Page 34 of Rafe

Maggie decided to visit Fred since she took the day off and also hoped to see Rafe. She parked beside the porch, walked up the steps, knocked on the door, then entered the kitchen and came to a stop when she saw Luke and Bryce McCallister sitting at the table with Fred, who was holding their daughter.

“Hi, Luke. Bryce. I didn’t even notice your truck here.” Maggie smiled but it slipped away when she saw the look Fred and Luke gave her. “What is it?”

Luke pushed his chair back, making it scrape on the floor, stood, looked at Fred, then at her.

“Maggie, we’re here today to tell Fred that Frederick is out of prison.”

She gasped. “No.”

“Yes, I’m so sorry.”

“How?”

“Good behavior and overcrowding,” Luke said with a twist to his lips.

“He hasn’t been in long enough to show any type of his true behavior,” Maggie snapped.

“I agree, but there was nothing I could do. We are looking for him—”

“And what happens when he finds me first, Luke? Then what?”

“That’s why I’m going to keep an eye out for him.”

Maggie shook her head. “It won’t stop him, Luke. He will come looking for me.”

“We won’t let him get to you.”

“You can’t stop him!” Maggie ran out the door, across the yard and entered the barn where she leaned against the wall and cried. God, what was she going to do? She supposed she could leave but she was tired of running.

“What choice do you have?” she muttered.

“Maggie?”

When she heard Rafe’s voice, she quickly wiped her tears away, straightened up, and watched him saunter toward her.

“Rafe.”

“Are you alright?” he asked when he reached her.

“Of course.”

Rafe cocked his head. “No, you’re not. You know, don’t you?”

She turned from him to leave the barn, but his fingers wrapped around her wrist, stopping her. She couldn’t look at him.

“Don’t you?” he asked again.

Taking a deep breath, she faced him, and tears rolled down her face.

“Yes. Luke told me that… Frederick was released.”

“He told me too. He came here to tell Fred, then stopped in to tell me.”

“I can’t believe his lawyer got him out for good behavior, and the prison being overcrowded, they let him out early.” She looked at Rafe. “He will come looking for me. I helped put him there.” She choked on a sob.

When Rafe pulled her into his arms, she wrapped hers around his waist and sobbed on his chest.

“Fred will probably want you to stay with him.”

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