Chapter 3 Unreachable

H elping her husband pack to leave town was far from how Jillian had imagined spending their wedding night. His black suitcase was lying open on their king-sized, cherry wood sleigh bed.

Tonight would be the first night she slept in it, and she would be doing it alone. Dave would be hundreds of miles away. It was one doozy of a welcome to married life.

Though Dave hadn’t gotten around to hanging anything on the walls of their master bedroom, she fully approved of the comforter tucked smoothly over the thick set of double mattresses. It definitely wasn’t a bargain find. A forest of evergreens was embroidered across the sage tapestry fabric. It was a simple and classy nod to the holidays they’d recently celebrated.

“I’m sorry about this, Jills.” It was at least the fiftieth time Dave had apologized to her. She’d lost count. He was clearly stuck in apology mode.

“I’m not,” she declared, boldly pulling open his top dresser drawer to grab a few extra undershirts. Though his desk at work was often a hodgepodge of papers and folders, every item of clothing inside his dresser was neatly folded. His undershirts were resting in perfect trifold stacks. This was the part of their marriage where they would start to uncover each other’s deepest, darkest secrets. So far, though, she hadn’t stumbled across a single skeleton in Dave’s closet. She was the luckiest woman alive to have coaxed someone as incredible as him out of bachelorhood.

Though he hadn’t yet left for the airport, she was already missing him like crazy. From the worry lines etched into his forehead, he wasn’t any more thrilled about leaving her than she was about seeing him go. She scrambled for something to say that would ease the strain in his features.

“Not sorry to see the last of me, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows playfully at her. “Married all of a few hours, and you’re already anxious to give me the boot.”

“Hardly.” She carefully laid the stack of undershirts in his suitcase and smoothed a hand over them. “All I meant was the sooner you leave, the sooner you can hurry back to me.” She placed her hands on her blooming belly as she faced him, trying to hold back her tears. “We both know you wouldn’t be about to board a flight on our wedding night if you loved me any less. If you loved us any less.” There was no gift he could’ve given her that would top the sacrifice he was about to make.

“No, I would not.” Running a hand wearily over his shaved head, he reached for her.

She stepped eagerly into his embrace, resting her cheek against one of his broad shoulders, just breathing him in. He’d changed into jeans and a white dress shirt, rolled up the sleeves, and left it untucked. She could’ve easily stood there the rest of the night in his arms. For the rest of eternity, for that matter. There was no feeling in the world half as wonderful as being held by Dave Phillips .

“This is the part I’m going to miss the most while you’re away,” she whispered, burrowing closer to his warmth and strength. Like him, she’d changed clothes. Remaining in her wedding dress wouldn’t have made their parting any easier. She was in maternity jeans now with a soft, baby blue sweater hugging her curvy hips. She’d pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail and fluffed her bangs over her forehead.

“Yeah. Me, too.” Dave clasped his hands loosely around her, resting his cheek against hers. “Believe me, if there was any better way to protect you, babe…”

“Hey!” She leaned back a little in his arms. “You didn’t ask for this, and neither did I. But you’re doing the right thing, and we’re going to get through it. Together.” It was impossible to hold back her tears any longer. “Believe me, the last thing I ever wanted to say to you this evening was goodbye.”

“Well, this is a first.” His eyes grew damp as he gazed adoringly down at her. “I’ve never had anyone cry at the thought of seeing me go.”

“Fair warning.” Her lips trembled as she tried to muster a smile. “I’m probably going to shed even more tears when you return. Happier ones.” Gotta love those pregnancy hormones.

His gaze darkened with emotion. “I love you, Jills. So much.” Using his thumbs, he gently brushed the tears from beneath her eyes. Then he palmed the back of her head and fused their mouths together in a lingering kiss. It was so full of longing and unspoken promises that it made her heart ache. He didn’t yet have a ticket in hand for his return flight, so she had no idea when their next kiss would take place.

When he raised his head, she murmured, “I love you, too, so hurry back!”

“That’s the plan.” He winked at her as he dropped his arms.

She immediately missed being held. Outside his arms was a much colder, lonelier place to be. She hoped he wouldn’t have to be out of town for long.

“I, um…” She watched him zip his suitcase and swing it to the floor to set it on its wheels. “I asked your mom to stay in Heart Lake a few extra days so we can do that furniture shopping you and I talked about.”

His expression lit up, just like she’d hoped it would. “And she said?”

