Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Laura Scott (christmas read aloud TXT) 📗

still think we need to get to the Teton Valley Hotel to find Brett’s folder.”

Duncan glanced at her. “You have a point. The fact that this guy took a chance in slipping into the cabin in broad daylight reeks of desperation. The sooner we get out of Moose, Wyoming, the better.”

Colt and Slade exchanged a glance. “It would be better to wait until dark,” Colt pointed out. “But I agree, staying here doesn’t seem to be a good plan.”

“I’ll call Ranger Connolly. Maybe he has an idea of where we can hide out for a while.” Slade stepped away with his phone.

Duncan understood where the marshals were coming from. Obviously, getting out of town would be best after dark, at least as far as making it difficult for anyone to follow them. But two attempts here in the cabin over the past couple of hours wasn’t good, either.

Resting his hands on Chelsey’s shoulders, he tried not to count down the hours that he had left with her. Less than twenty-four hours for sure. From his army experience he knew flying in small planes close to the mountains at night was extremely dangerous. The earliest Chelsey would be able to be flown out of Jackson was early tomorrow morning.

Eighteen hours. A wave of helplessness washed over him.

After attempting to keep an emotional distance from her, he was forced to admit eighteen hours wasn’t nearly enough.

Not when he longed for so much more.

Chelsey sat at the kitchen table, listening as they made their plans for the next few hours. Duncan was unusually silent, and she wondered what he was thinking.

“Connolly and Davidson will be here shortly,” Slade announced. “Davidson offered up his place for us to use.”

“That’s very nice of him,” Chelsey said.

“I just hope his place is isolated from the others,” Duncan said, breaking his silence. “I saw a long apartment building on our way in.”

“I don’t know where he lives,” Slade said. “But at this point being surrounded by other rangers might not be so bad. At least they have law enforcement training and weapons.”

She’d noticed Colt went back to keeping watch over their captured assailant. She shivered, remembering the feel of his hands grasping at her, his hot breath on her face.

Maybe getting out of here was the best option. Why wait until darkness when the threats had been nonstop?

The two park rangers arrived a few minutes later. Duncan carefully checked the door before letting them inside.

“The man who assaulted Chelsey is in the spare bedroom. We have reason to believe he’s part of the team who tried to shoot us in the mountains.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “US Marshal Colt Nelson is watching over him now.”

“Okay,” Eric said with a nod. “We’ll lock your guy up first, then we’ll relocate all of you to Davidson’s place. He’s the only one who has a home here. The rest of us use the apartment building on the other end of town.”

“I want you both to know how much I appreciate what you’re doing for me,” Chelsey said. “This is above and beyond the call of duty.”

Paul Davidson shrugged off her gratitude. “Not at all, it’s our job. I don’t like men shooting at civilians in my park.”

The process took longer than Chelsey had imagined, but ninety minutes later, they were ready to leave. As before, Duncan and Slade shielded Chelsey with their bodies as they left the cabin, Slade disabling the alarm so they could tuck her safely in the back seat of the SUV. She was secretly glad when Duncan slid in beside her, leaving Slade and Colt up front.

Duncan took her hand, his fingers warmly curling around hers. She clung to him, hating knowing their time together would end soon.

“Hey, check out that van up ahead,” Slade said from the front seat.

Chelsey craned her neck to see. Her jaw dropped when she realized the van was familiar, all white with tan lettering along the side, three capital letter Cs, then in smaller lettering, the words Coyote Creek Construction.

“Let’s follow it,” Colt suggested.

“It might be better to grab the driver and question him,” Duncan pointed out. “See how slow it’s moving? He might be out here looking for the guy who we just hauled off to jail for attacking Chelsey.”

“There’s only one road, so it’s not like I have any other option than to stay behind him,” Slade pointed out.

“He’s slowing down,” Colt said, a hint of anticipation in his voice. “Maybe we should grab him.”

“He could just be a construction worker for the company,” Chelsey felt the need to point out.

“What’s he doing in Moose?” Duncan asked. “I highly doubt there’s any new construction going on here. This town is unincorporated, there isn’t much to draw people to living here, unless they’re working for the park service, the hotel or the restaurant.”

She had to admit Duncan was right. But she also didn’t like the idea of hassling an innocent man.

“He’s turning into the gas station,” Colt said. “Grabbing him while he’s filling his tank is our best option.”

“Let’s do it,” Slade agreed.

Chelsey tightened her grip on Duncan’s hand, hoping he wouldn’t volunteer. She could tell he wanted to but remained at her side.

Slade pulled in behind the van, then the two marshals waited until the driver was pumping gas before getting out of the SUV and surrounding him.

There were no raised voices, but from the body language, it was clear the van driver was protesting his innocence. Duncan slid his window down a bit so they could hear.

“I don’t know anything about Wesley Strand,” the driver said. “Or about any plan to kill anyone.”

“That’s not your buddy’s story,” Slade said. “He’s singing like a bird.”

The driver flinched and tried to jump into the van, but the marshals had him surrounded. This time it was Colt who used his handcuffs while Slade came back to the SUV.

“Colt is going to take this guy to the rangers’ jail, too,” he informed them.

“But—he hasn’t committed a crime,