Page 49 of Longest Ride

“Bobby smashed all his victims’ heads in with a tire iron, Tammy. He’s a rage killer and you can’t marry a man like that.”

“I’m going to marry him, Lucy, and nobody can stop me. Not Mama or you or Travis. Nobody. I’m going to be his wife and take care of him forever.”

“You’re being stupid again, Tammy. Mommy wants you to take a look at the facts before you make another mistake.”

“Eldon isn’t a mistake. He’s the man I love.”

I was upset by all the crap Lucy said to me on the drive to the hospital and I tried to smile when I went in to see Eldon. He looked up at me with his big brown eyes and I loved him so much at that moment.

“How are you doing, Eldon?” I sat down in the chair and held his hand.

“Every day is a new nightmare of pain, Tammy.”

“You’ll soon be better, and I’ll take you away in the truck and we’ll get married.”

“No. That’s a false dream, Tammy, and it’s not happening. You’re too young and I’m not marrying anybody. The truth is, I’m going to jail, and you’ll be old when I get out.”

“I won’t let you go to jail, Eldon. I’ll get you out of the hospital before the cops come for you.”

“You can’t do that, Tammy. In a couple of days, I’ll be transferred to the infirmary at Ranger Headquarters in Austin, and I’ll be there until my trial. They already told me.”

“I can get you out before they come.”

“No, you can’t. I want you to go home and leave me alone, Tammy. Don’t come back here anymore. Do you hear me?”

I tried not to cry but couldn’t do it. “Don’t you love me anymore, Eldon?”

“My name isn’t Eldon. It’s Bobby Prescott, and there is nothing you can do to keep me from going to jail, Tammy. Forget about it and go home to your Mama. Just leave me alone. I’m too tired to argue with you anymore. Go away.”

I walked into the waiting room where Lucy waited for me, and my heart was broken. Eldon said the words, but I knew he was only saying that stuff because he loved me so much. “You go on home, Lucy. I’m going to stay here for the day and see Eldon a few more times.”

“No, Tammy. Mommy wouldn’t let me leave you here. I have to take you home.”

I didn’t want to hurt my sister, but I balled up my fist and punched her as hard as I could in the stomach. She hollered, and while she was bent over gasping for air, I left.

I ran to the stairs at the end of the hall, down to the main floor, across the lobby and out the front door of the hospital.

Somebody was picking up a patient and they left their SUV running at the curb. I jumped in and took off. I was a trained cop, and I wasn’t afraid of anything or anybody. I knew exactly where I was going and what I had to do.

Mainliner Diner. Coyote Creek.

Wyatt Thompson entered the squad room asking for Travis and Molly fetched him from the break room.

“Hey, Wyatt. What’s new?”

“I wanted to ask you the same thing. I ran into Ted at the hospital in Cut Bank and he told me you had an incident here at the station.”

“Wasn’t much of an incident, and only lasted a couple of minutes. Wouldn’t make an interesting story for your readers.”

“I’ll buy you lunch across the street, Travis. I’ve got pages to fill and no good stories to write this week.”

“Hmm…guess I’ve got time for a quick sandwich.”

Wyatt smiled. “Thanks.”

They walked across the street together, Travis getting a feeling from Wyatt. A cop feeling.

Maryanne rushed over with coffee as soon as they sat down in the last empty booth. “You been on a diet, Sheriff? Haven’t seen you much in the past week.”

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