Light the Dark: A Carolina Moon Christmas Novella Read online

She nibbled on her bottom lip, listening to his car disappear down the gravel lane.

  She’d be foolish to stay. Raul and his friends had strong connections that stretched deeper than Hope had imagined. His reach could even extend to this very town. If Raul found her, he’d take the information she had—the evidence—and then he’d kill her to keep her silent. He wouldn’t give a second thought to the life of her baby. His best friend’s baby.

  How long would she be safe here? She had no idea. A day? Two days? Not that long if Luke informed the local cops about her presence.

  At once, she stood, her sock-clad feet hitting the cool wooden floor. Her legs wobbled beneath her, and she knew she needed to rest. She’d had a tough pregnancy. The first trimester, she’d been unable to keep anything down and had lost twenty pounds. Most people would say she didn’t have twenty pounds to lose.

  She thought she was managing okay, but now she wasn’t so sure. Hope could hardly get a breath, her back ached, and her ankles were still swollen. Driving all day yesterday hadn’t done her any favors.

  What was the best thing to do for Jace?

  She rubbed her belly as she stared out the front window. Rows of dry, withered crops stared back. Was that what her future looked like? Bleak and lifeless?

  No, she couldn’t believe that. Her future had a lot of hope left. Not all was lost.

  The best thing would be to leave, she realized. She couldn’t take any chances. She couldn’t afford to trust anyone or let a Good Samaritan get pulled into this mess.

  She put on her shoes, found her purse in the kitchen, and snatched her keys from its depths. Promising herself she’d somehow repay Luke, she grabbed a couple more cans of fruit and the can opener, as well as a fork. She shoved them in her oversized bag and started toward the door.

  With her hand resting on the knob, she paused and looked back one more time. For just a little while, she’d felt so safe here. Her heart had longed for more. Had longed to make this place a home again instead of a memorial to something unknown to her.

  The fire still blazed, but she knew that Luke would be back soon. He would put it out. It would take too long for her to do so. Time was something she didn’t have the luxury of experiencing.

  With unexplained sorrow pressing on her chest, she stepped outside. A frigid wind swept across the backyard. She looked at the clouds in the distance and wondered if there would be snow. It was unusual for this part of the country, but it did happen sometimes. It was certainly cold enough for it. Either way, the roads could quickly become treacherous. She’d need to be careful.

  She climbed into her car and cranked the engine. Cold air blew through the vents, and she quickly flipped the fan knob to OFF.

  Her gaze went to her gas gauge. The needle was almost on empty. Hopefully, she could make it to town and fill up. It would help if she knew just how far away the town was, but she had no idea. Luke had said it would take an hour to get there and back, so thirty minutes seemed safe.

  With trembling hands, she started down the gravel lane leading to the main road.

  Luke had been gone about twenty minutes. If she planned this carefully, she should be able to avoid passing him on the road.

  She hoped.

  “What Child Is This?” began crooning over the stereo. Her heart lurched at the sound of it. She’d grown up in church. She knew the Christmas story. And she’d never imagined that she would be able to relate to it so well. Pregnant. Traveling. No place to go. And she couldn’t forget one other fact: it had all started because of the government. Raul worked for the government.

  What are you trying to tell me, Lord?

  She wished she could truly pray, but she hadn’t been able to do that since Clint died. Her prayers had gone unanswered for so long that she’d realized talking to God was useless. It only gave her false hope. It placated her. At least, it had for a while.

  She turned onto the state highway and breathed a little easier. Today she could see where she was, unlike last night when everything had been dark. Woods lined one side of the country road and fields of crops the other. The sight stretched on for miles and miles. Occasionally she saw a house in the distance. But she really was in the middle of nowhere, wasn’t she?

  Any moment now, she expected to emerge from this never-ending sea of farmland and find a little town. But the road continued on and on.

  A flutter of nerves swept through her when she glanced at the gas gauge again. She might not make it to town, she realized. That possibility was real and frightening.

  As if on cue with her thoughts, her car suddenly sputtered and jerked.

  No, no, no!

  But her internal urging did nothing to halt her car from rumbling to a stop. She pulled onto a narrow stretch of grass between the road and a large ditch before the vehicle died completely.

  She shivered as bleak futility tried once again to consume her.

  What was she going to do now? Had her luck finally run out, just like her tank of gas?

  The scent of the food on the seat beside Luke wafted upward, the tangy Eastern North Carolina barbecue tantalizing his senses. He hadn’t realized he was so hungry. He almost got a sandwich for him to eat on the drive back, but he’d decided to wait and eat with Hope. He hadn’t been able to resist purchasing two peppermint milkshakes as well. Marissa had always said that milkshakes made everything better. Maybe Hope would think so too.

  A smile brushed his lips at the thought of his deceased wife. This had been her favorite time of year. Maybe that’s why he’d been determined to work even harder during this holiday season. He needed to do whatever he could to distract himself from the pain of what could have been.

  He pushed those thoughts aside in order to focus on the bigger task in front of him. Hope.

  Maybe sharing a meal would break down her guard some and she’d allow Luke to help her get away from whatever bad situation she was entangled with.

