Page 72 of Ambush

Oops, she shouldn’t have said that. Now Jenna would know for sure Blake had asked Paradise to talk to his mom.

“I’m as happy as it’s possible to be with Hank gone. The Sanctuary keeps me busy and content. I wish money wasn’t so tight, but God has provided week by week. This brouhaha will pass. The truth will come out. It always does eventually.”

Paradise finished washing the tomatoes and laid them on a paper towel to dry. Did truth always come out? In her experience the bad guys continued their secret work unhindered and justice never came. But she was new at this whole trusting God thing. The old saying “The wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine” came to mind. God had exacted justice on Gerald Davis by now, but the thought only made her shudder.

Chapter 34

Blake had invited Paradise on a walk through the refuge once the boys were asleep. He loved the park at night with the predators’ eyes gleaming as they passed and the other park animals sleeping. February was two days away, and the chill felt good after the warmth of the kitchen. Paradise shivered, so he draped his arm around her.

She moved a little closer. “I should have brought a jacket.”

Her hair was still a bit damp from her shower, so he wasn’t surprised she was cold. “I’ve got a jacket in the barn. We can stop and grab it.” He quickened their pace toward the building looming ahead in the dim glow of an overhead light.

She kept pace with him, and they stepped into the barn, which smelled of hay and straw. He grabbed his lined denim jacket hanging on a nail and draped it over her. Her face tilted up toward him, and he couldn’t resist the temptation to brush his lips across hers. Her arms came up around his neck, and he pulled her into a tighter embrace, deepening the kiss. Her lips were soft and welcoming, and he relished her response.

He pulled back and thumbed her lower lip. “How did I ever live without you?”

Her mouth curved up under his thumb. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about us yet.”

“I never said that.”

“It was in your eyes.”

“Oh, so now you’re a mind reader?” He tugged the jacket back onto her shoulders. “I guess it doesn’t take much of a mind reader to know how I feel about you.”

She stilled, and her expression tensed as if she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear it. And maybe she was right and this wasn’t the time.

His phone sounded in his pocket. “Saved by the bell?” he whispered. He glanced at the screen and swiped open the call from Hez. “Hey, bro, you find something?” He kept possession of Paradise’s hand and walked with her out under the stars.

“Yeah, it came up under a stolen plate. Some guy in Birmingham reported it stolen a month ago. I also searched for Nicole Grant online, but none of them in the area matched her age and description. No hits.”

“So it appears she was part of the bigger picture of the attacks on The Sanctuary.”

“I’d say so.”

“Well, thanks for checking, Hez. I appreciate it. Put it on your bill.”

“Oh, I did, and it will require a full day of fishing at the pond out there.”

“You got it.” Smiling, Blake ended the call and told Paradise about the dead end.

“What about a reverse image search?” Paradise asked.

He steered her toward the vet facility since she wanted to checkon Rosy, who was back in the infirmary with another sprain. “What do you mean?”

“I snagged a picture of her on my phone as I got there to pick you up. I could upload it and have the search engine try to find Nicole’s picture. If she’s got her photo out there somewhere, we might find out who she really is.”

“That’s brilliant! Let’s give it a try.”

“Let me check Rosy first.” They reached the building, and she pulled out her key and unlocked the door.

A breeze touched his face, and he frowned. “You feel that? Did someone leave a window open?”

“I checked the windows and doors before I left tonight, and everything was locked up. Let me see if Rosy is okay.” She rushed to the room down the hall where sick animals were housed in crates.

Blake followed her. If someone was in here, he didn’t want her surprised by an intruder. Rosy was the only animal in the kennel room, and Paradise already had her crate open. The little fox lay curled in a far corner. “Is she okay?”

Paradise did a quick exam. “Seems to be.” She latched the door back in place. “Let’s check out the other rooms. The window in here is locked.”

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