The clouds massed into an oppressive wall as she and Garrett left the hospital. She puzzled over the easiness with which she’d offered to pray for Beth. She’d felt like her prayer life had all but ended when she lost her father, but here she was, deciding to pick up the conversation with God again, as if she’d hadn’t had Him on hold for a decade. Why was it okay now, to talk to the God who did not save her father? She wasn’t sure, but somehow it was.
The countryside should have been soothing, as the tall, waist-high grass, green from winter rains, swished alongside the narrow road. But she wasn’t at ease. From behind every tree, hidden in each tangle of bushes, she looked for her sister, or Stone. Her only hope was that they’d stay out of each other’s path.
Garrett glanced in the rearview. Chase had not yet made the turn, his vehicle requiring a slower pace to tackle the twisty terrain. She tried to fight the overwhelming weariness that crept along her limbs. Would the day end without news of her loved ones? Or would she get word that Tony or Orson had been found...dead? She felt Garrett looking at her.
“I’m sorry. This must feel like the world is falling apart on you.”
“It does. I was excited to come to Whisper Valley. I thought I was going to start a new job and be able to live a normal life without being afraid of Stone.” She firmed up her trembling voice. “Now he’s free again and I have to worry about my sister and uncle too. It’s like a total reversal.”
His gaze caught hers for a moment. His expression was pained and sympathetic. Surprising how much he appeared to actually care. His attention was caught by something over her shoulder and his mouth dropped open.
Adrenaline spiking, she whirled in time to see her uncle’s SUV part the grass, roaring up from the tree-lined border, Porter Stone behind the wheel.
Garrett slammed the brakes but there was no way to avoid the collision. The SUV plowed into the rear passenger door of Garrett’s car, forcing it forward in a juddering rush. She screamed as they were pinned against a thick tree, metal crumpling around them.
Stone leaped out of his vehicle.
Garrett went for his gun, but Stone rushed at them, a brick in his raised fist. He brought it down on her passenger window, smashing a hole in the glass. She screamed as bits rained down on her.
Before Garrett could free the pistol from the holster, Stone reached in and grabbed her around the throat. “I’ll break her neck if you draw.”
Garrett froze. “Let her go.”
Stone squeezed, impeding her breathing. She clawed at his arms, but he didn’t relent.
“I mean it.”
Garrett slowly let go of his weapon. “Don’t hurt her.”
Stone’s breath was hot on her cheek. “Where’s Antonia?”
“She doesn’t know where her sister is,” Garrett snapped. “Like I told you in the garage.”
Stone tightened his grip. “Give me Tony’s cell number. Now.”
Catherine struggled to breathe.
“I’ll get it,” Garrett said. “I’m reaching for the phone in her pocket, okay?”
No, Catherine tried to say. Don’t give it to him. Her fingernails clawed at his forearms but they were strong as iron bands.
A shot sailed over the roof of the car and Stone immediately released her. Eyes streaming, she watched Stone dive for the SUV, throw it into Reverse and skid into a U-turn on the grass.
Chase raced up, weapon drawn, and aimed at the car for a second shot.
“Don’t shoot,” she screamed. “He might have my uncle in the trunk.”
Chase darted a frustrated look at her as the SUV disappeared into the trees.
“I was going to take out the tires,” Chase said.
Garrett clasped her arm. “Are you hurt?”
Her throat was throbbing and her heart pounded so hard her whole body shuddered. Terrified. Traumatized. Desperate but not physically hurt. If she’d been alone though... She pulled in oxygen and forced herself to answer. “No. Not hurt.”
His touch was warm, keeping her from losing it completely. “Just breathe. That’s all you need to do right now.”
Chase dashed off a text, probably to Steph. “I suggest we get out of here before he tries again. Your vehicle is far enough off the road that it won’t cause an accident, but I’ll put up an emergency cone anyway.”
