Chapter Seven

Luke didn’t waste time getting them out of the parking lot once they were in the truck, but it was all a blur for Claire.

Khan immediately jumped into her lap to get the bacon he could smell through the napkin. She unwrapped it and began to break it into pieces, barely aware of what she was doing.

She watched while he gobbled it up. Hot tears stung her eyes. The days where she and Khan could count on regular meals and the safety of their home were long gone. It could be that they’d never return to their little cottage with the cozy window seat and sunny back porch.

She was well and truly a fugitive now.

“What am I going to do?” she whispered.

Luke’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “It was a smart play on Ballard’s part. Make it so you can’t go to the police. It puts you on the defensive, not to mention legitimizes the reason he’s had police looking for you.”

None of that made her feel any better.

Luke drove, keeping to side roads, his gaze constantly sliding to the rear and side mirrors to check for people following them. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an older-model cell phone.

“Here. I need you to dial a number for me.”

“Whose phone is this?”

“I borrowed it from someone in the diner... When I saw one that didn’t require a pass code, I couldn’t resist. We can’t take a chance on using either of our phones. It could lead Ballard right to us. I’ll make sure it gets returned.”

She shrugged. “You’re probably doing the person a favor so he or she can upgrade.”

She dialed the number he gave her and then pressed the speaker button, handing it back to him. Luke laid the phone on his leg as it rang.

“Gavett.” The voice on the other end was hurried and gruff.

“Officer Gavett. We spoke earlier about a locked computer file? I was wondering if we could talk again.” She noticed Luke was careful not to use either of their names.

There was silence on the other end for a few long moments. She started to worry the officer didn’t know who it was or maybe didn’t care now that she was a fugitive.

“Yes,” Gavett finally said. “I need a few minutes. I’ll call you back on this number.”

He hung up and she looked over at Luke. “Was that a bad sign?”

“Do you mean is he going to try to trace our location? I don’t think so. My brother Weston saved his life when he was on the force.”

The cell phone rang a few minutes later. Luke once again put it on speaker. “Rick?”

“Patterson. I had to leave the office to make this call. Had to find an honest-to-God pay phone, and let me tell you, not many exist anymore.”

Luke’s jaw flexed. “That doesn’t sound like good news. I’m not trying to get you in trouble.”

“After what Weston did for me, whatever you need is worth it. You in a private space?”

Luke glanced over at her. “Claire is here. We’re on the road.”

Rick was silent for a moment. “You sure we shouldn’t talk alone for a few minutes?”

Claire caught his eye. “It’s okay,” she whispered.

How could she possibly blame Luke if he felt like he needed to talk to his police officer friend without her listening in?

Luke shook his head. “She didn’t do it, Rick. She didn’t kill Julia Lindsey. Her boss, Vance Ballard, did. Claire is a witness.”

Rick let out a loud sigh. “Well, the mandate to find her is coming all the way from the top of the Texas law enforcement chain. Through the same office of the guys who paid you a visit yesterday—Arellano and Fisher.”

Claire caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Cops had questioned Luke yesterday?

“What’s that mean?” Luke asked. “Are they dirty?”

“I don’t think so. But this whole thing feels wrong. It’s got a political flavor to it, like someone is using Texas law enforcement for their own personal vendetta—especially if you’re assuring me Ms. Wallace didn’t have anything to do with the murder.”

Claire stopped chewing her lip long enough to speak up. “Vance Ballard is powerful. He would probably have friends very high up the chain. They may not be corrupt, but they would be more willing to listen to what he says about me because they know him.”

“Right,” Rick agreed. “The problem is, I’m the only one who was looking into you before all this went down. I’m the only one who knew your file had been locked and that there was something not right about this entire situation.”

“How bad is the evidence?” Luke asked.

“Bad. And there’s nothing I can do for you from my level. Even if I started to shout that something smells fishy, I don’t have any proof of any wrongdoing. Bottom line is, watch your back because there’s a giant target on it.”

