She’s in a murderer’s sights…

But it’s not just her life in danger.

Deputy Courtney Foster’s brief fling with Texas ranch owner Jordan Kent was her time-out after getting shot in the line of duty. Only now she’s hunting a killer…and she’s just discovered she’s pregnant. Jordan will put everything on the line to work with Courtney and capture whoever has suddenly turned his sights on the mother-to-be. Before long, they’re in a race against the clock to stop a murderer from obliterating all their futures.

USA TODAY Bestselling Author

USA TODAY bestselling author BARB HAN lives in north Texas with her very own hero-worthy husband, three beautiful children, a spunky golden retriever/standard poodle mix and too many books in her to-read pile. In her downtime, she plays video games and spends much of her time on or around a basketball court. She loves interacting with readers and is grateful for their support. You can reach her at barbhan.com

Also by Barb Han

Cornered at Christmas

Ransom at Christmas

Ambushed at Christmas

What She Did

What She Knew

Sudden Setup

Endangered Heiress

Texas Grit

Kidnapped at Christmas Murder

and Mistletoe

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

What She Saw

Barb Han

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90532-3

WHAT SHE SAW

© 2020 Barb Han

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

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All my love to Brandon, Jacob and Tori,

the three great loves of my life.

To Babe, my hero, for being my greatest love and

my place to call home.

And to book lovers like Amy McWilliams,

who I also get to call my friend.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Deputy Courtney Foster sat at the oblong wooden conference table in the sheriff’s office, clicking a pen. The distraction helped her focus on work and not the sick feeling swirling in her stomach, building, threatening to send her racing to the trash can. She’d skipped her usual early-morning cup of coffee in favor of salted crackers.

“I just got a call from the Meyers,” her boss, Zach McWilliams, said on a frustrated-sounding sigh. “They’ve decided it’s not safe in Jacobstown anymore. Trip Meyer made a point of telling me that he’s afraid for his daughters to come home from the university over spring break.”

“I’m sorry,” Courtney offered.

Deputy Lopez shuffled into the room with coffee in hand and took a seat next her.

“Morning,” he practically grumbled.

“Does 5:00 a.m. count as morning? Or is it still the night before?” She tried to lighten the heavy mood.

“Technically, I think it’s still the night before,” Lopez agreed.

Everyone was up early and taking extra shifts in order to ensure the town’s safety.

“Do we know the exact timeline for when the small-animal killings began?” she asked Zach. He’d been working on the case with a volunteer. Lone Star Lonnie was also a close family friend and foreman of KR, Kent Ranch, one of the largest and wealthiest ranches in the state of Texas.

“We’ve been able to reach back as far as a year ago with the help of a forensic team out of Fort Worth,” Zach responded.

The twisted psycho who had been dubbed the Jacobstown Hacker had begun killing small animals a year ago? The man had moved onto a heifer, butchering its left hoof and then leaving the poor animal to bleed out and die near Rushing Creek on the Kent Ranch.

There’d been more heifer killings after that, spaced out over weeks. It appeared that the twisted jerk had begun on small animals like rabbits and squirrels before moving on to bigger game. All the animals he’d butchered had been females, which had been a warning sign to all the women in town. And he graduated to killing a person—Breanna Griswold.

An investigation revealed that the twenty-seven-year-old victim had been in and out of group homes in Austin for the seven years of her life leading up to her last. She’d grown up in Jacobstown but had moved away during high school. Courtney remembered her from years ago. Breanna had moved back to town a couple of months before her murder.

She was a loner, known to sleep in random places around town when she was on a bender. She was murdered with the same MO as the animals—a severed left foot.

With Breanna’s recent murder and the fact the killer was still on the loose, everyone seemed on edge. Courtney started working the clicker on the pen in double time.

“Do you mind?” Deputy Lopez motioned toward the noisemaker in her hand. Lopez was average height, in his mid-thirties and had dark hair and eyes. He was medium build and had a pronounced nose.

“Sorry.” Courtney released the pen, and it tumbled onto the desk. Her unsettled stomach made all kinds of embarrassing sounds. For the second time this morning, Courtney thought she might throw up on the deputy who was seated next to her.

She was pretty certain that Lopez would not be amused. She’d been on the job a few weeks now and was still getting her bearings in the small, tight-knit sheriff’s office. Coming home to Jacobstown was supposed to be a safe haven from her stressful job working for Dallas Police Department as a beat cop…

An involuntarily shiver rocked her as she thought about the past, about what had happened in Dallas.

“We’re no closer to finding answers. Breanna deserves better from us.” Zach tapped his knuckles on the table. Everyone knew the victim and her circumstances. Her only family, a mother and a brother, had walked away from her and moved to Austin years ago. Breanna had tracked them down there, but rumor had it she became homeless shortly after.

Her mother had a reputation for drinking and using physical violence on her children. Even so, every mother—even the bad ones—deserved justice for a murdered daughter. Breanna had been a grown woman who made her own mistakes, but people cared that she was gone. The horrific murder had rocked the bedroom community.

Another bout of nausea struck, and Courtney’s breakfast threatened to make another appearance. She glanced up in time to see Zach staring at her.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“I’ll be fine.” She could only hope this would pass soon. “I’m sure I ate something bad at the potluck yesterday. I should know better by now, but I can’t resist beef and bean taco casserole.”

“You’re braver than I.” Lopez cracked a smile, breaking the tension. Courtney glanced at the scar on his neck. He’d taken a bullet trying to protect a mother and daughter a few months ago, when the quiet town had experienced its first crime wave since the Hacker began his work.

“I stick to vegetables and dessert. No one ever got sick from eating raw carrots,” Lopez touted.

“No one ever enjoyed them, either.” Courtney smiled, but it was weaker than she wanted it to be. She couldn’t force it right now through another wave. Acid burned her throat, and it was taking all her energy to keep from losing it.

“Tasted fine to me.” Lopez shrugged.

“We’re short on solid leads.” Zach steered the meeting back on track, and the mood immediately shifted to all business. Zach had mentioned that she’d be a good addition to his team when he hired her. The Jacobstown Hacker was all anyone could think about, he’d said. The town needed someone with big-city experience. People were getting anxious. Everyone was willing to pitch in to help, which created a whole different kind of chaos. A volunteer room had been set up in the office down the hallway, where folks volunteered to man the tip line.

The fact that people cared about each other was one of the many reasons Courtney had moved back to Jacobstown. She’d missed that small-town feel when she lived in a big city. The sheer volume of cases in Dallas caused law enforcement to focus most of its energy on high-priority cases. Whereas here at home, even the marginalized were cared for. People looked out for each other as best they could, and that included every resident. Even the ones who seemed intent on harming themselves.

