Finding a Hero, page 22
She rubbed her forehead, a headache blooming behind her eyes. She hated to look at the others, knowing the questions and censure she might see in their eyes. “You’re wondering how people can become so cowed in a modern world.”
“Please don’t think that, Shiloh,” Colt said.
She lifted her gaze and looked at the large, dark-haired man with a strong jaw and intense expression. “I grew up in this area and remember a man coming through during a tent revival. My grandma took me, and it wasn’t just that he was a hellfire preacher, but he had folks convinced that if they didn’t pray a certain way or act a certain way, they weren’t doing God’s work. I was lucky. When I got home, I was scared silly, but my grandma was mad. She didn’t believe him and didn’t mind saying it. But I remember for at least a year after that, she was questioned by a lot of her old friends who didn’t think she was following God in the right way.”
Shiloh nodded slowly, more grateful for Colt’s words than she knew how to express. “Grief isn’t something we just get used to. It’s not something we move through and then pop out on the other side and say, ‘look, I did it.’ After losing my parents, my sister and her husband, and then Edward, I was so beat down. The only reason I got out of bed each morning was because I had Rachel. We leaned on each other. It was simply easier not to make waves even though I clung to everything Edward and I had discussed.”
“How did you get away from that?” Wyatt asked. She cast her gaze to the other side of Joseph and looked at the man who so resembled his brother. “Before Edward died, the farm had become too much for him to handle on his own, so he had a man outside our community working it. Edward had made arrangements in case something happened, but he told me all about them. Isaiah wasn’t happy because he thought I was getting rent money. But I told him that Edward and Mr. Kendall had an arrangement that would last for a year during my mourning. It bought me a year to figure out what to do. One day, Mr. Kendall brought some magazines to me that his wife was finished with. One was on coastal towns on the Chesapeake, and there was an article about Baytown. There was a beautiful picture of the Sea Glass Inn, and I thought it was the most magical place in the world.”
Mitch smiled and nodded. “I remember when the magazine interviewed Tori for that article.”
“I wrote a letter and had Mr. Kendall post it for me. I just felt compelled to let her know that seeing the inn gave me hope during a dark time. We began corresponding, and she told me that if I ever wanted to come with Rachel to live here, she’d make sure I had work. From that moment on, I had a plan. You see, Mr. Kendall wasn’t renting the land. It had already been sold to him, and he was holding the money for me. Part of me was terrified of what I had to do. I wasn’t sure I was strong enough. I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to take Rachel away from the only place we’d ever known. But then, Isaiah made sure I had no choice.”
She felt Joseph tense next to her, knowing he was struggling with what she’d told him in her room. “This was the part that I kept from Rachel, but I needed to make sure she understood what was happening, so she was in the room when I told Joseph. You see, Isaiah told me that at the end of my year of mourning, he was coming for me. He wanted me because he wanted the land. When I told him that I wasn’t ready to take another husband, he told me that if I didn’t give in to him, he would take Rachel as his wife even though she was only fourteen—”
The room erupted around her in cursing and anger. She jumped, not surprised that the others were upset but surprised at how quickly they gave voice to their fury. Joseph held her hand, but she wasn’t sure who held on more tightly. She was so tired. The men mumbled their apologies, each leaning forward with their gaze pinned on her. From the expressions on their faces, she wasn’t sure how much more they could take before moving out as a vigilante group. She almost laughed at the idea of those men storming out to confront the threat she faced.
“I had things arranged but didn’t know when we would need to put them in place. Suddenly on that day, when Isaiah said he would take Rachel or simply marry me and have both of us and the land, I was ready. We waited until the middle of the night and took our money, what clothes we could carry with us, and anything of personal value. We hiked to the next county to Mr. Kendall’s house, where he and his wife were waiting. He and his wife had bought bus tickets, and we arranged for Tori to meet us at the bus station in Virginia Beach.”
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “From there, you know everything else. Rachel and I settled into Baytown, making this our home. We’ve worked to integrate into a lifestyle that was very different from what we came from, and it wasn’t always an easy transition. But Rachel is doing wonderfully in school, thanks in great part to Jack and Cindy and her teachers, who understand a little about her previous situation. I’m working, earning money, and taking care of our lives the best way that I know how, and that’s in great part to the wonderful people we’ve met here.”
“Shiloh,” Ryan said, drawing her attention to Joseph’s boss. “Your story has absolutely floored me, but there’s only one thing that keeps hitting my mind. You’ve got to be one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. So don’t ever beat yourself up for falling under the spell of someone unscrupulous. Because when push came to shove, you did everything you could to protect yourself and Rachel.”
“And that’s what makes you a hero,” Joseph said, his lips near her ear.
She turned, and their faces were so close she stared into his eyes. “I’ll do anything to protect Rachel. Even if I have to take her away and move again.”
“You are not going to have to do that, babe,” he said. “You are never going to have to run away again. I’m going to make sure of that. Every person in this room is going to make sure of that. Your days of taking care of everything, and being afraid, are over.”
