Page 33 of Unexpected Danger
An hour later, she had the suitcase, clothes, Bible, purse, and several water bottles packed in the SUV, and the small, flat-screen TV, microwave, laptop, photo frames, her carefully packed porcelain dolls, and two boxes of dishes stored carefully in the travel trailer. Linens, food from the cupboards, portable exercise equipment, and some miscellaneous items were next. She’d use the linens and pillows to cushion breakable items, although she had no anticipation of anything getting too jostled since ninety-five percent of her drive was on the freeway.
Finally, at 10:00 a.m., an hour behind schedule, she conducted a last-minute recheck of the apartment and added an efficient cleaning of the table, counters, and floor.
She was ready to go.
Just entering the freeway calmed her nerves. The sky was clear, and the spring weather was a pleasant sixty degrees with no sign of anticipated rain. In four hours and twenty-six minutes, she’d be in Pronghorn Falls, including a few pit stops to eat and stretch her legs.
She could do this.
For the first hour, she sang along to her favorite Christian worship songs. It kept her grounded and from thinking about what she’d do if her stalker discovered she’d left Rowland.
An hour later, she spied the exit that boasted four fast-food restaurants. She filled up with gas, then pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant with the most space to park the SUV and cargo trailer, locked the door, and strolled inside. She inhaled a deep breath. Two more hours and she’d be in Pronghorn Falls.
Hamburgers and fries were not her usual go-to, but today it was the fastest she could manage so she could efficiently return to her travel. She was filling her cup with ice water when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her heart pounded, and she slowly turned to see the clerk behind her with a tray of food. “Your boyfriend said he’d meet you there.”
“My boyfriend?”
The woman, barely out of her teens, smiled, exposing a mouthful of braces. “Yes, he came in when you were in the restroom and said he’d meet you wherever it is you’re going. He said the town, but I don’t remember it right off.”
Londyn took the tray from her. “Thank you, but I think you might have the wrong person.”
“Pronghorn Falls! That was the place. Yes, he said he’d meet you there.”
Her stomach clenched, and Londyn nearly dropped the tray. “He said that?”
“Yeah, he did. Is everything okay?”
She scanned the restaurant and what she could see of the parking lot from the window. “What did he look like?”
“Your boyfriend?” The woman’s painted-on black eyebrows rose into her forehead.
“Uh, yes, just making sure it was my boyfriend.”
The woman wrinkled her nose. “Well, he was slim, taller than me, blond hair, a nice smile… Like, way charming.”
A peculiar panic rose in her throat. She set the tray on the counter, reached for her phone, and brought up Dustin’s image. “Was this him?”
“Yeah, that was him.”
“And he was here?”
The clerk offered an incredulous stare as if Londyn were missing a few brain cells. “Yes. He was here. Like I said, he told me to tell you he’d meet you in Pronghorn Falls.”
“Can I get a to-go bag, please?”
“Sure.”
Londyn hurried to the window. No sign of Dustin, but obviously, he was somewhere watching her.
There was no reason for him to follow her to Pronghorn Falls. No reason for him to meet her there. No reason for him tobecome obsessed. Because that’s what it was—obsession—if he was planning to follow her from Rowland.
Something was off. Dustin was her friend. Yes, he’d been pushy about dating, but hewasher friend. Why was he stopping at the fast-food restaurant and giving an update to an anonymous clerk? Why hadn’t he texted her back and told her he would like to see her before she left Rowland?
If he had, she probably would have rejected the idea due to time constraints and not wanting to lead him on.
Surely it wasn’t anything dire. Just a friend wanting to say goodbye. Right? Yet…
The woman handed her the bag. “Here you go. Anything else?”