Courtney had friends here. She’d been good friends with Zach’s younger sister, Amy. She’d also been close to Amy’s cousin Amber Kent at one time. But Courtney didn’t want to think about the Kents. Especially not Jordan, who’d been two years ahead of her in school when they were all kids. He’d also ignored her for most of her life and teased her as teenagers. And then there were those few days at the cabin six weeks ago.

That week, great as it had been, was over. He’d gone back to Idaho and the property his family owned there, and she’d moved on to start her new job as a deputy for his cousin.

“Is there no one besides Reggie Barstock on our suspect list?” Courtney asked.

Zach shook his head.

“There have to be others,” she continued.

“No one as strong as Reggie,” Deputy Lopez said.

“Because he has a criminal record?” She didn’t see how burglaries catapulted him into the category of serial killer. “How old is Reggie now?”

“Thirty-three.” Zach clasped his hands and rested them on the conference table.

“I didn’t know him very well growing up. He was quite a few years older than me, but I’m picturing someone with a higher IQ here. Am I alone?” From everything she knew about serial killers, they were intelligent, lacked a conscience but could be incredibly charming when it served them. At least, the ones who got away with their crimes were. And this perpetrator had the presence of mind to ensure he left no DNA behind. That took some calculating on his part.

The first heifer had been found near Rushing Creek, and the other animals had eventually been found near there. Breanna had been discovered two miles up the creek on the Kent family property. Courtney would have to speak to family members as part of the investigation. She figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to bypass Jordan, since he lived out of state. The last thing she wanted to do was run into him again while she still felt so vulnerable after their fling.

“Do you have any other ideas for suspects?” Lopez leaned toward her.

“No. But the Jacobstown Hacker is careful, calculating. He’s methodical,” she continued. “I’m not completely convinced that I’m seeing that in Reggie’s file.”

“I feel the same way about Gus Stanton.” Lopez snapped his fingers. “He’s been home on worker’s comp after an accident a few years ago unloading his rig. He lives on the outskirts of town on a couple of acres. Keeps to himself mostly.”

Having returned to town a month and a half ago, Courtney had to defer to Lopez and the sheriff for up-to-date information about residents. She hadn’t heard of Gus Stanton growing up, so he must’ve moved to the area after she’d left.

“Why don’t you go out and check on him? See if you can get a feel for his emotional state,” Zach said. “If he has a bad left foot from the accident, I want to know about it.”

“Does Gus have a family?” Courtney asked. The guy she was looking for was a loner.

“He’s divorced with two kids. I believe his ex moved the kids to New Braunfels to be with her folks a couple of years back,” Zach supplied.

“Sounds like we’ve doubled our list of suspects,” Courtney said. There were half a dozen names that had been submitted and cleared almost immediately. The pair of suspects they had didn’t exactly fit the loose profile they’d developed. It was impossible not to feel like they were letting the community down.

All the townsfolk were antsy, sitting on pins and needles in anticipation of another strike. People had taken to locking their doors and looking at their neighbors twice. Tips were coming in, but most people were on the wrong track. Every kid who’d ever thrown a rock in the wrong place at the wrong time had been named as a possible lead.

Zach leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose as though to stem a headache. “Since Lopez is taking Gus, why don’t you interview Reggie’s former teachers, friends, neighbors. See what you can come up with about what kind of student he was. If he’s smarter than we’re giving him credit for, I want to know that, too.”

“Will do, Zach.” It was habit to call him by his first name after growing up friends with his sister, and yet it felt awkward after the formality of working in a big-city department.

Courtney picked up the pen and started clicking it again. She caught herself this time and set the pen down. She stretched her long, lean fingers over it.

“Go see what you can find out, and we’ll meet again tomorrow.” Zach glanced up at the whiteboard on the adjacent wall, where there were two names.

“Have there been any new Reggie sightings?” Courtney stood up, got hit with another wave and had to plant a hand on the table in order to steady herself.

“You sure you’re okay to work?” Zach’s brow creased with concern.

“I’m good,” she responded a little too quickly. “No more potluck for me.”

“To answer your question, yes. There’s a new sighting almost every day. Nothing has panned out so far,” Zach said.

Getting out of the stuffy office where she could grab some fresh air was her top priority. The department-issue SUV assigned to her was at the opposite end of the parking lot.

Taking in a lungful of crisp late-morning air, she was reminded how good it felt just to breathe. She’d taken a new job in a new city—not technically new, but she hadn’t lived in Jacobstown in almost a decade—and this was supposed to be a fresh start after what had happened in Dallas when a protest turned into civil unrest. Eight officers had been killed that day, three of whom she’d been very close to. One of whom she’d been intimate with.

Courtney had barely escaped with her life. She’d gone back to the job after a three-month recovery and counseling stint after being shot. But living in the city, doing that job had lost its appeal. Since law enforcement was all she knew and at one time had been her passion, she’d called Zach and asked if she could come work for him.

The rest, as they said, was history. Courtney climbed up and slid behind the wheel of her SUV. Her white-knuckle grip did little to calm her churning stomach. She already knew a few teachers she wanted to speak to, and Zach had said he’d have his secretary, Ellen Haiden, send over their home addresses. School was still in session, and only one of Reggie’s teachers had retired in the last decade.

But Courtney had something to do first.

The drive to the big-box store in Bexford took a solid forty-five minutes from the office. She could only pray she wouldn’t recognize anyone once she got inside.

Courtney parked her vehicle off to the side of the building and took the walk to the front door while fighting against the urge to vomit. She walked past the row of neatly stacked carts. She didn’t need one but didn’t exactly want to hold a pregnancy test out in the open, either. She picked up a handbasket instead, figuring she could load it with a few items.

Part of the reason she’d come to this store was the fact that it had self-checkout stands. That and the point that she didn’t want the whole town of Jacobstown to know she thought she might be pregnant. If she was, then, yes, she would have to have an awkward conversation with the baby’s father, but she’d rather not deal with the gossip if she turned out to be stressing over being late on her cycle for no reason.

Walking through the aisle caused her pulse to race. A man walked past. She froze, pretending to be interested in a feminine napkin package. She mentally chided herself for being ridiculous. But this felt so much bigger than she could handle. If word got out, there’d be questions, and there was no way she wanted this tidbit getting around.

Her heart played a steady beat, hammering her rib cage.

It was then she realized she should’ve bought the other items first so she could immediately cover what she came for.