  He couldn’t get the haunted look in her eyes out of his mind.

  His grip on the steering wheel tightened with every thought of her. What could have happened to Hope? What kind of trouble was she in? Had she committed a crime? Was she on the run from the law? Was that why she didn’t want him to call the police?

  He wanted to be a man of his word, but he also wanted to be wise. That was the only reason he was considering whether or not he should confide in his friend, Police Chief Joshua Haven.

  Luke had volleyed the thought back and forth. He knew that Hope didn’t want him to. But what if she was really in trouble? If that was the case, the police needed to know. Besides, his friend was chief of police, and he was a good man. He would know exactly how to handle this situation.

  No, he’d given his word. He wouldn’t call the police. Not yet, at least.

  But when he got back, he would try to convince Hope to go to the hospital to be checked out. He could keep an eye on her, but her heart needed to be monitored, as well as her blood pressure, and also that of the baby.

  His gaze shifted to the road farther ahead. A car was pulled to the side. He was too far away to know for sure, but it almost looked like Hope’s vehicle.

  Had she left? Had something happened to her when she did? Had the trouble she fled from caught up with her?

  He lifted up a prayer. Lord, help keep her safe. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know if she’s innocent or guilty. But I know it was no coincidence that she wandered to my house. Give me wisdom how to best handle this situation.

  His heart continued to thump thump in his chest as he got closer to the car. He had no idea what he might find when he reached it.

  As he drew near the stranded vehicle, Luke knew unmistakably that it was Hope’s car.

  He stopped in front of it, concern racing through him as he braced himself for what he might find. As he climbed from his car, he peered through her windshield, looking for a sign of what had happened. The vehicle was empty.

  Empty?

  Had someone gotten to her? Had whome
ver she was running from located her? Abducted her?

  His stomach clenched with anger at the thought.

  He walked around the vehicle, searching for a sign of what had happened—footprints, broken glass, anything that had been left behind.

  But he saw nothing and no one.

  Where had Hope gone?

  Hope watched from the woods as Luke put a hand on the hood of her car. He was checking to see if the engine was still warm, she realized.

  She remained in her hiding spot, watching for his next move. He surveyed the area slowly, purposefully. Hope’s skin crawled, and she held her breath as she waited. Did he sense that she was out here?

  She wanted to believe him. To trust him. To trust someone. He was a doctor. Hadn’t he taken an oath to take care of people?

  “Hope, I have food. I want to help. I need to know that you’re okay.”

  She continued to wait. The air was so cold and crisp. Clouds filled the sky, dark in the distance as if bad weather might be on the way. The roadside felt still—a kind of still that could only be experienced in the countryside.

  She leaned against the tree, breathing in and out, in and out. Contemplating her options. The bark was rough against her skin, and ants marched in a row only inches from her hand. She pulled her sweater closer, trying to ward away the chill.

  “Please, Hope. I’m concerned,” Luke said. “If you can hear me, come out and get something to eat. It’s cold out here.”

  He was right. It was cold. How much longer could she stay out here and wait him out? He didn’t seem like the type who would give up.

  She started to emerge, convinced that trusting Luke was her best option.

  But before she took the first step, a police car appeared and pulled to a stop near Luke.

  Her heart leapt into her throat as she watched.

  Had Luke called the officer here? Had he betrayed her? If so, it was a good thing she’d left.

  She watched as a man stepped from the vehicle. He was younger than she’d envisioned. Then again, so were Raul and his men. This man appeared to be clean-cut with a trim, well-kept build and light-brown hair that had been tousled by the wind. He approached Luke.

  She held her breath as she waited for whatever would happen next.

  “Everything okay, Luke?” the cop said.

  Luke paused a moment before nodding. “Hey, Joshua—I mean, Chief Haven.”

  The man chuckled. “Joshua is fine, considering we go all the way back to elementary school. What’s going on?”

  “I was on my way to my house when I saw the car on the side of the road. The engine is still hot, but I didn’t see anyone around. I wanted to check and make sure everything was okay.”

  Chief Haven glanced around. Hope ducked behind the tree, hoping she wouldn’t be spotted. Her back was beginning to ache, and she craved a comfortable place to sit down and get warm.

  “Maybe someone picked up the driver and gave him or her a lift. Did you look inside the car?” Chief Haven asked, his tone casual and unassuming. He had a slight twang—different from those in Georgia, but pleasant. His footsteps crunched across the gravel at the edge of the road.

  Luke shook his head. “I didn’t.”

  The chief peered in through the windows and tried the door. Thank goodness she’d left it locked. Had she left any identifying information inside? She couldn’t remember.

  “I’ll give it a couple of days. If the car is still here, I’ll run the plates and call a tow truck to move it. Hopefully, the driver just went to get some gas.”

  Luke nodded. “Makes sense to me.”

  As her back spasmed, Hope shifted her weight, and a stick cracked beneath her foot. She froze. Had they heard it?

  Both men grew quiet. They seemed to wait, as if anticipating what the noise might have been. Finally, they turned back to each other.

  Hope released her breath.

  “Everything else going okay out this way?” the chief asked. “You going out to your old place?”

