Proof of Innocence. Lenora Worth

       THREE

      Chase put his hand on Erin’s shoulder. She’d fallen asleep almost immediately after they’d left the deserted park about twenty miles back. He’d driven in circles for at least an hour and he’d watched the road for anyone who might be following them. Now he was on a remote back road where a sign boasted a bed-and-breakfast that promised privacy.

      He’d have to do a quick sweep with Valor after they checked in, but maybe this place would be safe for the night at least.

      “Erin?”

      She jumped and grabbed at his hand then started hitting and slapping him, a scream tearing through her throat.

      “Erin, it’s me. Chase!”

      She gulped in deep breaths, her eyes wide with fear and then awareness. Her whole body relaxing, she asked, “Where...where are we?”

      “An old inn. Way off the beaten path.” He had to take her inside and find her some food and a good soft bed so she could get some sleep. Handing her a generic navy-colored ball cap he kept in the SUV, he said, “Put your hair up underneath this and put those glasses back on.”

      “I have the wig,” she said on a groggy note.

      Chase did a visual and saw nothing but dark woods and the winding road up to the inn. “But someone’s seen you in that wig,” he retorted. “Put on the cap until I can get you in a room.”

      “Okay.”

      Her meek tone tore through Chase. Erin wasn’t one to be meek or subdued. She was honest and frank and smart. Never afraid and never this quiet. She’d gone on the run for a reason and Chase believed that reason consisted of staying alive so she could prove her innocence. But it also showed him that right now, she didn’t trust anyone. Especially not him.

      Trying to ignore the disturbing feelings being near her seemed to be unleashing, he helped her with her now-mismatched hair. She’d obviously dyed it a couple of times. And she’d cut it. Still shorter than he remembered, it hit in soft waves against her chin. He remembered the softness of her hair, remembered pulling the light caramel-colored strands through his fingers so he could tug her close. Now he had to keep a safe distance. And keep her safe.

      He had to stop reliving the past and start focusing on keeping her alive. That was his duty.

       Your duty was to find her and bring her in for questioning.

      He planned to question Erin. A lot. He’d report in again after he’d heard her side of things.

      But he wasn’t letting her out of his sight until he knew the truth. He figured there was much more to this story and he didn’t know whom he could trust right now.

      So Chase did what he’d always done when he had doubts.

      He went with his instincts. And his instincts told him that this woman would never hurt another human being. Much less kill one. Now he just had to match her story with what Leon Ridge had told them. Maybe soon, they’d all know the truth.

      * * *

      The Moonlight Inn lived up to its name. The big Victorian house glistened with an eerie grayish-white wash from the light of a crescent moon. Surrounded by towering old live oaks, it looked at once both welcoming and sinister.

      Erin loved the quaint old white clapboard exterior with the wraparound porch, but she wasn’t so sure about the isolation of the place. Still, being away from the main road allowed Chase and her some time to get all the facts straight. If she could keep her eyes open long enough to talk to him. It took all she had to put one foot in front of the other.

      “You look plum wore out,” the cheerful lady behind the front desk said, her concerned brown eyes washing over Erin’s soiled T-shirt and jeans with a keen interest. “Did you two go on a long hike today?”

      “Yes,” Chase answered with a smile. He glanced down at Valor. “And we chased this fellow around a lot. We’re ready to settle in for the night.”

      The woman’s gaze moved from Erin to the dog at their feet. “What a beautiful animal.”

      “Thank you,” Chase said. He’d already removed Valor’s working vest so no one would ask too many questions. “He’s tired, too. He loves to...search the countryside.”

      “Chasing squirrels, huh, boy?” The lady chuckled, her white hair as stiff as the fake pink flowers clustered in a pretty red vase next to the antique cash register.

      The woman glanced at Erin, causing Erin to realize that she hadn’t spoken.

      “Yes, always chasing something,” she said, her tone forced. Chase hadn’t clarified anything with the desk clerk. Erin wondered how he’d handle the room situation.

      “If it’s available, we’d like the deluxe suite with the sitting room,” he said, pointing to some pictures underneath the glass on the counter.

      The old lady nodded. “Our best suite. Roomy and private.”

      Chase didn’t respond. He simply paid the bill and kept smiling. Erin took in her surroundings, a habit she’d developed after being forced to watch her back. The inn was clean and uncluttered with the front entrance and lobby here and a long hallway to the back of the house. If she had to run...

      “All set,” the woman said, handing Chase a receipt. “I hope you have a good stay.”

      Chase glanced toward Erin, his green eyes going soft. “Thanks. I hope so, too.”

      Erin managed a smile to hide the way her throat tightened and went dry at that glance. Now that they were inside, the glow from the lamplight clearly showed her all the features of his face for the first time.

      He’d aged into someone she recognized and yet didn’t really know. His dark blond hair was cut in a crisp military style that stood in curling spikes across his forehead, and he had a few laugh lines, or maybe worry lines, around his eyes. He was buff and tan and healthy. Her heart, which had shriveled up in a corner to die when she’d lost all hope, seemed to unfold like a blossoming rose. She didn’t want to depend on this man. She could turn and bolt out the door, but she was so weary. She felt safe just being near him.

      Chase looked as good as she remembered and then some.

      While she was dirty and tired and mousy. And then some. A far cry from her sorority days and the whirlwind social life of the nation’s capital.

      But she was relieved. She couldn’t help the relief that pushed through her numb system like a cooling wind to prove she was still alive. This kind of comfort could come only from knowing someone she’d once loved had found her when she thought she’d be lost forever. Erin glanced at a still life on the wall of a stream flowing down a mountainside. This was how she felt each time she sat in the dark and prayed, the image of Christ front and center in her frazzled mind. Lately, she’d almost given up on that image. But Chase stood here, an answer to a prayer she hadn’t even known she’d prayed.

      “There you go,” the woman with the name tag that said Janey told them. “You’re all set. Breakfast is from six until nine each day and if you’d like, I can send up a midnight snack to tide you over. Since you’re arriving so late and all.” She glanced at the go bag Chase had grabbed from the SUV and then she let her gaze sweep over