closed her eyes and thought through what she would say. “I’m in some trouble. It’s Max.” She opted for the shorter version of what had happened. She could give Sondra the full details later. “He fired me, and I’ve left California. I don’t have a car.”
Sondra hesitated in answering. “Where are you now?”
“I’m in Discovery. I remembered where you lived, so I called.” Clarissa tensed, half expecting her to say the drive would be too much trouble.
“I can be there in seven hours. I’ll leave right away. Tell me where to pick you up at.”
Clarissa felt a rush of gratitude. “Oh, Sondra, thank you so much.” She thought about possible meeting places. “There’s a bench outside the Black Bear Inn downtown. I’ll be sitting on that.”
“See you then,” Sondra said. “And kiddo, it’s good to hear your voice.”
Feeling a sense of hope, Clarissa shut off her phone. Now all she had to do was find lodging for the night. She opened her handbag. In an effort to get away from Don, she’d left her checked baggage at the airport, but at least she still had her wallet. In it was enough cash to pay for a hotel room.
She finished her tea and left the coffee shop. She turned the corner, back toward the Black Bear Inn. As Ezra’s van had come into town, she hadn’t noticed any other hotel within walking distance. If she hurried, she could get checked in before Max’s thug showed up. Far better than wandering the streets trying to find a different hotel. Staying outside would only make her vulnerable. Though it was several blocks away, she could see that the lights in Ezra’s office were still on. The memory of what he had done for her brought some guilt to the surface. She really did need to thank him for his kindness.
* * *
Ezra pulled some food and other supplies from a cupboard in a back room, then worked his way around stacks of boxes in the hallway. The office was more of a storage space for backpacks, tents and other supplies than it was an office. Surrounded by packets of dried food, his computer was barely visible on the desk.
“My conscience wouldn’t let me leave without saying thank you. The light was on, so I...”
Ezra whirled around to face the petite blonde woman. She must have come in when he was in the back room. Her voice had a soft, hypnotic quality, like wind rushing through trees.
He placed the boxes of supplies on the desk. “Yeah, sure, no problem.” A war raged within him. He still had a lot of prep to do before morning, and the last thing he needed was a woman bringing trouble with her. At the same time, when he looked at this woman, he wondered if he could have done something different so Melissa would still be in his life. He couldn’t undo what had happened with his sister. His conscience would be clear if he knew he’d done everything he could for this woman.
She pressed the large handbag she’d brought with her closer to her body. “I wanted to thank you for your kindness, is all.”
She stood before him, the blouse and tailored jacket a little disheveled. Her blue eyes held a pleading quality.
“What is your name?”
Her expression softened. “Clarissa.”
He stepped toward her. “Listen, Clarissa, I don’t know what is going on with you and that guy who was looking for you. I can take you up to the police station if that would help.” He pointed in that general direction.
“No...” She took a step back and a wall seemed to go up around her. Panic coated her words. “I’ll be all right. I’m...I’m meeting someone tomorrow.”
Again, he wondered what she was afraid of, and why the man was after her. That she didn’t want to go to the police made him a little suspicious. Maybe she wasn’t the fragile innocent she projected. “Are you sure? I know some of the local guys. I’m positive they’d help you out...whatever the trouble is.”
“This isn’t a police matter.” She seemed to grow more upset with each word. Shaking her head, she took another step back. “Please, I just wanted to thank you for getting me into town.” She turned and pulled the door open. He heard her hurried footsteps on the sidewalk as the door eased shut.
He had offered help, and she had refused. There was nothing more he could do. He had to let it go.
* * *
Clarissa made her way up the street. A cluster of people spilled out of a steak house. Laughing and talking, they skirted around her on the sidewalk. She glanced back, half hoping to see Ezra. His concern had been so unexpected, she found herself drawn to him. The lights in his office clicked off, but he didn’t come out. There must be a back door to the office, likely one that led to a parking area with his personal car.
She made her way across the street. The lobby of the Black Bear Inn was still illuminated. She’d used up precious time in saying thank-you to Ezra—time Don could have used to reach Discovery—but her conscience wouldn’t allow her to leave town without letting him know that he had done the right thing by sticking his neck out for her.
A rental car eased down the street, as though the driver was looking for something.
Clarissa’s breath hitched, and she took a step back. Blood whooshed in her ears.
Max’s hired muscle got out of the rental car, his narrow-eyed gaze slicing through her. He slammed the door and bolted toward her.
She kicked off her high heels. Adrenaline charged through her as she ran barefoot up the side street. The people from the steak house had gotten in their cars and driven away. No one else was around. When she ran past the coffee shop, it was dark. Maybe she could double back and slip into the safety of the steak house.
She willed her feet to pump harder, not daring to look over her shoulder. She ran past a library with darkened windows, and into a park. With her heart pounding, Clarissa made her way toward the playground equipment. She charged up the stairs of the slide and slipped into the tiny enclosure at the top, pressing her knees against her chest. Breathless from her run, she struggled to stay silent.
She closed her eyes and waited, listening. Had she shaken him off? Gradually, her breathing slowed to normal. She leaned back against the hard metal of the enclosure. She relaxed a little.
And then she heard it—the crunch of a footstep on the wood chips that surrounded the playground equipment.
Clarissa froze, holding her breath. She could hear him moving around the area. His footsteps faded and then grew louder. She recognized the distinctive sound of a foot touching metal. He was coming up the steps. She swung around and pushed off down the slide. Her feet hit the ground, and she took off across the rolling hills of the park, back toward downtown. She could hear him now, his footsteps rapid and closing in.
She ran harder. Rocks bruised her bare feet.
Don grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She swung around, hitting his face with her purse. He grunted and let go. She turned to run, getting only a few steps before she felt the weight of his hands on her shoulders, taking her down. Her stomach impacted with the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She pushed up on all fours and tried to crawl away, but he grabbed her foot. Clarissa flailed, trying to kick free.
“Quit it,” he growled.
She
