’ve had some moments of worry, maybe even a fright now and again, but I never thought of myself as scared, until you accused me of it.”
Accused, such a bitter word. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. It stung like salt on a stab wound, but it took that level of pain to get my attention.” He still didn’t look at her. “You were right. I’m sorry I hid behind excuses about our ages or whatever baloney I came up with to break up with you. The real reason was fear, like you said. I was afraid of turning into my father.”
She wished she could make him understand. Tentatively she touched his arm. “But you aren’t like him.”
He faced her. “I am, in many ways, but not in the way that matters between us. I see that now. God made me who I am. I’m Jude Duke, not Ron Duke’s legacy.”
Wonder filled her soul. “I’m so, so glad for you, Jude.”
He took her hand and kissed the knuckles. “I’ve been wrestling with a question, though. Maybe you can help me with it.”
“If I can, I will.” She saw his chest expand with a deep breath before he spoke again.
“What do you do with a woman who makes you better?” He held her loosely around the wrists. “Who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth because she wants the most for you? And is courageous enough to risk being hurt in order to speak the truth? What do you do with a woman like that?”
She stared at him, at their joined hands, confused. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“What do you do with a woman like Felicia Tennison?” he said softly, his eyes pulling her in with their intensity. She was still mute, struggling to decipher his question.
He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her again. “Never mind. I already know the answer. You ask her to marry you without wasting one more moment.”
Did he actually say what she thought she’d heard? Before she could ask, he dropped to one knee, still holding her hand, and took off his baseball hat, setting it on the picnic bench seat.
“Felicia Tennison, you are the best thing that God ever sent into my world. You smooth out my rough edges. You show me what it means to be a selfless, courageous person. You manage your faith and your failures with more grace than I have ever thought possible. I still think you deserve someone younger, sweeter and way more tactful, but I am humbly asking if you will do me the profound honor of becoming my wife.”
She stared, blinking hard to be sure she wasn’t dreaming it. “Jude...”
“I love you, honey. I love you so much it hurts. When you aren’t with me, I’m not a whole man. I need you, I adore you and I’ll spend every moment trying to be worthy of you.”
Tears crowded her eyes, and the words caught in her throat. She couldn’t answer, but he tugged at her hand insistently.
“I’m not normally a patient man, Felicia, but if you need time...”
“No.”
He drew in a breath, and pain flickered across his features. “No...?”
“No, I don’t need time,” she hurried to say, not wanting to distress him even for a moment. “I love you, Jude. I’ve loved you since the first day you came to see me in the hospital. I love you for every smile and every kindness you’ve shown me. Everyone sees you as a big tough cop, but I know the real you.”
He closed his eyes and got to his feet, reaching to hug her, but she stopped him. “But as to the question of marriage...”
He stopped again, stunned.
“It’s not just me anymore. I’ve got a sister to raise and, basically, to mother. You won’t be marrying a single woman. You’ll be marrying into a family.”
Now she was the one holding her breath.
He cast a glance at Gracie, who looked over and grinned, waving the grooming brush. “You know she thinks my name is Judy,” he said.
Felicia laughed. “Kids are funny sometimes.”
“Like their big sisters.” A smile tugged his mouth. “The way I see it, I’ve wasted a lot of time over the years. It makes sense to cut right to the good stuff and start with a ready-made family.”
The tension inside her evaporated into a cloud of happiness.
A crunch snagged their attention. Stretch was busily destroying Jude’s baseball cap.
“Stretch.” Jude rolled his eyes. “That’s the second hat you’ve ruined.”
Felicia giggled. “So, um, you’d be getting a woman, her sister and a kind of unruly dog.”
“More like a hat-gobbling moose.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for that, Sheriff?”
“Absolutely one-hundred-percent sure.” He took her in his arms and pulled her close. “I love you. I love Gracie. I even love that monstrous dog. Marry me and I’ll do my best to be a good father, uncle or whatever it is Gracie needs me to be. What do you say, Auntie Fee?”
Her heart went lighter than air, and goose bumps chased one another down her arms. Jude, her darling Jude, would be hers forever. They would be a family, with all the joys and challenges that entailed. He was gazing at her, waiting.
