"I"ll be fine. The boys will watch my back." He cradled her cheeks in his hands. "You can do this, Sydney."
She dug deep inside and steeled herself, burying her terror and focusing on her daughter. "For Faith." With a deep breath, Sydney pulled herself together and stood up. "Who"s ready for cake?" Sydney asked with feigned excitement. Only Agnes looked at her funny, picking up on the tension in her voice. The rest of the room, especially the children, exploded with cheers. They hushed as the candles were lit to sing to Faith.
As the birthday girl attacked her cake, Sydney glanced out the window, looking for some sign of Wade. He"d been gone less than ten minutes, but until he was safe and sound in her living room, she couldn"t help but worry. Sam gave her a slight shake of his head to warn her away from the window as he casually took up his position beside the front door. At some point in the last few minutes he"d locked the deadbolts and thrown the chain, probably on Wade"s command. The guests were so engrossed in the party that they hadn"t noticed anything was out of the ordinary.
"Can we do presents now, Mommy?" Faith asked as she bounced up and down with chocolate cake smeared from one end of her face to the next. She"d come so far, this little girl who she"d had thrust into her arms and life six years ago today. Every moment with her had been a blessing. She offered a silent prayer to G.o.d asking for many more. Sydney gave her face a wipe with her napkin then agreed.
"You sit down on the floor." Away from the doors and windows, Sydney thought to herself. "I"ll bring the presents to you."
With Cara at her side, they took the gifts from the table and piled them all around Faith on the floor. Her friends crowded around, jockeying for the best position to see what was being opened. As she picked up each package, she"d lift it into the air and ask, "Who is this from?" ignoring the card that was attach to the gift.
Dolls, games, and everything pink you could find in a store was spread out on the floor by the time she was done. She was wearing the tiara Cara and Pete had bought her along with a whole wardrobe of dress up clothes. Agnes Whittman had gotten her a metal detector and tiny spy camera she refused to put down. Melissa had even managed to send a gorgeous mini Eiffel Tower from France. Sydney missed Melissa so much right now, but was glad to know she was safe and sound, thousands of miles away.
In front of Faith, there sat one last present. It was too big for her to lift up so she planted her hands on her hips and shouted. "Who got me this giant one?"
"I did." Wade"s voice came from behind Sydney, startling her.
She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and check every inch of him to make sure he was whole, but instead, she reached a hand behind her and felt Wade"s strong, warm hand grasp hers. Then she finally relaxed. He was back, and he was okay.
There wasn"t time for questions because Faith tore into the beautiful yellow wrapping without a second thought. As soon as she realized what it was, her excited squeals filled the room. "Mommy, it"s an easel, and paints, and paper, and crayons and brushes and a whole set of markers...and more tape!" Her voice got more excited with each thing she listed. She ran over to Wade and jumped up into his arms. "That is the best present ever." She placed a big, wet, kiss on his cheek and Sydney swore she saw him blush as Faith gushed on and on about how wonderful it was.
"Glad you like it," he said as he put her back down on the ground. "Now, go thank your guests for the presents and for coming to your party." When she was out of earshot, he pulled Sydney into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You holding up okay?" Sydney nodded her head against his chest, her throat thick with relief that he was back.
Cara and Pete were cleaning up the shredded wrapping paper while Luke tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his displeasure with seeing Sydney being held so intimately by Wade.
"Thanks for coming, Luke."
"I wouldn"t have missed it. Faith is a sweet kid." He looked back and forth between the two of them with a curious expression on his face. "What happened earlier? I saw Wade disappear outside and Sam and the boys rushing around? Anything I can do?"
Sydney felt Wade go very still beside her, a warning to not say too much. It was difficult enough thinking about Wade in danger because of her, but the last thing she needed was Luke running around half-c.o.c.ked and getting himself hurt. Wade surprised her when he asked Luke a question. "See anyone new in town lately?"
"Other than your ex-wife?" Luke retorted, closely watching Sydney"s reaction. "Where"d she go by the way? Rumor has it you had a bit of a run-in with her at the bar." Sydney kept her face calm but dug her fingers in Wade"s hand to release some of her displeasure.
"I have no idea," Wade said, his face calm but his body tense. "I"m just glad she"s gone."
"What did you do to her this time?"
Wade"s jaw clenched, as he reigned in his temper for Sydney"s sake. If they hadn"t been standing there, surrounded by children, she was pretty sure Wade would have punched him, and it seemed like Luke was looking for a fight. "I didn"t do anything. Just like I didn"t do anything to her all those years ago." He wrapped his arm around Sydney, holding onto her for support. "Interesting that she disappears the same night Sydney"s car was trashed, don"t you think? But you believe what you want. Tara"s a liar and a user. She used you back then, and then threw you to the side to see what she could get from me. When I wasn"t profitable enough for her, she left, but not before she dragged my name through the mud. Be happy you avoided her full wrath. I"m still paying for my mistake."
