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“I should answer this 911 call. It came from up the road, a one-car accident, and I’m right here.”
“You’re off duty,” Brett reminded him, knowing it wouldn’t matter. Reed’s sense of duty went as deep as Slade’s to the military during his service and Brett’s to those who needed legal representation they couldn’t afford.
Reed shrugged and slapped on his Stetson. “It shouldn’t take long, and I don’t have plans. I’ll wait for a tow and make sure the caller gets a ride home.”
Brett squeezed his shoulders together, that damnable itch pressing him to do something other than sit around and wait for his brother to return. “I’ll follow you, keep you company then head home.”
They walked out, Reed sliding him a questioning glance at the door. “Kind of early for you, isn’t it?”
He wasn’t about to admit he’d lost interest in hanging around after Allie left, saying instead the first thing that came to mind. “It’s been a long, exhausting week.”
Chuckling, Reed slapped him on the back as they strode to their vehicles. “Keep telling yourself that, big brother. We’re heading west.”
Toward Casper, the same direction Allie would have driven. “Got it.” A sense of foreboding prompted him to get in his truck without delay.
Brett’s gut churned, his muscles tensing the moment his high beams picked up Allie’s Karmann Ghia sitting several yards off the road in a field, the headlights still on as well as the interior light from her open driver’s side door. Following Reed’s cruiser into the field, he parked close but not in the way of a tow if one was needed. Getting out of his truck, he breathed easier when he couldn’t see any physical trauma to Allie. Her shocked, chalky face was hard enough to deal with, leaving his body tight in his effort to control the bombardment of unexpected emotion that popped up out of nowhere.
Allie’s eyes widened, her face reflecting surprise and turning pink. “What...why are you here?”
Her tremulous voice, so unlike her usual sure tone, told Brett how shook up Allie was, and he let Reed answer, too rattled by his intense reaction to seeing her in such a vulnerable state to answer her.
“I’m with the highway patrol, Allie.” Reed rested a hand above her head on the roof and leaned down at the waist. “Are you hurt?”
Her eyes flicked to Brett again then back to Reed before she answered. “No, just unnerved.” A look of uncertainty crossed her face, followed by staunch determination as she blurted, “Someone rammed me from behind then drove away when I went off the road.”
Swearing, Brett pivoted, grabbed a flashlight from his glove box, and checked out the rear end of the small car. Sure enough, there were signs of significant damage to the bumper and grill, bad enough to believe her, his blood running cold from what could have happened. Telling himself he would be just as concerned over anyone else experiencing such a harrowing ordeal didn’t calm his racing heartbeat or get a handle on the slip of his razor-thin control. He joined Reed at her door, nodded to confirm her statement then squatted down in front of her. His gut twisted into a knot seeing the trepidation etched on her face and the tight set to her trembling lips. He’d never seen her afraid and didn’t like it one bit.
“You’re sure you’re okay? We don’t need to call an ambulance?” He wouldn’t add to her trauma by insisting, even though he preferred hearing confirmation from a professional.
“Yes. I just want to go home,” she insisted.
Reed answered a text then pocketed his phone. “Another unit is five minutes out. Hit-and-run is a crime. Will you give me permission to have your car towed? Getting a paint sample from the other vehicle will help if they’re caught.”
Allie was shaking her head before he finished. “Go ahead and get a sample, but it was too dark. I didn’t see who was behind the wheel and couldn’t tell the make or color of the vehicle. The only thing I can tell you with certainty is it was a truck or large SUV that is much higher than my car. The headlights shone in my rear window.”
Brett noticed her shudder, the fear lurking in her eyes, and Reed’s refusal to allow her to drive home coincided with what he was thinking. “You’re not thinking straight now, but you might remember something useful later. Brett can drive you back to your place, and someone will follow with your car. Maybe he can change your mind on the way.”
Their headlights and the car’s interior light made reading her easy, her tight jaw and flashing eyes revealing her annoyance. Good, Brett thought. He’d rather see her irked than scared. “Come on.” He stood and held out his hand, the irony of him urging her to spend time together not lost on him. “Look on the bright side: you wanted my attention, and now you have it.”
“Not this way.” She took his hand, though, her shaking fingers cold, her tone remaining neutral. “Maybe it was Stephen, the guy harassing me at Casey’s.”
“He’ll be the first person I’ll make sure is checked out,” Reed said as another state trooper SUV pulled over to the side of the road. “Eric will have his name and address, as we keep a list of troublemakers and people we’ve banned from Casey’s. I’m not an investigator, but I’ll keep in touch with whoever gets assigned the case. There’s backup. Officer Clark will drive your car to your place, and his partner, Davidson, will pick him up.” He tipped his hat then squeezed her shoulder. “Take care, Allie.”
Brett spotted her keys in the ignition then clasped her waist and lifted her onto the passenger seat of his truck. Slamming the door didn’t give her a chance to argue. Her lack of enthusiasm for his company spoke volumes on how deeply this terrorizing act affected her.
“You’re sure you don’t want to get checked out at the hospital?” he asked once they were on the road.
“I’m sure. You surprise me, Brett.”
He couldn’t read anything in her voice or from her profile in the dark cab that told him what she meant. “How so?”
“You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me; now you’re insisting on coming to my rescue. Can’t make up your mind?”
That time, he detected the taunt in her soft, tired voice with no problem. “I discouraged your pursuit because I didn’t want to hurt you. As I’ve said, you’re not my type. And I like to think I would assist anyone in need of help.” Which didn’t explain the simmering rage cramping his abdomen when he pictured someone hitting her bumper and forcing her off the road.
“I knew you were a nice guy.” She sighed, as if she wasn’t happy about that. “That’s why I wanted to get to know you. You and your brothers don’t appear anything like the rumors that circulated about your father and that he never denied.”
“We’re not,” he returned, his tone clipped. “Did Stephen hint he would retaliate when Eric intervened between you tonight?”
