Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 (6 page)

“Do I have to go?” I knew it was a dumb question, but I had to ask anyway.

“Of course. You’re the sheriff’s daughter and the guest of honor. If you don’t show up, both of us will be in trouble.”

“I was really hoping that by the weekend, this whole thing would be forgotten. I’m not even sure I want to go back to work because I don’t want people asking me questions.”

“Unfortunately, that’s just human nature. People are curious. Didn’t you think about the fall-out of becoming a hero when you decided to traipse out into the wilderness all on your own to find Ryder?” he joked.

“No, actually, the thought never crossed my mind,” I replied honestly. “Although, even if it had, I still would have done what I did.”

“Of course you would have. Most people would enjoy the attention, you know.”

“I guess I’m not most people.”

“You never have been and you never will be,” he said lovingly. He paused, gazing up at the milky sky that was quickly giving way to blackness. “Okay, I have an idea. You know Pete McKay who’s been the town deputy practically all his life is finally retiring, right?” I nodded. “We have a new recruit in training to take his place when he leaves at the end of the summer,” he continued. “Let me use Saturday to formally announce the transition and introduce Noah to the town. That will help draw some of the attention away from you.”

“I still wish I didn’t have to go. Can you promise me no reporters?”

“I’ll do my best, but this is the kind of thing they love.”

I sighed. I knew I would have to go to the ceremony and get through it no matter how uncomfortable it made me. “Okay, but I’m not going to like it. I don’t have to give a speech or anything, do I?”

“The mayor will probably want you to say a few words,” he admitted slowly.

“No. No, no, no. I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can. You’ll come up with something great, I’m sure of it. But you’re going to have to deal with this. It’ll eventually be forgotten, it’s just going to take some time.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and squeezed gently. “I’m proud of you, honey.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome.” He paused then said, “It’s almost dark out here. I’m going in. Don’t stay out too late.”

“I won’t. I just want to wait a little longer for Dakota.” I glanced at him before he rose to his feet and retreated back into the house. As soon as the door shut behind him, the outside light turned on, casting shadows across the yard.

I leaned my elbows on my knees and looked up at the sky. It was another silent night in the chilly mountain air. No crickets chirping, no wind whispering through the leaves, just a dead calm like last night. Suddenly, a shadow moved, catching my attention out of the corner of my eye. I jumped for a moment before realizing it was Dakota. He trotted over to me, his movements as silent as the night. He was quite good at sneaking up on me. I hadn’t heard a sound before seeing him. Not a single leaf rustled beneath his paws and not a single twig snapped. He could make his way through the forest as quietly as a ghost.

When he reached me, Dakota nuzzled my neck with a greeting.

“Hi, there,” I said, rubbing the fur between his ears. “I missed you today.”

He nodded and I noticed the familiar understanding in his honey-colored eyes. Then he turned and sat next to me, his fur brushing against my legs. We both stared into the darkness, lost deep in our thoughts.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there before I heard a low rumble coming from Dakota. He watched the trees hidden by the black cloak of night, his growl deepening.

“What is it, boy?” I asked quietly, even though I knew he couldn’t answer me.

He curled his upper lip, baring sharp fangs, as his growl grew more intense. I shivered, wishing he could tell me what he heard or sensed.

A stick snapped somewhere out in the not-too-distant forest. It was loud enough that whatever had stepped on it must have been fairly heavy. Dakota jumped to his feet, his posture tall, straight, and ready to strike. The coarse smoky black fur on his back stood straight up along his spine. He continued growling, and I knew that whatever was out there was no bear, moose, or other harmless animal. Dakota spent as much time around them as I did, and he knew none of the animals who lived here were a threat. Whatever it was, I was sure Dakota had picked up its scent. He knew exactly what was out there. He just couldn’t tell me.

I had the distinct feeling that we were being watched and my spine tingled with fear. I stood up cautiously, my eyes darting from Dakota to the woods in the direction the sound had come from.

Before I could turn back to the house, Dakota launched into a stealthy run. He crossed the yard in a few long strides before disappearing into the darkness, his shadowy figure a blur. A deathly silence hung in the night air. I shivered and hugged my arms around me, not from the cold, but from the strange feeling of being watched. After one more glance at the woods, I hurried into the safety of the house. As I shut the door behind me, I instinctively raised my hand to the light switch. But I hesitated, staring at the dim light outside the window panes.

With a deep sigh, I lowered my hand without flipping the switch. Leaving the light on made me feel safer. And for the first time in my life, I locked the door. Then I turned and headed upstairs to my room for bed, hoping that I could forget all about what had just happened.

Chapter 4

Paralyzed with fear, I watched from the front passenger seat of our SUV as the town citizens gathered on the lawn in front of a white gazebo. Young families lounged on blankets with their picnic baskets. Children kicked soccer balls and threw footballs, and adults sat in folding chairs. It was quite the crowd, and it looked like the entire town had shown up.

At least it was a beautiful day, so typical of our summers in the mountains, with bright green maple and oak trees reaching up to the blue sky. I tried to tell myself that these people had come out to enjoy the weather rather than to see me, but it wasn’t a convincing argument. The story of my rescue of Ryder had not only aired on TV, but it had also been written up in the local newspaper,
The Boston Herald
,
The Concord Monitor
, and countless others over the last few days. The people had gathered here because of me, not the gorgeous weather.

