He couldn’t know the reason she’d run away from Milwaukee days after their high school graduation twelve years ago.
The same reason she remained a target all these years later. All because she’d witnessed something she shouldn’t have seen. Corruption of local politics as well as local law enforcement.
Dragging Nate into this mess would only hurt him and damage his reputation beyond repair in the long run. The best thing she could do for him was to disappear once and for all.
Never to be heard from again.
Nate kept an eye on Melissa using the rearview mirror. Her face was pale, her expression strained. He squelched a flash of empathy. Granted, she and Hailey had been through a lot, but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook, not by a long shot. The minute Melissa and Hailey were safe, he was going to get the answers he needed about what was going on.
Leaving the scene of the crime after he’d shot and wounded two men, even in self-defense, was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Doubt battered his conscience as he drove through the darkness of night.
What did he really know about Melissa after all these years? Obviously she wasn’t the same girl he’d fallen for in high school. For all he knew, Melissa could be mixed up in all sorts of things now, even something criminal.
Yet he’d risked everything by leaving with her. What on earth had he been thinking?
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Hailey said, her tone plaintive.
He’d almost forgotten his promise to feed the little girl. He gestured through the windshield. “There’s a fast-food restaurant up ahead. Do you want me to go into the drive-through?”
“Yes, please,” Melissa said, reaching over to put her hand on her daughter’s arm. “Would you like some chicken bites?”
Hailey’s head bobbed up and down. “Yay! Chicken bites!”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Nate found himself smiling at the child’s enthusiasm. And the truth hit him like a fist to the solar plexus. The real reason he’d left the scene of the crime was for Hailey’s safety. The little girl didn’t deserve to be dragged into danger, to be chased by men with guns.
Hailey was the true innocent in all of this. And he was determined to do whatever was necessary to keep the child safe from harm.
He pulled into the drive-through lane and waited in line for their turn. “Chicken bites for Hailey. What do you want, Mer—uh, Melissa? And what would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have a cheeseburger and water. Milk for Hailey, please.” She dug in her pocket for money, but he frowned and shook his head, waving it away.
Nate ordered a cheeseburger for himself, too, before pulling up to the next window to pay. When they were given their food, he handed the bag back to Melissa.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “Here’s your sandwich,” she added, handing up his wrapped burger.
“No problem.” He pulled over to park so he could eat. He listened while Melissa assisted Hailey with her chicken bites, encouraging the little girl to drink her milk.
He couldn’t deny Melissa was an attentive mother. Was she putting on an act for his benefit? He didn’t think so. But just caring about her daughter didn’t necessarily mean she was completely innocent in whatever had caused the two men to follow her through the mall. As much as he wanted to believe she wasn’t a criminal, he knew better than most that power and greed could turn the most innocent to a life of crime.
And he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever she’d got herself involved in.
“Why did you disappear after graduation?” he asked.
Melissa didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I’d rather not talk about this right now, Nate,” she murmured in a low voice, tipping her head toward Hailey.
He drew in a ragged breath, fighting his frustration. He understood that she wanted to protect her daughter from whatever had happened back then. Or from whatever caused her to run away now. Still, he couldn’t help feeling as if she had no intention of cooperating with him, despite the fact that he’d risked his career for her.
Shot two men to keep them safe.
Nate forced himself to finish his burger, which tasted like sawdust on his tongue. He’d find a motel room for Melissa and Hailey to stay in for tonight, but he wasn’t about to let them out of his sight.
Not until he found out who she was running from and why.
* * *
Melissa wasn’t hungry but knew she needed to eat to keep up her strength. The grief of her father’s impending death, which she’d pushed into the background when faced with the threat of danger, returned full force, making her throat swell with repressed tears.
A wave of fury filled her chest, and she had to make herself let go of her anger at the unfairness of it all. Since when was life fair? Right from the beginning, she’d been an innocent bystander. In the wrong place at the wrong time.
Hadn’t she suffered enough? She’d lost her home and her life, not to mention Nate. She’d started over in a new place with a new identity, not just once but twice. Thankfully she’d been able to find enough work to support herself—work she could do primarily at home with a computer. But still, it wasn’t as if designing websites and doing freelance graphic art work would have been her first career choice.
And surely her daughter deserved a better life?
The very idea of going back on the run, starting over and changing their identities again, filled her with despair. Her father had helped finance her new life twelve years ago.
But this time she was on her own.
Melissa closed her eyes, silently praying for strength and for safety. When she opened them, she was disconcerted to find Nate turned in his seat, staring at her.
For a moment her mind flashed back to the last time she’d seen Nate. The night of their graduation, when he’d kissed her beneath the oak tree in her backyard.
The night before her world had turned upside down.
If only she could go back to change the sequence of events. But those kinds of thoughts were useless. Better to concentrate on moving forward. She needed to stay focused on sheltering Hailey by doing what needed to be done.
“Are you ready to go?” Nate asked, breaking the silence.
“Sure. Finish your milk, Hailey,” she said, turning toward her daughter.
“Okay, Mommy.” Hailey drained the last of her milk with a loud slurp through her straw, making Melissa smile. “All done.”
She bagged up the trash and passed it up to Nate. Would he go outside to dispose of their trash? And if so, did she have the guts to steal his car, drive off and leave him behind?
Thankfully, he took the decision out of her
