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He nodded toward the door the doctor just left out of. “Did you hear everything he said?”

“Just the part where he doesn’t think Bryan could’ve been at my house. What is that going to mean for the case?”

Terry huffs and paces the floor. “I don’t know. He also said that according to the level of dehydration Snyder’s suffering from, it’s as if he hasn’t eaten or drank anything in almost four days.”

“That makes no sense.”

“I know,” he agrees. “With everything the doctor just told me, I don’t see how Bryan could’ve been the person at your house last night.”

I shake my head. “It has to be him. Who else could it be?”

Releasing a heavy sigh, Terry looks right into my eyes. “I think we have to consider the possibility there is more than one person involved.”





Sixteen





Ellie





“It’s about time you wake up,” Owen teases from across the room. He turns off the television and sits down on the bed beside mine. I look over at the window and the sun shines through the sides of the draperies.

Groaning, I sit up and rub my eyes. I remember falling asleep in the truck and then waking up briefly to walk into the hotel room. “What time is it?”

Owen nods toward the bedside clock. “Four o’clock. I’m hungry. We need to get you something to eat. You haven’t eaten all day.”

My stomach agrees. I yawn and slide off the bed. The room is moderately sized with two queen beds and a kitchen. “Is it okay to go out in public? I don’t know how all of this protective custody stuff works.”

He stands and grabs my bag off the floor and sets it on the bed. I rummage through it and pull out a pair of jeans and a burgundy sweater. “We’ll be fine,” he says, “there’s a restaurant just down the road. Besides, there’s something you should probably know.”

My attention jerks to him. “What?”

A sly smile spreads across his face. “They found Snyder; he’s in the hospital. I don’t know anything more than that. Jake called while you were asleep. He said he’ll call us when he finds out more. I think he’s still at the hospital. I know he wasn’t planning on leaving until they got answers.”

The thought of Jake being near Bryan, who’s laid up in a hospital bed, scares the shit out of me. I know Jake’s angry with everything, and the last thing I want is him ending up in jail for attempted murder.

“With Bryan being caught, does that mean we can head back home?”

Owen’s smile fades. “Not exactly. I asked Jake what he wanted me to do and he said for us to stay put. Hopefully, we’ll know more when he calls.” He taps his watch. “Go get changed. I’m seriously hungry. I’ve been carting your ass around all day.”

It’s true, he has, and he hasn’t asked for a single thing. “Thanks. I know you could be out there making money, and yet you’re here, stuck with me.”

He zips my bag up and sets it back on the floor beside his. “It’s no big deal, Ells. You wouldn’t have gone with anyone else.”

I toss my clothes on the bed and hug him. His arms wrap around me tight. “No. I wouldn’t have. I trust you.”

“I’m glad. Now go and get dressed.”

I quickly do as he says and change in the bathroom. A part of me is relieved they already found Bryan, but the other part is scared. Why can’t I go back now?



* * *



The restaurant we go to is a small mom and pop kind of place with fried chicken and all the fixings. Being a southern girl, it’s what I love. Before we leave, I order a piece of chocolate cake to go, and Owen does the same. We walk out, and the air is a bit chilly, but it’s nowhere near as cold as home. I miss the snow, Jake, my home, my family . . . my bakery. Leaving it all behind and not knowing when I’m coming back is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Owen opens the box and peeks at the cake. “I know this cake isn’t going to be as good as yours.”

“Thanks,” I say, grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t wait to get back to my bakery. I hope I don’t lose a lot of business because of this.”

“I never thought of that,” he replies sadly. “Maybe Vikki can explain to your customers?”

I snort. “I haven’t even told her I left yet.”

“Just make sure not to tell her where you’re at. Jake knows where we are, but the more people you tell, the easier it is to be found. I don’t care if Bryan’s in the hospital or not. We still need to keep our whereabouts a secret.”

“Okay,” I assure him. “I won’t tell anyone.” We get to his truck and he opens the door for me, then grabs my arm. “What is it?”

His gaze is focused across the street. “Let’s go for a walk. We still have another hour before it’ll start to get dark.”

I look over at the park and smile. “Maybe I can burn off some of the fried chicken I ate.” We set our to-go boxes in the truck, and Owen locks the doors before we head across the street. There are a couple of people in the park walking their dogs, but other than that, the trail is basically ours. The wind picks up, so I button my coat.