Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“Hi Rem, it’s Will. I just left a message for Erin but wanted to reach out to you. It turns out that the man who was in prison for stalking Erin has been released. She asked me about it yesterday, but it was Sunday, and we had to wait for someone to be in the office. I saw your security setup when I was there, but how do you feel about beefing it up?”
“Hold on.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Erin had a stalker?”
That grabs everyone’s attention. They walk closer, listening.
“I’m sorry. I thought she would have told you. Yeah, about five years ago. He’s been in prison, but she had something happen at work yesterday that scared her, so she reached out to me. He’s been released. Now, he can’t legally leave Washington, and in the restraining order, it says that he can’t ever live within a hundred miles of Erin, but people don’t always care about restraining orders.”
My heart has plunged into my stomach. Why didn’t she tell me about this last night?
We’d agreed on no more secrets. No more lies.
“Do you know where he is?”
“Well, he met with his probation officer last month, as usual. So, we don’t think he’s left the state.”
“He’s been out for more than a month, and no one told you?”
“I’m pissed, too, trust me.”
“I’ll beef up security,” I assure him. “We’ll get started right away.”
“Thanks. Until we have eyes on this guy, I think it’s smart.”
“How bad was it? Five years ago?”
Will sighs in my ear. “It was as fucked-up as it gets. Talk to her about it.”
“Oh, trust me, I will.”
I hang up and turn to the other men, who are quiet.
“How much did you hear?”
“Most of it,” Ryan replies.
“I want cameras everywhere on the ranch. We’ll install a gate, as well.”
“What about motion lights?” Brady asks. “Especially at all the access points to the ranch.”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s do that. I’d like it all in place by the end of the day tomorrow. This is the priority.”
They nod in agreement.
“One more thing,” I add. “Bruiser will be riding with Erin everywhere. He’s now her own personal bodyguard.”
“You got it,” Lucky says.
Chapter Fifteen
Erin
“Erin!”
“Well, hi there, sweet girl.” I laugh as Holly runs out of the school, obviously excited to see me waiting for her in the pickup line. A few days ago, I decided to start getting out of the car and waiting on the curb, soaking up the sunshine, and I can tell the kids like it when they come hurrying out to join me. “Did you have a fabulous day at school?”
“Yeah. The hamster got loose again! We couldn’t find him for about an hour.”
“Where did you find him?” I ask.
“He was in Miles’s backpack, eating his lunch.”
I snort out a laugh, but Holly’s face turns serious.
“It’s not funny,” she insists. “Miles didn’t have a lunch after that, so we all pitched in and gave him some of ours.”
“Well, that was very nice of you. What did you share with him?”
“My string cheese.” Holly shrugs, as if it’s no big deal.
“That’s your favorite part.”
“I know, but he lost his whole lunch.” Holly dumps her backpack into the back seat of the Suburban and then joins me again on the curb. “I wonder what’s taking Johnny so long.”
“Maybe he’s talking with his friends.”
“Probably. He likes to talk. His teacher told Dad that sometimes he talks too much.”
I grin and push Holly’s hair off her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “You know what? I had a teacher who told my parents the same thing, and my dad told her that maybe I had something important to say, and she shouldn’t tell me to shut up.”
“Johnny doesn’t have anything important to say,” Holly replies. “He just likes to talk.”
That makes me laugh, and then I glance up when I hear Johnny yell out, “I’m coming!”
“No rush, buddy,” I assure him as I open the back door for him. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I was just talking.”
Holly and I share a smile as the kids get settled into the back seat, and then I walk around to the driver’s side and open the door. Glancing down at my phone, I see that I missed a call from my dad.
And just like that, all the fear I’d managed to keep pushed down all day comes rushing up to the surface.
I don’t want the kids to hear this conversation because I don’t want to frighten them, so I wait before pulling away from the school and instead, call Dad back, not putting him on speaker.
“Guys, we’ll leave in just a second, okay? I have to call someone.”
“Do you have any snacks with you?” Johnny wants to know.
“Yes, actually, I do. Here are some cookies.”
I pass the cookies back to them and then dial my dad’s number.