by Jennie Marts
“Now we’re talking.” She heard the voice of the shorter man behind her right before he wrapped his thick arms around her and grabbed for her. With his attention on Charlie, he must have released Sophie.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girl run across the dirt, tripping on the high heels, and disappear behind a truck.
She struggled against the stocky man and kicked behind her, stamping on his feet, clawing and biting at his arms. She screamed with fear and rage and, from somewhere across the darkened parking lot, she thought she heard the faint sound of barking.
“Hold her there, Vern.” The taller man reached for the snap of her shorts. “We’re gonna teach this bitch a lesson.”
Thunk.
A loud cry accompanied the sound, and she felt Earl’s hands drop from her waist as he fell to his knees, the green John Deere cap knocked from his head. Behind him, a barefoot Sophie stood, wielding a shovel, her blond hair a wild tangle around her determined face.
From his knees, Earl shook his head, trying to shake off the blow. As he brought his head up, a look of menace covered his face, and he struggled to stand. He turned to Sophie and grabbed for the girl.
Before he could reach her, a black and white streak of fur came flying out of the darkness, an ominous growl breaking the silence, and the jaws of her sweet dog clamped down on Earl’s outstretched arm. He howled in pain and flung the dog away from him, breaking Joy’s grasp. She skimmed across the dirt parking lot and landed with a sickening thud against the tire of a large pickup.
Charlie slumped forward, the strain of trying to escape and the thought of something happening to her precious dog was almost too much for her to bear.
But Sophie was depending on her. The bravery of the teenager spurred her energy. Sophie could have easily stayed hidden. Instead, she came out fighting, a garden shovel clutched in her hands. She straightened, pulling and twisting to escape her captor. The clasp of his watch scraped against her chest, leaving a long red scratch across her breast.
She watched Earl get to his feet and move toward Sophie, who now stood rooted to the spot, frozen in terror, her bravado gone.
“Run, Sophie. Get help!” Charlie’s scream must have broken her paralysis, because the teenager turned and ran into the darkness between the parked trucks.
Earl turned to her, a look of fury on his face. “Well, I guess that just leaves us.” He leaned toward her, grabbing for the torn flap of her pajama top.
Before his hand reached the fabric, he was jerked back, and she saw a fist exploding against the side of his head. Then he crumpled to the ground, and a form rushed at her, grabbing the thick arms holding her and yanking them away before another fist flew through the air and landed with a bone-crushing thud in the face of Vern.
She twisted free as her abductor staggered back, grabbing at his face. Clutching the sides of her top, she pulled them closed around her chest and turned to run, screaming as a hand clamped down on her arm.
Pulling and crying, she yanked at her arm.
“Charlie, it’s okay. It’s me.”
A tremendous sense of relief swept over her, and she almost fell to her knees. Afraid to hope that the voice she heard really belonged to him, she turned and found herself looking up into Zack’s face.
He reached for her. She stumbled into his arms, her courage depleted, and hard sobs ripped from her chest. He held her tight against him, smoothing her hair and swearing under his breath.
Jerking back, she looked wildly around. “Sophie. Where’s Sophie?”
“She’s okay. She ran into me in the parking lot. I sent her inside to get help. She told me you were still out here.” He pulled his flannel shirt off and wrapped it around her, gently guiding her arms into the sleeves.
So intent on helping her with his shirt, he failed to notice that Earl had stood shakily to his feet. He came at Zack, howling a war cry, and barreling down on him with both fists swinging through the air.
Zack pushed her to the side and swung his fist, executing a perfect under-cut. She heard the distinct snap of Earl’s teeth as they cracked together while his head tipped back.
Before he could gain his balance, Zack’s fist came around and landed hard against his jaw, and Earl toppled to the ground. This time, he stayed down, curled in a ball and groaning in the dust.
With the threat of Earl out of the way, Charlie grabbed Zack’s hand and pulled him to the spot where her dog lay. “Zack, come check on Joy. She tried to protect us, and that monster hurt her.”
