Even though they weren't related, the Winters, Youngs, and Knights were always generous to include his family in their get-togethers. Daniel hadn't spent as much time here when he was a kid as Riley and her cousins did, but he'd spent enough time to know that the families who owned the cabins often hung out together. Their kids swam, canoed, and camped out together all the time.
Daniel couldn't recall ever meeting the Ainsworths, but it was entirely possible that Collin had been obsessing over Riley much longer than any of them realized.
Riley must have come to the same conclusion because she shuddered then covered her face with both hands. Whimpering and squeaking sounds came from her, then suddenly her shoulders shook with great wracking sobs.
He scooted closer and pulled her into his arms. Gratefully she came, but her body remained tense and rigid. He held her for a long time until her hiccupping sniffles finally subsided. When she pulled away to go to the bathroom, he had no choice but to let her go. She may have let him hold and comfort her, but there was an emotional barrier between them as tall and as thick as the great wall of China.
He couldn't force her to trust him, so he focused on finding them food. By the time she came out of the bathroom, he had toast from a loaf of bread he found in the freezer and a mug of herbal tea on the table. He also had water boiling on the stove for macaroni and cheese.
Her mumbled, "Thanks," did little to ease his concerns.
He'd just placed a bowl of macaroni in front of her when the door burst open, and Faith Winters rushed in. Within seconds, she'd swept Riley, who'd started crying hysterically at the sight of her mother, into her arms. The two of them ended up on the couch again exactlywhere he'd held Riley a short time ago, but Riley's posture was different now.
She wilted into her mother, practically curling up on her lap, never mind that she was taller than her mom.
Jake stepped over to Daniel. "How did you and Robert find Riley?"
"She found us." He spoke in hushed tones. "She managed to escape Ainsworth and ran into the road right in front of us. We almost hit her."
Daniel's chest swelled with pride as he told Jake that Riley had stabbed Ainsworth with the whittling knife he'd given her. He was so proud of her for standing up to and triumphing over Ainsworth. Unfortunately, overcoming the fear this new assault triggered would take a lot longer.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of high tension on Daniel's part and even higher emotions on Riley's part. She babbled to her mother as she cried, making her sentences either incoherent or disjointed. Then Robert arrived to get a full statement from her.
Attempting to stay out of the way, but mostly because he was so keyed up, Daniel stood near the table, gripping the top two rungs of a ladder-back chair while Robert questioned Riley.
She rubbed at a spot on the side of her neck as she struggled to recall the details of what happened in the hospital parking lot. "I think he drugged me."
Jake bolted to his feet at her words and joined Daniel in the kitchen gripping a second chair.
Robert shot his younger brother a look that was a combination of I-hear-you and cool-it, then turned back to Riley. "We found a syringe in his car. I’ll have the lab at the hospital analyze it to figure out exactly what he gave you. I had Dale pull the security footage. He’ll fill in the details at the hospital." He consulted his notebook. "Do you remember anything about the car ride to Ainsworth's lake house?"
Riley shook her head. "No, I just gradually came-to on a bed."
Daniel's blood grew hot and his grip on the chair tightened as he listened to Riley describe her disturbing interactions with Ainsworth. Pretending to still be unconscious was genius. It was no secret whatAinsworth's end goal was, so Daniel appreciated that the man planned an elaborate seduction if for no other reason than it delayed the inevitable and gave Riley an opportunity to escape.
When she described how he tackled her and the way he grabbed her ankle, sending her sprawling, his grip on the chair tightened.
Crack! The second slat snapped, breaking in two. Splintered wood dug into his fingers.
"Dude!" Jake scowled at him, then he looked down at his own white-knuckle grip and loosened the hold he had on his chair.
This time, Daniel got the look of empathy and warning from Robert.
Robert shared a few minor details that he'd learned with the rest of them, but Daniel could tell he knew more than he was divulging.
The drive back to the ranch passed quietly with Faith in the back seat holding Riley, and Daniel sitting up front with Jake. He hoped to have an opportunity to talk with Riley more when they got home or at least hold her to confirm to himself that she was really okay, but Faith talked her into going into town to stay with her at her Aunt Charity's house.
Daniel suspected the part that swayed Riley the most was the promise of her uncle James prescribing something that would help her sleep tonight. But what hurt the most was that Riley didn't even say goodbye.
Less than ten minutes after arriving back at the ranch, he stood in the darkness under a tree near the big house with the breeze rifling his hair as he watched Faith's car drive away. The smaller the taillights became, the larger the hole in his chest grew.
He was tempted to ask Jake to drive him into town to get his truck, but he feared if he did, he wouldn't make it back home without stopping at one of the two bars in town or the liquor store. Because unfortunately, despite Riley being safe, the urge for a stiff drink hadn't diminished one bit from this afternoon.
CHAPTER 24
Faith grimaced as she walked back into Charity's living room. "I'm sorry Daniel, Riley doesn't want to see you right now."
Again.