“Yes!” His mom was a bit of a character, but her presence meant Jillian wouldn’t have to be alone in their enormous, sparsely furnished townhome while he was away. Not for the first few days, at least.

“Well, I’ll be!” He shook his head, grinning. “This past Christmas, she warned me she’d be all over me like a family of ticks on a dog if I gave her a grandchild. Guess she wasn’t kidding.”

“You don’t mind her being here during your absence, do you?” It hadn’t occurred to Jillian to ask him first. His trip to Dallas had come up so suddenly.

“Nope. She might gripe your ears off about everything that’s wrong in the world, but she’s otherwise good company. Mostly,” he added with a snicker.

“Thanks for the warning.” Jillian was glad he was cool with the idea of his mom sticking around, especially since she was about to turn in her two-week notice at work. She wasn’t yet sure how she was going to fill all the extra time she was about to have on her hands.

“Keep an eye on her,” he warned in a teasing voice. “ She’s single again. I wouldn’t put it past her to start angling for husband number six. I think.” He drew his eyebrows together. “It’s hard to keep count.”

Jillian couldn’t blame him for losing count. That was a lot of husbands to keep up with. No wonder his mother was so unhappy. It sounded like she’d been looking for love in all the wrong places. “Maybe I should take her to church with me.”

“Good luck with that,” Dave snorted. “To this day, she’s still angry with my dad for dying so soon and angry with the Lord for letting it happen.”

“But she’s back in Heart Lake,” Jillian reminded. “It’s a start.”

“Maybe. Just don’t get your hopes up too high in her direction.” Dave paused beside her while rolling his suitcase to the door of their bedroom. He reached out to gently pinch her chin. “The one thing my mom is good at is leaving.”

What he left unsaid tugged at her heartstrings. His mother’s refusal to be a bigger part of his life must hurt. “I’m tougher than I look, Dave. With or without help, I’ll be okay holding down the home front in your absence. That’s one thing you can cross off your worry list.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how dumb they sounded. His fears about her safety were the biggest reasons he was leaving town.

He didn’t call her out on it, though. All he did was run his thumb across the underside of her chin before dropping his hand. “You’re one of the strongest people I know.” Indulgent pride rang in his voice. “Like it or not, though, you’re mine to worry about now, babe.”

They made their way down the hallway into the great room, where they found his mother with one slender leg hiked up against her chest. Her bare foot rested on the edge of the sofa. White tissues were wedged between her toes.

She waved a bottle of bright red nail polish at them. “Pedicure crisis,” she complained. “Though I don’t remember stubbing my toe, I chipped a nail somewhere between your office and here. If I can’t fix it myself, y’all will have to recommend a good nail salon to me.” She made a face. “Assuming they have any good nail salons in a town this size.”

Dave leaned over her to kiss her forehead. “Yes, we have decent nail salons here in Heart Lake, Mom.”

“Like you would know,” she retorted witheringly. “When was your last mani-pedi?”

“A while ago.” He chuckled.

“You mean never,” she shot back.

“Yeah. That.” He straightened, giving Jillian an I-tried-to-warn-you look.

She sent him a smile of reassurance. Despite her mother-in-law’s griping, Jillian hadn’t failed to note how she’d leaned into her son’s kiss. Eloise Phillips adored her only child more than she let on. A lot more.

“I love you, Mom.” Dave gently pressed a finger into one corner of her frowning lips and tugged it upward.

“You’d better.” She looked like she was struggling to hold back a chuckle as she swatted his hand away. “I flew a long way to come see you.”

“Be nice to my wife.” He wagged a finger in warning at her. “By nice, I mean don’t run her off while I’m out of town.”

“I’m always nice.” His mother adopted an innocent expression, casually fluffing her short white hair. “Just ask anyone besides my ex-husbands.”

“Nah, I’ll take your word for it.” Dave didn’t look overly convinced. He beckoned Jillian to accompany him to the front door. “Gil’s taking me to the airport, so I won’t have to leave one of our vehicles there.”

“Tell him I said thanks.” Though she hadn’t known Gil for long, she’d already decided he was an incredible person, a king among best friends. The better she got to know him, the more she found in him to respect and admire.

Dave stepped closer to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s your go-to guy while I’m away. If you need anything, and I mean anything, call him. Rain or shine. Day or night.”

“Okay.” The worry lines were back on his forehead, making her long to soothe them away.

