CHAPTER FIVE
WESLEY’S CELL PHONE ON THE bathroom counter buzzed away in an insistent tone. Not yet sufficiently awake, he shut off the stream of steaming-hot water he stood under, grabbed a towel from the rack and stepped out of the shower. By the time he’d wrapped the terry cloth around his waist, the buzzing had ceased. He checked his recent calls. The sheriff. Hitting call back, he brought it up to his ear and waited. “Hey, Paul, sorry I missed your call. What’s up?”
“Have you spoken to Carlie?”
“No. I just got up a few minutes ago.” He hadn’t seen her yet, but the delicious smells coming from his kitchen let him know she was there. “Why?”
“She had a rough day.” Paul grunted. “To say the least. Mind if I head over? I have news, and I think it would be best to share it while you’re with her.”
Hadn’t all her days been rough since Jared’s sudden and unwanted appearance? What now? His chest tightened. “OK. Have you eaten?” He’d heard through the town grapevine that Paul had recently gone through a divorce, and Wes knew firsthand what the bachelor life was like. The guy would probably appreciate a meal that didn’t come frozen in a cardboard box.
“Uh, no. I haven’t.”
“Plan to, then. Carlie’s one hell of a cook.”
“I don’t know, Wes. The news I have to share isn’t good. Carlie’s ex tried to nab her kid today. She might not be in the mood for company.” Paul cleared his throat. “Maybe you should talk to her first before inviting me to dinner?”
Damn. Rage exploded inside him. Wes pinched the bridge of his nose, and his jaw clenched. “Regardless of what the news might be, she cooks enough to feed a squadron, even though it’s just me and Ty. You’re going to be here anyway. I’m sure she won’t mind.”
“All right. Thanks. I’ll be over in about twenty minutes.”
“Good. See you then.” Wes ended the call, dried off and pulled on his clothes in record time. He needed to know that Carlie and Ty were all right. Shoving his phone into the back pocket of his jeans, he strode to the kitchen. The pressure in his chest eased some once he laid eyes on the two of them.
Rex’s dog bed had been moved to the spot between the kid’s chair and the cabinets. His dog got up, stretched and made his way over to him for a pat on the head. He obliged his three-legged friend while eyeing Tyler. “Hey, partner, I hear you and your mom had a rough day.”
Tyler had a couple of toys, crayons and a coloring book in front of him. His eyes widened, and he nodded. “I almost got napped.”
“Kidnapped,” Carlie corrected, her eyes riveted on her son. The corners of her mouth tightened and turned down. “Jared showed up at Sunny Hollow while the children were out at recess.” She leaned against the kitchen counter and wrapped her arms around herself. “He tried to get to Tyler. Thank God there were adults looking out for my son, or . . .”
She lifted her gaze to his, and his heart turned to lead in his chest. Her eyes were a study in misery, but they also held a deep resolve, like she’d come to a difficult decision. What was going on in that head of hers? “Paul is on his way over,” he told her. “He has news. Do you mind if he eats with us while he’s here?”
“No, of course not. I made the meat loaf you asked for the other day.” She turned back to the stove, and her shoulders slumped forward. “We’re also having garlic smashed potatoes and fresh green beans.” She sighed. “I like to cook. It relaxes me.”
He moved behind her and put his arms around her waist. Pulling her against him, he held her close. “It’s going to be all right.”
“So you keep saying,” she said, her tone flat. “Someone shot at my car on the way to Ty’s school,” she whispered. “Harlen said it was probably some hunter’s stray bullet, but I’m pretty sure it was my ex.”
Guilt washed through him. He should’ve been there with her, guarding her. His phone rang. “Probably the sheriff,” he told her, pulling it from his pocket. “Hello?”
“It’s Paul. I’m parked in the alley.”
“Knock on the loading dock doors. The crew will let you in and show you the way up.” Wes ended the call and crossed the room. He opened the door to the corridor and glanced at the freight elevator and the storage rooms across the hall from his apartment. Then he checked the narrow hall in both directions and listened to the sound of the sheriff’s footsteps on the back stairway.
