"How about I call you midweek next week and we'll make plans." He added, "As friends."

They ate in relative silence. Cathy felt the tension between them dissipate slightly during their shared meal, but that live-wire s.e.xual connection couldn't be severed. It was far too strong, and there didn't seem to be a d.a.m.n thing she could do about it.

As they sipped coffee, which they had ordered in lieu of dessert, Cathy lifted the portfolio, laid it on the table and opened it to reveal her handiwork. "Let me show you what I've come up with for the exterior first. I've included a porch gazebo that I think you'll like."

"If you like it, I'm sure I will."

"Helping with the restoration of an old Victorian home is a wonderful experience for me. I may never have my dream home, but doing something like this comes in a close second."

"Have you thought about going back to school and getting your degree?" Jack asked as he flipped through the professional-looking plans she had drawn for his house. "These are good, honey. Really good."

"Thank you. And funny you should ask about my going back to school. I'm definitely considering it. But not until I have the situation with Seth worked out. Who knows, when he goes to college, I may go with him."

They both laughed, and for the first time since she had arrived at the restaurant, Cathy relaxed.

That afternoon, when Mike had invited Jack to go along with him and his kids to Dutton's Bowling Alley that night, he had declined. He figured the last thing he needed was to run into Cathy and Preacher Hovater. But before his shift ended, he told Mike that he'd changed his mind. What difference did it make if he and Cathy were at the same place at the same time? They weren't even dating, at least not officially. And she'd made it perfectly clear that she wasn't ready for anything more than friendship from him or any other man.

"Great. Meet us around seven and we'll grab a bite there," Mike had said. "They've got halfway decent burgers and dogs and the best greasy onion rings in the county."

Jack had considered trying to find a date to take with him, but realized that since returning to Dunmore there had been only one woman on his mind. His female acquaintances were limited. He knew the two female deputies, but one was married and the other had a steady boyfriend. And he knew Lorie, but considering her long-standing friendship with Cathy, she was off-limits. Besides, Mike wouldn't appreciate him showing up at the bowling alley with his old lover.

Five minutes into their meal, with Hannah seated at the booth alongside Mike and M.J. beside Jack, Mike's gaze fixed on something or someone behind Jack.

"Did you know Cathy would be here tonight?" Mike asked.

"Who's Cathy?" Hannah looked up at her father.

"Yeah, she mentioned it when we had a business lunch today," Jack replied.

Looking squarely at Jack, Mike answered his daughter. "Cathy is Mrs. Cantrell. She's an old friend of Jack's and mine."

"Oh, like Miss Lorie," Hannah said.

"Sort of," Mike mumbled.

"Hey, it's a free country," Jack said. "Why should I have missed the chance to spend a fun evening with you, Hannah and M.J. just because my path might cross with Cathy and her date?"

Mike's eyes widened. "She's dating the preacher who took over her husband's congregation?"

"They're just friends."

"Hmm...Apparently." Mike chuckled. "Most people don't take their teenage kids along with them on a date." Suddenly an odd expression crossed Mike's face. He lowered his voice. "Don't look now, but here they come."

"Huh?" Jack turned around at the exact same moment Cathy walked by with her date and their kids.

Cathy paused, a startled look in her eyes. "Good evening." She glanced from Jack, who rose to his feet immediately, straight to Mike. "This is a popular place tonight." She smiled. "How's the food?"

"Not half bad," Mike said as he stood.

"Evening, Deputy." Donnie Hovater extended his hand. "Good to see you again."

Jack nodded, shook the preacher's hand and sat back down.

He didn't like this guy. Yeah, sure, he resented Cathy spending time with a man who had to remind her of her dead husband. But it was more than that. Jack's gut instincts picked up some weird vibes from the preacher man.

"Enjoy your evening," Cathy said, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Jack.

"Yeah, you, too," Mike said when Jack remained silent.

As soon as the foursome was out of earshot, Mike sat down, his face crunched in a disapproving frown. "That went well, don't you think?" he said sarcastically. "Why didn't you just sock the guy in the jaw instead of shaking his hand?"

"Why should Jack have hit Brother Hovater?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, you told us to never start a fight," M.J. added.

"Jeez," Mike grumbled under his breath. He pulled out a ten from his wallet and handed it to his son. "Take Hannah with you and y'all go get ice cream for dessert."

As soon as his children headed off toward the nearby concession stand, Mike leaned forward and said, "What's going on between you and Cathy?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that. The vibes between you two were so intense, I'm surprised-"

"I want her. She wants me. But she's not ready for anything more than friendship." Jack slid out of the booth and stood. "I think I'll pa.s.s on the bowling. Thanks for inviting me."

"Running away won't solve your problem."