They knelt down beside the furry body, and he ran his hands over her frame, while she stroked the dog’s ears. Joy lifted her head and licked Charlie’s hand. Her heart broke at the familiar gesture, and she prayed the dog would be all right. “Is she going to be okay?”
Zack continued his examination. Joy perked up, pulling herself into a standing position to get a better angle to lick Charlie’s face. The dog held her back leg up off the ground as she limped closer to her owner, but she seemed otherwise unfazed.
“She’s keeping her weight off that back leg, so it could be broken.” He stroked the dog’s head. “We can bring her into the clinic, and I can check her out more thoroughly, but otherwise, she seems okay.”
She sighed with relief and put her arms around the dog’s neck.
Flashing red and blue lights lit the night as the sheriff’s car pulled into the parking lot. Sheriff Johnson climbed from the vehicle and made his way toward them. He nodded at Zack. “Doc.”
“Hey, Taylor.” Zack stood and helped Charlie to her feet.
“I heard there were a couple of guys harassing some women out here.” He took in her torn shirt and bruised face. “Looks like things got out of hand. You okay?”
She nodded then looked around for the shorter man. “There was another guy. He called him Vern. He must have ran off when Zack showed up.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. I know Vern. Don’t worry, I know where to find him.”
Taylor hauled Earl to his feet, slapping a set of handcuffs on his wrists. “Come on, Slick. You’re coming with me.” He walked Earl to his car, opening the back door and shoving him in.
Charlie saw the sheriff climb in the front seat and pick up the radio, presumably to call in. She turned to Zack. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re here.”
He pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I’m glad you were here. Sophie said you saved her from these guys.”
“She called me and said Shari had brought her here. Something about the two of them having some fun together. She must have given her a makeover, I almost didn’t recognize Sophie.”
She shuddered to think what would have happened if she had just walked on by, leaving Sophie with those men. Would they have gotten her into their car? She couldn’t stand the thought of them hurting Sophie and focused on Zack. “Did you see her?”
The line of his jaw tightened as his eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I almost didn’t recognize her, either. She came running at me, calling me dad. I can’t believe Shari would do something so stupid. Where was she in all this?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I never saw her. Sophie said she’d gotten drunk, and she couldn’t find her. She tried calling you first.”
“I was out on a call and left my phone in the truck. I was out at the Bryant farm; one of Bill’s mares got tangled up with some coyotes and it took me forever to get her stitched up. By the time I got back to the truck, I saw a bunch of missed calls and texts and got here as fast as I could.” He looked down at Charlie, gratitude evident in his eyes. “I’m glad she called you.”
“Dad. Charlie.” Sophie came out the front door of the bar, barreling down on them and flung herself at her dad.
He opened his arms and tucked the girl between him and Charlie, not breaking the embrace he held her in.
Sophie turned to hug her. “Thank you for saving me. I was so scared.”
“Scared? You were braver than I was.” She looked up at Zack. “I told her to
run, and she found a shovel and whacked Earl in the back of the head with it. You were like Xena, the warrior princess.”
Sophie laughed, then her expression turned serious. Tears filled her eyes as she reached up and touched the red and swollen side of Charlie’s face where Earl had smacked her. “I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”
She took Sophie’s chin and tilted her face up to hers. “I’m okay. And I’m not sorry. I would take on ten stupid rednecks if it meant keeping you safe.” She looked at Zack, trying to convey her sincerity with her eyes. “I mean it.”
“I know you do.” He nodded at her, then pulled both of them tighter in his arms, leaning his head into theirs. “I’m just glad both of you are all right.”
“Well, isn’t this just so cozy?”
Zack’s head popped up at the sound of his ex-wife’s voice.
Shari stood next to a gray pickup, a sneering look on her face as she took in the scene of the three of them hugging.
Charlie pulled free, overcome with an instant fierce rage. She stomped up to Shari and slapped her hard in the face. “Don’t you ever pull a stunt like this again. Do you realize the danger you put your own daughter in?”
