Vanessa released Emily’s foot and turned to face the threat.Her pulse pounded in her ears as she made a shield with her body, arms out to her sides.Nothing was getting between her and Emily.Whatever it was, she wasn’t letting it near her daughter.While she stood there like a goalkeeper, an outline emerged from the shadows.A tall figure with broad shoulders, no longer concerned with stealth, strode toward her.
“Is it a monster?”Emily asked.
“No,” Vanessa said, her voice steady.“It’s a man.”
Chapter Two
Paul McPherson wasn’tin the mood for visitors.
He’d arrived in Lost Lake a month ago for some much-needed rest and relaxation.And wouldn’t you know it?A tornado hit town the next day.His rustic cabin getaway had turned into a construction zone, unfit for any kind of vacation.Instead of leaving, Paul had stayed in the wreckage, too stubborn to change his plans.He’d also volunteered to do the remodel himself, and the owner had agreed.
Today he’d removed the kitchen cabinets.Heavy lifting and hauling weren’t recommended for his injured shoulder, but he hadn’t stopped until quitting time.Now he was dead tired, with a deep ache that radiated along his left side.It spread outward, from the nape of his neck to the tips of his fingers.He’d taken some over-the-counter pain medication with a swig of beer, cranked up the radio and hit the shower.
His brother, Kyle, had recommended an alternative remedy, but Paul hadn’t tried it.He was skeptical of any medication that resembled gummy bears.He had his pain-relief patches and the rest of a six-pack.He’d handle the discomfort the way he always did—without complaint.As long as no one bothered him, he’d get along just fine.He’d hung his head and let the hot spray soothe his sore muscles.
Then he’d heard it.
A woman’s voice.Strong and strident, though what she’d said wasn’t clear.Water continued to course over his body, drowning out other sounds.He straightened, wiping his face with one hand.His heart began to pound in his chest, and he turned off the faucet with a twist.
Why would a woman be inside his cabin?
He pushed aside the shower curtain and stepped out of the stall, wrapping a towel around his waist.When he opened the bathroom door, the only noise that greeted him was Bob Marley singing about redemption.
Paul listened for several seconds, his body still as a statue.Although he heard nothing out of the ordinary, the voice seemed to echo in his mind, like the remnant of a forgotten dream.He couldn’t be sure the intruder was a woman, upon reflection.He also couldn’t dismiss the sense of invasion.Someone had been here, alone or with others, and they had spoken.He hadn’t imagined that voice.Had he?
Paul wasn’t prone to irrational fears or paranoid thoughts.At least he hadn’t been, before the trouble in Houston.Now he was a different man, a stranger in his own skin.
Instead of walking toward the front door in a towel, he crept down the hall in the opposite direction.His service weapon was stashed in a lockbox underneath his bed.He couldn’t afford to get caught flat-footed.He yanked on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before retrieving the 9mm.The cotton fabric stuck to his damp chest, but his hands were dry enough to grip his gun securely.Holding it with the muzzle pointed downward, he padded toward the back door.
The night air was balmy, with a light breeze coming off the lake that invited open windows, rather than A/C.The Texas heat had been mild so far.Later in the summer, the days would be sizzling with little respite after dark.Despite the pleasant ambience, Paul missed the city.He’d grown accustomed to the noise of traffic at all hours.
Moving with stealth, he circled around the side of the duplex.Pebbles and bits of grass clung to his bare feet as he skirted the side of the adjoining cabin, which was currently under construction.When he reached the front corner, he paused with his right shoulder pressed to the wood siding.A quick glance revealed that he wasn’t chasing ghosts.
There was a silver SUV parked across from his truck.
He memorized the details of the vehicle as he ducked out of sight again.He’d been instructed to lay low and avoid social interactions, which suited him fine.He assessed the unexpected visitor as a threat, but not a high-level one.This stranger was small, slim, and not even trying to be stealthy.
He darted from the corner of the house, head low, and took shelter behind his truck.Then he hazarded another glance in the direction of the SUV.Interior light from the cab of the vehicle illuminated the space, outlining the size and shape of his visitor.His grip relaxed on the handle of his gun, because the body was definitely female.Her leggings and tank top hugged a slender figure with nice curves.The snug-fitting clothing left no room for a weapon.
He inhaled a slow breath of relief.
Instead of making his presence known, Paul remained silent.He was curious about her purpose here.The woman stood at the open back door of her vehicle, bent forward slightly, as if retrieving something from the backseat.She had dark hair, drawn into a messy ponytail atop her head, and she was wearing flip-flops that sparkled in the moonlight.Then another blur of motion caught his eye, and he realized she wasn’t alone.There was a second person in the vehicle.A small, curly-haired person, with tiny kicking feet.
Achild.
Paul recoiled at the sight of the miniature human in the car seat.The panic he hadn’t felt a moment ago surged within him now.He held the gun in a death grip and willed his galloping heart to quiet.
“Mommy, I saw a monster!”
Paul recognized dimly thathewas the monster in question.He was lurking in the dark with a loaded weapon, ready to take aim at a defenseless woman.To make matters worse, he’d given away his position.He should have retreated at the first opportunity.He’d lingered too long to check her out.
Mentally kicking himself, he removed the clip from the gun and ejected the bullet from the chamber with a practiced motion.He tucked the loose items into the pocket of his shorts and stashed the 9mm under the wheel well of his truck.The child continued to chatter about the monster, and the mother turned toward him.Paul emerged from the hiding space, his gut clenched with chagrin.He’d already been spotted.He might as well show his face and stop scaring the shit out of innocent people.
The mother shielded her child as he approached.She gaped at him as if she expected him to bludgeon her.
He kept his distance, palms raised.“Can I help you?”
“My brother’s a cop,” she said.