Out of uniform, Paul wore jeans, a plaid flannel shirt and a leather jacket. Even while off duty, the man gave up his free time to come talk to them, and that made him a stand-up guy in Wes’s book.
“Come on in.” Wes opened the door wider. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“No problem. Sure smells good in here, Carlie.” Paul’s head bobbed in Carlie’s direction as he slid out of his jacket. “I apologize for barging in on your suppertime.”
“There’s no need to apologize.” She brought an extra place setting to the kitchen table. “We have plenty, and you’re more than welcome to join us.”
Words like we and us coming from Carlie while she bustled around in his kitchen caused a rush of conflicting emotions. A heady mix of pride and possessiveness, salted with alarm, chased around inside him like a dog after its own tail. He and Carlie weren’t a “we.” He knew that’s not how she meant it, but he couldn’t help the way he reacted. “Let’s eat, and after supper we can talk,” Wes said in a low tone.
Paul nodded. He hung his jacket on one of the pegs by the door and took a seat at the table.
“Tyler, time to put your things away and wash up for supper.” Carlie lifted four plates down from the cabinet. “Try not to splash water all over the bathroom while you’re at it.”
“OK,” Ty said. He slipped from his chair and grinned at Wes before running down the hall to the bathroom.
Once Ty came back, they settled in to their meal and made small talk about the weather and what was going on in Perfect and Boonville. “This meat loaf is even better than my mom’s,” Wes said, scraping up the last morsel from his plate.
“Excellent.” Paul leaned back and patted his stomach. “Thank you, Carlie.”
“You’re welcome.” Carlie’s pleased smile lit up the room, stealing his breath. Her lip had healed, and the bruises around her eye were beginning to fade. He glanced at the sheriff. Wes couldn’t help but notice the appreciative glint in the other man’s eyes as Paul watched Carlie rise from her place.
Wes pushed his chair back so that it made a scraping noise against the ceramic tile floor, drawing the sheriff’s attention. He got up and put his arm around Carlie’s waist, shooting a sideways look the sheriff’s way for good measure. “I’ll take care of clearing the table. Why don’t you get Tyler and Rex settled in his bedroom?”
“All right. Come on, Ty. You can play games on your tablet or finish coloring the picture you were working on before dinner. No school tomorrow, and I’m off. We can sleep in.”
“Can I watch a movie?”
“Sure.” She ushered her son out of the kitchen with Rex tagging along behind.
Wes moved to the counter, the last of the dinner dishes in his hands. “You want a beer or a cup of coffee, Paul?”
“Coffee would be great, thanks.”
Wes was just filling a couple of mugs when Carlie returned. “Should we move to the living room?” he asked her.
“No, I’d rather talk in here.” She helped herself to another glass of sweet tea. “There’s less chance that Tyler will listen in or overhear things I’d rather he didn’t.”
Wesley placed a mug of coffee in front of the sheriff. “What can you tell us?” he asked, pulling Carlie’s chair out for her before taking a seat himself.
“Our boy has been busy.” Paul frowned and gripped his mug. “At least I’m pretty certain it’s our guy. Late this afternoon, we got a report of a break-in on the east side of town. A hunting rifle, ammunition, cash and a credit card were stolen from the house. The theft happened while the homeowners were at work, and they didn’t know abo
ut it until they returned home.”
Carlie paled. “Jared is armed. That bullet hole in my car door . . . it happened while we were driving to school after he tried to grab my son. Jared shot at me. I know it was him.”
“It’s possible.” Paul nodded. “Harlen and I pried the bullet out of your door. It’s a fit for the Browning semiautomatic rifle that was stolen.”
“Great. Now everyone who associates with me is in danger.” Her expression tightened with worry. “What if . . . what if he walks into the diner with that rifle?”
Not good. Not good at all. Jared was armed, and the stakes had just been raised. Wes placed his hand over hers. “We’ll make sure Harlen keeps a handgun on the premises. He was a sheriff for twenty-five years, Carlie. He knows how to handle situations like that.”