The moment seemed to freeze in time. Zack and Sophie stood stock-still. Shari stared at her in shock. She slowly pulled her hand up to rest against her face, then time clicked back in, and all hell broke loose.
Shari flew at her, screeching and slapping at her face. Zack grabbed Charlie around the waist, pulling her back. Joy broke into a barking frenzy.
“Stop it. Stop it.” Sophie yelled, putting her hands over her ears.
Shari dropped her hands to her side, her blond hair wild around her head and her cheek still red from Charlie’s slap.
Zack pushed Charlie behind him. “I got this.” He glared at his ex-wife. “Shari, what the hell were you thinking?”
She shrugged, not quite able to meet his eyes. “It wasn’t a big deal. I just thought it would be fun to get dressed up and go out. Like, as friends.”
“She’s fourteen. And just barely, at that. Why would you bring her to a bar?”
Lifting her chin, Shari took a defensive stance. “Goll, Zack. When did you turn into such a prude? I was sneaking into bars when I was a teenager, and so were you. Don’t act all innocent.”
Zack’s voice was soft, but his words were hard as steel. “But she is not you. She is my daughter. And I would never put her in a position where she could get hurt. I think it’s time for you to leave, Shari.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
The muscles of his face were tight with constrained fury. “Do I look like I’m kidding? I want you to get your stuff and get out of our house. Tonight.”
Shari’s face transformed from an instant of hurt and disbelief, to a tough look of anger and resentment. “Fine. I wasn’t gonna stay in this two-bit town anyway. I met a guy tonight, and I can already tell that he’s twice the man that you are. I don’t need you and your ridiculous little vet clinic. You haven’t changed a bit, Zack Cooper. You’re still nothing but a small town loser.”
Charlie could tell that Zack’s ex-wife’s words weren’t getting to him. His face held the same hard expression, and he didn’t even blink at her slanderous words.
But her heart broke for Sophie, the teenager whose mother abandoned her. She watched tears roll down Sophie’s face as, even now, her mother’s only thought and intent was to hurt Zack. None of her words were directed at how hard it would be to walk away again from her only daughter.
She reached out and took Sophie’s hand in hers. The teenager didn’t move, but squeezed her hand back as if she were drowning and Charlie’s hand was the only thing keeping her afloat.
Zack took a step in front of Sophie, placing his body as a protective shield between her and her mother.
Shari glared at him, then raised her hand, and extended her middle finger, a chip missing on the deep red-polished nail. In an especially un-ladylike gesture, she spit on the ground, then turned and stomped back into the bar, presumably to find her new boyfriend.
“Well, that was awful.” Charlie squeezed Sophie’s hand, still clutched in her own. “I’m sorry I slapped her. I should have handled that better.”
The teenager shrugged, her eyes focused on the ground. “It’s fine.”
“Are you okay?”
“I will be. I was so little when she left. I always had this fantasy that someday she would come back and we would go shopping and do lunch. Girl stuff.” She looked up at Charlie. “Kinda like the stuff I did with you.”
A huge lump formed in her throat. She could only nod, afraid that if she tried to speak, the tears of emotion would spill out and rain down her face.
“She’s nothing like I thought she would be. And I don’t think she even liked me very much.” Sophie glanced up at Zack. “I hate that she said that mean stuff about you, Dad. I love the vet clinic, and I’m happy we live in a small town. We don’t need her. She hasn’t been in our lives the past thirteen years; we can get by another thirteen without her.”
He smiled and pulled his daughter into his arms. “Thank you, baby girl. I appreciate that. I love you, sweetheart, and I’m sorry if she hurt you.” He looked at Charlie over the top of Sophie’s head. “And I agree. We don’t need her in our lives anymore.”
Charlie gulped, unable to tear her eyes away from his, desperately wanting to ask him a question but terrified of his answer. Her heart raced, and her words came out as a whisper. “How about me, Zack? Do you need me in your life anymore?”
