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On The Run
Tessa paddled furiously all the way back to the cabin. Her arms ached and her breathing was loud and ragged.
Hurry.
Get away.
Run.
Hide.
She’d hide for now and figure out how to run. How to hide again.
How could he be here? Had he recognized her?
Tessa reached the dock and pulled up alongside it. It took her trembling hands three tries to secure the canoe with the rope.
Between the cold and the fear, it took her more attempts to clamber onto the dock. She was almost on the deck before she noticed Ginger curled up in a ball not far from the door.
Not wanting to scare the cat, Tessa eased up the final stairs. The cat raised its head and looked at her warily, bringing Tessa out of complete panic mode. She kept her voice to a whisper. “It’s warm and cozy inside. Do you want to come in?”
Nothing. Was there anything in her bag a cat might eat? She had a mason jar filled with blueberries she’d been snacking on. Did cats eat blueberries? She knew more about the eating habits of wild animals than domesticated ones.
Keeping her movements slow, Tessa eased the bag off her shoulder and took out the jar. The sound of the jar opening had Ginger jerking up and backing away a few steps.
“It’s okay, sweetie. I have a treat. Can you eat blueberries?” She knew most animals instinctively avoided foods that were poisonous to them. A lot of mammals ate blueberries, so she was probably safe.
Tessa tossed one blueberry halfway between her and the cat.
It took a few moments, but Ginger crept forward and sniffed the blueberry, then gulped it down.
This time, she placed the blueberry much closer to her. The cat studied her before pouncing at the treat and then bounding back.
Tessa kept the next one on her fingers and held it out. She believed the cat had either been abandoned or had got lost. A truly feral cat wouldn’t have kept returning to a place Tessa frequented.
Ginger had lost her trust for humans and Tessa wanted her to get it back. She wanted to keep her safe, especially with winter coming.
But she wouldn’t be able to keep her. Because she would have to leave. Her chest ached and tears filled her eyes. Ginger looked from her palm to her face and back again. One step forward.
Tessa’s phone beeped, making both her and the cat jump. Tessa dropped the blueberry. The cat pounced for it, then raced off the deck into the night.
With a sigh, Tessa straightened. The task took longer than normal because the cold had seeped into her right along with the fear.
What was she going to do? First, she’d get inside and get warm. Then she would figure it out.
Once inside, Tessa fired up the pellet stove, but didn’t light any of the lanterns. This cabin was on the list of buildings to get solar panels, but that wouldn’t happen until the following summer.
Her phone beeped again and she reluctantly pulled it out. A text from Sam.Are you okay? Where are you?
She wasn’t even close to okay, but she wasn’t going to say that.I’m at the cabin. Sorry for taking off like that but I forgot my things. I’ll probably crash here overnight. Forgetting her things was a white lie but it was the easiest explanation.
Hopefully Flynn hadn’t recognized her.
Flynn Walker. Her Flynn.
She hadn’t allowed herself to even think of his name in so long, but seeing him had made it impossible to think of anything else.
Like everyone except a tiny number of agents and doctors, he thought she was dead. By the time she’d woken from the coma, over eight months had passed and her death had been established for her safety.