27
Joseph had been sitting next to Shiloh, trying to offer quiet strength while she went through her story. He’d heard much of it when they’d started getting to know each other and then the rest right before he called in the others. Just today, he’d gone through fear, rage, incredulity, and then right back to rage. Now, listening to her go through the events she’d lived through, he was filled with admiration. He couldn’t imagine the life she’d experienced in the past six years before coming to Baytown. But he was awed with her strength of character.
Looking around the table, he wasn’t surprised at the expressions he saw on his friends’ faces. They mirrored his own. Jumping in, hoping to spare her more questions, he said, “Just so you know, I had her bring all the paperwork with her. I’ve looked at it, but it’s also here for you.”
She pulled a folder out of her bag and handed it to him. He removed each item and placed them on the table. “This is the deed to the land that had Edward and Shiloh Wallen’s name as owners. This is the bill of sale where Shiloh sold it to Mr. Kendall. Here are the receipts for what he paid for it upfront and then the rest just before she left. Mr. Kendall had the deed recorded, and she also has a copy of it here. Shiloh and Edward were Rachel’s legal guardians, and she has the paperwork from the court that states that. And here are the papers that Edward had written after he and his father talked that night.”
Leaning back, he wrapped his arm around Shiloh, giving the other law enforcement leaders a chance to look at the paperwork. Her body no longer felt tense, but he could feel waves of exhaustion pouring off her.
Mitch looked toward him and nodded before looking toward Shiloh. “You’ve got everything in order, Shiloh. You don’t need to be afraid from a legal standpoint about the land you sold or Rachel. But Joseph is right. You need to be very careful of Isaiah. Everyone here knows that desperate men can be very dangerous and unpredictable. But I’ll be damned if someone who lives in my town is going to be threatened. We need you to be vigilant while we investigate.” Turning toward Joseph, he said, “I have a feeling you’ve already started an informal investigation.”
Her head whipped around to the side, and he felt her gaze on him, but keeping his eyes forward, he nodded. “I’ll tell you everything I know.” He shifted slightly to face Shiloh, a grimace slipping across his face. “I don’t know much. But initially, I did a little research because I just wanted to understand more about where you came from.”
Hoping she wasn’t upset at his admission, she offered a little smile and squeezed his hand.
“As she said, Plineyville started out as a commune in the 1800s. Not that uncommon and not tied to any particular religious group. It was just like-minded people who wanted to share the burden of living and share the land. Eventually, the residents there decided to maintain the community feel while owning their own property. The land was bought, deeds were filed, and it simply became a bit of small-town America that never let in all the modern trappings. Of course, as Shiloh said, that was probably due more to the geographic isolation. I couldn’t find anything on Isaiah until about two years ago when a woman did a magazine article on some of the various communities in Pennsylvania. The gist of the article was not very flattering. She met Isaiah and considered him to be a pompous ass who ruled the community with an iron fist. But in her article, she figured if that’s how people wanted to live, that was their business.”
Shiloh heaved a sigh and shook her head. “It’s so hard for others to imagine how ripe we were for his edicts when grief threatened to swallow so many of us whole.”
Joseph pulled her in for a side hug and continued, “I would typically think that Isaiah’s more talk than anything else if it hadn’t been for the letter that came today. That shows me that he can’t deal with the fact that someone outsmarted him, or he has something to lose. I fear he knows you suspect that he had something to do with the accidents.” Looking back at her, he added, “The first thing we need to do is get you out of the inn. I want you and Rachel to move in with me.”
Shiloh’s mouth dropped open as her head gave a little shake. “What? You’re kidding!”
“Obviously, he knows where you work and live since that’s where the note was delivered. I don’t want you to stay there.”
“But, Joseph, I have to be there.”
“Actually, Shiloh, you don’t,” Mitch said. “Tori has had other help at the inn who didn’t live there. That’s not a requirement for the job.”
“But I still don’t understand why. We live on the third floor, Joseph. I’m very safe—”
“Come on, Shiloh. Sometimes the back door stays unlocked. And if they know you’re there, they can get to you. This time of year, you don’t have guests staying every night.”
“But Rachel?”
Colt spoke up. “I’ll talk to the school to make sure they know that no one is to get to Rachel other than you, Joseph, or me.”
“Me, too,” Wyatt, Mitch, and Ryan all said at the same time.
Joseph’s chest eased at the show of solidarity amongst the law enforcement friends in the room.
Colt continued, “She’ll be perfectly safe there during the school day, and we’ll make sure she knows she’s not to leave the grounds or be alone.”
Shiloh lifted her hand to her head and rubbed her forehead, and Joseph wanted to take away all her fear and pain. “Shiloh, I work a day shift unless there’s an emergency in the evening. We’ll take Rachel to school in the mornings, and then you can pick her up in the afternoons. I can make sure you get to the inn on the days you have guests to make breakfast early. You stay locked in for cleaning, and then I’ll be at the harbor. You’ll have all of us on speed dial. Then you, me, and Rachel will be at my place in the evenings. Hopefully, we’ll eliminate this threat before long.” What he didn’t say at this moment was that while the idea was for security, he was ready. He wanted Shiloh and Rachel in his life and couldn’t see any reason not to make this next step.
