Page 54 of Indigo Sky

I hummed a contemplative sound as I wiped my hand over my bearded chin. "I didn't know Crystal was a mom."

"Yep,” she said, turning to stand beside me. “Her baby daddy's a real piece of work too. He was around for maybe a year, then decided,You know what? I really don't want to be a dad. Then, he skipped town, and she never heard from him again."

I frowned. "What an asshole."

Kate sighed as she nodded. "Yeah … none of us have had a lot of luck in the love department, honestly. Well, except Wendyand Saul, but they're freaks of nature. Been together since high school."

"Scott told me,” I said while wondering about her own luckless love life.What did she mean by that?

“Honestly, they’re adorable, and I hope I’m lucky enough to fall for a guy like Saul. Not that I wanthim. He’s, like … practically a dad to me, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean.”

Unspoken words between us. Questions, hopes, fears, or memories—maybe all of it—permeated the air, both of our backs against her car. My arm barely brushing her shoulder, her hand dangling inches from mine. I wanted to reach out and touch her fingers. I wanted to feel her skin against mine. But something told me to keep my distance, to leave the door open as an invitation to come inside, but to let her take the first steps herself. She needed to call the shots, and I needed to allow it. But, fuck, that didn’t mean I didn’t want to grab her and pull her inside, where it was warm and safe.

“Anyway, what about Thursday?” she asked, pushing beyond the unsaid and into safer territory.

My eye caught on something across the street, and I stared, my heart speeding up.

“Yeah, I’ll need to shove food down my throat on Thursday,” I said, keeping my voice even, inclining my head toward hers, but not quite looking at her.

My stare was on something else, something farther in the distance across the street. It was too dark to see, too dark to be sure, but it looked like someone standing there, behind a telephone pole. I’d only caught the tiniest glimpse of movement; it could’ve been nothing, but … no, I had seen it. I had seensomething.

“Can I give you my number?”

Dammit. Yes, I wanted to have her number. I wanted her to have mine.

But I also didn’t feel right, standing here, on a shadowy road, alone, at two in the morning. Goose bumps scattered along my arms, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Something eerie hung in the air, and I wanted her to leave.

“Give me your phone,” I ordered, not intending to sound so urgent and demanding. I hoped she didn’t notice.

She complied, handing her phone to me, and quickly, while barely taking my eye off that telephone pole across the street, I put my number into her phone, not bothering to add my name to it. She’d know. She’d put it in herself.

“Text me when you get home,” I said. “Please.”

She sniffed a gentle laugh and held her phone up to begin typing. “I could just text you—"

“No.” I stopped her, my heart racing as the shadows shifted and the figure of a man moved farther away, deeper into a row of bushes. “Actually, um …” I blew out a heavy breath, steadyingmy voice and lungs. “How ‘bout you call me on your way home? I’m tired as fuck, and I need someone to keep me awake.”

In my mind, I screamed at her to say yes as I imagined whoever it was across the street following her home. I pictured a faceless man, pulling into her driveway behind her, ambushing her, taking her.

Was it Tyson? Was he pissed off and seeking his revenge?

Then, Nate came to mind.

I'd known him for a long time. I knew what kind of questionable shit he got up to. Stalking me wasn't out of the realm of possibility. And I was sure that following innocent women home wasn't either. I couldn’t see him raping or murdering, but scaring someone? He wasn't above that. He’d done it before.

Kate was quiet for a few moments, and I felt her eyes on me, watching and questioning.

"Yeah," she finally said, her voice uncertain. "I can do that."

"Good. Great." I forced a smile and glanced at her. "I'd appreciate it."

"Are you okay?"

I shifted my gaze back toward that spot across the street. The shadowed figure seemed to be gone. But I'd be a fool to trust so easily.

"I thought I saw something," I answered honestly. "Kinda freaked me out. I'm okay though. Probably just exhausted."

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