Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2 (9 page)

NINE

T
wenty minutes later, Tonya found herself sitting next to Seth once again. The ride down the mountain was blissfully uneventful even though she couldn't help watching the mirrors. She noticed Seth doing the same. Her actions were habit; his were newly formed, thanks to her. She grimaced.

He pulled into the parking lot and she read the sign above the front door. “‘WC Groceries.' WC? Wrangler's Corner?”

“Wilson Carlisle. He's part of one of the founding families of this town. His great-grandfather ran a general store back in the eighteen hundreds. Wilson and I went to high school together. He's a good guy.” He put the truck in Park. “Do you mind if I run next door and fill up while you get what you need?”

“That's fine.”

“I'll be right here when you come back out.”

She nodded and slipped out of the vehicle. Seth drove off and she stopped to read the flyer on the glass door about the rodeo.

Tonya entered the store with a little jingle. She smiled when she spotted the bell tied to the handle on the inside. How old-fashioned. And refreshing. The whole town was quaint and charming and she could feel it growing on her already. Almost like an instant connection of feeling as if she belonged. And for two whole seconds she forgot Hank Newman and the threat he presented.

Her smile slipped into a frown as the memories rushed back and she grabbed a cart from the rack. “Just get your groceries,” she muttered. Then looked around to make sure no one had witnessed her moment of craziness.

A young mother with a toddler on her hip and a baby carrier propped in the cart stood looking at the baby formula on the shelf in front of her.

Tonya moved on to the toiletries aisle and grabbed toothpaste, deodorant and some shampoo. Next she hit the meat department and stocked up on the deli ham and turkey. She had a bread maker in the motor home—

The hairs on her neck spiked and she jerked, looked behind her. No one except a teenager pulling a bag of chicken from the freezer. The teen moved down the aisle while Tonya stayed frozen to her spot. Her eyes scanned as far as she could see. An L-shaped scan from her back corner of the store. She could see up one aisle and down another. There was nothing that should set off her internal alarm. She drew in a deep breath and turned back to the meat. Then stopped.

Ignoring the feeling wasn't an option. She'd learned to pay attention to that survival instinct. But was it Hank or something else?

What else—
who else
—could it be? She moved for a better view of the ends of each aisle. Several people shopped. And then he caught her attention.

A man wearing a baseball cap low on his forehead and dressed in khaki pants and a golf shirt exited one of the far aisles, then turned into the one immediately next to it. Tonya threw the ham in her buggy and pushed the cart toward the man she'd noticed. She ignored the strange looks from other customers and turned into the aisle.

He wasn't there.

She walked to the end, past the canned vegetables, and turned the corner near the registers. Her heart thumped; her breathing quickened. Where had he gone? She moved to the next aisle, then the next. She covered the grocery store without seeing him again. She blinked and felt the tears pool beneath her lashes. Was she losing it?

The doors swished open and Seth stepped inside, his eyes immediately homing in on her like a heat-seeking missile. His brow furrowed and he strode to her. “What's wrong?”

“I think Hank was here.”

* * *

Seth looked around, then back at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She ran a hand through her hair. “No. I mean, I just caught a glimpse. He was pushing a buggy and turned up the aisle. I went after him to get another look and he disappeared.”

“What? You went after him? What were you thinking?”

“That I'm tired of being a victim.” Her voice rose and she flinched when two nearby shoppers turned to stare. “Sorry,” she said quietly. “I'm just tired of all of this. Frustrated.”

“I understand.” He settled a hand on her shoulder. “Okay. I'm not saying you didn't see him, but it could have been someone who looked a little like him.”

She turned and looked around, then met his intense blue gaze again. “It could have.”

“But you don't believe that.”

This time she blinked and looked away from him. “I'm sorry, Seth... I don't know what to believe, to be honest. I didn't imagine the man, but maybe you're right. Maybe he just looked enough like Hank to freak me out since I keep expecting to see him every time I turn around.”

