Amish Christmas Emergency

“I can do that, Lieutenant Tucker,” he said. “What kind of plans are you thinking of?”

He didn’t mean to be pushy, but he needed something concrete here.

Lieutenant Tucker gave him a level stare, and his right eyebrow twitched, but he didn’t give Gavin any grief. Probably because Tucker himself had once had to protect a woman from a killer. A woman who was now Lieutenant Tucker’s wife. Irrelevant. Shoving the annoying thought away, he focused once again on his superior officer. “I’m sure we could do some sort of drive-by. Like I said, I will run it by the chief when he gets back. We’re limited on how much surveillance we can do. But we’ll do our best.”

“Yeah, that’ll have to work.” He ran a hand through his hair, thinking rapidly. “Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll drive Alexa back to get her car. Then I’ll follow her to her place and check it out. Maybe Parker can meet me there, and we can canvas the neighborhood, talk to the neighbors. See what’s the situation there.”

“Sounds good. I’ll pass your message along to the chief when I see him.”

There was nothing more to do at the station. He needed to confer with Parker. One of them needed to get to the hospital and get Noah Hostetler’s statement the minute he was out of surgery and conscious. Amish folk didn’t particularly go out of the way to converse with cops. However, given that he’d already told someone he had caught a glimpse of the sniper, Gavin didn’t think the man would protest answering a few questions. Gavin retraced his steps back to where he’d left Alexa with Parker. They were talking quietly when he entered.

“Hey, Parker. One of us needs to go to the hospital.” He didn’t go into details. Parker was a smart man and an experienced officer. He’d be able to connect the dots. He switched his gaze to the anxious woman. The shadows drenching her eyes tugged at him, despite his desire to not be moved. It might take a while, but he would do everything in his power to clear away those shadows. “Alexa, how ’bout I drive you to get your car, and then we can head back to your house?”

She caught her lip between her teeth and blinked up at him. As her blue-gray eyes zeroed in on him, he knew that she wasn’t going to agree with his plan. He waited for her argument.

Gavin fought against the frustration that was tearing at him. All he wanted was to find the stalker who was after her and give him a lengthy stay in a prison cell. Letting his emotions get out of hand would only get in his way. He couldn’t afford that kind of complication. If he was to keep his wits about him and work with a clear mind, he needed to stay detached.

Especially from pretty blondes like the one gazing up at him. Nope. Not going there.

“Just say it, Alexa. Whatever’s on your mind, just go ahead and say it.”

She smiled slightly. “If you don’t mind, I would like to go to the hospital with whoever is going. See how Noah is doing, and if his wife has arrived yet. I’ll never be able to sleep until I know how they’re coping.”

He just wanted to get her home and locked up tight. The thought of her being out in the open when there was a sniper after her didn’t sit well with him. Gearing up to tell her no, they couldn’t visit the hospital, he glanced into those blue-gray eyes. The denial never made it past his lips.

After all, he had just said that they needed to go there. It might as well be him. Plus, Tucker did tell him to stick close until they had a plan approved.

“Sure. Parker, I’ll take Alexa to the hospital. Cover the details there. We have to get her neighborhood checked out.”

“I’ll go ahead and start on that, Jackson.”

He threw a grin toward Parker. “I was so hoping you’d say that, buddy.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Parker waved his hand at them in a shooing motion.

Alrighty, then. Alexa’s stalker had already escalated to the point of violence. Violence that possibly had led to at least one death. If his suspicions proved to be true, then he was also responsible for the deaths when the florist shop had burnt down. It was only a matter of time before he struck out again.

Unless he could stop him.

Check out her neighborhood? Alexa paused, her coat halfway on. “Why do you have to check out my neighborhood? It’s a very quiet one. Nothing ever happens there.”

“Until we can narrow things down a bit, everyone around you is a potential suspect. I have requested some security for you. Lieutenant Tucker suggested that a police car do a periodic drive-by to keep an eye on your place. He’s going to run that by the chief and let me know for sure. Hopefully, if someone is watching your home, that will keep them away. You have good locks on your place, right?” Gavin asked.

Irritation fled. A melting warmth took its place. It had been years since anyone worried over her well-being. She gave herself a mental shake. She wouldn’t go all soft because someone asked her to lock her doors.

“I have locks.” She hesitated. “Actually, they’re kind of old locks. I don’t think it would take too much for anyone to breach them.”

Gavin and Sergeant Parker exchanged glances.

“What?” She heard the defensive tone in her voice. “Until today, I had no idea I had a stalker. In the neighborhood where I live, half the people don’t even bother locking their houses.”

Their faces grew grimmer. “Well, you’re going to lock yours,” Gavin said.

Her shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t argue. Independence was one thing, but arguing when she knew he was right wouldn’t help the situation.

“Alexa.” She turned her gaze to Sergeant Parker. “I’m also wondering if you would consider installing dead bolts on your doors.”