For the first time, Luke seemed to really be considering what Wade said. He had to know what happened between him and Tara, or didn"t happen, had nothing to do with Wade. For all they knew, Tara was on the run for the damage she did to Sydney"s car. Maybe he was finally starting to realize that.
"Now that we got that out of the way," Wade said as he rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken, he asked again, "I do need some help. Have you seen anyone new in the last couple of days? A person, truck, or car you haven"t seen before?"
Maybe it was the tone of his voice or the way he had laid all his cards on the table with Luke, but whatever the reason, Luke"s expression became very serious as he thought about the question. "There was a black sedan near the diner one day. Out of state plates, but there was no one but Elton folks inside eating."
"Do you remember what state?"
Luke shook his head. "I want to say California, but I could be mistaken. I a.s.sumed it was one of the feds with a rental. Why?"
Faith"s friends from school interrupted their hushed conversation, thanking Sydney for the wonderful party. Faith handed out the goody bags while parents gave a wave as the party started to wind to a close. When the house cleared of invited guests, those who were left were her dearest friends. Cara and Pete, along with Agnes, came to join the conversation, somehow picking up on the urgency between Luke and Wade.
Agnes looked back and forth between the two men. "Why are you asking about strangers, Wade? We got trouble?"
Sydney looked up at Wade, searching for what to do or say. He gave her an encouraging nod and the flood gates opened up.
"Someone from my past may be in town. At least I think he"s in town. There"s a lot I want to tell you, but I can"t because it could put all of you in danger. All I can say is he"s out there, and he"s after me...and Faith. He really wants her." She choked up and took a deep breath, leaning on Wade for strength. "So if something happens to me, you all have to promise me you will protect her. Don"t let him get her, and if he does, you have to find her and get her back. No matter what it takes. Please."
"Oh, my G.o.d, Syd." Pete opened his arms and Sydney flew into them needing a fatherly hug more than she could explain at that moment. "It"s gonna be fine, sweets. No one will hurt you or your baby girl."
"He dangerous, Wade?" Agnes asked, in her typical no-nonsense way of speaking. "If so, I"m taking Syd out to the shooting range tomorrow morning and getting her comfortable with a gun." When he didn"t say anything she raised an eyebrow at him. "Don"t give me that look, Wade Jenkins. She needs to be prepared."
"Who is this guy? And what can I do to help?" Luke asked, the first civil words Sydney heard him say to Wade. "Anything."
"I appreciate the offer," Sydney said, not wanting Wade to be the one to shoot Luke"s question down, "but I can"t tell you more than his name is Ronald. It"s a long story and there are some legal issues, if I shared any more..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to gauge their reaction. Not a single one of them blinked an eye.
"Wade? What can we do?" Luke asked again, unaffected by a thing Sydney had said.
"Keep your eyes open. Let me know if you see anything or anyone unusual. I"m especially interested in out of state vehicles. He"s nearby and he"s hiding, but he was also arrogant enough to call her in the middle of the party. He was close enough to see what Sydney was wearing. He"s getting too close for comfort, so I"d appreciate extra eyes out there." He looked directly at Agnes. "Call me if you see something in the area. Do not go after anyone on your own. If it is him, he"s going to be armed and dangerous. I don"t want a wild shootout in town. Understand, Agnes?"
Agnes smiled at Sydney. "Shoot one purse s.n.a.t.c.her in the b.u.t.tocks and this one will never let me live it down."
They all shared a laugh at Agnes" expense, and it was just enough to lighten the mood. They stayed a few more minutes then filed out, each having a word with Wade before leaving. When she saw him share a handshake with Luke, she couldn"t help but smile despite her fear.
She gathered up a couple plates with cake on them and tossed them into the trash. Faith busied herself with her gifts and dolls up in her room. Sydney could hear her chattering to herself as she played. The sound of the deadbolts locking on the front door was like music to her ears. They were all gone. She turned around and Wade stood in the doorway to the kitchen, his arms spread wide. Sydney fell into his arms and held on for dear life.
"Did I ruin the party?" she mumbled against his shirt.
"You did a great job. Faith had a wonderful time and no one knew you were upset."
She looked up into his green eyes for strength. "Did you find anything outside?" When he nodded, the bottom fell out of her stomach. "What?"