“If you can’t reach him, call Lonestar Security.” He drew a finger down her cheek. “If Gil’s out on an assignment for them, they’ll know how to get in touch with him.”

“I will,” she promised.

“I’ve got a digital copy of the paperwork you signed at the surrogacy clinic.” He caressed her chin, tipping her face up to his. “I’ll read over it on the flight to Dallas to make sure everything is on the up and up with it.”

“I really, really, really appreciate you for doing this.” She probably should’ve consulted an attorney about the paperwork before signing it, but she hadn’t been able to afford legal counsel at the time.

“If you’re looking for a way to thank me…” His voice was teasing as he dipped his head closer to hers.

She rose to her tiptoes to touch her lips to his.

He hungrily deepened their kiss, only breaking it off after a horn honked outside. “I’m never gonna get enough of you, Jills,” he muttered huskily.

Then he opened the door and stepped outside.

Jillian watched the evening shadows envelop her husband as the icy January wind swirled into the room. Only after the tail lights of Gil’s SUV disappeared did she shut the front door.

He’s gone.

Their wedding celebrations were over, their honeymoon was postponed indefinitely, and she was alone. Again. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Knowing it was probably her pregnancy hormones acting up, she leaned back against the door and fought to regain control of her emotions. She lost the battle and wept in silence, hoping her mother-in-law wasn’t paying any attention.

Eloise kept her head lowered over her foot for a minute or two. Then she abruptly stood and stomped out of the great room.

Jillian figured she was returning to the guest room, where she could enjoy some peace and quiet — far from her blubbering, hormonal daughter-in-law.

However, she stomped back into the room with a box of tissues in hand. She carried them to Jillian and held them out to her. “If you need another box, I know where Dave keeps his supply.”

Another box? Jillian wasn’t sure how many tears the woman was expecting her to squeeze out. Any normal human being would surely run dry before reaching the bottom of the box.

“Come on.” Mrs. Phillips reached for Jillian’s shoulders and tugged her farther into the room. Instead of pausing by the sofa, she guided her all the way to the kitchen. “Have a seat.” She pointed at one of the tall padded bar stools. “I’ll brew us some of my favorite tea from Italy. I brought decaf along for you.”

It was an unexpectedly kind offer, one that had taken some forethought while packing for her trip. Jillian nodded gratefully, still not trusting her voice, and sank atop the closest stool. She buried her nose and mouth in a wad of tissues and tried to get a grip. “I l-love him,” she quavered, not that her mother-in-law had asked for an explanation for her meltdown by the front door.

“I gathered that for myself.” Eloise Phillips’ voice was dry. She rattled around the kitchen, growing more irritated by the second. “Oh, for pity’s sake! My son doesn’t own a teapot. A stinking teapot!”

Jillian pointed at the lower cabinet drawers to the left of the stove. “He has a few saucepans down there.” Since her mother-in-law didn’t seem to be aware of that fact, Jillian could only assume that she and Dave had been eating out at restaurants for the entire first week of her visit.

The sight of Dave’s pots and pans elicited another string of complaints from his mother. “This is the most pathetic pile of mismatched cookware I’ve ever laid eyes on. It looks like…” Mrs. Phillips shook her head, looking at a loss for how to adequately describe such a sorry collection.

“Like he’s been batching it?” Jillian supplied, trying to be helpful.

Her mother-in-law snorted. “There’s no excuse for this mess.”

“I have an idea, ma’am.” Jillian summoned her most cheerful voice, which wasn’t easy after crying so hard. She was still snuffly and nasally sounding. “We’ll make a list of everything we need, then hit the stores in the morning.”

Her mother-in-law whirled in her direction. “Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat. My friends call me Eloise. Not Mrs. Not ma’am. Not anything else that makes me feel older than I look.”

“Understood.” Jillian hid a smile. Oddly enough, the borderline scolding had gone a long way to helping her regain control of her emotions.

“Good. I’m glad we got that out of the way.” Eloise rustled noisily around the kitchen some more and came up with a pad of paper and a pen. She sauntered back across the room and took a seat on the stool beside Jillian. “It’s going to be a very lo-o-o-ong list. My son doesn’t know the first thing about interior decorating.”

“I’m not sure I’m any better at it.” Though Jillian had spent her fair share of time oohing and aahing over home remodeling shows, she’d never had the money to splurge on stuff like that.

With a grunt of disdain, Eloise uncapped the pen and held it poised over the pad of paper. “It’s not humanly possible for you to care less about decorating than my son does. Plus, your natural nesting instincts should be kicking in about now, so start talking.”