Catherine shook the glass shards off her lap, ignoring the cold wind funneling through the broken window. It didn’t come near to matching her inner chill anyway. Garrett slid to the back seat, kicked at the rear door until it grudgingly opened and climbed out. He helped her free from the wreck. With a delicate touch, he whisked away the remaining bits of glass and held her arm while they walked to Chase’s car.
He guided her into the rear seat. “We could...”
“If you’re going to say go to the hospital, that’s not necessary. I’m not hurt, just shaken up.”
“But...”
She held up a finger. “Would you convince Steph to go if she was in my position?”
“Uh, no. She’d decline in no uncertain terms.”
Catherine nodded. “There you go then.”
Chase rejoined them and both men kept shooting wary glances at her in the rearview mirror. She couldn’t help but look for Stone around every turn all the way to the Security Hounds Ranch. The heavy cloud cover promised more turbulent weather. Would Antonia be wandering in the elements? Would Stone?
He seemed unstoppable, but she couldn’t think that way. He would be stopped. Her family’s lives depended on it.
When they arrived, the door flew open and Pinkerton shot out onto the porch and launched himself at Garrett, who almost went down under the assault. He hadn’t seen his master since Garrett had been carted away in an ambulance. Catherine laughed as he struggled to maintain his footing and calm the enormous animal.
“Easy, Pinky Pie. I’m in one piece, for the moment anyway.”
After finishing his affectionate takedown of Garrett, Pinky trotted over and gave her a more gentle greeting.
“Hello, my friend.” And suddenly as she kneeled next to him, tears blurred her vision. This lovely dog had sniffed out her sister’s trail, sheltered Catherine under the car, been worried sick about his human partner, who’d stepped into the void for her. It was startling to feel...what was the word? Attached...to a dog and a man who seemed to be trying very hard to help her. And connected in some small way to God. Connectedness was something she’d lost the moment she’d found her father murdered. It was as if in that terrible bloody moment God had reached down and snipped the threads that bound her to others.
Not God.
Porter Stone.
Now as the murmured greetings surrounded her, she felt as if those threads were being knotted together again. She was not sure how to feel about it. It was certainly not the moment for any kind of community-building with what she’d just experienced. She caressed Pinky again before she straightened.
They gathered at the kitchen table—Kara, Stephanie, Chase, Garrett and her.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Catherine?” Kara said.
Catherine tried not to show the tenderness in her muscles as she nodded and slipped into the offered chair. Rain began to splatter the kitchen window.
Kara slid a platter of muffins, studded with blueberries, in front of her. Chase poured mugs of coffee and quirked an eyebrow at the treats.
“Are these more of your weeds-and-seeds muffins, Kara?”
“Yes, and you’re going to love them like you do all my weeds-and-seeds recipes.” Kara shrugged and looked at Catherine. “Chase teases me for being a vegan, but I don’t see him turning up his nose at my cooking.”
Chase grinned and snagged a muffin.
Catherine found that despite everything, she was ravenous and took one herself. If it was made of weeds and seeds, it was a delicious combination. “Wonderful,” she said. “Thank you.”
Kara nodded. “I like to keep the team fueled up, especially when Mom isn’t around.”
“Hagerty told me where the cab dropped Antonia, and I took Chloe. She got a trail briefly but lost it. Antonia must have hitched a ride from someone.”
“With Antonia on the loose and Porter determined to use Catherine to get to her, we’ve got double the danger,” Garrett said. “Two targets with a lot at stake, not to mention Orson’s situation. Could this get any more complicated?”
“Umm, as a matter of fact...” Kara said.
What now? Catherine tried to not to groan aloud as she waited for the next shoe to drop.
Garrett swiveled a look at his youngest sibling.
Kara paused. “I sort of went off on a bunny trail, because something was bothering me about the abduction scene at Orson’s. The fact that the security system was offline. Convenient, right? The fellow was there to service it at the moment Stone happened to show up to abduct Orson?”
“That was bothering me too,” Garrett said. “Did you find any connections?”