"Footprints under your dining room window and the kitchen windows. b.a.s.t.a.r.d hid in the bushes, that"s how he saw you. And it looks like he"s been there a few times. The prints matched the ones from around your car." When she started shaking, Wade held her tighter. "Sam"s spending the night camped outside in an unmarked car, watching the place. And I have Billy looking into a few things back at the station. You"re gonna be fine. I"ll put someone at school with Faith, too."
Not wanting to sound completely desperate, Sydney tried for a breezy tone, but her question, "Do you have to leave?" came out more hysterical than she intended.
He looked her in the eye and flashed a wicked smile. "You aren"t getting rid of me that easily. I thought we"d have a sleepover." Then, as if nothing happened, as if a psychotic lunatic hadn"t been crouched under her window an hour earlier, he started cleaning her house.
THE DOOR OF THE diner chimed and out of nervous habit, Sydney glanced over to see who walked in. When she saw the reverend and his wife, she swallowed her fear and gave them a polite smile, then got back to work.
Calm down, Sydney, you"re being paranoid.
How many times had she said that to herself today? From the moment she got to work, she"d had the distinct feeling she was being watched. She checked out all the windows as she waited on her tables and saw nothing unusual. She"d called Agnes five times to make sure that Faith was okay and there wasn"t anything suspicious going on by them. It was pathetic that she"d been reduced to an emotional basket case, but she always knew in the past when danger was close, and the way she felt, she was readying for a knife in the back.
Luke walked in and made a bee line for the counter. "Hey," he said as he sat down on the stool in front of her. "How you doing?"
"I"m great," Sydney said a little too fast as she poured his coffee, accidentally spilling the steaming liquid over the top.
"You"re a mess," Luke said with an understanding smile as he grabbed the towel from her hand and wiped up the spill. He looked around the diner. "Where"s your guard dog?"
"I thought you and Wade declared a cease fire of sorts," she said giving him a stern look.
"Who said anything about Wade? I was talking about Agnes."
"You"re terrible!" Sydney laughed, as she got him a new, and not overflowing, cup of coffee.
"Since you brought him up, does Wade have any leads on that car? I went down to the station and gave him a description of everything I could remember." Luke looked over the menu, trying to make light of his visit, but Sydney wasn"t fooled. She was touched that he would not only do that, but put his differences aside and work with Wade to help her. It was nice to see them being civil to one another.
"Thanks for doing that," she said as she tugged down on the menu he was half-hiding behind. "And I"m glad you and Wade are playing nice." The door opened again and she immediately checked to see who it was. Relief washed over her when she saw Hailey show up, on time for once, for her shift. She gave a wave then ran into the back to put her stuff away.
"You expecting trouble today?" Luke asked, following her gaze to the front door. "Or are you expecting lover boy any minute?"
"No. He"s working and I"m just being silly."
"Did you see someone?" He immediately took a closer look around the diner and out the window. All he saw were the usual folks from town. Nothing out of the ordinary, but still, she couldn"t relax.
"No. That"s the thing. There"s nothing going on, I"m just acting like a lunatic."
Luke immediately looked guilty. "Did he tell you about Tara?"
That got her attention. "No. What about her?"
With a slow exhale, Luke set down the menu. "I talked to her this morning. More like she called me around four A.M., drunk." Sydney didn"t say a word but her eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. "Yeah. Basically she admitted to smashing your windows and slashing your tires. After that run in she had with you at Murray"s, she saw your car parked at the diner and decided to take a few whacks at it."
"Cla.s.sy."
Luke laughed. "Now that"s the one thing I don"t think that woman"s ever been called."
"Well, at least we know the truth about my car." It should have relieved some of her anxiety to know it was Tara and not Ronald who smashed her car, but it didn"t. Maybe she was the one responsible for the phone calls too. And if that was the case, what about the footprints by her car and outside her window? Was it Ronald following her around, or was it all Tara? She voiced her thoughts to Luke and he shook his head.
"Wade doesn"t think it was all Tara. She might have done the damage, but he still thinks Ronald was there, surveying the situation and lying in wait for you to come back to the car."
"Great," Sydney growled, her fears renewed.
"I"ll pay for the damages to your car," Luke offered.
"You"ll do no such thing."
His face fell. "Are you going to press charges against her?"
"No. I want nothing to do with her. I already have one psycho after me, I really don"t need another." Luke didn"t so much as crack a smile at her little joke, because it was true. And not funny. "If I did, it would only give her another reason to come back into Wade"s life, and yours. I think it"s best to let her stay away."
Luke nodded. "I"ll pay her parents a visit and let them know how generous you"re being in not pursuing this legally. Hopefully they can encourage her to finally leave us all alone."
"I honestly have no idea what you and Wade saw in her."