  Luke visibly tensed. “Just checking on it. I like to do that every week or so to make sure no hoodlums are starting trouble.”

  “It’s a beautiful house you have on the Perquimans.”

  Luke nodded. “I know. It is.”

  “Brody and Felicity Joyner just moved to the area, next house down.”

  “I did hear that they’d built a place near mine. That’s great news. They seem nice enough.”

  “At least there will be someone close to check out things if need be.”

  “Absolutely.”

  Chief Haven nodded, his hands at his waist. “Well, I’ll keep moving. I just saw you’d pulled over and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

  “I appreciate it. I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

  The chief pulled away, and Hope watched carefully for what Luke would do next.

  Her breath caught when he turned toward her, almost as if he knew her exact location. “You can come out, Hope. He’s gone.”

  Luke had realized where she was, yet he hadn’t mentioned it to the police chief.

  Maybe he was trustworthy.

  “Hope, you’re going to get sick being out in this weather. I realize you don’t know me, and I don’t know you. But, for some reason, our paths intersected, and I want to help. At least eat this food I bought before it gets cold. Besides, North Carolina barbecue is too good to waste.”

  Something about his words made her want to trust him. She wasn’t making any promises. He wasn’t offering any. Just a warm meal. Maybe a ride to somewhere safe. To get gas, maybe?

  With a touch of hesitance, she stepped out from behind the tree. As she did, her world began to spin. Then everything went black.

  Chapter Four

  Luke sprinted toward Hope, fearing she’d injured herself. He gently rolled her over, but her face was blank, unaware.

  She’d passed out.

  He had to get her out of the cold. He didn’t care what she said, she needed to go to the hospital. She might hate him when she woke up, but it was a chance he had to take.

  He hoisted her into his arms. “You’re going to be okay, Hope. Just hang on.”

  “He’ll kill me if he finds me,” she muttered, her eyes still closed.

  He started across the field, choosing each step carefully so he wouldn’t injure Hope. But her words had chilled him to the bone.

  “Let me take you to the hospital,” he murmured.

  She clutched his shirt, her eyes jerking open. “No, you can’t. Promise me.”

  He warred within himself. She needed help. Yet her voice sounded so desperate.

  He’ll kill me . . .

  How would taking her to the hospital put her life in danger? It didn’t make sense.

  “Promise me,” she repeated, her eyes drifting shut as she went in and out of consciousness.

  He bit down, trying to respect her opinion. He could take care of her. He was a doctor. But he didn’t have any of his equipment. If something went wrong, it was a long journey to get her to the hospital . . .

  “Luke . . .” Her eyes popped open and remained fixed on him.

  He said nothing.

  “Please,” she continued.

  “Okay,” he finally said.

  “The baby’s okay.” That was the last thing she muttered before she drifted off again in his arms.

  Carefully, he placed her in the back seat of his car.

  Lord, please take care of her. His anxiety climbed. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to this woman and her baby on his watch.

  The battle continued to rage within him as he tried to figure out his next move.

  When Hope pulled her eyes open, panic engulfed her, causing her thoughts and body to act in a twisted combination of adrenaline and fear. Fight or flight kicked in hard.

  Where was she? What had happened?

  It took a moment for the room to come into focus. She was . . . at Luke’s place. Blankets covered her.

&
nbsp; She glanced at the window. It was dark outside. The fire still blazed, but it felt even warmer in the room somehow. Something hummed outside.

  How much time had passed, exactly?

  Luke appeared at her side, a sweatshirt pulled over his button-up shirt. Worry . . . maybe a touch of frustration . . . lined his features.

  “Hey there. You passed out on me.”

  She pushed herself up as everything rushed back to her. Her car running out of gas. Hiding in the woods. Seeing the police chief pull up.

  Her fingers dug into the smooth leather couch beneath her. “How . . . how’d I get here?”

  “I carried you. Every medical instinct in me tells me to get you to the hospital right now. However, your pulse is good. The baby is moving. And your blood pressure doesn’t raise any alarms. I know you were adamant that you couldn’t be checked in at a medical facility. That’s the only reason you’re here right now. I really hope I don’t regret it.”

  She shoved her hair behind her ear. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  He handed her some soup in a mug. “Drink this. Try to warm up.”

  She didn’t argue. Instead, she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. It was surprisingly good and filling.

  “This doesn’t taste canned.”

  “It’s not. Canned soups have too much sodium for you to consume in your condition.”

  She glanced around, noticing that the lights were back on. And if this wasn’t canned . . . how had he made it? “I thought . . .”

  “I turned the generator on. Unfortunately, the milkshake I got for you melted, but I can warm the barbecue up later.”

  She studied his face for a moment: his kind eyes, his chiseled jawline, his tousled hair. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  “I can’t leave a pregnant woman out on the street. Besides, I meant what I said earlier. Our paths crossed for a reason. I’ll help you get back on your feet, and we’ll go from there.”

  Gratitude welled in her. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

  “Why’d you leave?” he asked after a moment of silence.

  She licked her lips, wondering what to say, then took another sip of her soup to buy herself some time. “I don’t know who to trust. And I have to keep Jace safe.”