Her matter-of-fact tone drew a watery smile from Jillian. She gazed around them, trying to picture what it would take to give the sleek, modern lines of the house a more homey feel. “Hand towels.” She rested her elbows on the bar and dropped her chin into her hands. “Red, I think.” They were surrounded by white cabinetry, chrome appliances, and black-and-white granite countertops. It would give the space a much-needed pop of color.

“Good call.” Eloise started writing. “What about rugs? At a minimum, I’m thinking a few runners in the kitchen and an area rug for the great room.”

Jillian waved a hand vaguely. “Sounds good to me.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that.” Eloise scowled at her. “What style floats your boat? Traditional, contemporary, abstract…?”

Jillian gazed around the room again, pondering her words. “I think we need to tone down the contemporary feel of the place. I’m no expert, but it already has enough straight lines and minimalistic lighting.” We need to add the proverbial curl to the ol’ pig’s tail.

“Traditional it is.” Eloise wrote it down without any further quibbling. “Do you like the look of Persian rugs?”

“I do.” They’d certainly be a step up from the washable, braided rugs scattered around the apartment she’d been living in on the other side of town.

Eloise pursed her lips. “I think it goes without saying that the dark leather furniture in the great room needs to go.” She swung a thumb over her shoulder like she was visualizing pitching it straight into the dumpster.

Surely not! Jillian straightened, frowning. “I’d rather not get rid of it just yet,” she said carefully. “Dave loves that furniture. He’s always saying how comfortable it is, and…” She bit her lower lip, realizing she was contradicting a woman who owned an upscale Italian villa. “Sorry for getting carried away there. I, um…just can’t imagine a guy my husband’s size perched on the edge of some designer, claw-footed?—”

Eloise Phillips burst out laughing. “Got it.” She didn’t sound the least bit offended by her daughter-in-law’s strong feelings on the topic. “The cave-like furniture stays. We’ll just have to work extra hard to tone down all that dark leather and hardwood flooring with the area rug and wall decor.”

“And maybe some throw pillows.” Jillian warmed to the topic, thrilled to pieces that she hadn’t offended her mother-in-law. “Multiple pairs of them. White and red.” She narrowed her gaze at the outer edges of the room. “We could bring in a few ornamental plants, too. None of that plastic stuff. Real green stems with fat ornamental leaves. ”

“Like bamboo?” Eloise rattled off a few more options. “Ficus? Olive? Sago palm?”

“Yes,” Jillian chuckled, not ready to make a final decision tonight. “It really depends on what we find tomorrow. I imagine a lot of that stuff isn’t in season yet.”

“Unless we find a good greenhouse.” Eloise made another note on her pad.

“We’ll need to shop for some pots and pans for the kitchen.” Jillian mentally worked her way through their most immediate needs, preferring not to fill the house with too much too soon. Though shopping wasn’t Dave’s favorite pastime, he’d probably want to have some say in at least a few of their purchases.

“And a teapot,” her mother-in-law added.

“Sturdy stainless steel would be fine with me.” Jillian wasn’t into froo-froo colors and designs. “And some basic daily dishes. Nothing too fancy. I like square plates.” Though it might sound silly to a woman with as much overseas polish as Eloise Phillips, Jillian had always dreamed of owning square plates. “White ones. I’d rather dress up the table with linens, chargers, centerpieces, holiday decorations, that sort of thing.”

“It’ll save a bundle to keep things simple.” Her mother-in-law nodded in approval. “As the old saying goes, less is more.”

“Agreed.” Though they hadn’t spent a penny yet, Jillian was already feeling a bit of buyer fatigue. “I think that’s a big enough list for one evening. I don’t want to bankrupt my husband.”

“Very funny.” Eloise gave her an amused look. Then she sobered. “Oh! You’re serious.”

“Of course, I’m serious!” Jillian blinked at her. “This home must have cost a fortune. ”

Her mother-in-law shrugged. “He bought it from Gil, who couldn’t unload it fast enough after his first wife died. Pretty sure he gave my son the friend discount.”

“This is premium real estate on the banks of Heart Lake,” Jillian insisted. “No matter the discount, it still cost him an arm and a leg. Goodness only knows what size of mortgage he had to take out on it.” They’d dated for such a short time before tying the knot that it hadn’t occurred to her to ask.

