Claire turned to thank the stranger, but hed walked away.
The pocket-size Bible sticking out of his back pocket snagged her attention. Interesting.
She hurried after him, not wanting him to disappear without thanking him. In this day and age, not many people would have come to her aid.
Hey, wait, she called.
He paused, glancing over his shoulder. When she caught up to him, he arched a black brow. His expression was less intimidating now, more playful. She swallowed.
Her first impression that he was good-looking had been marred by the anger hardening his features. She realized he was beyond good-looking and sliding straight toward gorgeous. Everything inside went on alert, like the quills of a porcupine sensing danger.
TERRI REED
grew up in a small town nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills. To entertain herself, she created stories in her head and when she put those stories to paper her teachers in grade school, high school and college encouraged her imagination. Living in Italy as an exchange student whetted her appetite for travel and modeling in New York, Chicago and San Francisco gave her a love for the big city, as well. She has also coached gymnastics and taught in a preschool. She enjoys walks on the beach, hikes in the mountains and exploring cities. From a young age she attended church but it wasnt until her thirties that she really understood the meaning of a faith-filled life. Now living in Portland, Oregon with her college-sweetheart husband, two wonderful children, a rambunctious Australian shepherd and a fat guinea pig, she feels blessed to be able to share her stories and her faith with the world. She loves to hear from readers at P.O. Box 19555, Portland, OR 97280.
A Sheltering Love
Terri Reed
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Luke 6:31
To Robyn, friends forever. Thank you for all the times you listened. For all the times you were there when I needed you.
Thank you to author and retired social worker Delle Jacobs for so patiently answering all my questions. Any mistakes are purely mine.
Thank you to my editor, Diane Dietz, for believing in me and for the wonderful pep talk.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Letter to Reader
Chapter One
Here comes trouble.
Maybe some kids were beyond her help.
Claire Wilcox eyed the two teenage boys sauntering across the grassy park toward the shaded spot where she and fifteen-year-old Mindy were talking. Claires gaze zeroed in on the taller, dark-haired boy with scraggly, shoulder-length hair and a thin face. The early April sunlight splintered off the earring dangling in his left ear. In his hands he carried a golden retriever puppy.
Behind the two boys, in sharp contrast, the purity of the majestic snowcapped peak of Mount Hood rose in the distance like a sentry, standing watch over Oregons Willamette Valley.
Shed seen the dark-haired boy around town.
Some locals blamed last months vandalism at the downtown theater on this kid. She didnt know his story, but she would soon if the opening of the teen shelter went as planned this coming July.
Hey, Johnny, catch. The dark-haired boy suddenly tossed the puppy to his blond companion, who awkwardly caught the small dog.
Claires heart pitched. She stalked forward, her hands clenched at her sides. Hey! Dont do that!
Johnny shoved the dog back into the hands of the taller kid.
Do this? He tossed the small dog back to his companion.
The puppy yelped and Johnny caught the little fluff ball, then held it at arms length by the scruff of the neck. The kids gray sweatshirt and faded jeans were dirty, as if hed rolled or slept on the ground. His gaze darted away from Claire, his face flushing guiltily.
Tyler, stop it, Mindy wailed as she moved to the side of the taller kid.
So this was Tyler.
Claire scrutinized the dark-haired boy in his red T-shirt with some rock bands logo on the front and ripped, dirty jeans. Mindy had said he was nice. He didnt look nice. He looked downright nasty. The kind of guy she would have fallen for at Mindys age. The kind that would give any parent a heart attack.
Not her. She knew better. Everyone deserved a chance.
Claire understood the pain of the rebellious teens she was trying to help. She understoodhad experienced the wounds of childhood. Wounds inflicted by those she should have been able to trust.
Teens like Mindy and Tyler stood on the cusp of adulthood, where the choices they made would affect the rest of their lives. By the grace of God, Aunt Denise had stepped in and helped Claire when shed been at the point of no return. Not every teen was as fortunate.
If only Claire could get through to kids like these. Earning the right to be heard, to be trusted, would take time. Once The Zone officially opened, she hoped to make a difference in their lives. Give them a place to belong, to come to when it became too rough at home.
