CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chase’s mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear a thing he was saying. Not when my sole focus was Zoe and the way her face had turned ashen in a matter of seconds. She looked up from the phone in her hand, confusion marring her beautiful features.

What the hell is going on?

I heard her say that she had to go and then she was sprinting away. My feet moved before my brain even had time to give the command. Of course, I wasn’t the only one chasing after Zoe. Kenzie and I tried to squeeze through the door at the same time.

I placed my hand on her arm. “I’ll go.” I’m sure she had no idea why I wanted to go after her friend, I wasn’t going to enlighten her either. I just needed to get to Zoe. Without waiting on Kenzie’s go-ahead, I pushed past her.

Hurried steps carried me through the house. Relief washed over me as I pushed open the front door and spotted Zoe in the driveway. Where was she going? My jog turned into a sprint until I could reach out and wrap my hand around her elbow.

With a start she faced me, looking completely bewildered. I hated it; I wanted to grab the phone clutched in her fist and see what the hell could’ve upset her this much. I’d watched her all night — it was impossible not to — she’d started out looking reserved but as the night wore on, her smiles came more frequently and looked less forced.

On more than one occasion, I had to fight the urge to steal her away and finish what we’d started six months ago. The fact that she was wearing a pinkish dress with buttons running along the center didn’t help matters much either. If my mind wasn’t on her lips, it was on those tanned legs and how smooth they’d feel beneath my palm. Or what the expression on her face would look like when I slowly undid every single one of those buttons.

None of that mattered now.

Not when she looked about an inch away from death. Her eyes went wide, then they darted to my fingers still curled around her arm. I couldn’t bring myself to let go of her though; I needed her close.

Her gaze traveled along the length of my arm, over my shoulder before our eyes finally met. I had to swallow the curses that were on the tip of my tongue the moment I saw fear in her golden irises. That nagging need that I had to protect her tugged at me again, it was becoming impossible to ignore.

“Where are you going, Zoe?” My voice was steady while I was anything but.

Her brows pulled together as she crinkled her nose, almost like she was working out something in her head. “I have to go.” The words fell from her lips just above a whisper.

With her arm still in my grip, I took a step closer. “You already said that, sunshine. Where do you want to go?”

She blinked, her mouth opening and closing a few times before her voice sounded. “He…I…” Shaking her head, she sucked in an audible breath. “I can’t be here right now.” Zoe eyed my hand again, and then almost as if she couldn’t take it, she shut her eyes.

The right thing would’ve been to let go and get out of her space, for the life of me I simply couldn’t do that. “Let me drive you home.” I had no control over the words that spilled from my mouth.

Her eyes snapped open, roaming my face in search of who knew what, then she glanced at the house behind me. “But Molly?” Those two words almost stole the breath from my lungs.

Craning my neck, I looked behind me before capturing Zoe’s eyes with mine again. “I’m going to go inside and make a few arrangements.” I paused for a beat and then continued, “It won’t take long. Just…don’t go anywhere until I get back.”

The color was starting to return to her cheeks as the dazed look faded. “Eli, you don’t have to…I can walk.”

The need to slide my palm down her arm and take her hand in mine was so strong, how I managed not to do it was beyond me. “You’re not walking.” I pulled my keys from my pocket, offering it to her in my open palm. “The black one is mine,” I jerked my head toward the two trucks parked in the driveway. “I won’t take long.”

It felt like minutes before she reached up and took the key fob from me. Reluctantly, I released my grip on her to hurry back inside. With every step I took, I fought the urge to look over my shoulder to make sure she was getting into the truck.

The moment my feet hit the deck, I was met with everyone’s concerned faces. It was Kenzie who spoke first. “Where’s Zoe?”

“I’m gonna drive her back to the cabin. She’s not feeling too good.” I turned my attention to Logan and Harper. “I know it’s a school night, but would it be okay if I picked Molly up later?”

Logan nodded, his face filled with understanding. “You do what you gotta do, brother.”

Having a family like mine was a blessing on any given day, but today, I appreciated them so much more. After a quick ‘thank you’ I headed over to where Molly and Flynn were playing hopscotch.

“Look at me go, Daddy!” She squealed the moment she saw me.

“Hey, you’re a pro!” I dropped to my haunches in front of her. “Will you be okay playing here for a bit? Daddy has to take Miss Zoe home.”