"A smart soldier knows when to retreat and work on new battle plans."

Mike shook his head. "Is that how you think of your relationship with Cathy, as a battle? You think Donnie Hovater is your enemy?"

"I think he wants Cathy," Jack said. "And I d.a.m.n well don't intend to let him have her."

Jack didn't wait around to hear what else Mike had to say. He walked out of the bowling alley and went directly to his car. After sliding behind the wheel, he sat there and stared through the windshield into the dark night sky.

What the h.e.l.l was the matter with him? Hadn't he decided, just this morning, that what he needed was to get laid? Cathy Nelson Cantrell was not the only woman in the world, not even the only woman in Dunmore, Alabama. If all he wanted was a one-night stand, he could go to any bar in Dunmore or nearby Decatur, Athens or Huntsville and probably have his pick.

As for Donnie Hovater, if Cathy preferred his type-Mark Cantrell's type-then who the h.e.l.l cared? He'd never fought for the rights to a woman, had never known one worth fighting for, except maybe his mother and definitely his sister. So why did he want to beat the living daylights out of the preacher, stomp him to the ground, walk over him and claim his prize?

Jack slammed both fists down against the steering wheel. Cathy would sure as h.e.l.l love being thought of as a prize, wouldn't she?

That woman has turned you inside out and tied you into knots.

But he couldn't blame her. It wasn't her fault. Some people just had an undeniable chemistry that made it difficult for them to keep their hands off each other. It had been that way for Cathy and him seventeen years ago. It was still like that for the two of them.

Jack inserted the key into the ignition, started his Corvette and headed toward Huntsville. It was Friday night, and the bars would be open well into the morning.

The house was deadly quiet as she slipped out of her bedroom at eleven-thirty. No one would miss her. Even if her bed was empty, it would be a.s.sumed that she was outside in the gazebo where she often went at night when she couldn't sleep. No one bothered her there while she sat alone in the darkness. It was her only refuge on earth.

The doctors had given her a prescription for non-habit-forming sleeping pills, and for a while she had pretended to take them. Finally, she had admitted that she didn't want to take drugs. Her body was a temple, not to be abused or defiled.

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of G.o.d, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify G.o.d in your body, and in your spirit, which are G.o.d's."

She knew her Scriptures, had learned chapter and verse from her earliest childhood. G.o.d's holy words about the sanct.i.ty of the body were found in I Corinthians 6:1920.

Drugs were of the devil.

The devil lived in and worked through human beings, even those who professed to be His prophets and teachers of His divine word. G.o.d despised wickedness. He punished those who sinned against Him. But blasphemers were the most despised of all sinners, those who set themselves up as pure and holy, pretended to be doers of good deeds when in truth their hearts were black with sin.

She clutched the car keys in her hand. Since the houses were relatively close together, the sound of a car starting would go unnoticed. Cars came and went at all hours, especially on weekend nights. If anyone did discover that she was not at home in bed asleep, she would have no trouble convincing them that she had been restless and hoped taking a drive would relax her. Even if there were consequences, she would deal with them. All that mattered tonight was for her to accomplish her goal.

She was on a mission for G.o.d.

The drive to Decatur, to the Kelley house, would take approximately thirty minutes. She shouldn't be there longer than ten minutes, fifteen at the very most. And then the return drive would take another thirty minutes. She should be back home and in bed again by one o'clock.

As she eased the car out of the driveway and onto the street, she prayed for guidance and protection. If the Lord wanted her to continue her work, to destroy more of the world's most vile sinners, then He would keep her safe. He would watch over her and never deliver her into the hands of His enemies.

As the miles pa.s.sed by, she alternated between planning and praying. The gasoline can was in the car trunk, and the Pocket Torch lighter was in the glove compartment.

"Help me, merciful G.o.d, my loving heavenly Father. Guide my hand in Thy service. I will do Thy will."

If Reverend Kelley came to the back door tonight, it would be a sign from on high. If someone else answered her knock, she would stay hidden in the shadows and know that tonight was not the night.

Chapter Nineteen

Bruce stood in the doorway watching Mirabelle as she sat on the side of Sandie's bed, soothing her with a tender touch and soft words. He had never felt as helpless in his entire life as he did now. During the brief time Mirabelle had been living with them, she had become his wife's surrogate mother, sister, child and friend. In her lucid moments, Sandie treated Mirabelle as the half child, half woman she was. Bruce knew that that Sandie, the woman he had loved for most of his life. In other moments, when his wife teetered on the brink and was often confused and occasionally hostile, Mirabelle became her friend, the girl's sweet innocence seeming to somehow relate to the lost child in Sandie. And in the worst moments, when Sandie crossed over into a realm where she didn't know who he was, who her own children were, she looked at Mirabelle and saw her mother and occasionally her sister, Allison, both women long dead. Sandie, the woman he had loved for most of his life. In other moments, when his wife teetered on the brink and was often confused and occasionally hostile, Mirabelle became her friend, the girl's sweet innocence seeming to somehow relate to the lost child in Sandie. And in the worst moments, when Sandie crossed over into a realm where she didn't know who he was, who her own children were, she looked at Mirabelle and saw her mother and occasionally her sister, Allison, both women long dead.