Taking in another deep breath brought enough calm over her to pick up the pregnancy test and drop it into her basket. She moved over two aisles and randomly threw in any item that she might ever need. Allergy pills. Stomach acid reducer. Cotton balls.

It shouldn’t be a big deal to get from where she stood in the middle of the store, and yet it felt like miles away.

She turned and out of the corner of her eye caught sight of a youngish man who favored his left leg when he walked. The hairs on the back of her neck pricked. She told herself that her reaction was most likely because of the conversation she’d had with Zach and Lopez a little while ago and not because the Jacobstown Hacker was in The Mart walking twenty feet in front of her.

His back was to her, but she could see that he was average height and build, maybe even a little wiry. She’d learned the hard way that wiry guys could be surprisingly strong. His hair was light brown in a short cut, commonly referred to as a buzz. He wore Carolina-blue basketball shorts and a dark hoodie.

There were all kinds of logical reasons that could account for his slight limp, Courtney reminded herself as she kept one eye trained on him. He turned at the end of the aisle toward the sporting goods section. This guy could be coming from the gym. He could have strained a muscle in a workout. Or he might play sports and could have tweaked his ankle during a game. It could’ve been a pickup game. How many of her colleagues in Dallas had done the same during last-minute lunch-hour basketball rounds?

She was being paranoid, but with no answers in Breanna’s murder after weeks of investigating, everyone with a limp was worth checking out. The reality that the killer knew the area struck. He really could be any guy she’d just walked past in order to follow Blue Trunks. Ice-cold creepy-crawlies trailed up and down her spine when she really thought about it. A familiar shot of adrenaline jacked her heart rate up a few notches. She used to get a burst of excitement when that happened. Now, it felt a lot like dread as she reminded herself to control her breathing. Her stress response was out of whack after what had happened on her last job.

Courtney increased her speed as she rounded the aisle. She ran smack into a hard, male chest that felt more like a wall.

Before she could tell the man to watch where he was going, she blinked up. Jordan Kent.

“What are you doing here?” The words flew out, and her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. If he saw the pregnancy test in her basket…

No, he could not see that. She subtly shifted her elbow backward in order to use her body to block the contents in the basket. Her skin still sizzled from the weeklong fling they’d had a month and a half ago.

The tall, over-the-top handsome rancher took a step back. His dark curls were barely contained underneath a black Stetson. A slow grin spread across perfect lips and straight white teeth in one of those smiles that had been so good at seducing her. He had the sexiest dimple on his right cheek. He was one seriously irresistible, hot package. Another bout of nausea struck. She didn’t want to be reminded of exactly how tempting he’d been.

Jordan quirked a dark brow. “Shopping. Why? Is it against the law now?”

COURTNEY STARED AT Jordan like he had two foreheads. He’d been used to teasing her when they were kids but running into her in the least likely place a month and a half ago, he’d seen her in a whole new light.

“Why aren’t you still in Idaho?” She blinked at him like he might be a mirage or something.

“Family business. I was asked to come home.” The last time he’d seen Courtney ten years ago, she’d been the cute but young friend of his little sister. Running into her after a decade of absence had caused him to see that she’d grown into an intelligent, strong and beautiful woman. An attraction like wildfire had spread through both of them, and they’d been consumed by the flames for a solid seven days and nights.

But their time together wasn’t all incredible sex and lighthearted teasing. She woke in the middle of the night many times shaking and crying. He’d comforted her until she fell back asleep. When he’d tried to sit her down and talk about it on the seventh day, she’d made it clear that she had a job to begin and a new life that didn’t involve him.

He’d thought about her more times than he cared to admit in the past thirty-seven days. Her quick wit. Her soft curves. Those pink lips.

Hell, he had no business appreciating those anymore. She’d been real clear on where they stood. It was most likely his bruised ego that had him thinking about her more than he knew better than to allow. Usually he was the one walking out, not the other way around.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as she tried to look around his shoulder. Did she have a boyfriend? The only thing he’d known for certain about her during their fling was that she wasn’t married. He should’ve asked about a relationship but assumed she wouldn’t have spent the week in bed with him if she’d been dating someone else.

He’d also thought about that haunted look in her eyes when she first woke from a nightmare. That, he might never forget.

She was almost a foot shorter than his six feet three inches. She had to come in at five feet six, maybe seven. Her shiny auburn hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She had just enough curves to be a real woman, and his fingers itched to get lost on that silky skin of hers again.

“Sorry. I was just watching someone, and…” Her face twisted, and she took a step to the right in order to get a clear view of the person.

Jordan had never felt awkward with a woman before. Normally, he spent time with people who didn’t expect much in return. After a few rounds of hot sex and mutual enjoyment, they’d part ways. Neither side tried to drag out the fling or make a big deal out of walking away.

He told himself that he felt a pang of jealousy with a strong dose of heartache seeing her again because he knew Courtney, but that wasn’t completely true. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly why this felt different from the many others he’d spent time with. It just did.

“Well, I should get out of your way, deputy,” he said to her. Her cheeks flushed, and her tongue darted across full pink lips. Jordan ignored the warning shot to his chest.

It didn’t matter. Courtney seemed to have no interest in him. But the week he’d spent with her had felt like a homecoming. Not since he’d lost his parents—and maybe even long before then—had Jordan felt like he belonged somewhere. Sure, he and his five siblings had taken over the family ranching business along with associated mineral rights. Their inheritance was spread across three states, with significant holdings in Texas.

No one in his family needed to work another day for a paycheck. They got up at 4:00 a.m. to face a long day of work because ranching was in their blood and they loved the land. Jordan was no different. But the ranch didn’t feel like home to him anymore.

He stepped aside.

Courtney grabbed his arm and motioned for him to scoot back over.

Well, he really was confused now. “What’s going on, Courtney?”

“I’m sorry. I was watching a possible suspect.” She glanced at Jordan, and those eyes with cinnamon-colored flecks sent a bolt of lightning straight to his heart. He needed to develop a thicker skin when it came to her, because right then he wanted to haul her against his chest and welcome her back home properly. But that ship had sailed when she’d refused to speak to him again.

Damned if she wasn’t distracted now. Sure, his ego took a hit. Most women made themselves a little too available for the youngest and only single Kent brother.

He told himself that was the reason he felt a sting in his chest and not because he had stronger feelings for Courtney.

“Don’t let me stand in the way of your job.” Hadn’t those been the words he’d used when she’d told him that their time together had been special, but she needed to focus on her work at his cousin’s office?

“I’m sorry, Jordan. It’s a case I’m working on. It’s getting inside my head a little bit,” she said by way of apology. “I should go.”

