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“I know,” I admitted. “But something just doesn’t feel right.”
“It’s just your desire for him to be innocent. That’s all,” Blaze said softly, reaching out and touching my shoulder. “I know what it feels like to be here. I lost my girlfriend years ago, and the circumstances were…weird.It was a lot to take in all at once, that someone we love could be involved in something that we never saw them being a part of.”
I nodded, letting out a sharp sigh. “Yeah, I guess so. I thinkI’m going to call it a night then.” I pushed myself up out of the rocking chair. “I’ll tell Mom about it tomorrow. She’s already in bed.”
“Things will get better for you, Beth,” Blaze said, grabbing my arm as I went to walk past him. “I know that’s hard to see right now with everything that happened, but once he’s out of here, there’s no reason for you to leave—and every reason for you to stay. Your mom is here… And I’ll stay if you stay.”
I searched his face, wishing for the first time I felt something when he touched me… But there was nothing romantic there. “I can’t make that promise right now.”
“Just think about it, Beth. That’s all I ask.”
“Okay,” I forced the word out as I pulled open the back door and slipped inside. I locked it behind me and peered out the window as Blaze headed out to the barn apartment. The darkness of the house felt suffocating, and I refrained from heading straight up to my bedroom.
Instead, I walked into the kitchen and kicked on the water, filling a glass and taking a sip of it. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and my heart jumped to my throat as I dug it out. No one should’ve been calling me at this time of night, and as I saw Garrett’s name, I choked back a sob. We hadn’t talked since the night at the bridge.
And now, here he was.
I declined the call.
And it rang again.
Pursing my lips out of frustration, I silenced it again. A text pinged a couple seconds later.
Garrett: 911
I frowned at the text, a code word we used to use when he wanted to meet me at the bridge—which now left me unsureand scared. I considered walking out and telling Blaze, but something kept me right there, contemplating. Maybe it was my innate need for denial, but when the phone rang again, I answered it.
“I’m not meeting you at the bridge,” I whispered, my voice strained. “Blaze told me.”
“I didn’t do it,” he said, his voice sharp and confident. “Please just tell me where you are. I’ll come to you. I need to be with you, to protect?—”
“You sound nuts,” I groaned. “I’m going to get Blaze.” I headed for the back door, but as I did, I spotted his taillights…leaving.
“Fine. I’m heading for the ranch then.”
I froze, thinking of my mom sleeping just upstairs. My heart jumped to my throat at the potential danger I might be putting her in. “No, I’ll just… I’ll just meet you at the bridge.” I grabbed my coat, and slipped out the backdoor, locking myself out, keys in hand.
“Okay,” he said, breathing out a sigh. “I’ll meet you there.”
“I’m coming armed,” I snapped, jogging across the yard to my car. The wind whipped around my hair, blowing it into my face and I shivered as I ripped the door open.
“Beth,” his voice was soft. “You know I’d never hurt you.”
“Yeah, but you did.”
“What?”
I started my car. “I would’ve jumped off the deep end with you, and while I understood that you had loose ends to tie up—which I now know was a murder, divorce, and unwanted pregnancy… Not in that order.”
“No.” His voice strained as he repeated himself. “No, that’snot it. Just meet me, okay? Call me a client or something, just please.”
“Don’t try anything stupid.”
“Deal. I’m almost there,” he said, sounding relieved. “I’m about to turn off the highway.”
I hung up the phone, tossing it into my passenger seat as I flew down the dirt roads. Part of me thought I should call someone, let them know where I was going… But there was also a part of me that believed Garrett. Maybe there was something he knew. Maybe he was forced to do it.
My mind tried to conjure up anything and everything as I floored it through the final corner to the dead-end road. The moon illuminated the gravel, and as I approached the bridge, I saw headlights pointing toward me…
