Page 3 of Crosshairs

“I’m not going anywhere without Cora,” Gran said. And that meant Ainsley wasn’t going either.

The storm abated into an eerie quiet while the two medics worked on her aunt. From her nightgown and robe, it was obvious Cora had been in bed before she fell. Why had she come to the library? Ainsley paced in front of the desk, her gaze shifting from Cora to the carpeted floor and then to Gran, who sat on the edge of the leather sofa, watching their every move.

With storms predicted for the evening hours, her grandmother still wore her day clothes and had insisted Ainsley remain dressed, saying they weren’t getting blown away in their pajamas. Ainsley’s lips tugged upward as she imagined what Gran was thinking about Cora’s robe and gown.

Her grandmother glanced toward her, and Ainsley ducked her head to hide the grin, her gaze landing on the floor again. The carpet was the kind that showed every footstep, and itlooked as though some of the fibers might be wet. She knelt and ran her hand over the spot. Damp. Had she and her grandmother tracked in water? Definitely, but neither of them had stood in that particular spot. Had someone been in the room other than Cora?

“What do you think happened?” Gran whispered.

Ainsley stood, intending to search for more wet carpet. “I don’t—”

Sudden, frantic pounding jerked her attention to the front door, then the bell went crazy, and seconds later the door burst open. “There’s a tornado crossing the river! Everyone needs to get into the basement!”

Ainsley froze. What was Lincoln Steele doing here? He was the last person she wanted to see tonight. Or ever. Linc appeared in the doorway just as the roar of the wind picked up again. All she needed now was for her dad to show up.

She found her voice. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard the call go out for this address,” he said. “Is Miss Cora okay?”

Kanesha looked up. “She’s in A-fib, but we can’t transport her with a tornado bearing down on us. We have to move her downstairs until this blows over.” She turned to Ainsley. “Where’re the basement stairs?”

“Down the hall.”

“I’ll show you.”

They’d both spoken at the same time. She jerked her head toward him, and their gazes collided. Ainsley’s heart crashed against her ribs, and she found it hard to breathe. She’d hoped to avoid him while she was in Natchez, had in the past whenever she was in town. Or maybe he’d been avoiding her.

The gurney blocked her escape, and she had to wait while Linc helped the two medics gently lift Cora onto it. She and Gran followed behind as he guided them toward the basement door. With the wind now sounding like a jet taking off, Ainsleywas glad to escape underground. Searching for evidence that someone may have been in the room with Cora would have to wait.

She was surprised when Linc flicked on the basement light switch practically hidden on the other side of the door. Why was he so familiar with Cora’s house?

Another question for later. Ainsley helped her grandmother down the steps and settled her in one of the straight-backed chairs that had been placed in the basement for such a night as this, before sitting in the one beside it.

Her grandmother patted Ainsley’s hand. “We will be fine.”

Maybe from the tornado. She wasn’t so sure about being safe from Linc. A quick glance at him sent her heart rate skyrocketing again. He hadn’t even had the decency to go to pot. Instead, his form-fitting T-shirt revealed sculpted muscles as he slipped out of the black slicker.

He pulled off the rain hat and tossed it on top of the slicker, then ran his hand over black hair with a hint of wave in it. Heat flooded her face when Linc looked up and caught her watching him.

The wind shook the house and drowned out any conversation coming from across the room as the medics dropped the wheels on the gurney and parked the bed in the corner. She glanced at her grandmother. Her lips were moving, and Ainsley was certain she was praying since prayer was Gran’s go-to. Used to be Ainsley’s until she went to Nashville. She brushed the thought off and squeezed her grandmother’s hand.

The paramedics continued to work on her aunt. Linc talked to Kanesha while she fitted an oxygen mask over Cora’s nose and mouth, then he strode toward them. Ainsley averted her gaze and studied her clasped hands.

“How is Cora?” her grandmother asked. “Is she conscious?”

“In and out. Kanesha says she’s stable for the moment,” Linc said. “As soon as this lets up, they’ll take her to Merit.”

Merit was the hospital not far from their house, but then practically everything in Natchez was reachable in ten minutes.

She looked away from Linc. Her fingernails were turning white, and she relaxed her hands. This was crazy. She’d faced criminals with more courage.

Besides, he was the one who’d forced her to choose between him and her dream. Ainsley lifted her chin but almost faltered when she found herself gazing into Linc’s hazel eyes, which had once looked at her with love.

“Does Kanesha know what’s wrong with Cora?” Gran asked.

“If she does, she’s not saying...” He glanced toward the gurney. “From the knot and cut on her head, it could be a brain bleed caused from falling.”

Her grandmother gasped. “No.”

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