Rachel's Rescuer

With a quick look over her shoulder to make sure he had gone, she let the moan slide through her lips. She needed a swift kick in the rear, that’s what she needed.

You need a man, a voice whispered in her mind.

“That’s not likely,” she answered out loud.

“Who are you talking to, Mom?” Cody asked from above her.

Rachel looked up and forced a smile to her lips. Hoping her shaking knees would carry her, she climbed the stairs. “Just myself. I’m a great conversationalist. What are you and Harley doing up there?”

At the top of the stairs, Cody grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway to the room they’d shared the night before. “I was showing him how good I can read. He gave me some books.”

“That’s nice of him,” she replied, shaking the mental image of Lucas from her mind.

“You’ve got a smart boy there,” Harley said, when she stepped into the room. “I thought Cody might like to look at these. I’ve been storin’ stuff here since Lucas and I were teenagers.” He knelt beside a box on the floor, opened it, and pulled out a stout pile of children’s books. “Some of these belong to Lucas, but he won’t mind.”

“He might,” Rachel muttered.

Harley looked up at her, his eyes troubled, before turning back to Cody. “Why don’t we sit in that big chair over there? I bet you can’t read three of them to me in the next thirty minutes.”

“Bet I can,” Cody challenged, scrambling into the chair with an armload of books and making room for the big man.

“Lucas wants to see you down in the living room,” Harley told her, then settled next to her son.

Rachel held her breath, knowing the questions were going to start. It would be difficult, without giving too much away, but she’d have to answer.

Cody dragged his attention from the open book in his hands and looked up. “Where’s the living room?”

“Bottom of the stairs and turn right,” Harley answered.

Obviously enthralled with his bounty, Cody snuggled in deeper and began reading. It brought a smile to Rachel’s lips, but it didn’t last long.

Remembering the directions, she left the room and took the stairs slowly, gathering her courage. At the bottom, she turned right and entered the living room. After a quick glance around, she took a deep breath and faced Lucas. “Did you want to talk to me about something?”

“I have some questions,” he said without looking at her.

She knew her best defense was to play dumb. “About what?”

“There’s a lot of boxes in your trunk. It looks like you and Cody are on more than a vacation.”

“I have some things to take to Jenny,” she fibbed.

His gaze swiveled to hers and held her. “You’re planning to stay there for a while?”

“I’m not sure how long we’ll be there,” she offered. “Jenny and I haven’t seen each other for years.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“Not—not recently, but yes, we’ve talked.”

“From Cincinnati?”

She swallowed the fear that rose in her throat. She never should have told him that. She and Cody had lived there for a short while, but only long enough to prove residency and get an Ohio license and her car tagged. Edward and Phyllis weren’t far behind them there, and they’d left as soon as they had enough money. Jenny didn’t have a clue they’d ever been there.

“Yes, from Cincinnati.”

“So if Jenny or Pete should call, and I tell them that her friend from Cincinnati is here, they’ll know who I’m talking about?”

Her pounding heart plummeted to a thud in her stomach. “No,” she whispered.

“I didn’t think so,” he said, his voice low. “Maybe you’d better sit down.”

Other than escaping, nothing sounded quite so good. Knees shaking, Rachel sank onto the nearest chair. Lucas sat on the chair across from her and waited.

“Mr. Callahan,” she began, attempting to still her spinning thoughts, “I’m not doing anything wrong, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Nobody said you were.”

Nodding, she absorbed the sliver of good news. “But you suspect I might be.”

“I’m concerned, is all.”

She choked back her laugh. Concerned? She’d been telling a few white lies, but this was a whopper. “There’s no need for you to be concerned,” she assured him. “We’ll be out of your house as soon as possible. We wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for the snowstorm.”

“That’s what worries me.”

She got to her feet. “It’s not your job to worry about us.” Giving it a second thought, she said the only thing she could. “I don’t want you involved in this. The less you know, the better off we’ll all be.”

“And Jen will be safe?” He shook his head. “Doesn’t make sense.”

Searching her mind for something to dissuade him from asking more, she paced the room.

“Come on, Rachel, or whatever your name is.” He frowned, then cocked one black eyebrow at her. “What is your name, anyway?”

“Rachel Stevens.”

“Try again.”

She shook her head. “My name is Rachel.”

Shoving out of the chair, he nodded. He walked across the room to her and stopped in front of her. “I’ll have to take you at your word. But you need to remember one thing. I’m not much for lies. Or secrets.”

When he’d gone, leaving her alone and shaking, she sank back onto the chair. It had been as bad as she’d expected. No, it had been worse. He’d been so close, she had felt the heat radiating from his body, seen his chest rise and fall, with each breath he took. Like the earlier episode on the stairs, she had nearly lost control of herself.

But she hadn’t. She couldn’t. For some reason she couldn’t identify, Lucas Callahan did things to her by simply walking into a room, that no man ever had. It was wrong. She was nothing more than an accidental guest, and her visit would only be for a few days. She wasn’t the type of woman who could have a brief fling, and he wasn’t the type of man who would want anything more. If he even wanted that. He’d given no indication that he did.

She couldn’t blame him for asking questions, but she couldn’t give him any more information. It wasn’t just for her sake and Cody’s. Lucas would be much better off not knowing.

His parting words drifted back to her, and she knew this wouldn’t be the last time he would question her. She could only pray that she and Cody could leave within a day or two. She didn’t like to lie, but her secret must be kept.