“As if!” Her mother-in-law made a scoffing sound. “Dave doesn’t believe in mortgages. Trust me. He paid cash for it. His dad was the same way.” She abruptly hopped down from her stool and started fluttering around the kitchen again. There was a rigid set to her shoulders that hadn’t been there before.

“Thank you,” Jillian said softly.

“For what?” Eloise glanced over her shoulder, looking half-surprised and half-irritated.

“For your willingness to come to Heart Lake for our wedding.” When her mother-in-law started to splutter, Jillian held up her hands to shush her. “I can only imagine how hard it was to come back after the tremendous loss you suffered here. If I were in your shoes, I’m not sure I could do it. Ever.” Knowing what it had cost her, though, made her presence in town all the more precious to Jillian.

“You’re probably right about that.” Eloise’s pinched look faded into humor. “The way you carried on about Dave going on a simple business trip…”

“A simple business trip?” Jillian gaped at her. “He’s missing our honeymoon!” Just thinking about it made her eyes brim all over again.

“I’ll give you that.” Eloise slid the box of tissues closer to her .

“It’s not just the honeymoon,” Jillian quavered, trying to come up with the right words to make her understand. “It’s the fact that we haven’t been together for long. We’re not some old married couple ready for a break from each other.”

“You’ll never be ready for a break from each other,” Eloise stated in a morose voice. “There’s just something about those Phillips’ men…” Her voice dwindled as she shook her head. “Never enough,” she repeated in a whisper.

Jillian slid the tissue box forward a few inches, but Eloise stopped her with a venomous look. “Don’t bother. I cried all my tears out a long time ago.”

She was lying. They both knew it, but Jillian didn’t press the point.

Her phone jingled with an incoming text message. She glanced down at it. “It’s Dave,” she announced joyfully.

“Whoa!” Eloise pretended to shield her eyes with both hands. “You just lit up like a blasted Christmas tree.”

Jillian didn’t care that her feelings for Dave were riding in plain view on her sleeve. “His plane is about to take off. He says he’s hoping the rainstorm headed our way doesn’t cause any delays.” She slid off her stool and moved to the window over the kitchen sink to peer up at the sky. “I didn’t realize we were even expecting rain.”

As if on cue, a streak of lightning zipped past, illuminating a snarl of dark clouds. A rumble of thunder followed in its wake.

Jillian’s lips moved in a silent prayer for her husband’s safety. He should’ve been home, listening to the gathering storm from the haven of their great room, settled deep in the leather recliner he loved so much.

With me in his arms.

She glanced over her shoulder at the empty piece of furniture, wishing she could walk over there and climb into his lap right this second.

Eloise stepped into her line of vision, blocking her view of the empty recliner. “I think I’ll turn in now.” Her eyes were suspiciously red-rimmed. A tissue was clenched in her right hand.

“See you in the morning,” Jillian said gently. She lifted her phone to type a message back to Dave. Safe travels to my favorite Texan. I love you!

His answer arrived only seconds later. I love you more. It was their favorite argument, one that never failed to drag a smile out of her.

“You two are so squishy,” her mother-in-law grumbled, turning to leave the room.

“Would you like to join me for church in the morning?” Jillian called after her.

“No, but I will,” Eloise called back without slowing her steps. “Dave would have a fit if he found out I let you go anywhere alone.” Her voice faded as she disappeared down the hallway.

Wow! Jillian stared after her. Inviting her mother-in-law to church had turned out to be much easier than she’d expected. She couldn’t wait to tell Dave. In her excitement, she tapped out another message to him on her way to their bedroom.

You are not going to believe what your mother just agreed to! She added a few celebration emojis and waited.

There was no answer.

Too bad! She lowered her phone in disappointment, knowing his silence meant he must have already boarded his flight.

She entered the master bedroom and headed straight for the garden tub in the adjoining bathroom. It was sunk into the floor with an ornate railing and mosaic tiled steps. The luxurious details were downright mind-boggling. It was going to take a while before Jillian stopped feeling like she was staying in a resort.

Because of her pregnancy, she was careful not to run the bath water too hot. The baby kicked a few times as she lowered herself into the water. She scrubbed off the sadness and tears and forced her thoughts to happier topics, like the honeymoon she and Dave would be taking next summer.

Hawaii was going to be breathtakingly gorgeous in June or July. Maybe August. She and Dave would have to sit down together and research flights again. Jillian reached for her phone, grateful that she’d splurged on a waterproof case, and opened one of her digital books. Since today had been her wedding day, it only made sense to end it with a happily-ever-after. Though a fictional one wasn’t as good as the real thing, it was better than none at all.