I leaned back against the head rest and closed my eyes for a quick moment before a knock on my half-open window jolted me back to reality. I turned to see Ethan leaning toward the window with a smile.

“There you are. You can’t stay in there all day.”

I pushed my sunglasses up onto the bridge of my nose as if I could hide behind them. “Why not?” I asked sarcastically.

“You’re the guest of honor. Everyone’s asking about you.”

“Great. Until this week, no one in this town knew I existed unless I was serving them pizza. I’d rather keep it that way.”

A pretty red-haired girl suddenly appeared next to Ethan, and I smiled. I wouldn’t be able to get through this day without my two best friends.

Brooke stood nearly eight inches shorter than Ethan, but that didn’t stop her from cutting in front of him. She wore her red hair cropped to her shoulders. Her fair skin was as pale as mine, and her blue eyes were nearly transparent in the bright sun.

“Hey there, hero girl,” she quipped.

“Don’t call me that,” I muttered.

She ignored my request. “You’re going to have to stop sulking and suck it up. Get out here.”

Ethan stepped aside as Brooke opened the door. Like me, she was dressed up, at least what we considered dressed up in our small town. Her floral peasant skirt and billowy white top mimicked the blue sky and puffy clouds. A silver cross hung around her neck, glinting in a ray of sunlight.

I reluctantly slid out of the SUV, tugging my light purple sundress down toward my knees as I stepped on the uneven gravel in my wedge-heeled strappy sandals. “Okay, I’m out, but I’m not happy about it.”

Brooke met my frown with a teasing smile before hugging me. “Oh, stop. It’s your big day.” As she pulled away, she sucked in a deep breath, gently brushing the faint red mark from where I had scraped my head on the rock. “That must have hurt.”

I immediately wished I hadn’t pulled my hair back into a loose side braid. Even though that kept it from blowing in the breeze, it made what was left of my bruise that much more visible. “A little,” I said with a shrug.

“You’re so nonchalant about this. If it were me, I’d be eating up all the attention. Now, you need to lose the sunglasses. It’s like you’re hiding behind them.”

I am hiding behind them,
I thought.
I don’t want to be here, but no one seems to care about my opinion.
“Not until later. It’s sunny out here.” I wished I could keep them on through the ceremony, but Brooke was right. They would have to come off.

“Are you hungry? We have a picnic basket and a cooler over there.” Brooke pointed to a Navajo-patterned blanket spread out under a maple tree along the edge of the lawn.

“Not at all.” The truth was, my stomach was tied up in knots over this whole event and just the thought of food made me nauseated.

“I am.” Ethan grinned. Of course he was. Like every other teenage boy, he was always ready to eat. “Let’s go.”

I followed them to the blanket, and the three of us sat down. Scanning the crowd, I saw Brooke’s and Ethan’s parents in the center. My father was wandering around somewhere to find his new recruit, and my mother had disappeared since arriving to catch up with some friends.

As Brooke opened a bag of chips and Ethan dove into the cooler for a sandwich, I continued watching the lawn for familiar faces. I recognized a lot of kids from school and groaned to myself. The last thing I wanted was this attention so close to the start of a new school year. I had managed to stay practically invisible during my high school career, and I wasn’t about to stop now. Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to have much of a choice.

My gaze came to rest on a group of four girls milling about across the lawn, and I frowned. Until I had seen them, I hadn’t been too worried about the aftermath of this circus. “Oh, no. Marlena and her friends are here,” I said.

Brooke’s eyes followed my gaze, and she, too, frowned. “What did you expect? She’s the mayor’s daughter. Of course she’s here. And she never goes anywhere without her friends. Don’t worry. I’m sure she doesn’t want to be here any more than you do.” I glanced at Brooke who quickly explained, “After all, she won’t be the center of attention today.”

“I’d gladly switch places with her,” I muttered, returning my gaze to the four girls across the lawn. Marlena was the tall one with long, platinum-blonde hair. She was the head cheerleader and the most sought after girl in our class. All of the boys were in love with her, but she treated them like toys. Her friends, also cheerleaders, followed her like puppies. A part of me envied them. Not just because they were pretty and popular, but because they were normal and they fit in, something I couldn’t relate to. As I continued watching them, a guy I didn’t recognize approached them. From a distance, I could only tell that he was tall and lean with dark hair. “Who’s that?”

“Who?” Brooke asked.

“That guy over there talking to Marlena.”

Marlena beamed at him, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. I could tell even from across the crowded lawn that she was trying to impress him.

“Oh, him. That’s Noah Lawson, your dad’s new recruit. I saw him a few days ago in town from a distance. He’s really hot. I told you about him, remember?” Brooke rolled her eyes. “Looks like Marlena has staked her claim on him.”

“Isn’t he a little old for her?”