“Rudden’s worked for Orson for eleven years or so. There’s nothing to indicate they had any kind of contentious relationship, but...” Kara suddenly became focused on the untouched muffin in front of her. “It might be a little awkward for you, Catherine.”
“If it helps Tony, I’ll accept awkward.”
Kara’s cheeks turned a delicate pink. “It’s all gossip, of course, hearsay. I, er, called a few people, including the most senior hairdresser in town, and the rumor is...”
“What?”
“That Tom Rudden is in a relationship with Linda.”
Chase raised an eyebrow. “Orson’s wife?”
“They’re separated, I was told,” Kara said.
“Yes,” Catherine said.
“I, er, didn’t want to impugn your aunt’s reputation with a rumor.” Kara’s flush deepened.
“It’s okay. Tony and I were never very close to Linda. Orson married her a few years before Dad died so we were already young teens and we probably weren’t the easiest age for family bonding. She didn’t like us much, or that’s the vibe we got anyway. I wondered if she resented our uncle for helping us get new identities and sending us money while we were in hiding.”
“Maybe resented you enough that she and Tom Rudden would work out a plan to help Stone kidnap Orson?” Stephanie asked.
Chase twiddled his pencil. “Kind of an improbable theory. Stone would have had to contact Tom and Linda between the time he escaped capture in Durnsville and the moment he abducted Catherine at the coffee shop. Unless he’d planned his escape somehow and contacted Linda before he made that happen. Is there any direct connection between Rudden and Stone?”
“Not as far as I’ve heard,” Kara said.
Chase laughed. “Your hairdresser knows everything.”
Kara nodded. “Hairdressers hold the key to a lot of secrets, but rumors aren’t always facts.”
“See if you can verify with other sources, okay?” Garrett said.
Kara nodded.
The matter of the social security numbers nagged at him. He’d look into it, hopefully find out it wasn’t what he feared, and he’d not involve Catherine unless he had to. But if her uncle had paid for stolen identities, and he didn’t see how it could be otherwise, she’d have to know about it before too much longer.
In spite of the knot coiled in his gut, he waited as patiently as he could while Catherine attempted to get her aunt on the phone. “She’s not answering her cell. It’s the only number I have for her.”
“Where does she live since she and Orson split up?”
“A condo in Silverton. I need to go there.”
Steph, Chase and Garrett all shook their heads.
“I know it’s not the greatest scenario, with Stone on the loose it’s a bad idea, but I want to ask her personally about staying at the house.” She paused. “More than that, I need to be sure she’s okay. She and Uncle Orson might be on the outs, but she’s still his wife and he’d want me to check on her.”
Chase held up a finger. “I don’t think Stone will try again in a suburban area like that, but how about I get you a police escort? Hagerty said they were sending someone out there to ask her a few questions so maybe we can combine errands.” He didn’t wait for Garrett to object. He wouldn’t anyway. Catherine was clearly in danger and being under direct police supervision was the only thing that would calm him at the moment.
Chase set about contacting Hagerty. Catherine sat with Pinky and Kara did her best to keep her company. The sprinkling rain increased to torrents. It took an hour or so, but Chase finally announced he’d made contact.
“All set,” he said.
Pinkerton was ecstatic to escape the confines of the house. Catherine scrubbed him behind the ears as Garrett attached a yellow raincoat around his stocky body.
“His Gorton fisherman look. He’s not wild about it, but you don’t want to smell a wet bloodhound, believe me.”
“I hope he gets to stay inside during the storm.”
“They all have outdoor kennels and a covered dog run but we’re pretty loosey-goosey with the rules. Especially...” He trailed off.
“Especially what?”
“Well, Pinky doesn’t like me to mention it but he’s afraid of thunder.”
She laughed, a long silvery musical sound that enveloped him with a strange stomach fluttering feeling, and kissed Pinkerton on the brow. “That makes two of us.” She whispered, “Your secret is safe with me, Pinky.”