She was soon immersed in a story about star-crossed lovers. The minutes ticked past, and her bath water grew cooler. She didn’t close her ebook, however, until her cell phone pinged with another incoming message.

Knowing it was probably Dave, she hurriedly exited the garden tub and toweled off. She wanted to enjoy their conversation, not remain submerged in the bath water until her teeth started to chatter. She tossed her cell phone on the bed and bent her head over it to read her husband’s latest message while she was dressing.

To her horror, it wasn’t from Dave after all. It was another demand for the ransom of her unborn child. This time, there was an additional detail — a deadline. It was her baby’s due date !

Her breathing grew choppy. Then she started to wheeze.

What is happening to me? She clawed at her throat, trying to gulp more air into her windpipe. Sliding to the floor beside the bed, she sent up a silent prayer. Please help.

It was more of a thought than an actual prayer, because she was too busy fighting not to lose consciousness. As she started to drift, a passage of scriptures swam through her head. She’d been required to memorize them during church camp years ago.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He is my refuge and my fortress. My God in whom I trust.

She sank against the side of the bed, repeating the verses again and again inside her head. The comfort and hope they contained made her relax in slow degrees. Once she was breathing normally again, or almost normally, she reached for her cell phone and typed out a text message to her husband. He needed to know about the second threat she’d received.

Her fingers were trembling so badly that she kept misspelling words. She finally gave up trying to type and dialed him instead. The call went straight to voicemail. Glancing in frustration at the time on her phone, she realized he must still be in the air.

Since nobody was there to impress with her new white lacy nightgown, she dressed in her favorite fuzzy pink PJs and climbed into bed. Huddling beneath the covers, she drearily watched the time tick past on the clock on the nightstand. It was about as exciting as watching paint dry, but she was too upset to go back to reading the ebook on her phone. Every cell in her body longed to speak to her husband and receive the assurance that the latest text message from the Prophet was yet another prank.

Unless it wasn’t.

Her heart pounded with a fresh wave of dread, which she fought to tamp down by calling Dave again. There was still no answer. She waited another five minutes before hitting the redial button. It went straight to voicemail. The same thing happened ten minutes later and thirty minutes after that.

Something is wrong.

Climbing out of bed, Jillian stared in growing alarm at the time displayed on her cell phone. It was past ten o’clock. Dave’s plane should’ve landed by now. He should’ve read her text messages and responded already. Or called.

She tried dialing him yet again. Still no answer. Moving to their massive walk-in closet, which was roughly half the size of her last apartment, she retrieved her purse. He’d printed out a copy of his flight itinerary before he’d left, and she’d folded it inside her purse.

Returning to the bed with her purse, she pulled the itinerary out and smoothed it open to read the charter plane’s tail number, which she subsequently typed into an online flight status checker. Pushing the submit button, she waited for the rotating circle to clear off the screen. The status of her husband’s flight popped up. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting.

Rerouted due to mechanical issues.

Did that mean he hadn’t made it to Dallas after all? If so, where was he?

Jillian did an online search and found a brief report about flights being diverted to other airports because of the rainstorm in their area.

She dialed Dave again, knowing he would eventually have to land somewhere. There was still no answer. It was with a sick feeling that she mentally replayed her last conversation with him — the Cliff Notes version of it.

If you need anything, call me. If you can’t reach me, call Gil. If you can’t reach Gil, call Lonestar Security.

She scrolled through her address book to locate Gil’s number. It wasn’t until it started ringing that it occurred to her he was likely already in bed. She probably should’ve waited to call him in the morning.

He picked up on the second ring, making her jolt in surprise since she’d already accepted the fact that it would roll to voicemail. “Everything okay, Jillian?”

“I’m sorry for calling so late.” She spoke through numb lips.

“What’s up?” There was no hesitation in his response. Despite the late hour, he was wide awake and ready to listen.

“I can’t reach Dave.” She swallowed her embarrassment, hoping she wasn’t coming across as a woman incapable of standing on her own feet emotionally. “He should’ve landed by now, and?—”

“You’re right. He should’ve,” Gil cut in before she could elaborate on the rain delays sweeping across the state. “Lemme try his number.” He put her on hold. In the ensuing silence, the seconds ticked by with painful slowness. Then he was back. “It went straight to voicemail.”

