THIRTY-SIX
Sitting in the passenger seat of Nathan’s replacement vehicle the next morning, Erin stared out the window as he drove them to Thelma’s to meet Detective Munson. Erin still hadn’t told Mom about that podcast comment. Her mother was in a sensitive place, and Erin thought the past blowing back into their lives at this juncture would unsettle her far too much. She thought of the attic—something had already sent her mother over the edge. What was it? With their lives potentially targeted, Erin had more pressing matters to worry about.
But she and Mom should be safe for the time being. With the deputy sitting outside the house in his car and, of course, their neighbor Delmar also watching the house, that should be enough security for now.
Erin absently shook her head—she didn’t understand why Mom trusted that guy. He gave Erin the creeps. A shudder crept over her, and she rubbed her arms.
“You okay?” Nathan asked. He’d been unusually quiet this morning too.
“I’m fine.” She yawned and stretched. “I’m looking forward to another cup of coffee at the diner.” Though not necessarily meeting with the Seattle detective and learning what more he had to share. The shadows were creeping into her life from all directions.
“I’ve already had too many. I’m not sure there’s enough caffeine to keep up with what’s ahead.” He cringed as if in pain, though he tried to hide it.
Wishing he’d kept those words to himself? She let her gaze linger on Nathan—handsome and the most devoted, loyal person she’d ever met. Her long-kept secret was out. He knew about what happened before. He knew her true identity—just how broken she’d always been inside. None of it changed the way he looked at her.
Being with him now made her heart stir in a thousand new ways. At the possibilities and the what-ifs. But only if they made it through this.
Not if . . . but when.
She couldn’t accept any other outcome, even though evil wouldn’t let her forget and dark storm clouds were building up and moving in.
Except in the middle of this storm, Nathan was the silver lining.
And that gave her a measure of hope.
As they passed the high school on the way to the diner, she pulled her attention back to the moment. “Can I ask you—what do you think of our neighbor Delmar?”
Nathan shrugged. “He’s a biology teacher and basketball coach.” Nathan slid his gaze over to her, along with a teasing grin. “What’s not to like?”
“Don’t you think he’s kind of strange?”
“He’s a proverbial pillar of the community.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “That tells me exactly nothing. I don’t know. Maybe I don’t like him because I think he likes Mom as more than, well, a neighbor.”
Nathan chuckled. “And that bothers you? Relax, Erin. Your mom is getting better. She has a network of friends around her, including Nadine.” He leaned over. “I’ll tell you a secret Jack told me not to tell you, but I feel kind of bad.”
She stiffened. “What is it?”
“Nadine is bringing a puppy for your mother.”
“A what? Um ... no. Just no. We can’t have a puppy. Mom is back to work. I mean, sure, it’s a volunteer job, but I’m working at home now, and who do you think will be training it?”
“Well, let me clarify. It’s older. A stray, but it’s house-trained.”
Erin rubbed her forehead. “Why didn’t she ask me first?”
Nathan shot her a look. “Really?”
“Okay, okay. I am acting like I’m the adult and Mom’s a child. Still ... a puppy?”
“Scratch the word puppy. Katie is a young English mastiff and boxer mix. You’re going to love her.”
“You met her?”
“About a month ago when I had dinner with Jack and Terra at Nadine’s.”
Right before Erin had come back to Montana for a good, long, indefinite stay. Despite the stress of her circumstances, the slower pace of this small town in the mountains and her friends and family brought Erin a measure of peace. Part of her wondered why she’d fled to begin with.