Garrett thought the dog looked a little brighter. Pinky was beginning to take quite a shine to Catherine. Garrett could not dismiss what could only be described as a glow, having her close. That startled him so much he nearly tripped over Pinkerton’s gangly legs as they walked to the garage to borrow Roman’s car.
Yesterday he’d have said he never wanted to be in the same room with the woman who reminded him of his most profound failure. Today...he couldn’t stand the thought that she’d be out of his reach.
Catherine glanced at him, pushing the bangs from her face. “You okay?”
“Me? Oh, sure. Tip-top. Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re trying to unlock the car door with a can opener.”
He looked at the gizmo in his palm. “Oh, duh. I was camping with Pinky last time I wore this jacket and we were roughing it. I don’t mind sleeping outside and packing in meals and such, but I always forget the can opener for Pinky’s food so I packed an extra.”
She smiled. “I like camping too, but I never thought to pack an emergency can opener.”
He tethered Pinky into the back seat, hoping his cheeks weren’t red. How about you try not to look like a fool for the next fifty miles? Easygoing, glib, the life of the party, remember? Not an eighth grade boy with a foot in his mouth. At least he’d taken Catherine’s mind off what happened the last time he’d driven her someplace.
Hagerty sent an officer and they met him at the security gate. The rain pounded in angry waves as they made the journey. The roar of it thankfully took away the need for small talk. She consulted her phone for directions. Linda’s condo was in a newer development in Silverton, a byproduct of the influx of people fed up with the challenges of bigger cities. The boxy two-story structures were what his father would have termed “spiffy.” He would also have recommended Garrett simply “pang-wangle” his way forward, or carry on in spite of whatever challenges cropped up. As a teen, he’d never wanted his friends to hear his father’s wild “dad-isms.” As an adult, he’d give everything he had to listen to his father one more time.
Considering the woman beside him had lost her father too, he should be working even harder to be sure she didn’t lose her sister as well. He gripped the wheel, checked the rearview for the millionth time and took the last turn to arrive at the correct house number. The officer idled at the curb, talking on the radio.
In the driveaway, a short, sixtysomething woman was loading items from her trunk and stacking them inside the garage. Three damp cardboard boxes and a Tiffany lamp dripped water onto the cement floor. He heard Catherine gasp.
“That lamp’s from my uncle’s living room.” Before he could stop her, she’d exited the car. He hopped out and caught up, while Pinkerton slobbered on the window as he watched them.
Linda jerked a glance at Catherine. If she was surprised to see her there, it didn’t show. Her dark hair, swept into a twist, was damp from raindrops, as was her navy windbreaker. She quickly shut her trunk and stepped out of the garage.
“Aunt Linda,” Catherine said. “I’ve been trying to call.”
She zipped her windbreaker. “I’ve been busy.”
Catherine stood tall, unbowed by the rain. “I can see that. I, uh, wanted to be sure you’d heard about Uncle Orson.”
“Yes.”
The silence lingered too long. “Are those things from Uncle Orson’s house? That lamp... It was my great grandfather’s.”
“Our house,” she corrected. “We’re husband and wife, at least on paper. He bought that place for me when we were married.”
Garrett figured he’d try and calm the waters. “We’re sorry about what happened to Orson.”
She remained unsmiling. “I’m sure you didn’t come here to express your concern, or to track what I’m taking from my own house.”
The cop finally strolled over to join them. “Hello, ma’am,” he said as he identified himself.
“What do you want?” she said coldly.
He continued, undeterred. “The chief asked if you might have any recent pictures of Orson.”
“No,” she said. “I don’t.”
He paused. “All right. We’d like to search the property again, with your permission. To be sure we didn’t miss anything the first time.”
“Feel free, but don’t leave the place a mess.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Tom Rudden opened the interior garage door, engrossed in reading from a paper, oblivious to the people gathered in the driveway. “Linda, we can get at least two thousand dollars for that Persian rug in the—”
“The one in my uncle’s foyer?” Catherine said.
