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“I have three sisters. Two have kids, and both like to overshare.”
“Oh, that’s right. That was a dumb question. I should have known better.” Heat slammed against her cheeks. She took the offered glass and swallowed a large sip before focusing her downcast eyes on the untouched burger.
As hungry as she’d been, suddenly the thought of taking a bite of anything made her instantly nauseous.
“Not a dumb question at all. It’s been years since my sisters were in town. No reason for you to remember them.”
She offered a tight smile but couldn’t make herself stare past the box of untouched food in front of her. “Did you tell Wade who the extra meal was for?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Nah. Didn’t figure it was his business.”
Letting out a small breath, she finally met his eye. “Thank you.”
The owner of the Chill N’ Grill wasn’t just the man who helped her out by letting her work shifts. He was her sister’s fiancé. Throughout all the years when her sister had been gone, Wade had always been her champion.
Even when she’d pushed him away. Just like she pushed away every person who’d shown her concern or voiced an opinion she didn’t want to hear.
But as much as she loved and appreciated Wade, she didn’t want him to know what had happened tonight. And she definitely didn’t want him telling Jude.
Cade took a bite of his burger then set it down before taking a sip of water. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
She closed her eyes, replaying her latest nightmare.
“You don’t have to,” he said. “You’ve told the police and replayed it at the hospital when talking to your doctor. I want you to know I’m here, too.”
The gentle timbre of his voice cracked something inside her. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She could brace herselfagainst judgment and anger and even violence. His kindness was what disarmed her.
Summoning her courage, she focused on him and the compassion pouring off him in waves. “I’ve been scared many times before in my life, but this was different.”
He frowned and pushed aside his food. “How so?”
“I didn’t see it coming. Didn’t know who was attacking me. Didn’t know why it was happening.”
“Are you sure you didn’t know the person?”
The question was like a slap in the face, and one she’d asked herself countless times. “I guess I can’t be sure.”
“Was there anything familiar about him? A smell? Anything?”
The deputy had asked her the same questions and she had the same answer now as she did then. “Nothing.”
Cade ran a hand over his finger-length hair. “Would Isaac show up and do this? I mean, nothing in the office was touched. Nothing taken. The video surveillance shows someone breaking in through the window, coming straight for you, then leaving when I arrived.”
“But why would he dress in black? Cover his head in a ski mask and hands in gloves? He’s never hidden himself when coming after me before. Why would he now?”
Cade grabbed a fry and took a bite as if chewing the question over along with his food. “Maybe to mess with your head. A way to get back at you for leaving. How does he feel about the baby?”
The mention of her child brought her hand to her abdomen. “We haven’t talked about it. I don’t want anything to do with him, and I want him far away from my baby.”
“I don’t blame you, but he might have other plans.”
She blew out a shaky breath. Leaving Isaac had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. No way in hell would she ever subject her child to such a cruel man.
“I don’t want to scare you.” Cade lifted his palms as if to reassure her. “I’m laying out some options. The police were going to question him. Not sure if it’s better or worse to find out he’s not the guy we’re after.”
She cringed, a different kind of fear settling over her. “What happens now? We sit around and wait for the police? Or worse, wait for him to attack again?” Just her luck. She’d finally run from her captor only for some other madman to swoop in and steal her very precarious sense of security.
“I don’t think there’s any other choice. Is there somewhere you can stay—someone who can stay with you—until we have more answers? Just as a precaution.”
