Page 29 of Cam
Shep was already in the passenger seat buckling his seatbelt. It was almost impossible to wait for Colt to pull out ahead of us, but he had the lights and sirens.
Colt sped down the dirt drive at a fast pace. Dirt and stones kicked up, but I didn’t give a shit as they sprayed my windshield.
“Holy shit, he’s got a tire iron,” she said. I heard the panic in her voice.
It matched the panic I had in my heart.
16
TAYLOR
“Open the door, Taylor,”Rod shouted.
The guy I used to date looked rough. Shorts, worn sneakers, a white t-shirt for some concert in 2022 that was beyond wrinkled, as if he’d found it stuffed behind a bed or something.
He was angry. Eyes wild. Cheeks flushed.
When I first met him, I’d thought him cute. He’d been nice… then.
“No way!” I shouted at him through my closed window. Holy shit, was this scary. My heart was pounding and my fingers tingled from the adrenalinerush. Why was he here? Why was he driving Dad’s car?
I tried to start the car, turning the key and pumping the accelerator. Nothing.
“You fucked up everything,” he shouted. “Because of the charges, I was kicked out of college. Even if I’m cleared, I’ve lost my scholarship.”
Cleared? He’d hit Mr. Wilder over the head and put him in a coma. Even if Mr. Wilder didn’t press charges, no doubt Colt, as sheriff, would. No way would he let Rod roam free.
Even now, God, he was coming after me like a lunatic with a tire iron. He was crazy.
He thought everything that happened to him was my fault? What the hell? “I hadnothingto do with that. I didn’t make you be a felon!” I shouted back.
He pointed at me, tire iron in hand. “You had to go to the Wilders. To tell the sheriff what was going on.”
That had been weeks ago, right after the rodeo in July.
“Because I didn’t do it! They thought I had!”
“Exactly. But now they’re after me.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It was cool out, but he was sweating.
I held my cell in my hand and hadn’t hung up on Cam. Afraid I was going to accidentally disconnect, Iset the cell down and gave my deranged ex all my attention. Hopefully Cam could still hear what was going on… and would get here soon.
“Then get out of Devil’s Ditch!” I said. If I was wanted here in Devil’s Ditch, I’d go somewhere else. “If you’re trying to avoid the sheriff, why stay in this tiny town? What do you really want, Rod?” I yelled through the window.
“I want the box of tampons.”
Um… what? Now I knew he’d really lost his mind.
17
CAM
“Didhe just say he wanted a box oftampons?” Shep asked. From the sound of his voice, he was half horrified and half stunned.
I was, too, actually. Between my seven brothers and I, I’d never once, ever, heard any one of them talk about tampons or periods or any of that. At least not until they got a girl and tried to knock her up.
I’d handed Shep my cell so I could keep both hands on the wheel as we flew down the county road that led toward town. I had to give Colt credit, he was pushing ninety. The old fruit stand Taylor mentionedwasn’t more than three miles from the ranch, thank fuck and we were getting there quick.
“Is he mental?” Shep wondered.
