Page 7 of Katherine's Last Hope
Sighing, she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it in the entryway closet. As grateful as she was, she didn’t need all the men in her life swooping in to help. She could take care of herself, even if it was nice to know she had support behind her.
Support from her brother when he escorted her home, support from her father who refused to leave her on her own, support from Cody Hogan who’d showed up and saved her.
The memory of the way his arms fit around her hit her square in the chest. Heat climbed the back of her neck. He’d held her sogently yet with so much strength. His blue eyes showcasing his emotions in a way she’d never experienced—like they could have an entire conversation without a single word. The well-trimmed dark beard added to the hint of danger that clung to him since he’d been a teenager, his short-cropped hair just messy enough to make her want to run her fingers through it.
A wave of guilt crashed against her so hard, she braced her hand on the wall to keep upright. Maybe she should skip the tea and head straight to bed because she clearly needed the rest. Fear that she’d lay in bed to only find herself dreaming of Cody guided her feet to the kitchen.
Her dad filled the kettle and set it on the gas stove. Her favorite cream-colored mug that read “Nurses Call the Shots,” scrawled in large red letters, waited for her at her normal place at the farmhouse table.
A cup of coffee across from it.
She fought her instinct to roll her eyes. Her dad had no intentions of sleeping tonight, even though the state-of-the-art security system would alert her if anyone came around.
The whistle sounded, and Mike lifted the navy blue kettle and carried it to her cup, pouring hot water over the tea bags. She sat and circled her hands around the warm mug.
Normally, this time of the night she loved sitting in her quiet kitchen. The lights were dimmed, creating a glow that softened the white marble countertops. The island was free of clutter and the dinner dishes all put away. She’d spent hours toiling over the perfect subway tile to splash along the backboard and the right shade of gray for the cabinets.
This was the heart of her home, the place her family gathered for meals and to discuss their day. Where the scents of countless meals mingled with the lemony smell of the diffuser plugged in next to the sink.
But that wasn’t true. Not anymore. Now she realized the heart of her home had rested in the people who lived there. And part of that heart had been ripped away and buried in the ground outside of town.
Replacing the kettle, Mike settled into his chair and took a sip of coffee. “Wanna talk about it? Sometimes it helps.”
“Will it turn back time and make it so none of this happened?”
A sadness she’d witnessed far too often in her father turned down the corners of Mike’s mouth. “I wish it did, honey. But we both know nothing can take away the pain or fear or whatever else that comes along with a shitty situation. We just got to find a way to get through the bad things, knowing better times wait ahead.”
She sipped her tea, debating what to say. She had no delusion that talking to her dad would actually help her, but he would get the information sooner or later. Better to get the details from her than making him wait to call Owen.
Pulling in a deep breath, she steadied her nerves and unpacked the trauma she’d just experienced.
Mike sat still and took in every word, his expression morphing from anger to fear to something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. When she finished, she took another sip of the chamomile to soothe her dry throat.
The wheels spinning in Mike’s mind were clear in his laser-focused stare. “And you have no idea who this guy was?”
She shook her head. “Nothing about him was familiar. His voice, his scent, the little I saw.”
“The crack he made to Cody about law enforcement is the key,” Mike said, scratching his jaw.
Frowning, she pulled back the words her attacker had spat at Cody. “He definitely had a problem with authority. Called Cody’sjob a joke. Could this guy have ambushed me because of my connection to you, Tommy, and Owen?”
Growing up, she’d been painfully aware that people sometimes treated her differently because her father was the sheriff, but she’d never felt targeted because of it. Could someone harbor enough resentment for her family that they’d attack her? Wanting her to be the payback for something that she’d had no control over?
Mike worked his jaw back and forth. “It’s possible. I’ll call Owen. No way I’m sitting on the sidelines on this one. Cody proved himself tonight, and I won’t be a pain in his ass, but I want to be aware of everything that’s going on. Do whatever I can to lend a hand until this guy’s caught.”
She appreciated her dad’s insistence on helping, but deep down she understood Mike Wells would still be the county’s beloved sheriff if it wasn’t for her and the nasty curveball life had thrown her. Law enforcement was in his blood, and now he had one more chance to use his skills to find whoever the hell had attacked her.
Cody steadiedthe medical kit on the sink of the sheriff department’s bathroom. He opened the box and found what he needed. Hissing out a breath, he dabbed disinfectant on the raw skin snaking up his side then covered it with a bandage. He hadn’t had a chance to clean it out since he’d fallen on the asphalt after catching Katherine in his arms.
Gritting his teeth, he shoved the memory from his mind. His reaction to her had been quick and unavoidable. Something he had as much control over as he did the time the sun rose above the mountains.
At least the sunrise created an explosion of oranges and pinks in the morning sky, bringing with it a little hope for a better day ahead. He didn’t want to let his mind dwell on what his reaction to Katherine meant.
Nothing good, that’s for sure.
With his scratch taken care of, he lowered his shirt and stepped back out into the busy hive of the sheriff’s station.
Deputy Heath Sterling stood in front of the vending machine and fed loose change into the slot before making his selection. He glanced his way with raised brows. “Can I get you anything?”