“Yes, Jude. I love you, and I want to be your wife.”
He laughed, kissing her and pressing her close. “Wait until I tell my sister the good news. She’ll say it’s about time, and for once, she’ll be right.”
“I thought Dukes were always right.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course they are. I forgot.” And then he kissed her again, and together they turned to wave at Gracie...a new beginning for all of them.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story, please look for these other books by Dana Mentink:
Death Valley Double Cross
Death Valley Hideout
Undercover Assignment
Christmas Crime Cover-Up
Keep reading for an excerpt from Yosemite Firestorm by Tanya Stowe.
Dear Reader,
I can’t believe this six-book Desert Justice series is finished. I am content that Jude has finally earned his own happy ending, but I will miss the Duke couples, Beckett and Laney, Levi and Mara, Austin and Pilar, Willow and Tony, Nora and Seth, and now, at long last, Jude and Felicia. It has been a wonderful ride underneath those star-studded skies and across the vast, pristine landscape of Death Valley. I sincerely thank you for coming on this journey with me. Every sweet Facebook message, email and handwritten letter of encouragement has blessed me. I hope these stories of struggle and striving have blessed you, too.
Thank you so much for reading my books. If you’d ever like to reach out, you can contact me via my website at danamentink.com. There’s a button there to sign up for my monthly newsletter, which is filled with fun and freebies. God bless you, reader!
Dana Mentink
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Yosemite Firestorm
by Tanya Stowe
ONE
Olivia Chatham pulled her ranger Jeep into the parking lot of the hiking trail near Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows and groaned. Another vehicle was parked in the lot’s corner. It was late in the day. She’d hoped that when she finally finished her workday, all the visitors would be gone from this slightly remote trail.
Apparently that’s not going to happen.
Shaking her head, Livy grabbed her baseball cap, backpack and a bottle of water and opened the Jeep door. One visitor would not spoil her hike. She wouldn’t let them. Not when she’d been waiting all day for the chance to unwind.
This was just her second day in the meadows, but every day had been loaded with stress as she transitioned to a new location—filling in for her best friend, Jenna Holguin, who was on maternity leave.
Jenna’s and Livy’s fathers were good friends. The two girls grew up climbing together. When Livy’s mother began her downward spiral, climbing was Livy’s escape and Jenna stood beside her through it all. There was nothing Livy wouldn’t do for Jenna, so when she heard that the ranger set to take Jenna’s place during maternity leave had the flu, Livy jumped in and volunteered to spend the week up here until the other ranger was back on her feet. The last few weeks of Jenna’s pregnancy had been rough, and Livy was glad to take this worry off her friend’s mind so Jenna could concentrate on the baby that was due any minute.
That said, though, Livy couldn’t wait to get back to her duties in Yosemite Valley, fifty miles away. Not that her duties there were any easier. The crowds were larger and her duties more complicated. It was just that every year during October, climbers from around the world flocked to Yosemite for events.
The park’s nine granite peaks, like El Capitan and Half Dome, distinguished it from other national parks. They crisscrossed the park making Yosemite the destination choice of many climbers all year long. But Yosemite Valley with its amazing views, steep cliffs and accessibility was the perfect place for this major October event...and the perfect home base for Livy. Climbing month started in a little over a week and she couldn’t wait to get back and jump in to the festivities.
Livy took a deep breath and cast her eye over the distance. Black clouds of smoke darkened the horizon—far away for now, but fires could spread quickly. According to the latest reports, this one shouldn’t be an issue for them...but Livy and the other rangers at Toulumne Meadows were on alert, just in case they needed to evacuate the visitors in the campgrounds.
But for right now, the air was clear, and Livy was headed for the trail. She fitted her cap better on her head and hitched the backpack over one shoulder.
As she passed, her gaze automatically glanced over the license plate of the other vehicle. She paused when she recognized the rented car. The driver, Mr. Miller, had been involved in an altercation with a store employee a few days before Livy left the valley. She had been the ranger on duty and was called to mediate the situation. She broke up the argument between Mr. Miller and the store employee. Her report about the disagreement resulted in the store’s firing of the contract employee. She felt bad, but it wasn’t the first run-in she’d had with Dennis Ludlow. They had history.