Courtney turned toward the front of the store. He should’ve walked away right then and there. It was his fool pride that had him standing his ground like it didn’t matter. His bruised ego wanted to say otherwise, but that’s all it was.

Jordan glanced down, and then he saw something in her basket that gave him pause.

Was this the reason she’d rejected him?

Evidence that she had been in another relationship stared back at him.

Chapter Two

Courtney issued another apology before ducking down the nearest aisle in order to put as much distance between her and Jordan as possible. She could only pray that he hadn’t seen the contents of her basket.

Blue Trunks had disappeared. She searched aisle after aisle with no luck. Biting back her frustration and shock at seeing Jordan in Texas again, Courtney used the self-checkout machine and stalked toward her SUV. Her situation was bad enough without running into Jordan.

As she tossed the bag onto the passenger seat, she saw Blue Trunks moving through cars.

She closed the door to her SUV and hit the auto lock on her key ring. She stuffed the keys inside her pocket before resting her hand on the butt of her weapon. The sun was high in the sky, and it was cold enough to require a coat. She wore a deputy jacket, which essentially was like a billboard. She didn’t mind as she doubled her stride so that she could get a look at Blue Trunks’s face.

He stopped at his vehicle, an older-model pickup, which was not uncommon in these parts. He glanced around, and her blood chilled. She was still too far away to make out the details of his face.

“Excuse me, sir,” she shouted, but his head dipped, disappearing before he acknowledged her.

She might not have been close enough to get a description of the color of his eyes, but he’d heard her. She’d bet money on the fact. Didn’t that send another chill racing up her spine?

It meant he was guilty of something. The pickup jutted forward as she got closer, and then it disappeared before she could get a look at the plate. There were enough cars moving in and out of the busy lot to block her view.

Running to catch up to Blue Trunks caused her to be winded, which wasn’t normally a problem for her. She’d been athletic growing up and had easily passed the department’s physical fitness requirements, a stumbling block for many applicants. She woke every morning at 5:00 a.m. to run. It was a habit she’d picked up after playing high school sports.

Courtney’s mother had disappeared with her baby brother when Courtney was ten years old. Her brother, Cord, had been supposed to start kindergarten that year. With a mother who could walk away from a ten-year-old child and a father who had no problem with lengthy punishments, what chance did Courtney have at being a decent parent? She’d asked her ob-gyn to shut off the possibility of parenthood permanently, but he’d said she was too young to make a lifelong commitment to that decision. Courtney had other ideas. A wave of panic washed over her, and she needed to talk herself down as she realized her hands were shaking.

A wave of panic slammed into Courtney at the thought of being pregnant. What if parenting skills were inherited?

There was a strong possibility that she wasn’t, she reminded herself. As she turned to make the walk back to her vehicle, she chewed on a few facts. She and Jordan had used protection every single time. She would’ve been on the pill except that it had been a waste of money after the cop she’d been dating seriously enough to have sex with had been killed practically in front of her eyes. Since sex had been the last thing on her mind when thinking about returning to her childhood hometown, she hadn’t bothered to get a new prescription. Plus, she would be changing doctors once she got settled.

A wave of nausea struck like a physical blow. She pushed through and kept walking.

Back at her vehicle, Courtney opened the passenger door and held on for dear life. She took in a few deep breaths, reminding herself to blow them out her nose slowly in order to calm her racing heart and churning stomach.

The overwhelming feeling of panic crushed her ribs.

“Are you all right?” She’d recognize Jordan’s voice anywhere. It had that deep timbre that wrapped around her. That man could make reading the ingredients of a soup can sound sexy.

“Yeah. Got a hold of something at a potluck that isn’t agreeing with me.” She tried to wave him off.

“Can I get you some water?” There was genuine concern in his tone, and it caused her heart to squeeze.

As much as she didn’t want to come off as a jerk, she couldn’t afford to let him stick around. Especially with the way her body reacted when he was close. Muscle memory had her wanting to feel his hands on her, rough from working outside. For having such rough hands, his touch had been surprisingly soft. And those were more things she couldn’t afford to think about.

The pregnancy test should be safely tucked inside the bag, but she’d tossed that onto the passenger seat before she’d turned away. She didn’t want Jordan seeing something he shouldn’t or asking questions she didn’t have answers to.

Courtney took in a deep, fortifying breath. “I’m okay. Thanks for offering, though.”

A stomach cramp doubled her over. She turned away in time to empty the contents onto the parking lot. So much for being fine.

The next thing she knew, Jordan was next to her, comforting her. His hand on her back caused a whole different kind of reaction in her body. One that was totally out of place under the circumstances.

“That must’ve been some potluck,” he commented.

She didn’t respond.

“I saw the test in your basket, Courtney,” he said flatly. “Are you pregnant?”

COURTNEY STOPPED THROWING UP. Jordan expected a response to his question. He waited. Because if she was pregnant, that meant she’d been in a relationship with someone else during their brief fling. Jordan might have the reputation of a playboy, but there were lines he never crossed and that was one of them. “Courtney—”

She stood up straight and stepped away from him.

“Take this.” He handed her a bottle of water, which she took and then used to rinse out her mouth.

“Are you planning to answer me?” This whole scenario was off. He couldn’t imagine she would use him to cheat on someone else. He didn’t normally misread people or their intentions.

Courtney locked gazes with him. “If I knew the answer to your question, I wouldn’t need the test, now would I?”

“Why didn’t you say something about being in a relationship?” he pressed.

She issued a grunt and twisted up her face with a how dare you look. She was offended?

“Is that what you think? I could—” she made eyes at him “—with you while two-timing my real boyfriend?”

Jordan started to speak but was cut off.

“Because if that’s the kind of person you think I am, this conversation is over.”

What exactly was she saying?

Jordan had to stop a second to let her words sink in. The gears in his head started grinding. The realization struck him like lightning on a sunny day, fast and out of the blue. He was the father. If she was pregnant, a struggling little voice in the back of his mind called out.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have a murder investigation to get back to.” She walked past him, and her shoulder bumped him as she passed by on her way to the driver’s side of her vehicle.

Ignoring the intentional snub and the rockets of electricity from contact, he turned and caught her by the elbow. “Hold on. You’re not getting away that easy.”

“Neither one of us is if the test comes back positive,” she retorted.

“I didn’t ask for the easy road, but I deserve to know the outcome as much as you do.” He held his ground. He got it—Courtney was scared, and she didn’t do weak. The brave front she put up could be equated to a bull in a china shop, but she seemed to be clinging to hope, so he didn’t call her out on it. He could tell that she was forcing her strength by the way her chin jutted out. Knowing her since they were kids had its advantages—being able to read her was one of them. And even though she’d annoyed him in his teen years, he’d noticed quite a few of her little quirks. They’d been damn adorable then—a fact he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge in high school—and had turned straight-up sexy as an adult.

