Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Standing on solid ground next to Dixon’s patrol vehicle, she tried to keep the surprise off her face. Though her brother Milton always told her that whatever she didn’t say, her face did. She was an open book. One who no doubt Dixon could still read. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been standing here, his hand on his hip, with an eyebrow cocked at her, waiting for her to speak.

“What?” She tugged the jacket he’d wrapped around her shoulders closer to her and tried to convey innocence. At least she was innocent until proven guilty.

“Go on, say it. I know you want to.”

“I don’t know what you’re going on about, D.” Needing the comfort, she put her arms through the armholes of the jacket and let it wrap her in warmth. But as she did, she caught sight of the police badge embroidered in the material and the smirk returned.

“Lex.” There was a warning hidden in his tone but the twinkle in his eyes gave way his amusement.

“It’s pouring. Shouldn’t we at least get into the car?”

“You mean the police cruiser?” he teased.

“Ye…yes.” The smirk stretched across her face. “I can’t believe you’re a police officer now.”

“Chief of police, actually,” he corrected, pulling open the passenger door.

“Chief Meyer.” She stepped toward the open door and placed her hand over his. “That does have a ring to it.”

“Get in before I arrest you.”

“On what charges?” She raised in eyebrow at him. “Though, I think we could put those handcuffs to other uses.”

“You’ve gotten bold since I last saw you, Lexie.”

“I’ve grown up. I’m no longer that seventeen-year-old kid. Now I get to make my own decisions.” She got into the car and dropped her backpack to the floorboard, but before he closed the door, she added, “I’m not leaving so easily this time.”

“Why?” He shook his head and started to close the door. “Things have changed, Lexie. Too much time has gone by.”

“I see the way you look at me,” she told him seconds before the door closed.

It might have been ten years, but that didn’t mean this wasn’t where she belonged. It took her a long time to see it, and even longer to accept it, but now that she was here, she wasn’t going to leave until she said what she needed to.

In the headlights of his SUV, the first thing she did was look at his finger. No wedding band, not even a faint line. It gave her hope she hadn’t missed her opportunity. Milton had warned her chasing the past would bring her nothing but heartache, but she needed to at least close this chapter of her life. Dixon Meyer had been the one guy who had gotten away, the one who still haunted her dreams. She didn’t handle her father’s relocation as well as she should have, and instead of keeping in touch with him, she closed herself off from not only him but from everyone, including her own family.

The intensity of the storm was only growing worse as Dixon stowed away the rescue equipment he kept in the back of the SUV. He grabbed his cell phone and keys he’d tossed there before heading into the water. His radio was trash, but he needed to let Helen at dispatch know he no longer needed the rescue team. He scrolled through his contacts, quickly finding Helen’s cell phone number, and hit call.

“D? Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to get you on the radio for the last ten minutes.”

“Figured by now the landline was down and my radio is done for. Cancel the res?—”

“Dixon!”

The alarm in Lexie’s voice had him glancing over the seats toward the front window. “Shit!” He stepped back and slammed the hatchback before darting toward the driver’s side.

“D? What’s going on?” Helen asked.

Even with the phone stuck between his shoulder and ear, his attention was focused on the hillside that was starting to slide. If it fell into the newly formed river, it would no doubt send the water in their direction, making the rescue mission he just performed pointless. They’d be stuck right back in the water, but this time with the debris coming down, it would be more dangerous. Especially with the rescue equipment now stowed.

He shoved his key into the ignition and started the SUV before slamming it in reverse and pushing hard on the gas pedal.

“We’re not going to make it,” Lexie hollered.

“Make what?” Helen’s voice echoed in his ear.

“We will.” With one hand, he grabbed the cell phone and handed it to Lexie. “Tell her what’s going on and to cancel the rescue team.”

“Cancel it! What? Why?” Lexie questioned as the phone landed on her lap.

“Remember what I said about trusting me?” He glanced in the rearview mirror before tugging the wheel to the right and pulling a scream from Lexie. “Go on, I got this.”

With her gaze still locked on the chunks of hillside falling into the newly formed river, she picked up the phone and hit the speaker button. “Hello?”

“Where’s D? What’s going on there?”

“Survival.” She glanced at Dixon who nodded in agreement. “I’m Lexie Hale and Dixon is here, but he’s busy at the moment. Who’s this?”

“Helen. Night shift dispatch,” she explained. “I heard him say something about canceling the rescue team. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“I think the team was for me, but he saved me.” As she spoke Dixon spun the SUV around and shifted into drive. “The hill?—”

“Jackson Hill, off Crider’s Road, is coming down from all the rain. Helen, you need to put the word out,” Dixon hollered.

“Shit, Brantley is out that way.” Fear laced through Helen’s voice.

“Call him,” Dixon ordered.

“And cancel the rescue team for me when you’re done. No doubt there’s someone else who can use their help,” Lexie added just before Helen hung up.

“Who’s Brantley?”

“Officer Brantley McFarlin, Helen’s son,” Dixon explained as he slowed the SUV. “I got to get you back to the station.”

“The station? What? Why? We can’t just leave him here. What if he needs help?”

“I’ll come back for him.” Dixon glanced out the window, scanning the area for Brantley’s cruiser.

“No.” She reached over and placed her hand over his. “I’m fine. Let’s find him and then we can go back to the station.”

“In the backseat, grab my laptop. Too much water is coming over that hill, and we need to keep moving. I’ll get us somewhere safe, while you track his vehicle. If I can get to him without risking you, we’ll do it. Otherwise, I’m taking you back to the station.” Dixon shot her a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road.

He was surprised when she silently twisted in her seat, looking in the backseat for the laptop he mentioned. Knowing it was hard to see, he clicked on the inside cabin light before turning his attention back to the road.

“Should be on the floor. I think it fell down there when I slammed on the brakes after spotting your car in the flood waters.”

“Got it.”

She pulled the bag up between them and into her lap, quickly sliding the laptop from the leather case and opening the lid. As she did, the computer monitor lit the space, and he reached over to shut off the cabin light.

“Bring it here for a second.” As it came into reach, Dixon took one hand off the steering wheel and brought his pointer finger to the upper corner, unlocking the computer. “There you go. Now just click the blue siren button and type in three fourteen.”

“Three fourteen?” She brought the laptop back to her lap and did as he directed. A large map of the area filled the screen.

“It’s his badge number,” Dixon explained. “His patrol cruiser should be the only blue dot on the screen. Do you see it?”

He slowed the SUV down to a crawl and glanced toward her.

“I…uh…” She turned the screen toward him, pointing toward the blinking dot. “He’s here and he’s moving. But it’s been too long since I was here. I’m not sure where that is based off our location. Only a couple of the streets are labeled.”

“He’s on the other side of the landslide.” He let out a deep breath. “Call Helen. Find out what she knows and tell her we’re heading that way in case he needs backup. Keep the screen up and let me know if he diverts from that road.”

With the terrain pictured in his thoughts, he tried to determine if Brantley would be in any danger. He didn’t believe so. But then he wouldn’t have believed Jackson Hill was sliding down, or that Crider’s Road was gone. This storm was supposed to bring rain, high winds, and even a slight chance of a twister. Certainly, some flooding around the water ways. It wasn’t supposed to devastate Brookhaven.