She closed her eyes just thinking about Dennis and their uncomfortable scenes. He wasn’t a bad-looking man, with a heart-shaped faced, a strong jaw and straight nose. He always appeared neat and clean with his brown hair swept to the side. But there was something about him, something sneaky. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she always felt he was thinking something he was not saying. He was an intense, unpopular employee with the other workers and rangers. He’d had trouble fitting in. Livy had felt sorry for him and tried to befriend him. Dennis mistook her friendship for something more and began trailing her around the park, showing up at all her work events. She even caught him parked outside her small cabin at the ranger headquarters.
She’d confronted the issue head-on by talking to Dennis and putting an end to their friendship. But of course, Dennis took it badly and avoided her. The fact that her report about the confrontation with Mr. Miller resulted in his termination only added salt to Dennis’s wounded ego. As he loaded his possessions into his car, she made an effort to ease the trouble between them with some kind words. But he didn’t appreciate her efforts and drove away from the park with one last sullen, angry glance.
Livy sighed. As a ranger, she constantly dealt with visitors who were having bad days. Add to that the challenges of managing almost 750,000 acres of national parkland, wild animals and natural disasters, and confrontations like the one she had with Dennis didn’t make her job any easier. But the benefits were the spectacular views from mountaintops and cliffs that challenged her.
Today she was going to focus on the view at the top of this trail and not the past. She took one last look at the car before heading toward the trailhead.
The sun was bright and warm, even here at this higher elevation. Livy hadn’t gone far before she felt the heat, and she let herself enjoy it while it lasted. In another hour or so, the sun would dip behind the distant peaks and the air would grow cold quickly. Drastic changes—in temperature or other weather conditions—were part of the life here at Yosemite. She never left home without her backpack full of all-weather accommodations.
Moving quickly, she hurried up the trail. After a long while, she smelled something.
Smoke.
Not the distant traces of fire she’d seen off on the horizon but something burning close by. Had a new blaze started?
Always in tune with the threat of fire, she spun around, searching the skies. Sure enough, smoke now filled the sky behind her near the parking lot. Running, she made her way up to a switchback where she could look down the mountain to the base of the trail. Fire had consumed the brush along one corner of the parking lot and was even now licking the side of Mr. Miller’s car. How had it grown so large, so fast?
The answer to that didn’t matter. What was important was the fact that it was climbing the trail. The way down the mountain was completely blocked. One large pine tree burst into flames and exploded, shooting fire and debris into the sky like a rocket. The booming sound made Livy flinch and step back. Flames raced up both sides of the clearly marked trail, licking the edges like a hungry monster.
How was she going to get off the mountain? Panic swept over her for one long moment, and she gasped for breath. Catching herself, she recited her favorite Bible verse out loud.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”
Her breathing eased. Her mind stopped racing. She took several deep gulps of air and calm flowed through her. She had to report this. Because the danger of fire was so intense, she always carried her radio, even when she was off the clock. She clicked on and reached the main switchboard.
“This is Ranger Chatham in Tuolumne Meadows reporting a fire.”
When the operator finally responded, Livy gave her the coordinates and as many details as she could.
“This trail ends on a steep cliff. There’s no easy way down for us except for the way we came up, but now it’s blocked.”
“We? Is there someone else on the trail?”
“I believe there’s at least one other person. There’s a second car besides mine in the parking lot. A small SUV. I think it belongs to a visitor named Miller. I’ve spoken to him a couple of times. He’s travelling alone. He’s an experienced hiker but doesn’t climb. I can make my way down the cliff at the top of the trail, but I don’t think he can. I’m sure he’s aware of the fire. No one on this trail could miss it. But he hasn’t returned. You’d better send the search and rescue squad and emergency services, too. I’m going to attempt to find Mr. Miller and bring him across the ravine access we use to repair the trail...unless he’s already started climbing down the backside.”
Livy’s heart skipped a little beat as she said the words. She didn’t want to think about an inexperienced climber going down that cliff.
