Page 63 of Saved By the Officers

“You watched it, and it was on our Amazon account, so I watched it one night when you were locked in your office working.”

“I’m the worst mother ever.” I groaned and rubbed at my eyes. My stomach dropped. “Please tell me you didn’t watch anything else on my account.”

“Nah, that one gave me nightmares for a month.”

“Great. Now I need to be saving for collegeandtherapy.” I shot her a smile. “Do you want me to handle it, the kids at school?”

“Mom.” She groaned. “You’ll make it worse. I just shrug it all off, honestly. And they’ll lose interest soon. Right now I’m a novelty. It’ll wear off when they realize they can’t get a rise out of me. I’m a reader, not a fighter.” She peeked up at me through her dark lashes. “Like you. Minus the knife you carry.”

“You never know when you might run into a serial killer and need one to save yourself from becoming their next victim. Speaking of that, you need a knife.”

Her small smile grew. “And you’re wrong.” I tilted my head in confusion. “You’re the best mom. I know I’m safe with you and that everything you do is with both of us in mind. I didn’t see it before, but I do now.”

Hot tears burned behind my eyes. I blinked furiously and turned toward the window. “Thank you. And I—”

The rumble of an approaching vehicle cut me off as a wave of relief flooded my system.

Only for it to shift to ice when an unfamiliar truck appeared in the rearview mirror. My hand darted out across the center console, clutching Gracie’s forearm in a death grip.

“What? Who is—”

“Sink lower in your seat, and don’t turn to look.” I did not know who was in the large Dodge Ram, but the sinking feeling in my gut told me I should listen to my instincts. I shot a panicked look at Gracie and twisted in the seat to search the back seat for anything to cover her with. The last thing I wanted was some stranger to know I was vulnerable in the middle of nowhere with my young daughter.

The sound of the truck door slamming shut drew my gaze out the back window.

My stomach rolled seeing the jackass from the diner yanking up his jeans over his enormous belly and staring at my SUV. Without giving it a second thought, I ripped off my jacket.

“Curl on the floorboard. I don’t know the person, and I don’t want them to know you’re here.”

“Mom, you’re freaking—”

“Just do it,” I hissed.

Once she was on the floor, I placed my jacket over her, mostly hiding her slight frame, and then shoved my door open. The wind bit through my long-sleeve T-shirt, and my teeth instantly chattered. Before closing the door, I slid my finger over the button to lock all of them. Only after the door slammed shut did I realize my mistake. In my rush to secure Gracie, I’d left my one and only weapon inside with her.

I tried to swallow down the rising fear as I turned on my heels to face the approaching man.

“Well, look who it is.” I offered him a quick wave before tucking my hands beneath my armpits. “You in trouble, little girl?”

I gritted my teeth to keep from snapping at this jackwagon that I was in no way little, I was average, and “girl”? Fairly sure being closer to forty than I was thirty made me a woman.

Asswipe.

“Just a blowout.” I glanced over my shoulder, hoping I’d see Anne’s familiar old Bronco racing down the road to save me. Or hell, a police cruiser with my two… boyfriends? Lovers? Neighbors with benefits? A waft of cheap body spray swirled around me, reminding me of the issue at hand. “And waiting for a friend to come help me change it.”

“A friend, huh?” he said with a chuckle that made the hairs rise along the back of my neck. “I can be your friend, too, and offer a hand.”

He looked back at his truck, then twisted to me, the tip of his tongue sneaking out to drag along his lower lip.

“Thank you, but I’m good.”

“Ah, come on now. I can’t leave you all alone out here. You never know what kind of trouble might come your way.”

Him. He was the trouble.

His bloodshot eyes followed my hands as they chafed up and down my arms. “You cold, sugar?”

“Nope. Just peachy,” I said, teeth clattering together.

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