Right Where We Belong (Silver Springs #4)(49)

“No. He knows I’m innocent of all that. At least, I think he does. The police are hoping to tie Gordon to another case.”

“A rape?”

“Possibly more than that.” She explained what the detective had told her.

Gavin ran a finger and thumb over his beard as he listened. “Wow.”

“Right? I really hope he isn’t responsible for this one. None of his other victims were so young. And he eventually let them go.”

“Why would she be different?”

“That’s the question, and what makes me think it has to have been someone else.” Unless there’d been extenuating circumstances. Maybe he’d beaten her too severely, without truly intending to kill her. Or someone was coming, and he’d had to silence her quickly.

All kinds of gruesome thoughts had filtered through Savanna’s mind...

“For you—and Alia and Branson—that would be a welcome break,” Gavin said.

He sounded supportive but not convinced Emma’s attacker was someone else. “So I should do what I can.”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

She leaned on the porch railing and gazed out at the tranquil night. “Why? Sullivan—the detective—insists it’s my duty to help in whatever capacity I can.”

“He’s concerned about putting Gordon away for life. And while I’d like to see that happen, too, I’m more concerned about you. I’m guessing Gordon’s a psychopath, since he seems capable of compartmentalizing to the point that you and the kids had no idea what he was doing. Provoking a man like that could be dangerous.”

“Not as long as he’s behind bars...”

“That’s the problem. Even if he’s found guilty, we have no idea what kind of sentence he’ll get, or if something will happen later where he’s released for good behavior, overcrowding, whatever. And his mother, who’s his fiercest defender, is able to move around at will. What if she gets angry enough to come out here and start trouble?”

Savanna had been trying not to worry about that possibility. Dorothy was twenty-two years older. It seemed silly to fear being physically attacked by someone’s mother. And yet... Dorothy was willing to go further than most people. She didn’t have a lot of control or restraint. The night she’d shown up at their house in Nephi and started screaming and kicking the front door had been unsettling, if not downright frightening. Savanna had fully believed that Dorothy would attack her, given the chance.

Even if Savanna could overcome her, she didn’t want her children to be subjected to another emotional episode like the last one. Watching the cops drag their grandmother off had been a difficult thing to see.

“She has a temper,” she admitted. “You should hear some of the stories Gordon told me over the years. Sometimes I wonder if all the alcohol she’s consumed has destroyed her brain.”

“You have my number,” Gavin said. “All you have to do is call me if you need anything. It doesn’t matter what time. I’ll come as soon as I can.”

“Thank you.” She felt a measure of relief. He seemed to care about her safety, so maybe last night hadn’t destroyed their friendship, as she’d begun to fear. “With any luck I won’t need to bother you.”

“I’d rather you call, even if you’re only frightened.” His hand accidentally brushed hers, and the same spark she’d felt last night zipped through her, making her wish he’d mention the possibility of returning after the kids went to bed. But he didn’t. Pulling his gaze away from her face, he thanked her for dinner and told her good-night.

“’Night,” she murmured as he stepped off the porch.

*

Why didn’t he tell her?

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Gavin put his head down as he walked home. He’d nearly mentioned Heather, would have done so if the detective hadn’t interrupted. But after he heard everything Savanna was dealing with, he’d figured he could keep his problems to himself. She’d already let him know she wasn’t a romantic option, so he didn’t need to explain why he couldn’t sleep with her again.

Or did he? Was he just using that as an excuse, holding out hope that something would change?

As soon as he crossed the creek and knew he was out of sight of her house, he kicked a rock down the road and cursed under his breath. The good news was that he didn’t see Scott’s Camaro in his drive. The bad news was that he saw Heather’s Pathfinder—and found her sitting on his front step.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

She stood as he crossed the lawn. “Scott called me earlier. He was so angry. I was afraid he might come over and start a fight, if not with me at my place, with you over here. I came to make sure he couldn’t surprise you.”

“It wouldn’t have come as a surprise,” Gavin said. “He texted me earlier, trying to start something.”

“What’d he say?”

“Just a bunch of bullshit.”

She hugged herself against the cool night air. “I’m sorry. He’s not making things any easier.”

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t plan this. How long have you been waiting?”

“At least thirty minutes. Where were you?”