Page 11 of Echo
The barking came from the trees again and released the fear gripping me. It was probably someone walking their dog, and they stumbled onto the property. Yeah, that made sense. Ranger wasn’t on a leash, they probably realized that and quickly dragged their dog away.
“Ranger. Calm.” I took some deep breaths. “Leave them alone.”
He bared his teeth and his snarls grew louder. He backed further into me, pushing me away from whatever he deemed a threat.
Eventually, he stopped and released his tense stance. I rubbed him down, getting the last of the tension out of him. “Good boy.”
I rewarded him with back scratches and he ate up the attention I gave him with a wagging tail and a long lick to the side of my face.
“Okay, let’s get these eggs inside and see what else we can find. Huh?”
He yipped in agreement, but I noticed he stayed tighter at my heel.
My father had insisted I have a fully trained dog after he lost his temper on me, thinking I was someone else. The first and last time he ever put his hands on me.
Which was exactly why my ex-boyfriend hated my dog and made him live outside, when he moved in a few months ago. Being outside hadn’t helped Mark. Ranger got into the house through the glass door. When I went to the emergency room, so did he.
All the signs of what Mark was had been there, but I ignored them, thinking I was being too harsh.
It was only a matter of time before he killed my dog, so he could do whatever he wanted to me. That was why I ran the first chance I got. Which failed. He found me again within hours.
This time there were states between us and no one but dad knew where I was going. I hadn’t told him why I was so quick to run, but I was sure he had suspicions, when I told him not to tell anyone where I went.
I didn’t think Mark would have the balls to call my dad, since it wasn’t like they had even spoken to each other before, and my dad knew that if I didn’t tell someone something it’s because that information wasn’t for them. He’s the one who taught me that. But I couldn’t risk Mark making my dad think he was worried or scared.
I put the eggs on the counter and went back outside. I could swear Ranger was exasperated as he went ahead of me to check the perimeter of the garden, before gluing himself to my side.
I used my phone to do some research on when to harvest and gathered what looked ready. Ranger would growl at the treeline every once in a while.
“Knock it off.” The random growls set me on edge and made my hands shake. That said, I was glad someone with better hearing and eyes was watching my back.
I went to my knees on the ground to study a plant that I couldn’t identify. I didn’t think it was ready. I sunk all the way with my hands to get a good look at the thing, but I was curious what it was.
The sensation of a hot gaze lazily rolling over me, caught my breath in my throat. It reminded me of being in a bar and a man locking his eyes on me right before he devoured my soul and sent shivers down my spine.
Not all predators wanted to kill their prey, sometimes they wanted to leave their quarry with shaky legs and a blank mind. I just hadn’t been hunted by one of those in a while.
But out here in the wilderness, where no one was supposed to be, wasn’t ideal. Ranger gave a warning bark and the feeling slipped away.
“Good job, old man,” I told Ranger, giving him a pat as I climbed back to my feet.
Maybe it would be smart to keep my mace on me, even in these empty hills.
Chapter 5:
Dinnerwasmorerespectablethan anything I’d had in a while, and it relieved a lot of worry. If I could preserve my money for gas that would help a lot. Ranger agreed, laying at my feet, licking the egg off his chops. I could almost visualize him popping the button on his pants.
“I know, old man.” Junk food on the road never could have been this satisfying. It made the work it took to gather it worth it.
It was already dark, and I hadn’t gotten anything else done yet. But the view through the glass door was gorgeous. The stars and moon shone brighter than they ever did in Miami. They were a perfect backdrop for the hills behind the outline of the barn. It probably helped that there wasn’t any lighting on the back porch.
Despite how wound Ranger and I were, there was something peaceful about this place. Like living in another world.
One where my fears didn’t matter as much.
Ranger lifted his head and stared out the door, a growl building. I didn’t see anything, but I was sure there were all kinds of critters running around now.
“Okay. Let’s go through the house and see what we are working with.” I stood to clean up my dishes and thought about what Sally Mae said in town. I stared at the sliding door.
