“Thought Sheriff Pine already did that,” Charlotte laughed.
Instinctively, I stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“Saw you two together at The Bar a couple of nights ago. Figure now that you’re back and he’s single…well, everyone in Dusty Creek knew Sabrina King was gone over Garrett Pine.”
“Not anymore,” I said quickly. “We’re just…friends. He’s helping me out with something. That’s all.”
Charlotte looked at me and I could feel my cheeks heating up. Friends probably didn’t kiss the way we had. But that had been a one-time thing. Garrett said it himself. It didn’t matter if I was thinking about doing it again if he wasn’t thinking about doing it again.
“Friends,” Charlotte said with a ton of innuendo. “Okay.”
“We are,” I insisted. “Now, tell me what I need to get for Romeo.”
I left Charlotte’s office with an armload of formula and some extra nipples. Next it was off to the grocery store. I wasn’t sure how Mr. Dawson, who owned the Piggly Wiggly, would feel about my bringing an animal into the store but I wasn’t about to leave Romeo by himself.
Instead, I emptied my purse and tucked Romeo inside my Kate Spade bag.
“Try not to pee in there, buddy.”
But Romeo seemed to content to snuggle down. With my wallet in my hand, I breezed through the store, picking up a litter box and sand. And some toys he probably wasn’t strong enough to play with yet, but I couldn’t have a baby kitten and not have some toys for him to play with.
I probably went a little overboard, but I was a new mother so it was okay.
I rolled my cart to my car, loaded the supplies into the trunk, and was about to get into the car when I stopped. I couldn’t say what it was. A feeling. An intuition. I just knew, knew someone was watching me.
I thought about the gun I had left at Garrett’s place. I had been so focused on getting help for Romeo it hadn’t even occurred to me to bring it with me. Slowly I turned around, hoping that I was just being paranoid.
It was him. The guy with the hoodie from the jogging trail. The hood this time pulled low over his face. He was also wearing sunglasses.
And he was staring right at me.
This time he didn’t run after me. Instead, he just pointed directly at me.
I wasn’t crazy. It was him. I screamed and started to run, holding my purse and Romeo close to my chest.
Garrett. I needed to get to Garrett. Garrett needed to see him. See that he was real.
I sprinted for the police station, up the steps until I was inside. There was an older woman at the desk I didn’t recognize. Some new receptionist I imagined. “I need to see Garrett,” I practically shouted at her.
“Now hold on there,” she said. “Calm down…”
“No, I can’t calm down. I need to see Garrett, now! Garrett!” I screamed his name and the next thing I saw was him sprinting out of his office.
He was here. I was safe.
“Brin, what is it?”
“He’s here,” I said grabbing onto his forearms as soon as he was close enough. “I saw him outside. He pointed at me. It was the same person from Dallas. I’m sure of it. He’s wearing a black hoodie and sunglasses.”
I didn’t have to say anything after that. Garrett took off at run, barreling out of the station.
I stayed near the door, waiting for him. Logically, I knew Garrett was a law enforcement officer, but what if the stalker surprised him or shot at him? What if I had just sent Garrett into trouble? If something happened I didn’t think I could live with myself.
That fear was quickly removed when Garrett walked back into the station. I didn’t think. I just acted and threw myself into his arms.
I belong here. I always have.
“It’s okay. You’re all right,” he said, patting my back.