Tonight had gone well. Sandie had been herself during dinner and for several hours afterward, but shortly before ten, she had become disoriented. For the past two hours, he and Mirabelle had done whatever they could to keep Sandie calm and rea.s.sured as they prepared her for the night. As much as he hated sedating his wife, he now knew when it was best for her-and, yes, for him, too-to be given medication to help her rest. At eleven-thirty, he had prepared a gla.s.s of chocolate milk for her and doctored it with a sedative. Mirabelle had taken the milk to her and smiled triumphantly when she'd brought the empty gla.s.s back to him.

With the medication taking effect now and Mirabelle at Sandie's side, Bruce allowed himself to breathe a free, relaxed breath, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the doorway. Not yet. Not until Sandie was asleep. Not until he felt certain that Mirabelle would be all right on her own.

Once he felt rea.s.sured that all was well, he would go to the guest bedroom where he now slept and read for a while until G.o.d blessed him with a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

The ting of the doorbell surprised him, the sound echoing up the staircase from the ground floor. At first he hadn't been sure what the sound was, but when the bell rang again several times, he realized exactly what it was. But who would be at their door this time of night, at midnight?

Mirabelle looked his way, and their gazes met, hers silently repeating the question he had just asked himself about who their midnight caller was.

Using hand motions, he told her he was going downstairs. She smiled and nodded her understanding.

Even though it was midnight, Bruce still wore the khaki slacks and short-sleeved plaid shirt he'd worn all day. He made his way down the stairs, across the foyer and to the front door. He turned on the porch light and opened the door, leaving the storm door locked.

There was no one there. The porch was empty.

Odd. Had some teenager playing a prank rung the doorbell and run away? He heaved a hard, weary sigh and closed the door.

The doorbell rang again.

He opened the door. No one there.

He closed the door and turned off the porch light.

Then it hit him that the back door also had a doorbell, one that was seldom used because visitors always came to the front door. Perhaps a neighbor had a problem and for some reason had chosen to go to the back of the house. Bruce trekked down the hall, through the kitchen and into the mud room. He turned on the outside lights, one on either side of the door, and peered through the half-gla.s.s back door. He saw no one.

He needed to get to the bottom of this. If someone was deliberately hara.s.sing them, he had to put a stop to it immediately. He couldn't risk anything disturbing Sandie. Hesitant to unlock the back door, Bruce reminded himself that a burglar would hardly ring the doorbell.

With a slightly shaky hand, he unlocked and opened the door. "Is anyone there?" he called in a confident, no-nonsense voice.

No response.

"h.e.l.lo, is someone out there? Do you need help?"

Except for the soft rustle of a warm June breeze rippling through the trees and shrubbery, the backyard was eerily quiet. Bruce took several tentative steps out onto the wooden deck. He glanced right and left and then out into the dark yard but saw nothing out of the ordinary, not even a stray animal.

Just as he turned to go back inside, he caught a glimpse of movement in his peripheral vision. Jerking back around, he spied a dark form hovering near the old magnolia tree a good ten feet away and to his right.

"Who's there?"

"Help me," a quavering female voice whispered.

Bruce moved forward until he reached the edge of the deck, all the while keeping his gaze on the small shadow of the woman in his yard.

"Who are you, and what can I do to help you?" he asked.

"G.o.d has sent me to you," she said, her voice whispery and fragile.

A frisson of uncertainty crept up Bruce's spine. Was the woman someone he knew, or was she a stranger, perhaps a deranged person who had sought him out because he was a minister? Could she be the Fire and Brimstone Killer?

"Show yourself," he said, doing his best to keep his tone compa.s.sionate despite his wariness. "We'll go inside and talk. I'll do whatever I can to help you." He held out his hand. "Whatever you need, I'll do my best to provide it."

Without saying a word, she emerged from the shadows and walked slowly toward the deck. When he saw her more clearly, he sighed and relaxed. She appeared quite normal, although her expression hinted at an inner anguish.

Bruce stepped down off the deck and walked toward her. As she approached him, he noticed that she carried something held halfway behind her. A suitcase or knapsack, perhaps? Was she homeless? She appeared to be neat and clean. When she was within a few feet of him, he realized her other hand was knotted into a fist, as if she held something small hidden inside her tight grasp.