He paused as if to think of a way to explain it to her. Finally he shrugged. "If she was happy, she"d make you happy. She knew how to have a good time. But if the smallest thing didn"t go her way, she"d make everyone within a five mile radius miserable. She was spoiled rotten by her parents and she expected men to do the same."
It was impossible for Sydney to imagine either one of those men putting up with Tara"s brand of crazy for as long as they had. Luke seemed to be taking her off the pedestal and was seeing her for more of who she was, not who he wanted her to be. "She sounds charming."
"She was exciting, annoying, aggravating and fun all rolled into one tiny person. The problem was, I only paid attention to the fun, and overlooked the rest of it. For a while."
"And now?" It was none of her business, but she needed to know where Luke stood on Tara, if there was any hope of he and Wade moving past this anger they shared for one another.
"Now I know she"s not who I made her out to be in my head. And since I"m making life altering realizations I have one more to lay on you." He leaned across the counter and whispered, "Wade isn"t really all that bad. But if you ever repeat that, I"ll deny it until the day I die."
"You"re a nice guy, Luke Rollins. You deserve to find a girl who will treat you right."
"Since you turned me down, by any chance do you have a sister?" he asked hopefully, causing Sydney to smack him in the shoulder and laugh.
"You"re incorrigible."
With a big toothy smile, he put his hand over his heart. "Guilty as charged." It was in that moment that she knew Luke and Wade would be all right. They would get past this thing with Tara and find a way to be, if not friends, then polite acquaintances. The animosity was gone and Luke looked like he felt twenty pounds lighter for it. It was the first thing that had made her feel hopeful about the future days.
She treated Luke to lunch and sent him on his way, well-fed and with a smile on his face. She really did hope he"d find someone special. He deserved to be happy.
When Luke left, things slowed at the diner and she had more time to herself to think, and the fact that she still hadn"t seen Wade all day wasn"t helping. He was her anchor, the one getting her through the endless days while they waited for Ronald to make his next move. Today, however, Sydney had been left to wallow in her fears and already with hang ups for the day she was convinced it was Ronald taunting her at work. Or maybe it was still Tara.
"Hey, Sydney?" Billy, one of Wade"s deputies and her current babysitter waved her down.
"What"s up? You want more coffee?"
"No, I just got a call about a tractor trailer accident a few miles away. They need some backup so I have to run."
Sydney waved her hand to send him on his way. "Go then. I"ll be fine."
He tossed a few bills onto the table to settle his check. "You sure? Wade knows I"m leaving so I expect he"ll be over here soon."
"I"m a big girl, Billy. I can take care of myself." She hoped he didn"t hear the way her voice wavered. He headed out, and Sydney went back to busying herself with cleaning.
Cara accidentally dropped a plate and Sydney nearly jumped on the counter.
"Syd, why don"t you head home? You"re a mess today. I"ll cover for you." Sydney was already stripping off her ap.r.o.n before Cara had finished talking. "I"ll call Wade and let him know you"re leaving."
Wade had warned her this morning he"d be tied up most of the day. The federal agents were back and had hinted they had found evidence, something new about Samantha"s murder, but there were still no clear leads on Angie"s murder. That ate at Wade, night and day. While their fancy lab in St. Louis ran countless tests, all they could do in Elton was wait.
Sydney looked around the diner, which was empty except for a lone customer who was getting ready to pay. All in all, it was a slow night. If she left a little early, Cara and Pete wouldn"t be swamped with work. As a matter of fact, they might close up early for a change. Feeling less guilty, Sydney hastily made her exit.
"Thanks, Cara." She placed a peck to the woman"s cheek. "I don"t know what"s wrong with me tonight." She quickly said her goodbyes to Pete then gathered up her purse. "I"ll see you guys in the morning."
"Wait for Pete. He"ll walk you out."
"Bye, Cara," Sydney called over her shoulder without stopping. She needed to feel comfortable in her own skin again. If she couldn"t walk to her car-an ugly rental the insurance company had dropped off-by herself she was going to be useless to Faith if trouble did come knocking. She needed to suck it up and take care of herself for a while.
It was dark outside when Sydney stepped out the back door, the late fall sun setting much earlier now that it had even a few days before. The air was crisp and she could smell the slightest hint of snow in the breeze. All the sounds of night serenaded her on the way to the car, the rustle of the dried up field gra.s.ses blew in the wind as she crossed the parking lot.
A parking lot where a dead woman was dumped. The thought slipped into her mind before she could stop it, sending a shiver down her spine.
Sydney paused as if the night air would bring encouragement and tell her everything would be fine, but the silence she was met with only saddened her more.