“Something’s wrong, Gil.” Jillian’s gut was waving a thousand red flags. “An hour ago, his flight status was listed as rerouted for mechanical issues, and there hasn’t been a single update. ”

Gil grunted. “If you’ll give me his flight number, I’ll see what I can find out.”

She read it off the copy of his itinerary and kept talking. “I know it’s getting late, but he’s going to want to hear about the second threat I received.”

“What did you say?” Gil barked out the question.

“I received another ransom demand.” She spoke between clenched teeth to keep them from chattering. “This one came with a deadline. My baby’s due date, no less.” It was unnerving to know that whoever had sent the message knew the exact day her baby was supposed to make his or her entrance into the world.

“Where are you?” Gil’s voice was low and terse.

“At home.”

“What room, specifically?”

“In our bedroom. Why?”

“I want you to walk to your closet and step up to the big dressing mirror on the back wall. Hidden in the iron scrollwork on the right side of the frame is a button. It looks like an unopened rosebud, but it’s a button. Push it, and it’ll open Dave’s safe room. Wait there until I can get a security detail over to your place.”

“All the doors in the house are locked, Gil. I checked.”

“Just humor me, please?”

“What about my mother-in-law?” Her thoughts raced anxiously. If they were in any danger inside the house, her mother-in-law was equally vulnerable.

“She’s still there, eh?” He sounded surprised. “Figured she’d be long gone from Heart Lake by now.”

“She stayed to go furniture shopping with me tomorrow.” Jillian gulped. “After church.”

“Eloise Phillips is going to church?” Gil’s voice rose in disbelief .

“Not because she wants to.” She’d made that clear enough. “She said something about Dave having her hide if she let me go anywhere alone. I’m not really sure what she meant by that, since I’m more than capable of driving myself.”

“It means you’re very important to him, and he’s not taking any chances with your safety.” Gil’s voice was earnest. “Until he figures out if this Prophet fellow poses a genuine threat to you and the baby, he’s gonna treat it like a real threat.” He paused a beat. “And so am I.”

“In that case…” Jillian jogged barefoot into the hallway. “I’ll wake up Eloise and take her to the safe room with me.”

“Perfect.” Gil described how to lock the steel door behind them once they were inside the safe room. “Don’t worry. I have a key to your home. I’ll let the security team in and have them sweep the premises. Don’t leave the safe room until I tell you it’s clear. Got it?”

“Got it.” Jillian pressed a hand to her heart as she disconnected the call. “Eloise?” She called her mother-in-law’s name as she made her way across the great room. “Eloise, can you hear me?” She made plenty of noise in the hallway, not wanting to sneak up on the woman and catch her by surprise.

“What in the world is going on out here?” The door to the guest room flew open, and Eloise popped her head around the doorframe. She had on a pink face mask with cucumber slices balanced against her eyelids.

“I’ll explain everything in a minute. Right now, I need you to come with me.” Jillian moved forward to clasp her hands beneath her mother-in-law’s elbows, guiding her further into the hallway.

“Oh, goody! A surprise. I love surprises.” Eloise clapped her hands energetically. “Especially in the middle of the night.”

Despite her sarcasm, she didn’t put up any resistance while Jillian led her to the massive master bedroom closet.

“This is taking a while,” she muttered while Jillian felt around the mirror to locate the hidden button.

“Almost there.” Jillian watched in amazement as the door to the safe room swung open. Beyond the thick wall of steel was a square room roughly ten feet wide by ten feet long. Flipping on the light switch to her right, she discovered it was a surprisingly clean and well-furnished space.

A gun cabinet stood against the far wall. The room also contained a desk, a pair of leather recliners, and a tiny closet that turned out to be a bathroom.

“You can open your eyes now.” Jillian shut the door behind them and carefully locked it like Gil had instructed her to.

Eloise peeled off one of the cucumber slices and cracked open an eyelid. “Where are we?”

“In the safe room.”

“Why?” Her mother-in-law peeled off the other cucumber slice.

“Because I received a second threat, and I couldn’t reach Dave, so I called Gil…” Jillian paused to fill her lungs, which felt like they were caving in on her again.

Eloise tossed the cucumber slices on the desk. “Stop talking and breathe,” she commanded, stepping in front of Jillian. “In. And out. In. And out. Like this.” She demonstrated what she meant. “Slower,” she coaxed when Jillian joined in. “We’re safe in here. No races to run. No deadlines to meet. Just breathe, honey.”

