Page 74 of Luke

“Give me Leah, and you can step out of the office,” Rita said as she reached for Leah.

“Thank you.” Bryce handed the baby to her, then walked out of the office. She cleared her throat. “Luke…”

“Hey, baby, you’re not busy, are you? I wanted to let you know that I’m on my way home.” Tears rolled down her face asshe tried to talk but no words would come. “Bryce?”

“Luke—” her voice caught.

“Hold on, let me pull over. Bryce, what’s going on? Are you and Leah alright?”

“I think he found me, Luke. There was a man following me this morning. The sheriff is here…”

“Sam?”

“Yes.”

“Let me talk to him, please.”

“Okay.” Bryce entered the office and looked at the sheriff. “Sheriff, Luke would like to speak with you.”

“Luke?”

“McCallister.”

The sheriff nodded, took her phone and left the room. She watched as he talked to Luke, nodded, and reentered the room, then handed her the phone.

“Luke?” she said into it.

“I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“Please be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’m safe right now.”

“I know you are with Sam there. Do you want to go to my parents’ place? Beau could stay with you.”

“I don’t want to put them in harm’s way. I’ll be fine. The sheriff has his deputies looking for the man.”

“I know. He is also sending someone to Burns’ house in Minnesota. Sam has a lot of connections. Although he’d call anyway, he has a good friend there in the sheriff's department. They’ll pick up Burns.”

“I can’t lose Leah.” She sobbed.

“Baby, you won’t.”

“But he’s the father, Luke.”

“I know. Please, don’t worry about it. Sam is a damn good sheriff. He won’t let that man near you.”

“Okay. I love you,” she said.

“I love you back. I’ll see you soon, baby.”

“Ms. Spencer? I want you to go home. I’ll follow you, then have a deputy stay with you. You’ll be safe,” the sheriff told her.

“Alright.” She looked at Rita. “Will I lose my job?”

“No. Do not worry about that.” Rita smiled.

“Alright. Let’s go,” the sheriff said.

They left the hospital, and he walked her to her SUV. She noticed he kept glancing around the parking lot. Once she settled Leah in her car seat, Bryce climbed into the front seat, and started the car. She looked over to the sheriff’s SUV cruiser to see him nod, and she drove out of the parking lot.

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