He almost laughed out loud. Courtney Foster would balk at being described as adorable.

The tension in her shoulders released like a balloon letting out air. Now it made sense why she was out here shopping on the outskirts of town when there were plenty of stores in Jacobstown. She didn’t want to take the chance that anyone would see her buying a pregnancy test. He got it. Everyone in town knew each other, and people talked. Having a baby would be a big story. The news that Courtney Foster had come home after living in Dallas for the past decade had just died down after a month of hitting the gossip rounds, according to his sister Amber. She’d said there’d been talk for weeks. It was a main topic of conversation and had given the townsfolk a break from chewing on the other big news in Jacobstown—the Hacker and the possibility he would strike again soon.

“I have one stop to make, and then I’m on my lunch break. You can come if you want. It was never my intention to hide anything from you, Jordan. There might not even be anything to discuss.” The hope in her voice at the end of her sentence made him realize this had taken her by surprise as much it had him.

“We were careful,” he reassured. “It’ll be fine.”

“It was probably the potluck,” she added, and the hopefulness in her voice struck him again.

“I’ll bring my truck around to follow you.” He didn’t know where she lived. After their tryst, he’d gone back to Idaho. This was his first time back to Jacobstown since.

“What kind of family business brings you to town, anyway?” she asked.

“I already told you. Family business.”

She used the contents of the water bottle to wash the concrete instead of pressing for a better answer.

A few minutes later, he was behind her on the road.

Jordan hadn’t given much thought to becoming a father. His brothers and sister had all found happiness in the past few years with children and spouses. The Kent brood as a whole had grown exponentially, and that was good for them.

Fatherhood was not a job that Jordan had ever craved. If Courtney was pregnant, there was no doubt that he’d do the right thing by her, by his child. But that didn’t mean he had to be in a relationship with Courtney to be there for his child.

They could start as friends, because they’d need common ground in order to co-parent.

And that’s where Jordan stopped himself. Co-parenting and babies and entanglements weren’t on the schedule for him. Besides, the two of them had been careful to use a condom every time. This was probably nothing more than a scare.

Half an hour later, Courtney pulled up in front of a small ranch-style house with crisscross wire fencing.

His eyebrow shot up as she approached his vehicle.

“Do you mind waiting for me at the gas station a block away?” she asked.

“No problem.” He forced his gaze away from her sweet backside as she walked toward the home’s front door. He pulled away thinking that he was probably seeing things, but he could’ve sworn she had a different look, a glow. And maybe a few more curves that looked damn good on her, but he reminded himself how easy it had been for her to shut down any budding feelings and force him out of her life.

That was the last kind of person he needed to be around. Damn, if she was pregnant, both of their lives were going to change. He thought about the baby boom happening at the ranch. The fact that he couldn’t stick around too long in one place without going a little crazy. He loved his nieces and nephews. But he’d always been the outsider in the family. He’d always chosen the lone path of living far away from Jacobstown, out of Texas.

True to Courtney’s word, she didn’t take long. She didn’t circle back to talk this time as she pulled up beside him. She navigated onto the two-lane highway that led to Jacobstown. He could only assume they were heading to her house. Jordan had no idea where she lived. They’d stayed at her uncle’s abandoned fishing cabin, and then he’d left town at the end of the week.

A baby? What in hell’s name had they done to their lives?

Jordan pulled in behind her at a small bungalow-style house on Acorn Street. She parked and then motioned for him to follow her inside. The place sat on what looked to be a quarter of an acre, in his best estimation. The house was made of white siding and had wood shutters. There were decorative flower pots on a small porch. It looked like something out of one of those home-decorating shows. Jordan had been subject to a few episodes while dining at small eateries on the road back and forth from Texas to Idaho.

Reality was a gut punch as he caught sight of the bag in Courtney’s hand.

In a few minutes, he’d learn if he was a father. He couldn’t even contemplate the ways in which his life would change. He stopped her at the door before she opened it.

A question had been churning over and over in his mind on the ride over.

“Was there even a potluck?”

Chapter Three

“Technically, yes. But, no, I didn’t eat anything,” Courtney admitted. Ever since she’d gotten food poisoning her rookie year at her department’s potluck, she’d skipped the line. She always brought her own food. She’d been so sick that she didn’t even risk eating raw vegetables. That’s how freaked out she was by them.

The best way to avoid eating the food without raising any eyebrows was to get a plate, excuse herself from line by saying she needed to take a call and then put her own food on the plate before returning to her table.

Later, she’d go along with saying Tony’s meatballs were perfection and Angela’s pasta melted in her mouth. She couldn’t think about work without thinking about her old crew. The memory of her dead coworkers crashed down hard on her, squeezing air out of her lungs. The scene. The mob. The blood.

She looked up at Jordan, who’d gone sheet white. “Let’s get this over with.”

He nodded. His sunglasses hooded his eyes, and his expression was impossible for her to read. He’d been clear about never wanting kids even when they were young. She hoped that she wasn’t about to cause his hopes and dreams to crash down around him.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m totally freaked out by the remote possibility of having a baby,” she said, pushing the door open. She didn’t bother to check his reaction. He seemed pretty freaked out by how much his life might change. She’d just started a new job. Jacobstown was supposed to be a fresh start for her. A baby was nowhere in the plans. Besides, she wasn’t in the right emotional place to bring a life into this world.

But if that’s what she was dealing with, she needed to know now.

“Make yourself comfortable,” she said to Jordan. He’d removed his hat and sunglasses, and he was pretty damn devastating-looking standing in her living room.

His white-knuckle grip on his hat belied his calm exterior.

He shot her a look that said her comment didn’t make him feel any better. “What do you need to do?”

“I take this into the bathroom with me, do what I have to and then we wait.” She held up the plastic bag in her hand.

“May as well put all this behind us,” he said.

Courtney couldn’t agree more. She peeled off her jacket and then disappeared down the hall. She returned a minute later holding the white stick that had the power to change both of their lives forever. She placed it on her coffee table on top of a magazine and stared at the little window. “Two lines will show up in there if I’m pregnant.”

If Courtney hadn’t already thrown up the contents of her stomach, she would be now.

Three minutes had never taken so long. Neither spoke. Then the stick test yielded a positive reading.

Jordan took a few steps toward the front window and stared out it. If he was waiting for her to speak, he’d be waiting one hell of a long time, because there were no words for what she was currently feeling.