She nodded, but he could see she wasn’t convinced, and she wouldn’t make eye contact.
Paul shifted in his chair. “While the homeowner was at work, he got a call about suspicious activity on his credit card. Someone used it at a sporting goods store in Evansville. Whoever stole the card purchased a lot of camping gear and more ammunition.” He shook his head. “Then we got a call about another stolen vehicle abandoned on a rural road—another old-model car that’s not worth much. I believe Jared is stealing junkers to keep a low profile, and because they’re not likely to have GPS or other tracking devices. He abandons them before we can catch up with him, and then he steals another.”
Wesley’s jaw clenched. “What’s the plan?”
“Jared is an escaped convict, and today he attempted to kidnap your son. The Associated Press has picked up the story. It’s on the news. That’s going to make it a whole lot tougher for your ex to get around, Carlie.” Paul glanced her way, then brought his gaze back to Wes.
“We’re doing a manhunt tomorrow. Neighboring counties are lending us some manpower. The SWAT team from Evansville is joining us, and they’re bringing in a K9 unit and a helicopter with an infrared heat detector. I believe he’s camping somewhere near Carlie’s house. We’ll find him. By tomorrow afternoon Jared Baumann will be back in custody, and if he’s not, the US Marshals will be here by Monday.”
“US Marshals?” Carlie’s eyes widened.
“He’s committed new crimes and broken out of a federal prison. He’s a fugitive.” Paul nodded. “We’ve been in contact with a number of other agencies to let them know what Jared has been up to in Warrick County. If we don’t get him tomorrow, the US Marshals will lead the search once they’re here, and we’ll assist however we can.”
Carlie’s expression lightened at that bit of news. Restless energy coursed through Wes, like it always did before a mission. “I want to help in the manhunt.”
“No civilians.” Paul cast Wes an apologetic look. “Help by sticking close to Carlie and Tyler.”
“Tomorrow is Saturday. There won’t be a crew downstairs, Wes.” Carlie turned his way, her eyes filled with worry. “Once Jared figures out there’s a manhunt going on, he’s going to be desperate. He knows Tyler and I are here, and this is where he’ll head.”
“This place is a fortress,” Wes reminded her. “If you don’t feel that’s enough, I’ll invite a couple of the guys over. There’s got to be some kind of sport we can watch on TV tomorrow.”
A mulish look suffused her face, and once again he wondered what was going through her mind. “Or, if you’d prefer, the three of us can go on an outing tomorrow, stay somewhere else for the night. Once we get the all clear from the sheriff, we can head back.”
Then she’d pack up her stuff, head back to her house, and his life would return to normal. His heart wrenched at the thought. He didn’t find the prospect of life returning to normal nearly as satisfying as he ought to.
No. He wanted things back to the way they had been. The predictability and routine he’d mapped out for his days provided him with the structure he needed to cope with his PTSD. Everything had gone to hell since Carlie’s ex had appeared, and adjusting was a wearing struggle.
“If we went somewhere else, Jared would find a way to follow.” Carlie propped her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands. She groaned. “We’d be sitting ducks.”
“I could park nearby in an unmarked car,” Paul said. “If your ex did follow, I’d be on his tail. Your leaving might flush him out. We could position a squad car or two just outside of town in the direction you plan to go. Set up a roadblock and—”
“Absolutely not,” Wesley snapped. “I didn’t suggest we leave so that Carlie and Tyler could be used as bait. Jared is armed. I’m not about to allow you to place the two of them anywhere near a possible shoot-out. We’ll stay here.”
“You’re right. Of course it’s best if the three of you stay put.” Paul pushed his mug away and rose. “Thanks again for the fine meal, Carlie. I’ve got to be going. Rest assured, if Jared’s out there tomorrow, we’ll get him.”
Wes got up and walked with the sheriff to the door. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep us in the loop tomorrow.”
“Count on it. I’ll call you when I know something.” Paul held out his hand, and they shook.
Wes handed the sheriff his jacket and saw him out the door. He turned back to find Carlie starting the dishes. “That can wait. You cooked. I’ll clean up later, after you and Tyler are in bed.”
