Read Online Divine Charity by Heather Rainier - Free Book Online Page A

just a few minutes.
    The phone tree that Charity and Grace had with the girls was nothing compared to the one the men had developed over the years. Justin called his dad and explained their delay in getting in to work, and they were at Batson’s within five minutes. An auburn-haired woman in her early thirties climbed from her compact car, revealing her expectant state, and her relief at seeing Val and Ransome had been evident when she set eyes on them.
    Ransome said, “We’re taking you someplace safe, Jessica. You don’t need to be afraid anymore.”
    The hero worship in her eyes was obvious as she thanked them. They told her there was no way they’d leave her to defend herself against an obvious threat.
    Thirty minutes later, Jessica was sitting at Grace’s kitchen table, surrounded by Jack, Ethan, and Adam, Justin and the guys, as well as Chance and Lydia Carlisle. Charity was due to arrive any minute on her lunch hour. Justin had called the Carlisles to ask for help. He’d also called Hank Stinson, so he’d know what was going on. Hank had instructed them to just let him know where she would be and to contact him if they needed help. He’d agreed that the safest place for her was the Carlisles’ remote cabin since it was unlikely that Dornan would trace her out to Divine, and if he did, he’d never find her that far off of even the nearest gravel road. She could figure out the next step for her and her baby from there.
    Val and Ransome didn’t know the Carlisle brothers that well, and when they didn’t seem certain Justin had reassured them. “Chance, Lydia, and Clayton live the farthest out of all of us, there are men at the Rockin’ C Ranch twenty-four-seven. Anyone who shows up will be seen from a distance. And they have the perfect place to safely tuck her away. No one will find her.”
    Chance nodded his agreement and said, “We can take her out in the morning. The only way in is on horseback or four-wheeler. We’ve considered putting in a decent road, but sometimes it’s nice to be out of pocket.”
    Lydia agreed as she put her arm around her husband’s waist. “You’ll feel very safe there, Jessica. I’ll come out and spend some time with you and help you get to know the area. Would you be okay with staying on your own?”
    Looking down at her pregnant tummy, Jessica nodded but said, “Would my cell phone work out there?”
    Lydia nodded. “They usually do, but if not, there is also a two-way radio at the cabin. I can show you how to use it.”
    Val asked, “What about emergencies with the baby?”
    Lydia grinned and said, “We can have a helicopter out there in minutes. It’ll be good to make more use of it, won’t it, honey?”
    Chance nodded. “Clayton decided last year that we needed one and he’s just been dying to break it in ever since. We’ve got a couple of hands who are also licensed pilots.”
    “Those are pretty versatile employees,” Ransome said with a chuckle.
    Chance said, “Tank and Troy wanted to get out of the city and back on a ranch. We had just the job for them. Works for all of us pretty well. What do you say, Miss Bright? Want to come stay with us?”
    Jessica looked up at all of them and chewed her lip. “Would…would it be possible to not tell anyone else about what happened to me? I mean, I don’t mind those of you who are directly involved knowing…but I don’t want it to get around town, you know? I’ve been trying to work through my issues and move on with my life and my baby. I just don’t want people looking at me—or my baby—with pity.”
    Grace and Lydia shared a smile and Grace said, “The only ones who will know are the ones you tell. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are a survivor of a violent crime and we want to do whatever we can to help you get better and get on with your life. Once everything blows over, you may even decide you want to stay in Divine. It’ll be up to you who knows what happened.”
    Chance said, “That