“Can I come too?”

I brushed a few strands from her face. “Miss Zoe isn’t feeling too well, baby.”

A frown too deep for her little forehead pulled her brows together. “But she promised she’d color with me.”

“I know, baby.” Wrapping my arm around Molly, I pulled her close. “Tell you what…as soon as she feels better we’ll invite her over for dinner and then you two can draw up a storm.”

Her blue eyes brightened so much they could probably light up the night sky. “Promise?”

The moment I said it, I knew I was getting myself into serious shit. I was already having a hard time getting this woman out of my mind; now, I was planting her in my daughter’s mind too. The warning bells were loud, still I opened my mouth and the word ‘promise’ came out.

After a kiss, a hug and another kiss, I pushed to my feet. As I made my way back to the truck, I hoped Zoe was still there. I was about to push open the front door when Kenzie hollering my name halted me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw her hurrying toward me.

“Is Zoe all right?”

Scrubbing a hand over my neck, I answered honestly, “I don’t know.”

“Eli, there’s something—” Kenzie pursed her lips together while shutting her eyes. A sigh blew over her lips when she opened them again. “Take care of her, please?”

I wanted to ask her what she really wanted to tell me, but the need to get to Zoe was so much stronger than my need to know. With a quick nod, I pushed through the door and hurried down the steps. I felt my shoulders relax the moment I saw her sitting in the cab of my truck. Her head was bent like she was looking at something in her lap, I prayed that it wasn’t that damned phone again.

The instant I reached the driver side, I had to take a second to catch my breath before I hopped in. “You ready?” Again, I spoke with a calmness I did not feel. My heart was bouncing wildly in my chest while every breath I took filled my lungs with her. She was close, all I wanted to do was reach over and touch her.

I couldn’t do that though.

The truck rumbled to life as I turned the key in the ignition, I stole a quick glance at the woman beside me before I backed out of the driveway. She was looking out her window, her teeth worrying her lower lip. Again, all I wanted to do was take her hand and reassure her that everything would be fine, even if I couldn’t be certain that it would be.

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I concentrated on the road ahead. We drove in silence, the kind of silence that stretched to make way for questions I was certain I had no hope of getting answers to.

We turned onto the dirt road and I almost sighed with relief when Zoe’s soft voice reached my ears. “Thank you.”

I was afraid to look at her, afraid that the instant I did I’d stop the truck, take her face in my hands and beg her to tell me what I can do to take the fear out of her eyes. That was why I kept my focus straight ahead. “Don’t mention it. As sheriff, it’s my duty to make sure everyone in my town is safe.” Biting my tongue, I cursed the word-vomit that I spewed out.

“Right... duty.” Her mumbled words were soft, I got the impression that they weren’t meant for my ears.

I threw the truck in park and this time there was no hesitation, I reached across and gripped Zoe’s wrist. “That came out wrong…” I felt a frown form while my eyes roamed over her confused face. “I’m not here out of duty. You looked…” scared “—troubled, and I wanted to help.”

It was hard to miss the question burning in her eyes. However, I was grateful that she didn’t voice it because I couldn’t tell her why. Hell, I still needed to figure that out for myself.

Regarding me for a moment, she sucked her lower lip into her mouth, then she nodded tentatively as she pulled her arm free and climbed out of the truck. Switching off the ignition, I hurried after her.

I watched her retrieve a key from a butterfly that was mounted on the wall, she stuck it in the keyhole and then paused. “Uh…thanks again.” Zoe looked everywhere except at me.

Out of their own accord, my lips lifted into a grin. “Oh no, sunshine, I ain’t leavin’.” I jerked my head toward the door. “You gonna open that or are we camping on the porch tonight?”

“You’re staying? Why?” She sounded incredulous.

Taking a step forward, I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Something spooked you back there, and as much as I would like to know what, I don’t think you’re gonna tell me.” Another step took me close enough to see her work down a swallow. “So…I’m staying until Brett and Kenzie get home. Okay?”

I’d expected her to tell me to piss off, imagine my surprise when relief washed over her face. For the first time since she’d stormed out of my brother’s house, a smile tugged at her lips. Man, it almost stopped my heart. With a pensive look, she studied me for a moment before she turned to unlock the door. “You’d better come in then.”