Jillian nodded, gasping her way through her first few attempts. With her mother-in-law’s steady instructions, however, it was easier to regain control this time around. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she moaned. “That’s the second time today I’ve lost my breath like that.”

“It’s called a panic attack,” Eloise informed her dryly.

“Are you serious?” Jillian had heard of them, but she’d never experienced one before.

“Here.” Her mother-in-law nudged her backward into the nearest recliner. “Take a load off. It’s been a long day.”

“Like one big, never-ending roller coaster.” Jillian sank into the chair, rubbing a hand across the side of her belly to ease a cramp. “I’ve never been happier in my life, or more scared.” She wasn’t a big fan of roller coasters. “Apparently, Dave’s flight ran into some bad weather.” She shared everything she knew about it.

Alarm flickered in her mother-in-law’s gaze, but she lifted her chin. “Dave will call you as soon as he can. I think this is one of those situations where no news is good news.”

She was clearly trying to make Jillian feel better, but it wasn’t working.

Gil called back a few minutes later. She put him on speakerphone, so her mother-in-law could hear what he had to say. “I have some good news and some bad news. What do you want to hear first?”

“The good news.” Jillian stifled a yawn. Though she was dying to hear from Dave, she could barely keep her eyes open.

“The house is clear. No intruders. Lonestar Security is gonna patrol the outside perimeter for the rest of the night.”

“How much will that cost?” Jillian failed to stifle her next yawn.

“Nothing since I volunteered, and I’m off the clock.”

“Gil,” she protested, “you can’t?—”

“I can, and I will,” he interrupted. “It’s not up for debate. Dave would do the same for Bliss if our situations were reversed.”

“Speaking of Dave,” she sighed wistfully.

“That’s the bad part of my news.” His voice was grim. “We found a sealed envelope sitting on the rug outside your front door. It has Dave’s name glued to it in letters that look like they were torn out of a magazine.”

“Did you open it?” she asked quickly.

“We did. It contained another ransom request.”

“For the baby?”

“No. This one is for Dave.”

A terrified sob escaped her. She clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle it.

Eloise came out of her chair. “What do they want, Gil?”

“A million dollars by midnight if we ever want to see him again. No location for the handoff.”

A keening wail burst from Jillian as she glanced at the time on her phone. A mere thirty-five minutes remained before the deadline.

“The police are running it through some forensic tests as we speak,” he continued. “Their initial assessment is that it’s just another prank. More handiwork of the infamous Prophet.”

Unfortunately, Dave wasn’t in the room to verify that claim with his presence. Jillian fought to recover her voice. “Have there been any updates to my husband’s flight?”

“Yes and no. As you are already aware, his charter flight was rerouted due to the storm. After that, the plane experienced some mechanical issues. Now air traffic control is claiming they’ve lost track of his flight.”

“You mean he’s missing?” Jillian leaned closer to the phone, gasping for air again.

“Breathe,” Eloise commanded as she snatched up the phone. “In case you’ve forgotten, sheriff, my daughter-in-law is very pregnant with my first grandchild. She doesn’t need any more stress in her life, so you need to have better news the next time you call.”

“Eloise, you know I won’t rest until I can give you better news.” Gil sounded adamant. “In the meantime, a member of Lonestar Security will escort you every time you leave the house, even if you or Jillian are just stretching your legs in the driveway. You read me?”

“Loud and clear, sheriff.” Looking pleased with their exchange, Eloise hung up the phone and handed it back to Jillian. “It’s bedtime for you, little mama.”

She helped unlock the safe room and led Jillian to the too-big king-sized bed. “In you go. I know you’re anxious for news about Dave. So am I, but there’s no law against getting horizontal and shutting our eyes while we wait. Gil will let us know the second he has an update.”

“Thank you.” Jillian rolled to her side as Eloise pulled the blankets up to her shoulders. She kept her cell phone clutched in front of her face until the midnight deadline for Dave’s ransom came and went.

At some point, she must have dozed off. She woke in the middle of the night and tried to call Dave again. Like it had every other time, her call rolled to voicemail.

“Where are you, sweetheart?” She whispered the words into the dark room, not expecting any answer. She didn’t receive one.

Her spirits sank to a new low. She’d been married less than a day, postponed her honeymoon, and now her husband was missing .

To make matters worse, if there was any truth to the latest message from the Prophet, she was never going to see him again.

Fear burgeoned inside her, making it impossible to go back to sleep.