Proximity, page 1
Cover image Dry Roses © Grape_vein, iStockphotography
Cover design by Christina Marcano
Cover design copyright © 2018 by Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.
American Fork, Utah
Copyright © 2018 by Traci Hunter Abramson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any format or in any medium without the written permission of the publisher, Covenant Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 416, American Fork, UT 84003. The views expressed within this work are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Covenant Communications, Inc., or any other entity.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are either products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real, or are used fictitiously.
ISBN:978-1-52440-684-4
Acknowledgments
Rarely do I find so many pieces of real life making their way into a novel, but Proximity pulls from events that have occurred over the past several decades. Thank you to Tiffany Hunter for sharing your story and for living so many of the memories captured within these pages. I’ll play hide-and-seek with you anytime. Thanks to my parents for the many summers in Pinewood and to Wanda Hunter for providing the upgraded backdrop of Grandma and Granddad’s house.
My continued appreciation to the people at Covenant Communications who have helped guide my writing career, especially Samantha Millburn, Stephanie Lacey, Kathy Jenkins, and Robby Nichols. Thank you to my critique partners, Paige Edwards and Ellie Whitney. I don’t know what I’d do without you.
Thanks to my husband, Jon, and to my children, Diana, Christina, Lara, Gabriel, and Luke for your continued support. I also want to thank Sarah Miller for the inspiration for Tia’s career. It’s been a joy watching you become the woman you are today.
Thanks to my fellow Mingus Marauders who made my years in Cottonwood such an adventure, especially Paula Robinson, Stephanie Futral, and Lora Feight.
Finally, thank you to the many readers who continue to support my writing. I hope you enjoy catching up with some old friends while making some new ones.
For Tiffany and John
Chapter 1
Snow-capped mountains. Deep ravines. Water flowing through the river below. Colby Farren stared at the ocean in the distance and breathed in the crisp Alaskan air.
He closed his eyes and let himself remember his days with Lexi before things went wrong. Three glorious years. She had been a bright spot in his otherwise dark world as he had completed his law enforcement training and suffered through his rookie year for the small police force in Valdez, Alaska.
A gust of wind tore along the ridge, and his breath caught in his chest. His broken dreams bubbled inside him. Lexi had always wanted a June wedding. He had desperately wanted to give it to her. Instead, everything had ended when department cutbacks had forced him to find other employment.
Why hadn’t she agreed to go with him? Life would be different in the lower forty-eight, but they could have made a good life together there. Together. He let that word repeat in his mind before it shattered against the memories.
Lexi had made it clear they would never be together again. With another icy breath, he looked out over the ravine one last time. Then he turned and climbed into his SUV, not bothering to buckle the seat belt. In two more days, June 2 would be remembered only as the day he’d left Alaska. It most certainly would not be his wedding day.
* * *
Tia didn’t take the time to glance at her watch. She was late. She was always late. Tonight, she had tried so hard to make sure she’d left the high school on time. How was she to know one of her football players would sustain a knee injury ten minutes before the end of practice? Experience. After three years as Mingus Union High School’s athletic trainer, she should have known Murphy’s Law was always in play when she had someplace to be, even when the only thing going on at practice was out-of-season weight lifting.
Her low heels clicking against the pavement, she rushed across the parking lot in the Arizona heat. She lifted her long hair off her neck to expose it to fresh air as she made her way from her car to the restaurant. Inside, several tables had been pushed together in order to seat the entire wedding party. Tia’s eyes narrowed when she saw that only half the seats were occupied. Was it possible that a dozen people were even later than she was?
From her seat by the head of the table, the bride-to-be noticed her arrival and waved. Confused, Tia closed the distance between them and hugged her best friend. “Julie, where is everyone? I thought this was supposed to start twenty minutes ago.”
“I lied,” Julie said.
“What do you mean you lied?”
“Our rehearsal dinner doesn’t start for ten more minutes.”
Tia looked at her phone and read the note she had put in her calendar. “But you said six.”
“Yeah, but you’re always late, and I wanted you to be on time.”
“Seriously?”
Standing by the head of the table, the groom coughed to cover what could only be his laughter. Tia looked from Julie to Drew and back again. “Do you guys have any idea what I went through trying to be on time? I’m lucky I didn’t get a speeding ticket.”
Drew slung his arm around her shoulders. “Tia, we love you, but it doesn’t matter how hard you try. You’re never on time, especially on a day when you have work.”
“And you always have work,” Julie added.
“Not this weekend.” Tia eyed them suspiciously. “You didn’t lie to me about the wedding too, did you?”
“We thought about printing a fake invitation for you, but we figured we wouldn’t be able to pull the same stunt twice,” Drew admitted.