She feared that he might be concocting a plan to ask her to marry him. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”

“What?” He finally found his voice after a few beats of silence.

“Propose.” Her heart squeezed, which made it a total traitor. Courtney had no plans to get married. Especially not because she’d gotten pregnant. That hadn’t worked out so well for her parents. Being in a loveless marriage had to be the worst sentence, and she understood why her mother had taken off when Courtney was barely ten years old. What she could never understand was why the woman took Courtney’s baby brother but not her.

And she’d never know, because her mother and brother had died in a car crash on a Texas highway a month later. She’d never had the chance to ask why her own mother didn’t love her enough to take her away from the father who’d abused all of them.

“I wasn’t going to.” Jordan raked his fingers through his hair. He turned around to face her, and his expression was granite. The sharp angles and hard planes made for one seriously gorgeous man. But he gave away nothing of what he was thinking.

He was a Kent, and that name meant something. Her family might’ve been a hot mess, but there was honor in being a Kent.

“This is a lot to take in all at once,” she said, unable to read his thoughts.

“It’s simple to me. I have every intention of stepping up to be a father, Courtney. You should know that off the bat,” he started.

She tried to interrupt him, but he brought his hand up to shush her.

“Looks like both of us are thrown off by the news, but that doesn’t change the fact that a baby is coming, and it deserves the best from both of us.” She couldn’t agree more about that part, and when she regained her bearings she figured that she would be saying the same thing. It was foreign to her to hear that from the opposite sex, but then, she’d never been in this situation with her boyfriend and fellow officer Bradley Decks. He’d had a nine-year-old son from a marriage that had ended badly, a boy he never saw. Decks had no plans to marry or have more children. That had most likely been the cause of her initial attraction to him when she really thought about it. He’d been safe.

“I never thought about becoming a mother,” she admitted in a moment of weakness. “I mean, I never thought it was a job I’d ever want.”

The expression Jordan wore told her that he felt the same way about fatherhood. “But here we are.”

“Are you saying that you’re not upset that having this baby is the only option for me?” she asked.

“Did I mention anything about that?” he asked, and she saw the first crack in his calm facade. Good—that meant he wouldn’t try to pressure her into doing something she couldn’t. For a brief second, she thought about adoption. But she’d always worry if her child was being treated the way she’d been.

“No.” She’d just put a down payment on a new car. The house was a rental, and she didn’t exactly have stores of money in the bank after using her personal savings to set up a college fund for her former boyfriend’s kid before her move to Jacobstown. It only seemed the right thing to do considering Becks had lost his life on the job. Babies cost money. This unexpected turn of events definitely threw a wrench in her future plans.

“Good. Because we got into this situation together, and I’ll see it through with you.” The out-of-the-blue news had clearly caught them both off guard. She had no idea what that meant, but the determination in his eyes had her reaching for her purse.

“I have to get back to work,” she said.

“No, you don’t. Not after dropping that bomb. You don’t get to run away so fast this time.”

JORDAN PACED IN Courtney’s living room. The place was cozy and had just enough feminine touches to make it feel homey. The warm-toned twin sofas faced each other in the main living area. The fabric looked like the kind he could sink into. A glass coffee table with a stack of novels, a magazine that was now in the trash and a vase with fresh flowers anchored the seating area.

There was a table for two in the dining area. He couldn’t see the kitchen from where he stood. His world had tipped on its axis, and he was noticing her furniture? Damn, Jordan was losing it.

Courtney excused herself and came back with a glass of water. “I’d ask if you want something to drink, but you won’t be staying long enough.”

“You should eat.” He stared at the glass in her hand.

“I don’t need someone looking over my shoulder, Jordan. Say what you need to get off your chest and then go.”

“Are you really this hardheaded or just mean-spirited?” He regretted those words as soon as he heard them come out of his mouth. Chalk that up to his impulsive nature.

“You remember where the door is, don’t you?” Fire shot from her gaze, and he could almost see her temper rising.

Maybe this wasn’t the best time to try to sort this out, heat of the moment being what it was. The news was too fresh. The shock too great.

“I spoke before I thought,” he offered by way of an apology. Jordan was no good at those. He was even worse at talking to someone who’d made it clear she had no use for him in her life, but that didn’t stop him from digging his heels in anyway.

“Yeah?” was all she said.

“You made it clear a few weeks ago that you didn’t want or need anyone in your life,” he started.

“Well, it’s too late for me to continue thinking that now.” She touched her belly, and he wondered if she realized she did it.

“Like it or not, I’m going to be in your life, too.” That point needed to be made. He needed to be very clear. Surprise pregnancy or not, Jordan Kent didn’t walk away from his flesh and blood.

She drew in a deep breath, making it very clear that she was tolerating him at this point. If they were going to be successful with a child, they needed to learn to work together.

“It’s important that we establish some ground rules—”

“Is that right, Jordan? Do tell what you have in mind.” Her nostrils flared.

“Settle down. I’m not trying to make this more difficult than it already is. If you haven’t noticed, I’m attempting to do just the opposite.” He used the same tone when he came across a spooked mare in the stable.

“You’re right,” she conceded. “It’s a little difficult to start negotiating with you when I don’t have the first idea of how I’m going to handle any of this.” She still fumed, but he appreciated her honesty.

Normally, he’d push his point until he won. This was different. He didn’t want to make Courtney more upset, especially in her condition. He was concerned about the nightmares she’d been having, too.

“Do you want to sit down and talk?” He never could get her to talk about herself, her past. Courtney’s quick wit and their history made for long conversations. But he’d taken note of how she wormed her way out of any conversation that got too personal. It was just as well, considering neither one had wanted to be tethered by a serious relationship. Besides, they’d been together a week after not knowing each other for a decade. She’d changed. He’d changed. Life was much bigger than what happened in high school.

“Not really. I mean, I don’t know what to say right now, and I have an ongoing murder investigation that needs my full—”

“Can you ask to be removed from the case?” Zach wouldn’t keep her on it if he knew she was pregnant anyway. Speaking of family, he had a feeling that Amber was going to flip out when she heard the news.

“No.” That sounded final. She offered no follow-up explanation.

“When do you plan to tell your boss about the baby?” Jordan asked. The minute Zach learned she was pregnant, he would put her on a desk for precaution. There was no way Zach would want her chasing down the Jacobstown Hacker with nausea threatening every few seconds. When she’d mentioned a murder investigation earlier, he’d known exactly which one.

“I haven’t given it any thought, Jordan. Please don’t tell anyone until we figure this out,” she pleaded.