A safe haven.
But her only concern right now was for the animal.
She flexed her hands and willed herself to stay calm. With as much control as she could muster, she said, Give me the puppy.
Tyler snorted and grabbed the puppy back from his friend. You aint the boss of me, lady.
No, Im not. Youre the boss of you. But I dont think youre cruel, either, Tyler. Just let the pup go. Though shed gentled her tone, anxiety wavered in her voice.
Tyler flipped his unwashed hair over his shoulder as his eyes narrowed. Claire met his challenging gaze dead-on. He wanted attention, wanted someone to trust, somebody to care. Well, shed show him she cared and that she wasnt afraid or intimidated by him.
Most people in Pineridge would just as soon lock up these kinds of teens. The throwaways. But Claire had different ideas. They needed help and understanding. And she could give that to them.
Tyler dropped his gaze first, affirming to Claire that he just needed some guidance, some boundaries. But when he lifted his gaze back to hers, she sucked in a breath at the malicious intent in his gray eyes.
You want the dog? His mouth curled up in a sneer. Then you catch the dog.
Tyler flung the puppy upward. Fear clamped a steely hand around Claires heart. The dog yelped again, its legs flailing in the air. She lurched forward, her arms outstretched, her hands ready to catch the dog. But she was too far away. Her feet stumbled on a rut in the grass. Her pulse pounded. The teens snickering echoed in her ears.
Dear Lord, help!
A shadow crossed her peripheral vision. The air swirled with a rush of heat as a dark shape overtook her, passed her. She skidded to a halt.
A man.
A man.
He deftly caught the small pup and cradled the trembling dog against his black leather-clad chest. His big hands gently soothed the puppy with long strokes down its back.
The man was tall, well over six feet, wearing black leather down to his heavy boots. The ebony hair curling at the edge of his collar needed a trim and a few days growth of beard shadowed his square jaw. Tiny brackets edged his mouth and weathered little creases outlined his eyes.
But it was those dark orbs that sent her pulse into shock.
Though he stared down Tyler, she saw the hard glint of rage shining from the fathomless depths of his black eyes.
Tall, dark and dangerous. Nothing but trouble there.
Claire resisted the urge to back away. Shed learned long ago that she was susceptible to the kind of guy that sent good girls scrambling for cover. Claire wasnt a good girl; shed done some horrible things in the past. Things she was ashamed of. But shed turned her life around and wasnt about to backslide.
Tyler scowled. Hey, mister, thats mine.
Not anymore. Anger punctuated the strangers words. His accent wasnt from the Pacific Northwest.
He thrust the butterball of a dog into Claires arms. His gaze flicked over her before once again settling on Tyler. Claire shivered at the fury in those impenetrable eyes.
She cuddled the puppy close. Its heart hammered against its little ribs. She met Tylers fierce glare. Animosity glowed bright in his eyes. She wasnt winning any points with the kid. A long, tough road stretched ahead if she wanted to help him. But she was up to the challenge.
Time for you to leave, little boy, the man said. A command, not a suggestion.
She groaned into the puppys fur. Not the thing to say to a teenage boy who was trying to grow up too fast. Was the man deliberately trying to provoke Tyler? A quick glance at the tall stranger confirmed what she feared. His expression dared Tyler to react.
Tylers chin jutted out in a mutinous gesture. Whos going to make me?
The man didnt move a muscle, didnt say a word, but the charged silence crackled with suppressed hostility.
Hed have no trouble taking on an undernourished fifteen-year-old, even one with the attitude of Godzilla. Why was the man still so enraged now that the puppy was safe?
Beside her, Mindy shuffled her feet, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Wide-eyed, Tylers friend looked between the intimidating man and Tyler. His hunched shoulders and the way he edged away from Tyler told Claire that the blonde would bolt at the first sign of a fight.
The fire in Tylers eyes slowly turned to fear as the man stood there waiting, his expression intense and unyielding. She held her breath, hoping Tyler would take heed of his own internal warning system and leave.