The restaurant door burst open, and Tia turned to see a light-haired man rush in, his blue eyes scanning the room until his gaze landed on Drew.
As though replaying her entrance, he crossed to them and asked, “Where is everyone? I thought I was late.”
Julie simply smiled. “You’re right on time.”
“But I thought . . .”
“Evan, have you met Tia?” Drew asked. When Evan shook his head, Drew continued with the introductions. “Evan Spence, Tia Parker.”
“Ah, the missing groomsman,” Tia said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Good to meet you too,” Evan said, offering his hand. “Maid of honor, right?”
“Yeah.”
When the rest of the wedding party streamed through the door, Drew and Julie moved to greet them.
Seeing the lingering confusion on Evan’s face, Tia lowered her voice and asked, “Let me guess. No matter how hard you try, you’re always late. Right?”
“How did you know that?” Suspicion replaced his previous confusion. “Has Drew been talking about me?”
“No, but I’m guessing Drew told you the rehearsal dinner started at six.”
“Yeah.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. “At least, I thought he did.”
“Julie told me the same thing.” Tia motioned toward the door. “I only got here a minute before you.”
“Wait a second.” He whipped his head around to look at the bride and groom before turning back to her. “Are you saying Drew lied to me?”
“And Julie lied to me,” Tia confirmed. “The reason we’re both on time tonight is because our friends know us too well.”
Evan’s blue eyes flashed with mischief. “Do you think they know us well enough to expect retaliation?”
“Aren’t the groomsmen in charge of decorating their car?” she asked, pleased to see they were standing on common ground.
“That happens to be one of my areas of expertise.”
“If you need help, I’m available,” Tia offered. “I happen to have a whole box of window paints I would be happy to donate to the cause.”
“A new partner in crime. I like it.” Evan held up his cell. “Sounds like I need your number so we can make plans.”
Tia took his phone and entered her contact information. A moment later, her phone buzzed with a text message from Evan so she would have his number as well.
“Okay, everyone,” Drew said, coming back to his place at the head of the table. “Grab a seat. Dinner is served.”
Evan pulled out a chair for Tia before taking the seat beside her. After giving the waitress their drink orders, Evan said, “I gather you live around here.”
“I live in Cottonwood. It’s about twenty-five minutes away. What about you? Where are you from?”
“Michigan.”
Her lips curved up immediately. “How are you doing with the Arizona heat so far?”
“I melted somewhere between the airport and the rental car lot.”
“Be grateful Julie and Drew decided to get married in Sedona instead of Phoenix.”
“I voted for Detroit,” Evan said. “Much cooler this time of year.”
“Sorry, but I’m not thinking Detroit sounds like the most romantic spot to get married.”
“Have you ever been?”
“Does the airport count?” Tia asked.
“Not even close.” He picked up his water glass and took a sip. “You’ll have to come visit sometime, and I’ll show you around.”
Doubtful the offer was sincere, she lowered her voice and asked, “Would I have to be on time for anything?”
“Yeah.” Evan leaned closer, as though sharing a secret. “The plane.”
“Right.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure I could lie to you about what time your flight leaves to make sure you don’t miss it.”
“That would make you as bad as them.” Tia glanced in Julie and Drew’s direction.
“Maybe, but if it got you there, it would be worth it.”
Chapter 2
Evan startled awake when his phone rang. Was he late? He pushed aside the fog in his brain, remembering where he was. Drew’s wedding wasn’t until tomorrow. The only pre-wedding activity scheduled today was the combined bachelor/bachelorette parties, and those wouldn’t start until this evening.
The phone stopped ringing only to start again five seconds later. Bleary-eyed, he read the bedside clock in his hotel room: 5:14. In the morning.
He snatched up the phone and answered it to stop the incessant noise. “Hello?”
“Evan, it’s Wendell Harrison.”
Wendell Harrison. The British intelligence officer Evan had worked with when redesigning the British security system for their public transportation. “What can I do for you?”
“There’s been an attack on a train outside London. I need your help,” the man said in his distinctive British accent.
Evan shot straight up in bed and forced himself to ask the dreaded question. “Casualties?”
“Four confirmed dead, and at least thirty injured.”
“I’m so sorry, Wendell.” Grief bubbled up inside Evan. He had spent months writing new computer code and upgrading the security monitoring systems for the British to prevent exactly this kind of terrorist attack. While logic told him no system was foolproof, that didn’t stop the question from racing through his mind. How had this happened? “What can I do to help?”
“We’re shut out of the security program. It looks like it reset. We need to access it so we can identify the people involved.”
“Just a minute. Let me see if I can unlock it from here.” Evan opened his laptop and keyed in several passwords to access the surveillance feed through a backdoor he had created in his program. “The programming reset because someone tried to hack into the system.”
“The security video?” Wendell asked, panic in his voice.