“Please, Shiloh. We all want to help you, but we need your cooperation, too.” Joseph knew he was pulling out the big guns and doing it in front of the others but didn’t care.
“I thought I had Isaiah figured out when I lived there, but I never dreamed he would do this.” She looked around the table. “What can you all do?”
“Colt and I will alert the deputies and my police officers about what’s going on and who we need to look for,” Mitch said. “I’m also going to call the detective in Pennsylvania who worked the accident case and talk to them.”
“As I said, I’ll talk to the high school to make sure Rachel is safe during the day,” Colt added.
Joseph spoke next. “I’m going to make sure Mark knows what’s happening in case Isaiah or one of the other men with him comes into the restaurant.”
Shiloh heaved another sigh and then nodded. Standing, she leaned across the table and offered her sweet smile and hand out to each of the other men. As a few of them started to leave, she asked to speak to Colt and Ryan, who both stayed back with Joseph and Wyatt. “I feel bad that Cindy and Jack are here with Rachel.” She winced, shaking her head. “That’s not really what I meant to say. I’m glad they’re here with her, but I don’t want them to be in danger. I’m just not sure how to—”
“Shiloh, I understand what you’re saying,” Ryan interrupted. “I don’t want my daughter in danger either, but the best thing you can do is have Rachel with other people. Isaiah is not likely to go after someone who’s surrounded by others. I’ll make sure that Cindy is aware and that the two girls are never off alone. My son, Trevor, will help with that.”
“Jack may be young, but he’s smart,” Colt said. “And I don’t suppose I have to tell you that he really likes Rachel. He’ll also know what’s going on, and I’ll make sure that they all move around in groups. She’ll be well protected.”
Colt and Ryan walked out of the room, and Joseph looked over his shoulder as Wyatt clapped him on the back. “I’m here for you, bro,” Wyatt said. He then walked over and pulled Shiloh in for a hug. “Whatever you need, Shiloh, we’re all here for you.”
Wyatt walked out, leaving just Joseph standing with her. He wrapped his arms around her, and they pressed together, her cheek resting against his heartbeat. “I know we need to get down the hall to Rachel, but I just want you to know how proud I am of you. I promise, babe, I’m going to do everything to keep you both safe.”
For a moment, he thought she was going to cry, and he tightened his embrace. She sucked in a breath that hitched several times, then let it out slowly. When she leaned back and held his gaze, he could see that she was calm and resolute. That’s my girl.
“Okay, Joseph. Let’s get Rachel and tell her we need to pack to go to your place.” She started to pull away, then stopped. “She’ll be glad. She doesn’t want to leave Baytown.”
“And you? Do you want to leave, Shiloh?”
She continued to hold his gaze and shook her head slowly. The storm clouds in her blue-gray eyes lifted ever so slightly. “No, I don’t want to leave Baytown. I don’t want to leave you.”
If his heart had wings, it would have taken flight. Instead, it simply pounded with the beat that made him smile.
28
Joseph turned onto his street and glanced into the rearview mirror, seeing Rachel’s pale face. Twisting his neck slightly, he caught a glimpse of the side of Shiloh’s equally pale face before she turned away to stare out the passenger window. She had wanted to protect Rachel, thinking it best if the final threat that Isaiah had made to Shiloh before they left Pennsylvania stayed secret. But he and the other LELs felt that Rachel was old enough to handle the information, and it would assist in heightening her awareness of the danger that might be around.
He shifted slightly, cracking his neck from side to side. Uncertain what to say, Rachel broke the silence.
“You don’t live too far from Cindy.”
“No, I don’t. Like the Coates, I back to one of the inlets, although my house is smaller.”
“Have you lived here long?” Rachel asked.
“No, I haven’t.” With one hand still on the steering wheel as he turned into his drive, the other hand reached behind and squeezed the back of his neck, willing the tension to ease. “I’m going to go ahead and apologize right now. It’s not completely furnished and isn’t nearly as nice as the inn.”
At that, Shiloh’s head whipped around, her ponytail bouncing over her shoulder. “Joseph, you don’t have to apologize for anything. We’re the ones who are crashing into your life. Believe me, anything is fine.”
As much as he hated the reason she broke her silence, he was still glad she had. He held her gaze for a few seconds, not happy to see the exhaustion in her eyes but pleased that he didn’t see condemnation.
“Are you having a party?” Rachel called out from the back seat.
He jerked his attention out the windshield, surprised at the cars parked near his house. The air rushed out, and he chuckled. “I recognize most of these vehicles. Looks like Wyatt put in a call to my parents and a few others.” When he left work that morning, it wasn’t as though he’d left his house in a state of disarray. It wasn’t a typical bachelor pad, but it was starkly furnished, and he wasn’t sure what food was in his refrigerator.
He pulled up and parked next to a new SUV that he recognized as Luke’s. A few weeks ago, he’d helped Luke move into Allie’s house along with his niece and nephew. Chuckling, he realized the favor was being returned. Rachel hopped out of the back seat to greet his nephews, who were running around with Luke’s kids. Looking toward Shiloh, he said, “Sweetheart, are you okay?” She was never very talkative, but the quiet trip from town had him worried.
