I cup the back of her head with my hand, brushing my lips over the top of her head, finding wet hair.
She circles my waist with her arms, crying softly. “I thought I was going to die.” She keeps murmuring between sobs.
Protectiveness surges through me. “You’re safe, Trouble. Colsen and I would never let anything bad happen to you. Right, Col?”
Colsen hugs her from behind. We’re forming a protective wall around her. I’m grateful that he’s here too. If whoever attacked Taryn is still out there, between the two of us we can keep our girl safe.
The thought hits me for just a second that I thought about Taryn as “our girl” as opposed to my girl.
Maybe this sharing thing isn’t as impossible as I feared. Since I arrived in Star Cove for summer training, I’ve found the team cohesiveness I never had in Hemlock Beach. Iknow without a doubt that my teammates will have my back on and off the ice.
Even more so, Tucker, Colsen, and Mack have quickly become my best friends. I don’t think I could ever date the same woman as anyone else. They’re becoming more like brothers with every passing day. And while Mack’s feelings for Taryn are totally platonic, I know he cares about her just as much as we do.
As Colsen and I hold Taryn in our arms for a couple of minutes, until she calms down and her breathing evens out, my senses are on high alert.
If whoever was chasing her is still here, I don’t want to let my guard down.
The torrential rain of a few minutes ago has eased down, turning into a persistent drizzle that penetrates into our bones.
“Trouble, will you tell us what happened? Were you out for a walk in the rain by yourself?” I know how stupid my question sounds the second it comes out of my mouth.
Taryn shakes her head. “No, I was driving back from Shell Cove and I ran out of gas. Which is weird because I filled the tank right before I set off for the testing center.”
“Hmm.” Her answer does nothing but cause even more questions. “Testing center?”
She nods. “I took the exam for my nursing license today.”
“Ok. I have more questions, but maybe we should get out of the rain. And I assume that whoever was chasing you might have given up now that you aren’t alone. But just in case they’re still lurking somewhere nearby, we’re probably better off going back to camp. Is your car far away?”
“No. I don’t know.” She sounds confused. “Or at least, I don’t think so. I was driving back to camp when it stopped.I was trying to figure out what to do when I saw my stalker behind the car.”
Every detail we get from Taryn makes the situation more confusing rather than clearer.
If she ran out of gas, was her attacker simply lurking around a dark road at night, waiting for an opportunity to strike an unsuspecting victim? It doesn’t make sense. Besides, she said, “my stalker” more than once. Has someone been watching her, waiting for an opportunity to strike?
When Taryn’s old Volkswagen Beetle comes into view, we quicken our pace. Like she said, the car is in the middle of the road with the driver’s door wide open.
We check the surrounding road, but the dim eco lights don’t offer any clues as to what happened.
I lean inside and confirm quickly that the car isn’t starting. “Let’s call a tow truck. I’d rather get you inside and out of those wet clothes than wasting time pushing the car back to camp.” I say, stepping back out of the small vehicle.
“I got it.” Colsen pulls his phone out of his pocket and begins looking for a local tow service.
“No, wait.” Taryn sounds more stressed with every passing second. “Right before I was attacked, I was debating if I should call someone, but… until we get paid, I’m totally broke. The advance from the dolls hasn’t cleared my account yet and…”
Colsen reassures her before I can. “Don’t worry about the money, pretty girl. Between us, we’ll take care of it.”
She begins shaking her head, this time with more vigor than before. “No, I can’t take your money.”
I tuck one strand of silky blonde hair behind her ear. “You will take our money, Trouble. If I or Colsen needed any money and you could help, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, but?—”
My tone brooks no argument. “Then let us help you.”
“Fine,” she bites out. “But I’ll pay you back as soon as we get paid.”
I can’t help but smile at how stubborn she is. If this were anyone else, I’d find it annoying, but she’s kinda cute.
