Page 34 of Hide My Heart
“Someone must have tipped off Hunter.” My heartbeat is shallow as thoughts zing through my head. “I only rolled into town Saturday.”
“But the gossip network already has everyone updated,” Nate says. “Phil was at the bar Saturday night telling everyone Mr. Carson saw you with a baby. I had to jump in and correct him, saying he was mistaken, that it was Sharon Williams he saw and the baby was mine.”
“Anyone could have been at the bar that night. What if Hunter was there? What if he heard the whole thing?”
“The bar was kind of empty,” Nate says, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “They said there were more people at the church—some big winter revival meeting.”
“Are you saying Hunter’s been going to my father’s church?”
Nate expression slackens and he blinks, staring at nothing. “Could it be?”
“What? Have you seen him before?”
“I’m not sure. We get a lot of guys coming through to go into the wilderness all the time. There was one who asked about the church. Rough, backwoods-looking guy.”
Terror grips my heart, and I shudder despite the warmth. “If he was at the winter revival, all it takes is a text message from someone at the bar to someone in the pew. When he saw us take off the next morning to Spokane, he thought I was helping you take care of your baby, and he wanted to take me away from you.”
“Exactly. Which means Beck is safe since he thinks he’s my baby.”
“We can’t assume anything with Hunter. He might be jealous of you and Beck. Oh no. I should have stayed there with him. Then you and Beck would be safe. What did I do? What if Hunter’s alive and he’s going to track me down?”
“We’ll be one step ahead of him.” Nate walks to the window and glances out, shaking his head. “It’s still too icy out there, but as soon as we can, we have to get rid of his truck. Let me call in the anonymous tip.”
“You can’t use your cell phone,” I protest. “They can trace it back to you.”
“You’re right.” He snaps his fingers, eyes lighting up. “How about Hunter’s? I’ll charge it up and make a quick call.”
“Do you have the correct charger for it?” I ask, but Nate is already out of the bedroom, and he gently shuts the door for me so I can get out of bed and change.
NINETEEN
Hunter
I have to be smartabout this. Not lose my cool and fuck up more.
If Pops were here, he’d say,The battle is won before it begins.
The roads iced up fast last night, and even though I have chains, I decide to spend the night in Coeur d’Alene, a city on the way to Divine. There ain’t no sense rambling around the countryside unless I know for sure where Amber went with my truck and my furs.
I borrowed Will’s laptop and plug in the wifi password at the diner I’m having breakfast at. Last night, when I checked, the online cell phone tracking service said it was last seen on Interstate 95 headed south, past Bonner’s Ferry.
Then it went dark.
She either turned off my phone or lost the charge.
Or my phone broke when she got into an accident.
That would be a bummer. I really like my truck. Amber’s okay, too. But she’s been out and about for a year, getting bad influence. She used to listen to me and do what I said. Now, she needs to be punished.
When I catch her.
My breath sizzles, and I huff before remembering to regain my cool.
All I have to do is keep my eye on the phone locator app. It’ll update me if she turns on the phone or uses it again.
I have the option of erasing my phone’s memory or sending her a message, but that wouldn’t serve any purpose.
She’ll know I’m onto her.