Evan pressed a few more keys, a sigh of relief escaping him. “Still intact. I’m emailing you instructions on how to gain access again. If you have any problems, let me know.”
“Thank you, Evan,” Wendell said, his relief evident.
“Good luck to you.” Evan hung up the phone and did an internet search for the latest news. His stomach roiled when an image popped up of the victims along the side of the tracks, their bodies bruised and broken.
He powered off his laptop and closed his eyes against the terrifying reality so many miles away. This weekend was supposed to be about the hope and future for one of his closest friends. Instead, dozens of people were living a nightmare. Struggling against the senseless loss, he contemplated how he could keep his job from interfering with what should only be a happy occasion.
Moving to the window, he stared out at the red rocks radiating beneath the early-morning sun and decided there was only one thing to do. He changed into his workout clothes and headed for the hotel stairs. Maybe a good run would help him push away the feeling that somehow he could have done more.
* * *
Tia pushed through the door to the hotel stairs, surprised to find someone two steps from the landing. “Sorry,” she said automatically before she recognized the familiar face staring back at her. “Evan. What are you doing up so early?”
“I could ask you the same thing. It’s three hours later where I live.” He waited for her to enter the stairwell before he closed the distance between them. “Do you normally get up at 5:30 in the morning?”
“Pretty much. Like you said, I’m from here. No one in their right mind goes running in the middle of the day.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I don’t know how far you were planning to go, but you’re welcome to join me,” Tia said, continuing down the stairs.
“That would be great,” Evan said. “How come you’re staying here at the hotel? I thought your place wasn’t far.”
“It’s not, but Julie wanted me close by this weekend. I think she’s worried if I commute back and forth, I won’t be where I’m supposed to be on time.”
“Does it strike you as odd that two people who are always late are up at the crack of dawn?”
“Yeah, that is kind of weird, isn’t it?” Tia glanced at him, her eyes the color of spun gold. “Could you imagine how late we would be if we didn’t start our day this early?”
“That’s a scary thought.” They reached the first floor, and Evan opened the door leading outside.
Tia started forward. “Come on. I’ll show you the Sedona that tourists don’t always see.”
“Sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.”
* * *
Sweat dripped down Evan’s back as he slowed to a walk beside Tia. Their run had given him exactly what he’d needed: a way to get his body moving to clear his mind. He couldn’t quite free himself of the images of the terrorist attack this morning, but at least he had managed to push them to the back of his mind for a while.
“Do you mind if we hike through the woods for our cooldown?” Tia motioned to a trail leading along the creek. “It’s only about a mile.”
“Sounds good.” He followed her lead, letting himself enjoy the contrast of foliage and red rock. “I can use the shade.”
“This isn’t hot,” Tia countered.
Evan’s mood lightened when Tia stopped by the stream, leaned down, and splashed water on her arms, face, and neck. “I thought you said it wasn’t hot.”
“It’s not,” she said without missing a beat.
Evan watched the water trickle off her neck and into the fabric of her T-shirt. Deciding to follow her example, he leaned down beside her and splashed himself, only he didn’t limit his efforts to his exposed skin. Water sluiced up over his head, down his back, and onto the waistband of his shorts. Refreshed, he repeated the process with more exuberance, this time including Tia in the drenching.
“Really?” Sarcasm dripped along with the water that now trickled down her right leg.
Evan caught the look on her face, an expression that fell somewhere between amusement and disbelief. “Oh, sorry,” he lied.
“Don’t forget that I’m your partner in crime for getting even with Drew and Julie,” Tia reminded him. “I don’t think you want to be on my bad side.”
He straightened and debated briefly. “You may be right.”
“Come on. It’s this way.”
Amused that Tia hadn’t been fazed by getting soaked, he followed behind her. They picked their way up a narrow path for about a hundred yards. When it widened enough to allow them to walk side by side, Tia said, “Tell me everything I don’t know about you.”
“Like what?”
“Anything. Everything.” She sidestepped an oak tree and looked back at him.
Evan thought of Brooklyn and the eighteen months they had been together, as well as the business partnership that had dissolved when they’d parted ways. He pushed her out of his mind and focused on safer topics. “Let’s see. I was born in Ann Arbor, which is where my parents still live.”
“Brothers and sisters?”
“One of each. An older sister and a younger brother,” Evan said. “What about you?”
“An older sister. She’s already married, with two daughters.” Tia’s expression brightened. “Kyla is already threatening to get even with me when I have kids because of the presents I sent her girls last Christmas.”
“What did you send them?”
“I bought them new stockings.” Tia’s shoulders lifted. “I even filled them for her.”
Evan caught the mischievous look in her eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Musical instruments may have been involved.”
“What kind of musical instruments?”