“Of course,” she responded quickly. “If it’s that important, I will check on dead bolts tomorrow.” Was it her imagination, or did some of the tension leave Gavin’s shoulders when she agreed?

“We’ll be by to check on your neighbors, make sure none of them are your admirer. Once we can rule them out, I’ll feel a whole lot better about your being in your home by yourself.”

Sergeant Parker nodded at Gavin’s words.

She didn’t like the sound of that at all. The idea that one of her neighbors might be her stalker had never crossed her mind. Briefly, she considered what she knew about the people who lived around her. Not much, she realized with some shame. Since leaving Chicago, she’d kept to herself. She had no real friends in the area. Sure, she got along with Megan, but they were colleagues. Megan had tried several times to convince her to go grab coffee or go to a movie with her. Each and every time, Alexa had shut her down with one excuse or another. Hence, here she was, in the police station, a stalker on her tail, and unable to account for her neighbors.

Suddenly, home had lost some of its appeal.

It is what it is. Deal with it. That was her lifelong motto. It held true in this instance, as well.

Gavin quirked one brow at her. “I’m fine,” she said, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder. With more than a touch of defiance, truth be told. She would not let the man who was stalking her control her life. She might have to be careful, but that didn’t mean that she had to completely give up her life. Such as it was. However, if someone was out to get her, her best way to protect her colleagues and neighbors was to avoid getting too close to them. Right?

Gavin started moving toward the door. She shook her head, willing herself to focus on the here and now, and followed him. When they arrived at his silver police car, he stepped in front of her to get the door. Whipping it open with an outrageous flourish, he bowed slightly. “Your carriage.”

Oh, my. The handsome grin and roguish wink he tossed so casually toward her made her heart skip a beat. Sergeant Gavin Jackson was a charmer, that was for sure. Come to think of it, she remembered two of the nurses giggling about him a month or so ago. It seemed one of them had been at Sergeant Parker’s engagement party. Gavin had flirted with the girl, but nothing ever came of it.

“You’d think a man that charming would have a date every night of the week,” she recalled the nurse saying.

“Yeah, but the way I hear it, Sergeant Jackson doesn’t date. Not ever.”

Why? she wondered. What had happened to this handsome man that he had secluded himself?

Just like she had. She shook off the thought. Whatever his reason was, it was certainly none of her business. Of course, she could ask, but she’d never do that. Even if the curiosity was itching inside her mind.

“You gonna get in?” Gavin’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Blushing, she moved past him and folded herself into the seat. He shut the door gently and strode to his own side. When he got in the car, he glanced her way. “I didn’t mean that to sound rude. Sorry. I have a habit of just blurting out what I think. Are you okay?”

Some of her embarrassment melted away at his sincere apology. The man was a chameleon, sometimes blunt, sometimes charming. But apparently he also had a noble spirit. How refreshing.

“I’m fine. Well, as fine as can be expected. I just realized that I never made the effort to get to know my neighbors. I’m disturbed at having so little idea about who lives near me.”

“I wouldn’t fret about it. It happens.” He shrugged it off.

She rolled her eyes at his casual response.

The rest of the ride was silent. At the hospital, they were informed that Noah was out of surgery and in recovery. His wife had arrived and had been in to see him. Relieved, Alexa made for the elevator, aware of Gavin’s steady tread behind her. There was something comforting in knowing that he stood at her back.

In the recovery area, Naomi Hostetler stood to greet them. “My Noah is going to be fine.” She smiled as she spoke, but the strain was visible in her eyes.

“I’m so glad, Naomi. What did the doctors tell you?” Alexa took the Amish woman’s hands in her own.

“He said the surgery went gut. My husband will come home soon.”

“Do you need anything in the meantime?”

The Amish woman shook her head. “Nee. Denke. We have a special fund for things like hospital visits and surgeries.”

Alexa nodded, relieved. She had been concerned that this would be too much of a financial hardship for the family. She was more than willing to help out in any way that she could, but knew that her efforts wouldn’t amount to much in the face of the medical bills that were sure come. Working in the field of medicine had given her a keen appreciation for how costs could stack up so quickly.

“Nurse Grant?”

Alexa turned to see the receptionist at the desk. Being a nurse practitioner, she sometimes was required to do shifts at the hospital, too. Which meant that she was known to most of the doctors and nurses on the staff.

“Yes?”

“There’s a phone call for you.” The woman held out the phone to her. Without hesitation, Alexa stepped forward and took it from her outstretched hand.

“This is Nurse Grant. May I help you?”

“Don’t let me down again, Alexa.”

The phone went dead.

Alexa dropped the phone. It hit the floor with a sharp crack. The battery door flew off and the battery fell out.

“Alexa!” Gavin was beside her, holding on to her elbow. “Alexa, what is it?”

She lifted her face to his. She was shaking so hard, it was difficult to get the words out.

“It was him,” she whispered. His face hardened. “He knew I was here.”

Even now, he was watching her.

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