Page 75 of Wild for You (The Wilds of Montana)

Holly and I share a smile as the kids get settled into the back seat, and then I walk around to the driver’s side and open the door.Glancing down at my phone, I see that I missed a call from my dad.

And just like that, all the fear I’d managed to keep pushed down all day comes rushing up to the surface.

I don’t want the kids to hear this conversation because I don’t want to frighten them, so I wait before pulling away from the school and instead, call Dad back,notputting him on speaker.

“Guys, we’ll leave in just a second, okay?I have to call someone.”

“Do you have any snacks with you?”Johnny wants to know.

“Yes, actually, I do.Here are some cookies.”

I pass the cookies back to them and then dial my dad’s number.

“Hey,” I say when he answers.“I just missed you.I was picking up the kids.What did you find out?”

“Well, heisout.”My heart stutters.“But the last we know, he was still in Washington.So, if the flowers are from him, it’s possible that he sent them from Washington.”

“True.”I nibble on my lower lip.“I thought he had five years left inside?”

“He did,” Dad confirms.“And it’s being looked into.All you can do is watch your back and be careful.If anything else weird happens, call your local authorities and then me.”

“I actually have an in here with the cops.Remington’s brother is on the force, so I’ll let him know right away,” I reply, nodding to myself.“Don’t worry, I won’t be careless.”

“I know you won’t.Stay in touch, you hear me?”

“I will.Love you.Talk to you later.”

I hang up and absolutelyrefuseto have a panic attack right here in front of the kids.I have to hold it together and get them home safely, then I need to have a conversation with Remington.

“Are you okay, Erin?”Holly asks.

“Of course, honey.Why do you ask?”

“It looks like you’re crying,” she replies, and I swipe at my cheek, surprised to find tears there.“Are you sad?”

No, I’m terrified.

“No, I’m just worried.Sorry about that.Let’s go home, yeah?I was thinking about making some homemade pizza for dinner.”

“Can we choose our own toppings?”Johnny wants to know.

“Ofcourse,you can.”

When we pull up to the farmhouse, I see that Chase’s truck is in the drive, and Joy’s waiting out front.

She smiles when we pull in, but I see worry in her eyes.

What now?Did he somehow get out here and hurt someone?

Damn it, I should have talked to Rem last night, but I was just so tired.

“Hi, favorite grandkids,” Joy says, hugging them both tight.“You’re going to come home with me for a while.”

“But Erin’s making homemade pizza,” Holly argues with a frown.

“And she still will,” Joy promises.“We’ll just have a snack in the meantime.”

“They’ve had cookies,” I inform her.

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