“She’s eighteen. Remember her huge birthday party that we weren’t invited to? Although, if he has any sense at all, he’ll stay away from her. Because, if he doesn’t, he’ll have to be very careful where he puts his hands, not to mention other things.” Brooke looked back at me with a sparkle in her eyes, and we both laughed. Then she asked, “So, are you ready to start your senior year as the local hero?”

“You’re giving me too much credit. Dakota’s the real hero.” I stopped short as her parents approached us and asked about the night I found Ryder. I answered them politely, only this time referring to Dakota as a stray dog. As I spoke, my attention reverted back to the scene across the lawn. Marlena had moved closer to Noah, and he had turned slightly so that I could see the side of his face. He was wearing the town police uniform of blue jeans and a light blue button down shirt, a silver badge pinned to the front pocket. From a distance, I could tell that Brooke was right. He was gorgeous.

As I watched him, his gaze wandered across the lawn until it settled on me. Even hiding behind my sunglasses, I felt like I’d been caught staring and I snapped my attention back to Brooke’s parents. They looked at me expectantly, as if they were waiting for me to speak. “I’m sorry. Did you ask me something?” I asked sheepishly.

Brooke’s mother smiled with understanding. “I’m sure this is a lot to handle right now.” She motioned to the crowd. “They all came to see you. I was asking if you had prepared a speech.”

I nearly choked at her question. “Speech? Um, no. I haven’t even thought about that. I have no idea what to say.”

“Well, you better think fast,” Brooke said. “It looks like the mayor is about to begin.”

I looked over at the gazebo. Mayor Hobbs, dressed in khaki slacks and a white polo shirt, his short gray hair brushed perfectly into place, stood at the front and center. He held a microphone in his hand. “May I have everyone’s attention?”

A hush fell over the audience as his voice echoed from the loudspeakers. A baby cried and the voice of a young child broke through the silence every few seconds.

Once all eyes were focused on him, the mayor began. “Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to gather here to pay our respects to one very special girl.”

As he rambled on about Ryder’s rescue as if no one knew yet, I tuned him out and looked at Brooke. She took a deep breath and mouthed, “Sorry.”

I turned my attention back to the mayor just in time to hear him say, “Please give a warm welcome to Laken Sumner.” He held his free hand up over his eyes to shield them from the sun as he scanned the crowd for me. “Laken, please join me up here.”

I slowly rose to my feet and handed my sunglasses to Brooke. Everyone watched me as I walked along the outer edge of the lawn. Nerves fluttered in my empty stomach and I tried to ignore them. I glimpsed my father behind the gazebo with Pete McKay, the deputy who would be retiring at the end of the summer. Deputy McKay’s hair was frosted white and his face weathered from years of outside exposure. My father smiled, nodding at me as I approached the gazebo.

I was especially careful as I climbed the wooden stairs. The last thing I needed was to trip and fall flat on my face with everyone watching. At the top, I hesitated before walking across the platform. All eyes were focused on me, making my heart race. The mayor tossed a kind smile my way as I stopped beside him. I took a deep breath, trying to relax.

“Hello, Mayor Hobbs,” I said quietly.

“Laken.” He extended his hand, but when I reached out for it, he pulled me into a quick hug. As he let go, I noticed the slightest glaze of tears in his blue eyes. But he composed himself at once before speaking into the microphone. “I think I speak for the entire town when I say thank you. You did an amazing thing by rescuing Ryder and we are all grateful. It’s people like you that make living in this town very special.” He paused, reaching into his pocket for an envelope. “The business owners in town have come together to give you this.” He handed it to me. “It’s not much compared to what you did, but it’s the least we could do. These are some gift certificates to restaurants and stores. We hope you enjoy them.”

I graciously took the envelope from him. “Thank you,” I said softly, but I knew no one except for him could hear me. He noticed right away and handed the microphone to me. Holding it up hesitantly, I repeated, “Thank you.” The loud words echoed as I peered out across the sea of faces watching me, waiting for me to say something more. I took a deep breath and prayed for courage. “I just want to say that this is completely unnecessary. I only did what any one of you would have done if given the chance. I was in the right place at the right time, that’s all.” I turned to face the mayor and held up the envelope. “This was very thoughtful. I will enjoy these.”

“It’s a small token of our appreciation for what you did.”

I nodded in understanding as I scanned the crowd, honing in on Ryder who sat on his mother’s lap, his father beside them. Tears of happiness streamed down her face as she kissed the top of Ryder’s head. I sighed and looked over at the mayor. Covering the microphone with my free hand, I leaned toward him. “I don’t have anything else. Can I go now?”

“Sure.” He took the microphone from me and held it up to his mouth. “Thank you, Laken. That was wonderful.”

Then he tucked it under his arm to clap his hands. Applause roared out from the audience. I smiled shyly at him before hurrying back to the steps. Flustered, I couldn’t wait to get as far away from the gazebo as possible.

My thoughts lingered on the applauding crowd as I started to rush down the stairs. Unfortunately, I wasn’t nearly as careful as I had been going up the same steps minutes ago. I misjudged the second one and tripped on my own two feet. As I felt myself falling forward, I reached for the only thing I saw in front of me, two strong arms. I grabbed a hold of the stranger as his hands clasped around my waist to steady me back onto my feet.