Before he could respond, the door of the bar slammed open, and three men came running out. Their voices carried across the parking lot as they excitedly talked about a structure fire and who was going to man which hose.
A feeling of alarm went off inside her chest as the men jumped into a pickup and sped out of the parking lot, spraying dust and gravel as they went.
Sheriff Johnson beeped the horn of his cruiser and yelled out to Zack. “Hey, Doc, there’s a fire over at the Tucker Farm. Those guys were volunteer firemen. I’m gonna give ’em an escort if you want to follow along.”
Zack had already picked up Joy and was running for his truck. Charlie raced ahead of him, yanking open the cab door so he could put the dog on the seat. He grabbed Sophie and boosted her into the truck, her feet still bare.
Charlie climbed in after her, barely able to slam the door by the time Zack made it into the driver’s seat and started the pickup.
They raced out of the parking lot, flying down the highway behind the flashing lights of the police cruiser.
Charlie spied one of Zack’s extra T-shirts in the side pocket of the truck door. She grabbed it and helped pull it on over Sophie’s head.
The large shirt completely covered the low-cut dress, and the teenager flashed her a look of gratitude. “Thanks, Charlie. I feel so stupid.”
She wrapped her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “There is nothing to feel stupid about. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Sophie leaned over her, popped the door to the glove box, and dug out a glasses case. “I think I’ve got an extra pair of glasses in here.” A rubber band held the container closed. She pulled it free, popped open the holder, and shoved on the glasses. Using the rubber band, she quickly wrapped her hair into a loose ponytail.
“I think your soccer bag is still in the back from practice last week,” Zack said, not taking his eyes off the road. “You should be able to find some shoes in there when we get to Gigi’s.”
They were within minutes of the farm, and Sophie cried out as they came around the last corner.
“Oh no.” Charlie gasped as she saw the roof of the barn engulfed in fire, yellow flames licking the sky.
A large red fire engine was parked in the driveway. She could see the three firemen had already arrived and were working to pull the hoses from the truck. A dim light shone from the cab of their pickup. They had left one door standing open in their race to get to the fire, and
she caught herself insanely worrying that a cat would jump into their truck.
Barely pulling the truck to a stop, Zack had the engine off and was out the door, racing toward the fire engine.
Charlie fumbled with her seat belt. “Where is he going?”
“Don’t worry. He’s a volunteer fireman, too. He knows what he’s doing.” Sophie reached down and clicked the seat belt free. “Let me get some shoes on, and I’ll stay with you. Dad always says to stay with the truck.” She slid out the driver’s side in search of her gym bag.
Charlie wasn’t waiting. This was her farm. Or it would be in a few more weeks. She couldn’t lose it like this. She needed to help.
Telling the dog to stay, she closed the door behind her and ran toward the barn. The heat was already intense. A dozen or so men worked methodically to control the blaze. Where was everyone? Were her parents okay? Were Cash and Buckshot among the men fighting the fire?
The top of the barn was ablaze, and thick black plumes of smoke filled the night sky. As she watched, a man appeared in the black opening of the barn’s big front door. He led a frightened horse out behind him, and her heart flew to her throat as she recognized the tall, blond-haired man.
She broke into a run, reaching Ryan just as he passed the horse off to one of the firemen. Caught in the moment, she threw her arms around her father. “Dad, are you okay? What happened?”
Ryan hugged her back for just an instant then pushed her away. “Charlie, I’m fine. Now, get on up by the house. You need to stay clear of this fire. Go be with your mother. I think she’s on the porch.”
Nice. Their first moment of affection, and he pushed her away. She hoped he was just thinking of her safety and not trying to get rid of her. He’d given her a little push and already moved on, helping with the horse he had pulled from the fire.
Oh no. She had a sudden sinking memory of checking on Rodney before she went to bed the night before. The little calf had gotten tangled in barbed wire the day before, and Buckshot had bandaged him up then put him in a stall in the barn to spend the night.