It wasn’t a smart idea.

“Can you take a few days off? Call in sick?” he asked.

“I just started last month. How will that look?” She folded her arms, and he could see the wall coming up between them. He’d seen it before. They’d have a round of the best sex of his life—and, his ego hoped, hers—and then while still tangled in the sheets, they’d talk into the early morning hours. She’d settle into the crook of his arm, and he’d hold her. They’d laugh about the past, about how two years of age difference at fifteen and seventeen had seemed like so much but how little it mattered now in their late twenties and early thirties. Conversation would inevitably move to her past or family, and she’d put up that same wall. The one she’d erected now. The one that shut down any meaningful progress.

Since this conversation had taken a wrong turn down a bad path, he needed to step away.

“You know what?” His frustration made that question come out harsher than he’d intended.

She didn’t answer, probably couldn’t see over the wall. If she didn’t want to try, why should he make her?

“I’m not doing this. You seem determined to figure this out on your own, so I’m done.” Walking out that door made him feel like the biggest jerk in the world. All momentum stopped the minute he sat inside his vehicle and he was suddenly unable to drive away.

Courtney was struggling. He could see it on the concern lines of her forehead. She was standing in quicksand. Amber had mentioned recently while making small talk while waiting for the others to join them on a conference call what had happened to Courtney in Dallas. Jordan had looked up the massacre. The attack on officers had been brutal. The organizers of the peaceful protest had no connection, no idea what was about to happen. The bloodshed. The officers. The scene out of a horror show.

It explained the nightmares.

He’d heard gossip about an abusive father in town years ago. There’d been so much disdain in the voices as they recounted his acts of violence. The beatings became so bad the summer before Courtney’s senior year that a neighbor had heard about them and finally stepped in. Amber and Amy had been distraught because they’d been friends with Courtney. She’d never let on about what was happening at home.

Courtney’s father had been arrested. She’d been taken into the foster care system until she turned eighteen, which had been ten months later. And then, as far as Jordan knew, Mr. Foster had died a couple of years after that.

At the same time, Jordan had been in his own world, a sophomore at the University of Texas. He’d dropped out that summer and moved to Idaho, where he’d stayed all these years.

Coming home to Jacobstown when his mother had died and then not too long after his father followed in her footsteps had been foreign. But then, he’d always been the kind of person who needed to make his own way in life.

Jordan Kent relied on no one. And preferred it that way. So, why hadn’t he started his engine and pulled away yet?

Jordan bit out a string of curses before pushing open the driver’s side door and getting out of the cab of his pickup.

He stood there in the cold for a long time, staring at the bungalow.

And then the front door opened. Courtney stood there with her balled fist on her right hip.

“You stand out there on my lawn any longer and you’ll freeze to death.”

Chapter Four

“I’m sorry.” Jordan hoped those two heartfelt words were enough.

“You want coffee?” Courtney opened the door a little wider and walked away.

“Is that a good idea for you?” He had no idea what the rules were for a pregnant woman, but coffee only upset his stomach when he was already nauseous.

“Probably not. It’s not for me,” she said. “I’m having water, and we’ll see if I keep that down.”

“Coffee sounds good.” He closed the door behind him and took off his hat.

“Have a seat.” She motioned toward the table.

Jordan took her up on the offer, figuring a little goodwill on his part would go a long way toward figuring out what their next steps were going to be.

A few minutes later, she joined him at the table and handed over a fresh cup of steaming brew. He thanked her and took the first sip, enjoying the burn on his throat.

“What family business has you back in town?” she asked.

“Everyone’s concerned about the Hacker. I came so we’d have extra eyes around the ranch.” He denied the part of him that said he’d hoped to run into her again.

The reason for his timing seemed to dawn on her as she rocked her head. “Right. Breanna was found at Rushing Creek as were the heifers.”

“There was no sign of struggle, and the jerk got past increased security, which doesn’t sit well.” Jordan took another sip as guilt took a shot at him. He felt the blow square in his chest. That old, familiar voice resurfaced. He should’ve stuck around when he was home a few weeks ago. He might’ve been the difference. Now, because of his absence, a woman had been killed on the family’s property, land that was sacred to them.

“You guys own so much acreage. It would be impossible to cover every inch with a person—or a camera, for that matter. The creek itself is how long?” Some of her color was returning to her cheeks. With her hair pulled off her face she was even more beautiful than he remembered, and that realization caused a second shot to his chest.

“Twenty-seven miles,” he supplied.

“I spent so many summers playing around that creek. I hate what happened there, and I can only imagine what Breanna’s family has been through.” The sympathy in her voice softened her intensity a few notches. “Zach wants all hands on deck to lock this jerk away for his lifetime.”

Was that her explanation as to why she didn’t want to tell Zach about the pregnancy yet? She didn’t want to disappoint her boss?

“Hear me out on this, Jordan. Okay?” Her eyes pleaded.

He nodded.

“I’m serious. Don’t give me that nod you do when you’re only half listening,” she warned.

His hands went up, palms out, in the surrender position.

“What if I don’t work? What if I take leave? What if I’m the reason someone dies?” Her voice rose, along with her blood pressure, based on the heat crawling up her neck.

“What if something happens to you or the baby because of the case? Zach would never forgive himself.” He may as well lay his cards on the table.

When she hesitated, he added, “This is Zach. You can ask him to keep the news under wraps. I’m not talking about taking an ad out in the paper or renting a billboard—”

“Yes, you are. No secret stays quiet for long in this town.” She made a good point.

“There are a few people I trust. Zach is one of them. He wouldn’t even tell me if you asked him not to,” he countered. “He wouldn’t like being put in the position, but he would honor your wishes.”

“I see your argument. Here’s mine. I know my body, and I’m used to exercising. I have no problem consulting an OB about what’s right and what’s not right to do during the pregnancy. But if my doctor gives a thumbs-up to working and maintaining physical activity, you should know I plan to take that advice. As long as there’s no risk to the child, I’ll keep working at full capacity until it creates an unhealthy environment for the baby or I can’t anymore.” Her hands fisted, and he figured she probably didn’t even realize it.

It was easy to see that she’d dug her heels in. There was no denying she’d thought this through the minute she realized it was a possibility, and he couldn’t blame her when he really thought about her argument. If the shoe were on the other foot and a doctor told him it was safe to continue work on the ranch until the baby was born, he’d take the same stance.

An argument could be made that her work inherently put her in danger, but it was early in the pregnancy. He made a note to ask one of his sisters-in-law how she would deal with the situation. Jordan almost laughed out loud. His brother Deacon had married a strong-willed Fort Worth detective. Leah Cordon wouldn’t back off her job unless she’d been forced. The same was true of Courtney.