“I believe you saw him, but he couldn't just disappear.” He gently clasped her wrists, pulling her toward him. “Come on.”

“Where?”

“I'm going to check the bathroom.” She left the buggy and followed him to the restrooms. He pushed open the door and slipped inside. Two stalls, a sink and a hand dryer were the only occupants. When he exited, Tonya looked ready to bolt. He held up a hand. “It's empty.”

Tonya blew out a breath and her shoulders wilted. “I'm glad and mad all at the same time.” She wiped her eyes and shook her head. “I'm sorry. I'm being crazy. Let me just get this stuff and we can head back to your place. You're right. There's no way Hank could know where I am.”

Seth went through the line with her. “Do you need some cash?”

She held up her debit card. “I suppose I shouldn't use this, should I?”

“No. Not until we know for sure if it was Hank you saw or not.” He pulled his card from his wallet and swiped it through the machine. He glanced at her, saw the color in her cheeks and knew she was embarrassed. But he wasn't. He had to admit he liked buying her groceries and he liked watching out for her. He just hated that there was someone out there who truly wanted to harm her.

Tonya took the receipt from the cashier and Seth grabbed the one bag. He cast another look around the store but didn't see anyone resembling the man Tonya had described. Then a thought hit him. “Hey, come with me, will you?”

She blinked. “Okay. What is it?”

“I just want to look at something.” He took the bag to the customer-service counter and left it with the permission of the woman stocking the newspapers. He grabbed Tonya's hand and pulled her to the back of the store. He walked one way, then another and thought he might know how the man had disappeared so easily. “Show me the aisle where you saw the guy go.”

“Okay.” Tonya pointed. “He came out of that one and then went up this way.” She demonstrated.

Once Seth had the route down, he told her, “Go stand where you were when you first saw this guy. I'm going to move and I want you to follow me just like you did him, all right?”

Tonya nodded and moved to the meat section in the refrigerated area. He waited for her to stop and turn to catch his eye. Then he pulled back, took a deep breath and walked around the corner of the aisle past the display. He saw Tonya start to move toward him and kept going all the way to the end. He cut left and back down the next aisle.

* * *

Tonya went after him at a fast clip, hurrying to catch him. But just like when she followed the other man, when she turned into the aisle, Seth was gone. Even with a bum leg, he'd managed to disappear. She checked one aisle, then the next and the next, and still no sign of Seth. She threw her hands up and waited. Within a minute he came strolling up to her from the back of the store. “Where were you?”

“In the employees-only part of the store. I simply walked up the aisle, turned and walked—” he looked at his leg “—okay,
limped
down the next aisle and pushed through the double doors that lead to the back.”

Tonya gaped, then let a humorless laugh escape her. “I didn't even think of that.”

“I didn't either until I saw the guy push a cart of salads up to the deli section. While I was back there, I looked. There's a back door that leads out into the alley. He could have slipped right out.”

“So he could have been here,” she breathed.

“If that's what happened. If it was Hank. It could have been a worker putting something on the shelves. It's all just speculation at this point.”

“You sound like a cop.”

He gave her a tight smile. “That's what I get for having a brother in law enforcement.”

“Well, the guy pushing that buggy wasn't putting stuff on the shelves, but...okay. So what now?”

Seth folded his arms across his chest and locked eyes with her. “Now we let Clay know about this and continue to use caution. Tonight we feast on my mother's pot roast and tomorrow we go to church.”

“You go to church?”

He laughed. “When I'm home. And sometimes when I'm on the road. The rodeo life doesn't always lend itself to consistent attendance, but I do what I can.”

Tonya's face went red. “I know that. I wasn't being judgmental.”

“Didn't think you were. So? You want to go?”

She looked around. “I'd love to, but what if that was Hank?”

“Then I'd say being around people is probably the safest place for you.”

“The safest place for me, but what about everyone else?”