Rudden jerked and looked up. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“Obviously.” Catherine appealed to the police officer. “Can they sell things from my uncle’s home without his permission?”
The police officer looked decidedly uncomfortable. “We’d have to look into the legalities of that, but until the homeowner has been found...”
Linda waved a hand. “Stone kidnapped Orson to get to Antonia, isn’t that right? Though I can’t imagine why Stone would be so obsessed with that girl like that to risk coming back here.”
Catherine flinched. “It’s my sister you’re talking about.”
“Yes,” she said coldly, “I know. She toyed with Stone, leading him to think she was interested, but I’m sure she was simply looking for a good time. A country kid like that would be way too simple for her tastes.”
“Ma’am...” Garrett began, but Catherine cut him off.
“What is your problem with us exactly?” Anger brightened her eyes to indigo. “You’ve always disliked us and as far as I know, we never did anything to hurt you.”
“Never did anything?” Linda snorted. “So you don’t think siphoning off our assets is hurtful at all?”
Catherine and the cop looked equally puzzled. Garrett’s expression no doubt matched theirs.
Linda pointed a manicured finger. “Look, sweetie. Your uncle may be unable to say no to you two, but I’m not. That house is still half mine, until the divorce is official, and I can take what I want, when I want, no matter what his precious nieces say.”
The cop cleared his throat. “I suggest we end this meeting for now.”
“We barely know you,” Catherine said with a hitch in her voice that made Garrett draw closer to her.
“You are two spoiled, entitled women who cried sob stories to Orson to milk him dry.”
“Mrs. Hart—” the cop interjected, but she interrupted him again.
“Johnson, I never took his name.” Her narrowed gaze riveted on Catherine. “Yeah, you had something terrible happen to you when your dad was murdered, but you’re grown adults and you shouldn’t be mooching off of your uncle.”
Catherine gaped. “I don’t. I’ve supported myself since I was twenty. I don’t know what you’ve been told but—”
“Right, right. Whatever. I’m divorcing Orson and then he can take all his share and give it to you both, for all I care. If he wants to bankrupt himself to keep you living the good life, so be it. His choice, but he’s not giving away my money. I don’t owe you two anything.” Rudden nodded at her side.
“We’ll go now.” Garrett reached for Catherine’s wrist.
“Why don’t you do that?” Rudden said.
The cop tried to usher them down the driveway, but Catherine wasn’t done.
She pointed to the garage. “Convenient that my uncle isn’t here to stop you from taking what you want. Did you have anything to do with his abduction?”
Garrett schooled his face to hide the shock from Catherine’s attack. The desperation rang clear in her words. She’d lit the match. He watched to see if the burning fuse would reveal anything.
The cop was observing carefully too.
Linda rolled her eyes. “I’m not some criminal mastermind. How would I do that?”
Since Linda was not likely to entertain a second conversation with them at a later date, Garrett decided to press. “You’re involved with Mr. Rudden. Maybe he intentionally disabled the security system that day to give Stone easy access.”
Her expression showed no surprise at his accusation, but the tiny tightening of her mouth indicated there was no doubt that she was romantically involved with Rudden.
“The system failed on its own,” Rudden said darkly.
“I don’t have to listen to this. Get off my property.” Linda dashed through the rain, yanked open her car door and slid inside. Rudden got in the passenger seat and activated the garage door, which closed with a squeal. The engine roared and Pinkerton barked.
Before he could stop her, Catherine hurried to Linda’s driver’s side window, fear clear on her face. “Please. I don’t want your money or your property. I just need my uncle back. If you know where he is...”
Linda flashed a look of pure rage at Catherine and gunned the motor. Garrett pulled her out of the way. Linda drove off, her tires clipping the cement curb and shaving off sprinkles of rubber.
Catherine stood immobile in the rain, resisting his efforts to move her to the car.
“I only want my uncle back.” She melted into a sob.