She shook her head. “I need to keep busy, or . . .”
“Or what?” She’d looked close to the breaking point while they’d talked about Jared, and it killed him to see her so worried. Carlie shrugged her shoulders, and that small gesture of defeat went straight through him. He crossed the kitchen, turned her around and pulled her into his arms. “Carlie . . .”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since the morning my ex showed up.” She rested her damp palms on his chest. “Jared is cunning. They aren’t going to catch him tomorrow. I know they aren’t, and I can’t bear the thought of anyone in Perfect getting hurt because of me.” She sucked in a shaky breath and raised her eyes to his. “I’d never forgive myself if Jared hurt you or anyone else in Perfect, and I can’t let him take Tyler. I can’t. I think it would be best if I left. If Tyler and I are not here, there’s no reason for Jared to stay.”
She’s leaving me. A buzzing started at the back of his brain, and all the buried hurt, the sense of betrayal simmering below the surface, surged through him. No. Not rational. Carlie wasn’t his, so technically, she couldn’t leave him. Still, the buzzing increased and his vision blurred.
I’m going to lose her. More rational, maybe, but no less jarring. He swallowed and scrambled to form a coherent argument to keep her in Perfect. She was still talking, and he’d missed a lot of what she’d said. Somehow he managed to pull himself together and tune back in to her stream of words.
“Ty and I will disappear, go somewhere where Jared can’t find us. I’ll leave the state,” she murmured. “Find a better place to hide—”
“You think a geographical fix is the answer?” He flashed her his best skeptical look. “If Jared sends you running, he’s won. Is that what you want, Carlie? Are you going to let that dirtbag dictate the rest of your life?”
“No!” she snapped. “But I don’t know what else to do.” Her hands curled into fists against him. “I thought changing my name and moving away would put an end to the Jared chapter of my life. How did he manage to find me?”
She looked so lost, it broke his heart. How could he protect her if she left? The need to convince her to stay overrode everything else. Wesley tightened his arms around her. “You were married to him. You and he have a son together. I suspect he still has your Social Security numbers. You filed joint taxes at some point. He has to have stuff like that stored somewhere, right?”
He rubbed her back. “It’s easy enough to find someone if you have the right information. If he could get into the right database, he’d be able to find out where Tyler was registered for school, or where you’re working. The rest is easy.”
“I didn�
��t even think of that.” She groaned. “I . . . I’m not equipped to deal with any of this.”
“That’s where I come in.” Relief swept through him. Her decision to leave was nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to stress and fear. “Running would be a serious tactical error on your part. You have a support network here in Perfect. If you leave, you’ll be cutting yourself off from the herd.” He raised an eyebrow. “Easy prey.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right, but Jared is dangerous. Not just to me and Tyler, but to anyone close to us. You have no idea how jealous and possessive he is. He’s out there watching, and he knows Tyler and I are living in your apartment. I’m sure he’s seen us together.”
Her eyes filled. A single tear traced down her cheek. Wes caught it with his thumb. Man, her skin was soft.
“Jared once threatened to kill a man at the grocery store, just because he thought I was flirting with him. The first time I told him I wanted a divorce, he threatened to kill me. He said if he couldn’t have me, nobody could.” She blinked, and another heartrending tear followed the first. “He’s going to come after you, Wes.”
“I’m counting on it.” He couldn’t help himself, couldn’t stop the force compelling him forward. His lips brushed hers. She didn’t back away. Nope. Instead, she leaned into the contact, sending hot currents of need racing through him—straight to his groin.
“You don’t mean that,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Yes, I do.” She was so close, so sweet and soft in his arms. What else could he do but go in for more—not a full-out assault with tongue, but definitely a bit of mouth-on-mouth action, a recon mission of sorts. Would she leap away, or . . . She kissed him back. His pulse amped up, and he forgot how to breathe. Her palms smoothed over his chest, then over his shoulders, inciting a riot in his pants. Did she even realize what she was doing?
The Twisted Road to You (Perfect, Indiana Book 4) Page 8