Holiday Hideout. Lynette Eason
looked at Fiona. “Let her sleep. I’m going to gather the men and we’re going to cover the property. I want to make sure that guy is gone and gone for good.” Fiona nodded and Cal left, his fury at Abby’s attacker eating him from the inside out.
As soon as they finished the search, if they didn’t find the man, he’d return to the ranch and start digging a little deeper into Abby’s past. He refused to feel guilt at the thought.
If he didn’t know who he was fighting, it would be a lost cause from the very beginning.
And for Abby’s sake, this was one fight he was determined to win. Even if he had to enlist the help of every deputy on the force, he would keep Abby safe.
Abby heard the door open, then close. Cal had left. To track down the man who’d attacked her. She opened her eyes and squinted into the darkness.
Sitting up, she decided that other than a slight headache and the desire to take a long nap, she felt all right.
It was time to go to work. Before leaving home, she’d spent long hours at the office, on the computer, updating files and entering information. Some of it she’d done simply to escape her grief, keep her mind from her sister’s death.
As a result, she’d come across information that she wanted to look at again. Saving it to a flash drive had seemed the best way to do that at the time. Now she just had to find a computer.
She thought of her attacker and shivered. Was it Reese? And when she thought about that, she couldn’t stop her mind from going to one of the nights she’d worked late.
Her business partner, Dr. Randall Cromwell, had stopped by her office and compassionately told her to go home. She’d agreed. Only as she grabbed her stuff to walk out, she’d looked out the window.
And seen Reese leaning against his car, watching the building.
Waiting for her?
Obviously.
“Are you coming?” Randall had asked as she continued to stand and stare.
“I can’t go out there. Reese is there by his car, waiting. He scares me.” Her insides twisted in knots. “Look.”
Randall had walked to the window. “He’s just standing there.” A pause. “He has something in his hand. Looks like a folder or a file folder of some sort. Why don’t you just go out there and ask him what he wants? I’ll come with you.”
She’d sighed and shared, “He threatened me, Randall, so I took a restraining order out on the man. There’s no way I’m going to approach him.”
Randall had pulled out his cell phone. “Then call the cops and tell them he’s violated the restraining order.”
“No,” she’d all but shouted.
Her partner had slowly put the phone away. “Okay,” he drew out the word and she knew he thought she was crazy.
“But will you walk me to my car?” she’d asked.
Randall and Abby had walked out of the office, her partner acting as her bodyguard until she was safely in her car. Reese had watched them, frustration stamped clearly on his face.
Abby wouldn’t approach him, but he’d violated the restraining order by coming to her place of business.
He’d been ordered to stay off her property and he could come no closer than fifty yards if they happened to be in the same public place.
The encounter had scared her. Frightened her that he was becoming more bold. Then again, why wouldn’t he be?
As Randall had opened the door for her and she slid into the car, she supposed she should call the police and report Reese.
Then she’d snorted in disgust. Like that would do any good. Reese was a cop. Cops stuck together.
She’d left the next day and within days found herself on the McIvers’ ranch.
Slipping from the bed, she turned the light on and blinked at the sudden brightness. Her jeans lay draped over the chair in the small kitchen area. Her white turtleneck and blue sweater were neatly folded in the seat.
Grabbing her jeans, Abby felt for the pocket she’d sewn on the inside. Relief filled her when she felt the small lumps indicating the flash drive, cell phone battery, traveler’s checks and her ID were still there.
Using a fingernail, she loosened the threads and soon had the items in the palm of her hand. Thank goodness Fiona hadn’t washed her clothes or her battery would be toast. But then she wondered why she even bothered to keep it. As soon as she put it in the phone, Reese would somehow find out and track her.
If he hadn’t already followed her.
The recent attack said not only was it a possibility, but it was also a probability.
She really should leave.
But how? And where would she go? She’d done her best to outrun and outsmart Reese Kirkpatrick, but all she’d done was wear herself out without shaking the man from her trail.
She’d have to decide what to do about that soon. Leave and take a chance on Reese catching up to her? Or stay and possibly put this sweet family in danger?
Not really a choice.
Clutching the flash drive, she went in search of Fiona. Hopefully, the woman had a computer she wouldn’t mind Abby borrowing.
Abby knocked on the door at the top of the stairs. Almost immediately, she heard footsteps coming in her direction. Seconds later, the door opened. Fiona smiled. “I thought you were sleeping. Come on in. You haven’t been up on this level yet. If you feel up to it, you can start coming up here for meals.”
A flash of guilt hit her. “I’m so sorry. You’ve been bringing my meals down those steps. I’m sure that’s not what you need to be doing in your condition.”
Fiona gave a laugh. “It’s not a big deal, I promise. The exercise is good for me. I don’t go outside very much because we’ve got a bit of ice and I don’t want to chance slipping.” She nodded toward the window. “And it’s snowing again.”
Alarmed, Abby walked to the window and looked out. Big flakes fell in silent wonder. She looked back to the pregnant woman. “Aren’t you worried you won’t be able to get out? What are you going to do if that baby comes early?”
She shrugged. “We have a four-wheel drive and chains on the tires. Joseph said he’d get me to the hospital one way or another when the time came.”
Relief filled Abby. The last thing she wanted to do was have another home delivery on her hands.
Then Fiona shattered her relief when she said, “Then again, if I wind up having the baby here, it’s not a big deal. Mom’s a nurse and has helped deliver a number of babies.” A smile softened her eyes. “It might be kind of nice to have a home birth.”
She wasn’t worried about having the baby at home.
Lovely.
Memories assailed Abby, nearly suffocating her. Her sister’s joyful cries as she called to tell Abby it was time. Abby’s rush to Keira’s home. Everything moved along like it was supposed to, then the baby just seemed to get stuck. She wouldn’t move down the birth canal.
And then her sister’s sudden, terrifying silence.
Abby shuddered. No way would she ever deliver another baby outside of a hospital.
“So, here we are in the kitchen.” Fiona’s bright voice sliced through her terrible memories.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, forcing a smile. “I love the Christmas tree in the corner and the mistletoe hanging above the door.”
Fiona nodded. “I told Joseph I wanted a tree in every room of the house. He thinks I’m crazy. Then he came up with the