The cop passed them and got into his squad car, then began talking on his cell phone from behind the wheel.
Garrett pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight as if the pressure could press away her pain. “It’s okay. We’ll find him.”
She cried into his shoulder and when he tucked his head near hers to shield her from the rain, he found his mouth in close proximity to hers. Don’t do it. But he could not resist and he kissed her.
She leaned into him and returned the kiss. It was as if the raindrops cocooned them, folding them into a place where the pain and fear faded into warmth and comfort. Sparks danced through his nerves and he longed to kiss her again, but she looked down. When she once again buried her face into his chest, he rocked her back and forth for a moment before he propelled her into the vehicle. Behind the wheel, he turned on the heater, anxious to do something, anything, to keep from focusing on the fact that he’d just kissed her. And she’d kissed him back.
Pinkerton took the opportunity to swab the rain from Catherine’s neck with his pink ribbon of a tongue. He was grateful to his dog for easing the awkwardness. Bloodhounds were never at a loss for what to do. Lick, sniff, follow, eat or sleep. That basically carried them through any situation.
“It’ll be warm in a minute,” he blurted, still fussing with the vents. “I’m sorry that didn’t go well, you know, with your aunt.”
Catherine gulped. “My dad had a small life insurance policy, and Tony and I got that plus proceeds from the house, which wasn’t much. There were so many expenses with the funeral, paying off credit cards and the house needed a ton of work to make it sellable. After we left the area, Uncle Orson helped us out for several years, but as soon as I was on my feet I told him to keep his money.”
“You don’t have to explain.”
“I don’t want you to think...”
He took her hand. “I don’t.”
They watched the rain slam against the windshield, each lost in thought. Linda’s hostility. Catherine’s pain. That kiss...
“Can’t believe I was concerned Aunt Linda might be worrying about Orson.”
He was still trying to steady his emotions. Get it together. What’s the next move? He wouldn’t suggest again that she stay at the ranch more than one night. Not yet. It wasn’t the moment, but it was clear that Linda wasn’t the ally Catherine had hoped for. Would he go so far as to say she was an enemy? She definitely had reasons to be happy Orson was out of the way. Improbability aside, might she have formed an alliance with Stone to meet both their goals? She’d have access to the property. Stone would have Orson to lure Antonia. Rudden would get a share of Orson’s assets and cement his loyalty to Linda by greasing the skids for the abduction.
His thoughts lurched a step further. And what if Linda arranged for Orson not to come back at all? For Stone to kill him once he had Antonia? Determined not to let suspicion get the better of him, he put the car in gear.
They followed the cop. At the exit to the subdivision, he caught a movement from the bluff above them, a small cascade of rocks sliding. His muscles tightened. From someone climbing there?
“Hunch down a minute, okay?”
Catherine obeyed as he kept moving and called the cop, who doubled back to take a look. Garrett directed him to the spot he’d noted.
The cop called on his cell. “Don’t see anything. All clear.”
Was it? Might it have been Stone tracking them?
The cop’s tone indicated he didn’t think so.
Catherine took her seat and they drove away from Linda’s, the officer setting a quick pace.
A half mile later, Catherine startled him by speaking. “She’s taking things that mean something to my uncle and she doesn’t care about the sentiment at all. It—it was more than I could stand.” She heaved a deep breath. “I didn’t handle the conversation right at all, did I?”
“What you lacked in finesse, you made up for with sincerity,” he said, trying to coax her to smile. Before he could continue, she gulped in a breath and tears began to trickle down her face. Clearly that hadn’t been the right thing to say. Pinky immediately stretched and applied his big nose to her ear.
She stroked Pinky’s silky head until the dog eased back again.
Garrett tried to think of another joke, but his mouth decided on something completely different. “This is difficult stuff, Catherine, and you’re doing your best.”
She sighed. “My best just put Linda and Rudden on the offense, big-time. That wasn’t smart.”
