Page 15 of Katherine's Last Hope
When Catie gave a little nod, Katherine hopped out of the ambulance and walked over to where the men huddled by Cody’s cruiser.
Cody glanced up and his gaze latched on hers. He raised his eyebrows as if asking a silent question.
She offered a small smile, relaxing the wrinkles in his forehead. There it was again. That silent communication. How was that possible? She barely even knew Cody, but there wassomething about this man that was so easy for her to read—to understand.
Something about him that made her want to know more.
A quiver vibrated deep inside of her. She wanted to explore that reaction, wanted to pull it out and dissect and understand, but now wasn’t the time.
Her dad glanced over his shoulder, spying her approach, then quickly strode her way. He gave her a quick hug then took a step back, bracing her biceps in his large hands. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just a little stiff. Nothing too bad.”
Owen joined them,his frown deeper than the Grand Canyon. “Tommy’s out looking for this asshole’s vehicle with Heath and a few other deputies. Pine Valley PD is pulling traffic camera footage to see if they can get a visual of the truck or license plate. I’ll be in touch with them as soon as we’re done here. Is there anything else you can tell us that can help find this guy?”
She shook head then winced. Her injuries may be minimal but the pain in her head pounded against her temples. “I already told you everything I can. He followed me for a while, came up on me quickly, then ran me off the road.”
The last thing she wanted to do was replay the whole ordeal again. She’d already told Cody exactly what had happened. Going over it once more wouldn’t jar anything else from her memory. Every second of the accident would haunt her for the rest of her life.
“Where’s Ollie?” Mike asked.
“At the shelter with Elsie and Jimmy.”
Mike blew out a long breath and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Thank God. Your vehicle’s totaled. I’ll get a tow truck out here, but for now why don’t you jump in with me and Owen? We’ll drive over to Pine Valley and get Ollie.”
Her dad’s plan made sense, but something kept her from agreeing.
As if sensing her hesitation, Cody tilted his head to the side and studied her with narrowed eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“If I show up with you two in Owen’s cruiser, Ollie will know something’s wrong. I don’t want him learning about this. He’s had a hard enough time after Theo’s accident. He doesn’t need to be told I was in one, too.”
“I understand wanting to protect Ollie,” Owen said. “But I don’t see any other option.”
“She can ride with me,” Cody said.
“Excuse me?” Mike asked, his voice holding a note of disbelief.
Cody shrugged. “If you go pick up the boy, she can call ahead and tell him you wanted to take him to do something fun. Or if he wants to stay with his buddy, maybe no one needs to head to get him at all. That keeps him busy and protected, out of harm’s way while Katherine figures out how to get another vehicle and hopefully nail this son of a bitch before he tries to hurt her again.”
The fact Cody had voiced the exact thoughts that circled her mind dropped her jaw.
“That makes sense,” Owen said. “What do you want to do, Katherine?”
She nibbled her bottom lip and ran through her options. She wanted Ollie safe, which he would be with her family, but also didn’t want to alarm him. He’d been so happy to be with Jimmy. She hated to cut their time together short.
“If he’s safe at the shelter, I think it’s best to let him stay there. I’ll call Elsie and give her a heads-up. She’ll make sure everything’s locked down. If Cody doesn’t mind, I’ll take him up on his offer to catch a ride so you two can contact the officers in Pine Valley.”
Her father’s scowl told her he wasn’t sold on her decision, but she lifted her chin a fraction to show him she wouldn’t change her mind. As much as she loved him and everything he’d done for her, the idea of being babysat for the day by him and Owen was suffocating.
“Pappy has that old truck out at his place you can probably borrow,” Owen said.
Mike grunted.
She bit back a grin. Her dad and her grandfather might have gotten along better in the past few years, but that didn’t mean the two men actually liked each other. She and her brothers had grown accustomed to their bad blood. Their occasional grunts and eye rolls were tame compared to the blowups that often erupted right after her mom had died when she was a teenager.
“I can drive you to your grandfather’s,” Cody said.
“Can we swing by my place first? I needed to pick up something for Ollie and he’ll be disappointed if I don’t come back with it.”