He didnt.
Im not going. Not without the dog. Tylers voice quivered slightly.
You might want to rethink that idea.
The steely edge in the mans voice sent a ripple of concern down Claires spine. Time for damage control. She couldnt let this male posturing go any further. Tyler was just a boy trying to survive in the world.
She stepped toward the stranger and laid a hand on his arm. The leather-clad muscles of his forearm bunched beneath her palm and shot little sparks of heat up her arm to settle in the middle of her chest.
Her hand tightened.
For a tense moment she thought the man wouldnt back down, but then he turned his gaze on her. The burning anger in his eyes slowly drained. Stark, vivid torment filled his expression.
Aching compassion welled within her, making the need to heal, to offer comfort, tangible. Shed seen the haunted expression before, in the faces of teens whod confronted the unimaginable and survived. But glimpsing the wounded soul of this man made tears sting the back of her eyes.
His eyes widened slightly, giving her the distinct impression that hed somehow glimpsed her thoughts. Invaded her mind. She blinked rapidly, using her unshed tears as a shield against the threat of this man who twisted her up inside and made her forget to breathe.
Abruptly, he turned away, fixing his attention back on Tyler and giving her a moment to catch her breath. His body language relaxed slightly, giving her the signal that she could remove her hand from his arm. She did, her hand immediately turning cold.
Go. Just go. The tired, ancient sound of the mans voice gave testament to the pain shed seen in his eyes. And dont come back.
Claire opened her mouth to protest, to say she wanted the teens to come, to know that theyd always be accepted at The Zone. But she met Tylers gaze and the words died in her throat.
Hatred gleamed from his gray eyes. He brought his hand up and made a slicing motion across his throat. The stranger stiffened, all semblance of relaxation vanishing.
Tyler curled his lip and backed up. Come on, lets blow this dump, he said, his chin jutting out once again.
Relief showed on the other boys face. Yeah, this is boring. He didnt waste time retreating, gaining a large lead on Tyler as he headed west toward one end of the park.
Tyler kept backing up, his gaze darting between the man and Claire. Mindy, lets go.
Claire put a hand on Mindys slender arm. You dont have to go. I can help you.
Mindy chewed her lip, her young face pale, scared. Indecision shone in her blue eyes.
Mindy! Tylers demand made the girl jump.
Dont go, Claire implored.
The puppy squirmed in her grasp and she loosened her hold. Mindy twirled her long, dirty brown hair around a finger, gave Claire an apologetic grimace and scurried after Tyler.
As Tylers arm settled around Mindy in a gesture that Claire knew all too well, heaviness descended on Claires shoulders. Billy had possessed her like that. Made her his property. She shuddered and repressed the memory. She was never going to allow herself to be that needy again.
Lord, please protect Mindy, she murmured the prayer aloud.
Claire snuggled the puppy and turned to thank the stranger, but hed walked away. His long legs carried him in the opposite direction of the teens, toward the parking lot at the east end of the park. The pocket-size Bible sticking out of his back pocket snagged her attention. Interesting.
She hurried after him, not wanting him to disappear without thanking him. In this day and age, not many people would have come to her aid.
Hey, wait, she called.
He paused, glancing over his shoulder. When she caught up to him, he arched a black brow. His expression was less intimidating now, more playful. She swallowed.
Her first impression that he was good-looking had been marred by the anger hardening his features. She realized he was beyond good-looking and sliding straight toward gorgeous. Everything inside went on alert, like the quills of a porcupine sensing danger.
He raised both brows. Heat crept into her cheeks. I wanted to say thank you.
No big deal.
The soft rumble of his voice vibrated through her, sending tingles along her nerve endings.
He started forward again and she doubled her steps to match his lengthy stride. But it was a big deal to this little guyand to me.
One corner of his mouth kicked upward in an appealing way as he scratched the dog behind the ear. You two take good care of each other.
Claire watched that big, strong hand stroke the yellow fur and envy flooded her. It had been a long time since a man had run his fingers through her hair. A long time since shed allowed anyone close enough to touch her at all. But this was the wrong man to want that from.