“For now, promise me you won’t tell Zach or anyone else about the pregnancy. I hear it’s bad luck to talk about it before the second trimester anyway.” Her eyes pleaded, and Jordan was reminded how easy it had been for her to get her way.

“And you’ll make the announcement if the doctor says to?” He needed that much from her.

“I’d say happily, but I don’t want to lie.” Her shoulders slumped forward. “I just never thought this would happen to me.”

“An unplanned pregnancy?” he asked.

“Any pregnancy. I was never that girl who dreamed about her wedding day or clipped out pictures of flowing white dresses,” she admitted.

“You aren’t exactly a tomboy, either.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to point it out.

“True. I liked some girly stuff. But parenthood? Jordan, come on. Are you seriously telling me you’re ready for that commitment?” It was a fair question.

“What does the answer matter? It’s here. This is what we have to deal with. It won’t do any good to wish the situation would go away and that wouldn’t be fair to the kid anyway.” His honest answer seemed to deflate her shoulders a little more. A stab of guilt niggled at him. He could’ve put it more delicately. Damn, he could be a bull in a china shop without even trying.

“Promise me we won’t be like my parents.”

Those words struck like a physical blow.

COURTNEY WAITED FOR a response from Jordan. She studied his expression, and it was unreadable. “I should probably get back to work.”

“I will love and care for any child that belongs to me but I’m more concerned about you right now. Promise me you’ll take it easy?”

“I ride around in an SUV most of my shift. My other responsibility is talking to people. How bad can it get?” Coming back to her hometown had been meant to shield her from the harsher crimes in Dallas. But then no one knew for certain the Jacobstown Hacker had remained in town. He could’ve easily moved on. A little voice reminded her the odds of that happening were slim to none. That same voice insisted Jordan looked even better than she remembered, but that was probably heightened hormones and the fact that he was the father of her child. It was biology at work and nothing more.

Jordan stood, and she walked him to the door. He reached out and touched her arm as he stood a foot away from her. Suddenly, heat rushed through her body, and her skin sizzled with electric impulse. She instantly recoiled. If this was what she had to look forward to for the next seven or eight months, she was in for a real treat.

A few seconds of silence passed between them before Jordan spoke. “Be careful out there.”

“Of course.” She realized that her hand had come up to touch her belly when his gaze stopped there.

Jordan turned and walked out the door. It was like the moon covering the sun, eclipsing her in total darkness.

COURTNEY HAD HAD a day for the record books. First off, it was cold outside. She didn’t do cold. This was Texas, land of eternal sunshine, and her blood was too thin for temperatures hovering above freezing.

Winds howled and tree branches snapped as pea-size hail dinged the hood of her SUV. It was getting late, but she didn’t care. She exited the vehicle and turned on her flashlight. A hunch had led her to Rushing Creek. She’d received permission to be on the Kent property and had checked in with Isaac at the guard shack.

It was the kind of eerie night that felt like early fall, around Halloween. Clouds covered the moon, making it almost pitch-black outside.

A branch snapped behind her. Courtney spun around, weapon drawn and held along with her flashlight. What made the sound? An animal?

Courtney took a few steps toward the direction of the sound. The trees were thick in this part of the land, making it a perfect place to hide. Was someone tracking her? The hairs on the back of her neck pricked.

A blast of frigid wind sent a shiver racing up her arms and down her back. Icy tendrils wrapped their long, lean fingers around her spine. Another crack sound sent her whirling to the left. Thoughts of a wild animal stalking her crossed her mind. Part of the reason she’d left Jacobstown was to get away from the country. It struck her as odd that this was the place she’d wanted to come back to.

Her cell buzzed. She didn’t have a free hand, so she ignored it. Her radio was close to her ear and it had gone quiet. This was a good time to get the hell out of the woods. She’d call for backup if she could identify a threat. But then, she already knew the closest deputy was at least twenty minutes away. Courtney had grown up on the Kent property, having been friends with Amber and Amy in their teenage years.

What did it say that she hadn’t contacted either one since returning home? Courtney tried to lie to herself and say it was because they were busy with lives of their own, but there was so much more to it. She’d gone behind everyone’s backs when she had a fling with Jordan. It had been a wild seven days, and she’d gone out of her way since to avoid seeing her old friends. Besides, they’d barely kept up on social media. High school friends were just that. And Courtney didn’t feel like she belonged in Jacobstown any more than she felt like she belonged in Dallas. It was strange to want to be part of something but always feel like the outsider looking in. Had it been that way her whole life?

Courtney backtracked, taking one step at a time and keeping watch where she’d heard the last branch snap. If wildlife was out there, and she knew it was, it wasn’t getting her today. Slowly and cautiously, she eased one foot at a time. Her boots were heavy, but they kept her toes from freezing.

Wind whipped her hair, causing her ponytail to swish around and slap her in the face. She wished she’d pulled on a hat, because her ears felt like they were frostbitten already. It would also keep the ends of her hair out of her eyes.

This wasn’t the time for a bout of nausea, but it happened anyway. Her stomach churned, and she thought about the fish tacos she’d eaten for dinner—she’d known even then that eating them could come back to haunt her. She’d chalked her craving up to stress but questioned the reason now. Was it the pregnancy?

And then she heard a voice. She froze, not wanting to draw attention to herself. She turned off her flashlight. Thoughts that never would have plagued her before the ambush in Dallas surfaced. An image of Breanna flashed in Courtney’s mind, too.

Blood pumping, Courtney took another step backward. Her backside hit something hard. She sucked in a burst of air as she felt around, half expecting a blow to the head to follow. When none came and she felt the rough bark of a tree, she released the breath she’d been holding. She tried by sheer force of will to stop her hands from shaking.

Leaning against the tree in order to stay upright on rubbery legs, Courtney held back the urge to vomit. Bile rose in her throat, burning a hot trail as she palmed her service weapon. The Glock’s metal was cold against her ungloved hand. She stood frozen, perfectly still for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the next sound.

A voice came over the radio, breaking the silence. The image of the young guy in Carolina-blue basketball shorts came to mind. As did the picture of Reggie Barstock shared by Zach McWilliams.

Another wave of nausea struck, harder this time. Courtney couldn’t stop herself from folding forward and emptying the contents of her stomach. The taste of burning tacos lit her throat on fire. She had a feeling this would be the last time she could stomach tacos, which was unfortunate, because she loved them.

This time, when she came up for air, she saw someone dart behind a tree.

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