“Give yourself a break. You’re a work in progress without—”
“A completion date,” she said, finishing his sentence.
He goggled. “How did you know I was going to stay that?”
She smiled and swiped at her tears. “You told me before.”
“I did?”
“Yes. That time you came to our house to check on us a couple of days after my dad was killed.”
Seventy-two hours after he’d lost Stone at the arraignment. The manhunt was in full force, he’d been working around the clock, desperate to recapture the killer who’d escaped due to his negligence.
“We went back there one last time to pack our stuff to move to my uncle’s. I was flipping out, tearing my room apart, because I’d lost a paper I needed to turn in. I think I was kind of in shock still. We were about to move to Orson’s, try to finish out high school. Remember?”
A mental image floated to the surface. “I remember you were upset. I don’t recall doing much to help.”
“You did. You calmed me down and helped me search until I found the paper. You asked if I was hungry and you ordered burgers for me and Tony. We ate outside, on the porch, even though it was raining.”
He flashed back on that occasion, two sisters experiencing the worst moments of their lives. He’d been completely uncertain if he should even go, considering what had happened with Stone. But he’d not felt blame then, not from Catherine. She’d been too trusting and too grieving to understand what he’d allowed to happen. Antonia had refused to eat any of the fast food, or even sit in the same room with him. Antonia was the more perceptive of the two, her demeanor making him wonder if his presence was helping or making things worse. “I’m glad I did something nice.”
“I never considered how much courage it took for you to show up then.”
“Long on courage, short on common sense.”
“I graduated high school before I moved away, but Antonia couldn’t bear it. When she got that anonymous threat on her car windshield just before school ended her junior year, she knew it was from Stone. Maybe we should have gone to the cops then, but Uncle Orson said he’d handle it and he did. New identities and money to start fresh somewhere safe. Tony went to stay with a friend’s family until she completed high school online. I wish we’d stayed closer, in spite of the risk.” Catherine didn’t smile as she turned to look at him, the gleam of tears luminous in the dim light. “Wonder why it’s easier to remember the mistakes we make than the good things we’ve done?”
His throat thickened. “Yeah. Even though we know God forgives, why can’t we really trust that enough to act like it?”
Her lower lip quivered and he swallowed.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Even though.” She was silent, gazing into the bleak sky. “Garrett, I want you to know I did blame you, for years, once I fully understood what had happened at the arraignment...but I don’t anymore.”
Tears pricked his eyes. The rain pattered down harder. “You don’t?”
“No. This whole bizarre situation, meeting you again, it’s...caused me to look at things differently. You did the best you could. And you’re doing your best for us now.”
He could hardly answer. Did he deserve her forgiveness? Would he have extended it if the situation was reversed? Yes, he thought, and his pleasure was immense. “Thank you,” he mumbled. “For saying that.”
She took a deep breath and let it out. “We’re both works in progress.”
He chuckled. “I’ll take it.”
She nodded and straightened in her seat. “Okay. What’s next?”
The windshield wipers slashed at the downpour as the cop pulled off and let them drive past onto Security Hounds property.
“We’ll situate you in Roman’s trailer. You can get some rest. Maybe Pinky can keep you company in case there’s any thunder?”
At the mention of his name, Pinky thumped his tail against the seat.
She smiled. “Okay. Pinky and I will weather the storm and you can go to the hospital and check on your mother.”
How had she known that’s what he was thinking? But Catherine seemed to know what he needed more than he did. She’d forgiven him.
The rage of the storm increased as he drove.
His bubble of happiness popped when he considered that Catherine’s life would be at risk until Stone was caught.
They’d find Antonia or Stone, or both. And Orson too.
And then the Hart family would have their lives back.
After that, he could sort out the wild emotions thumping through him since their kiss.
Catherine’s phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. He saw her jaw tense, mouth tighten.
“What is it?”
She was silent for a beat. “Nothing important.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Her tone was light, airy.
And now he had another question on his mind.
Why was Catherine lying to him?