Seth thought about that. It was a valid question and spoke to her character that she was still extremely concerned about those around her. “I'd say that at the rodeo, Hank knew exactly where you were going to be and had time to think up a plan and try to carry it out. However, us going to church tomorrow is completely unplanned. He doesn't know you're here, and even if that was him earlier—which I'm having my doubts about—he won't know we're going and won't have time to plot anything.”

Tonya bit her lip and nodded. “All right, if you think it's safe.”

He thought it was; Tonya didn't seem so sure. He just hoped she didn't prove to be right.

Clay met them back at the ranch. Once again they gathered around the table. Seth's mother started putting together some drinks and snacks as soon as they sat down. Clay frowned as Seth related the incident in the grocery store. “I can pull some video footage, but if he had on a ball cap and wanted to avoid the cameras, we probably don't have any hope of seeing his face.”

“But it might
not
have been him,” Seth countered. “If it wasn't, he wouldn't care about the cameras and we could confirm that it wasn't Hank.”

Clay nodded. “Very true. All right, I'll go by and speak to WC and see if I can get a couple of shots to show you.”

“Thank you,” Tonya said.

“Wait...hold up a second,” Seth said. “I have another idea.”

“What's that?” Clay asked.

Seth leaned forward. “We've already established that we're not sure who that guy was in the grocery store. Could have been no one. Or it could be that Hank's found Tonya somehow. We just don't know. We also don't know that he doesn't know where Tonya is staying. But what if he shows up tonight?”

Clay rubbed his chin. “I see what you're saying, little brother. I also see the wheels in your head spinning. What do you have in mind?”

“What if Tonya stays in your old cabin tonight and we stake out her motor home?”

Clay gave a slow nod while he let his gaze bounce back and forth between Tonya and Seth. “That might not be a bad idea.”

“Of course it's not a bad one—I thought of it.”

Clay smirked, then turned serious again. “All right, let's do it. I'll come stake out the motor home from dusk until two. I'll get Lance to take the other half of the night.”

Tonya bit her lip but didn't protest.

Clay left and Seth reached across the table to grasp her fingers in his. “It's going to be all right.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I believe it and I want you to do the same.”

She sighed. “I
want
to believe it.”

“But?”

“I guess I'll have to see it first.”

Seth's father stomped into the kitchen and chugged a bottle of water from the refrigerator. When he finished, he looked at Tonya. Then their linked hands. Seth didn't pull away and neither did Tonya.

“How'd you manage to fall off that bull, son?”

Seth gave a good-natured groan and dropped his head. “It just happened, Dad.” He paused. “But you know, I still haven't gotten to take a look at that rope. I wonder if Jake can get it from the storage room where Mia put it.”

“Why?”

Seth shrugged. “Just curious to look at it.”

“Why?” This time his father's question was more forceful, his gaze more intense.

Seth took another swig of his tea. “Because I think it moved.”

“Moved?”

“Slipped.” He didn't want to go into more details in front of his mother, but his dad wasn't slow.

Ross lowered his glass, his eyes never leaving Seth. “Slipped how?”

“I don't know. That's why I need to lay eyes on it.” Seth glanced at his mother, who seemed oblivious to the conversation as she gathered items she'd need for dinner from the pantry.

His father gave a short concerned nod, then looked at Tonya. “You like to ride?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

“You know anything about taking care of horses?”

“Been doing it all my life.”

Seth cleared his throat. “Dad, are you trying to rope Tonya into helping you with the horses?”

Ross flushed and shrugged. “Only if she wants to.”

Tonya stood and pulled her hand from his. Seth mourned the loss. “I'd love to,” she said.

“Wait a minute,” Seth protested. “I didn't bring her here so you could put her to work.”

His father opened his mouth. Before he could speak, Tonya said, “I don't mind, really. It'll take my mind off stuff.”

“Then I'm coming, too.” Seth stood and limped his way to the door to hold it open for her.