Page 18 of River Wild

She’d texted it to Stuart and nothing more. Afterward, she’d wondered why she’d bothered. If he was no longer sheriff, he couldn’t even run the plate.

She’d told herself that it was just a matter of time before the driver of the SUV realized he’d lost her. Would he double back? Should she stay hidden?

She checked the time. She was going to miss her appointment if she didn’t get moving soon. She knew this two-lane highway after driving it for years. If she left now, she would catch up with the SUV. And then what?

Her run-in with R. Durham had left her feeling vulnerable. It was a feeling she hated and yet had become used to. When someone wanted you dead, feeling vulnerable came with it.

She couldn’t keep hiding here, she thought angrily. She didn’t want to get caught here when the SUV doubled back. If he doubled back.

Looking up the highway, she had to make a decision. Cancel her appointment and drive back to Powder Crossing? Or take her chances and try to make it to Billings alive?

She pulled out, not sure which way she would go until she turned back toward Powder Crossing. The truth was that she wasn’t up to taking her chances. Not after R. Durham. She glanced in her rearview mirror. Still no sign of the SUV. But she caught her reflection, her scratched, damaged face that Stuart had patched up.

Bailey called and changed her appointment to the next day. When she looked back, she saw the SUV some distance behind her. No question about it. The vehicle was the same one.

She sped up. Her best chance was to make a run for it, she told herself as she jammed the gas pedal to the floor. She looked back, not at all surprised that the vehicle following her also sped up. Her heart pounded as she realized it was gaining on her. Maybe she couldn’t outrun the larger SUV, but she was damned well going to give it her best try.

As she topped a hill, scrub pine trees blurring past on each side of the highway, she looked up in surprise to see a patrol SUV. Instantly its flashing lights came on. Her heart thudded in her chest until she recognized the cowboy behind the wheel. She let out a shaky breath.

Looking in her rearview mirror, she saw the driver of the SUV following her then hit the brakes and turn off the road. As Bailey sped past the patrol SUV, she heard the siren. She looked back to see him make a U-turn in the highway and come after her. She could no longer see the dark SUV as she pulled over and stopped, lying over her steering wheel, fighting tears. She was sure the person would make a run for it—not knowing that Bailey had gotten a plate number.

Not that she felt that jubilant. Being scared all the time was exhausting, she thought as Stuart pulled in behind her. She smiled at the sight of his handsome face as she finally admitted the truth. She couldn’t keep doing this alone.

Stuart walked up to her window. She put it down without looking at him. “We need to talk. Can I trust you to follow me back to my office?”

She finally looked at him. “You’re still sheriff?”

“Yes.” There was a lot in that one word, but she told herself it didn’t matter. Even if he resigned, she needed him. “Not your office. I’ll meet you at your house.”

His expression seemed to question if he could trust her. She didn’t blame him. “Did you get the plate number I sent you on the car that was following me?”

He nodded. “I’ll tell you when I see you at the house.”

She watched him in her rearview mirror as he walked back to his patrol SUV before she put up her window.

It was time she told the truth.

CHAPTER SIX

STUARTHADN’TKNOWNif Bailey would go to his house or not. He had no idea what she’d been doing on this road, where she’d been going, or what she planned to do now. But he’d come this far with her, trusting that at some point she’d be honest with him. Clearly something was going on with her and had been for a while.

Why did he think he could save Bailey when he doubted he could even save himself? As flawed and messed up as he was right now, what could he possibly give Bailey to help her?

He let her drive off first. As the back of her SUV disappeared around a curve, he started his patrol car and headed toward Powder Crossing. He was still sheriff. But he hadn’t changed his mind about resigning. He promised himself he’d take care of it first thing in the morning.

His radio squawked. The dispatcher told him that there had been a wreck on the highway to Miles City, a semi and a couple of cars involved. She’d been able to reach one deputy, and a wrecker and trooper were coming from the other side of the mountain, but more help was needed.

Stuart texted Bailey.Let yourself in. You know where the key is. Wait for me.

He doubted she would, but there was nothing he could do about that as he turned on his lights and siren and raced to the first road he came to across the valley to the highway.

Stuart found himself questioning whether he should have told her the name of the driver of the SUV that had been following her. He just hoped she went straight to his house and would be waiting for him, because he had no idea when he’d get there. From what he was hearing on his scanner, it was going to be hours before the highway would be open again.

HOLLYJOROBINSONcouldn’t believe how different this school year was from the last. She wasn’t even sure exactly how it had happened, but she was suddenly popular and hanging out with popular girls. She felt a little bad because she used to make fun of them when Gus Montgomery was her only friend.

But a lot had changed over the summer. Not only did she have friends, she had aboyfriend. Buck Savage was sixteen and adorable. He told her that he wanted to be a bull rider and make lots of money. Right now he was one of the most popular boys in school because he was really good at every sport, just not great at school subjects, especially math. He was also really cute, and he liked horses almost as much as Holly Jo did.

Her guardian, Holden McKenna, or HH, as she called him, wouldn’t approve. She was sure of that. So she kept that part of school to herself even though she felt a little guilty about it. Only months ago, she’d promised herself that she was going to be the perfect ward. Not only had HH taken her in after her mother had died, but also he had almost died trying to save her when she’d been kidnapped some months ago.

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