“Shit,” I hear him say, and without thinking, I take off, still carrying an armful of pregnancy tests. When I hear his feet pounding the ground behind me, I run faster and head right for the automatic doors and out, ignoring the alarms going off as I run outside.
“Stop!” I hear someone shout, and tears fill my eyes as I book it toward my Bronco. When I finally reach my door, I fumble with the handle, the tests in my hands falling to the ground while someone crashes into me from behind. The impact causes the air in my lungs to leave on a whoosh.
“I won’t tell anyone I saw you. I swear I won’t tell!” I scream as I spin around, ready to fight to the death if I have to.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but the cops are on the way,” a kid younger than me, wearing a red polo shirt, says and then grabs my upper arm.
I blink. “What?” I pant for breath, scanning the area for the guy who I swear was chasing me.
“The cops are coming,” he says again as I hear the sound of sirens getting closer.
“I . . . I thought—”
“You have to come with me.” He latches onto my wrist, then bends to pick up the boxes on the ground at our feet.
“This is a mistake. I didn’t try to steal those. I . . . there was a guy chasing me.”
“Yeah, I was chasing you.” He drags me back into the store and into a small office where there are dozens of TV monitors lining the walls.
Chapter 25
TANNER
With Bernard at my back, I head into the lodge so I can show him around, even though I’m ready to be home with Cybil after spending the day on the river fishing with him. Cybil said I shouldn’t bring up him and Maisie moving here, but after having them around this last week and seeing how happy she’s been, I’ve made a point to show all of them everything this area has to offer. I’m also hoping that if they decide to move this way, Jade will follow.
“Gotta say I’m impressed, son,” Bernard says as we step into the great room in the center of the lodge. “You and your friends have done good for yourselves.”
“Thanks,” I say as my cell phone in my pocket rings. When I pull it out, a number I don’t recognize is on the screen. Not sure if it’s a client, I put it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Is this Tanner Carson?”
“It is.” I meet Bernard’s gaze, and he raises a brow.
“This is Officer Thomas Swans. I’m sorry to call you, but I have a woman with me who asked that I phone you before I take her down to the station—”
“Cybil?” I cut him off as I start moving toward the front door of the lodge, swearing I hear someone crying in the background.
“Yes, she said you’d be able to explain why she tried to steal four pregnancy tests.”
I stumble and just catch myself by latching onto the railing before I can fall down the steps outside the lodge. “What?”
“Sorry, she’s very incoherent. She also said something about a shooting and an elk.”
“Where is she?” I bark into the phone as I run toward my truck, hoping Bernard is keeping up, because if not, he’s going to get left behind.
“We’re in the Target parking lot.”
“Do not leave.”
“Sir, I can’t—”
“She must have seen the person who shot at us, the person who poached an elk almost two months ago. Call the sheriff and warden. They’ll confirm my story.”
“Fuck,” he mutters before sighing. “All right.”
“I’ll be there in twenty, tops. Please don’t leave.” I hang up as I start the engine of my truck.
“What’s going on?” Bernard asks, and I grit my teeth. I forgot he was here. Fuck.
Not wanting to repeat what the cop said about Cybil trying to steal pregnancy tests, I tell him a half truth. “I think Cybil saw the person who shot at us, and she’s with the cops.”
He doesn’t say a word, and I’m thankful for the silence as I drive, because my mind is whirling with thoughts of Cybil pregnant with our child and scared out of her mind in the back seat of a cop car.
When we pull into the Target parking lot, it takes less than two seconds to spot Cybil. She’s not in the back of a cruiser but instead being held under the arm of the sheriff who spoke to her the night we were shot at. I don’t even bother finding a parking spot. I pull up right in front of the line of official vehicles outside the store and somehow manage to shut down the engine of my truck before I hop out and run around the hood. When Cybil sees me, her eyes fill with concern and relief.
“Sunshine,” I say low, and she rushes toward me as I open my arms. As soon as I have hold of her, she sobs, gripping onto my tee. “Shhh, it’s okay.” I rock her back and forth, then look over the top of her head as the sheriff walks toward us.
“Security’s going over the tapes with a couple of officers. We’re hoping we got the man who shot at the two of you on tape.” The sheriff’s eyes drop to Cybil. “You should probably get her home. We’ll call and let you know when we find something.”
“Thanks.” I turn to lead her to my truck and see Bernard a couple of feet away. “Sunshine, did you drive here?” When she nods, I take her purse off her shoulder and look at Bernard. “Do you mind driving Cybil’s Bronco home?”
“Not at all.” He takes her bag when I hand it over and digs through for her keys. Once he has them, he hands me her purse and looks at Cybil as she wipes her cheeks. “Are you okay, honey?”
“Yeah,” she mumbles, and even though he doesn’t look convinced, he lets it go and mutters that he’ll follow us back to the house.
I usher Cybil to my truck and place her in the passenger seat, making sure to take extra care when I buckle her in while ignoring her body stiffening when my knuckles graze her stomach.
“Talk to me, sunshine,” I whisper after I get in behind the wheel and grab her hand.
“I heard the cop talking to you. I know you know about the pregnancy tests.”
“Are you pregnant?” I ask, the idea thrilling and scaring the shit out of me.
“I don’t know,” she says, sounding so defeated. “Probably. My period is late, and I’ve been feeling sick every morning and so tired all the time.”
“I wish you would have told me.”
“I was going to if I found out I was.”
I smile at the anger in her tone. “I know you would have, but you’re not alone, sunshine. I’m here with you no matter what.”
“I know.” She starts to fiddle with my fingers.
“Whatever happens, we will work through it.” I lift her hand to my lips, kissing her fingers. “Okay?”
“Okay,” she agrees before resting her head on my shoulder.
For the rest of the drive home, I don’t say anything, and when we get back to the house, I lead her to the bedroom and order her to lie down and take a nap. Surprisingly, she doesn’t fight me, or maybe she’s so exhausted she can’t.
Two hours later, with Maisie and Jade back at the house and Bernard on edge, the sheriff calls to say he’s going to stop by with a few pictures for her to look at, which means I have to wake her up.