Claire caught Luke’s eye. He offered what was probably an attempt at a reassuring smile, except it looked more like a grimace.

“Roger that, Rick.”

“I’ve got to go.” There was the sound of muffled voices on Rick’s end. “I’ll email you the files I have on the evidence in about ten minutes. But it won’t make you happy.”

Luke nodded even though Rick couldn’t see him. “Thanks for everything. Take care of yourself.”

Hanging up, Luke passed the phone to Claire. Mute, she took it.

Fifteen minutes later, they stopped at a higher-end hotel—one that had a business center where he could access his email and print the files Rick had sent.

Claire knew by the look on his face as he came back out that it wasn’t good. Like Rick had said, he wasn’t happy.

He handed the printouts to her as he pulled back onto the street.

Reading the printouts soon had everything she’d eaten at the diner curdling in her belly. Ballard had created a fake email chain that made it look like Claire was jealous of Julia because of her position at Passage.

Her tongue had become impossibly heavy. “It’s all false.”

Tears blurred her vision. It was a good fabrication. It looked like Julia and Claire had messaged back and forth multiple times, with Claire accusing Julia of stealing her ideas. Claire came across as bitter and ugly—warning Julia to “watch her back,” and that she would make sure the emails would never be found by anyone.

Then Ballard had swooped in like the hero and dug them up.

The papers shook in her hand as she read it all again. “It makes me look unstable. But the chain is reasonable with just enough detail without going overboard. He probably took real emails between me and Julia and just changed the content.”

Ballard had manipulated it to make it look like the communication started weeks ago and then escalated.

“That can be done?”

“Not by most people.” She closed her eyes, wishing it would all go away. “But by Ballard, yes.”

He had to be applauded. He’d done a fantastic job making it seem Claire had reason to kill Julia. If Claire read this, she’d believe it, too.

Luke continued to drive them farther out of town. “It gives proof of motive. That’s all Ballard needed right now.”

“There’s no going to the cops now.” Hot tears pressed against her closed eyelids. “No one will believe me. I don’t even understand why you do... You don’t really know me.”

Luke’s silence just added to her fear.

Maybe he thought she’d lied to him. Could she really blame him?

Abruptly, the truck slowed down.

Claire opened her eyes to find they were entering a wooded area. The sign read Government Canyon State Natural Area.

She tensed, papers crumpling in her hands. Was he planning to leave her here?

Again, she couldn’t really blame him. Like Rick had said, she had a target on her back and staying with her would put one on Luke’s back, too. Not to mention anything he did to help her was illegal.

She couldn’t bring herself to ask what he was going to do.

By the time he pulled into the nearly empty parking lot and turned to her, she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to keep it together.

“Luke, I—” She wasn’t sure what she was going to say, just knew she needed to say something.

“Let’s go for a walk—let Khan get some fresh air and exercise.”

They walked along one of the many paths, stopping when they got to a picnic table.

“Luke,” she started again. “I know it looks bad. I know you must wonder if I’m lying to you, and rightfully so.”

He turned and climbed up onto the picnic table, sitting on the table itself. “Do you know what I remember most about you from Skyline Park?”

She shook her head.

“Well, I mean, besides those big blue eyes that were always studying everyone from afar. You never liked to talk to anyone. And you always tried to get on the computer—not that the bigger kids gave you much of a chance.”

She shrugged. “I was too young to do much computer-wise then anyway. That’s what you remember? Me on the computer?”

“No, what I remember is you sneaking your snack money into Amelia Whalen’s backpack.”

Claire felt her face burn. “She needed it. She stayed after school and always got hungry. Her stomach used to growl at night. I was never hungry, so I didn’t need the money.”

The side of his mouth pulled up in a smile. “Even though you never liked talking to anyone, you were always aware of what was going on around you, even as a little kid. And you did something about it.”

She swallowed hard, her throat burning. “Anyone would’ve done it.”

He reached out and snagged her hand, pulling her over until she was standing between his knees where his feet rested on the picnic bench.

“No.” His voice was firm. “They wouldn’t. I’ve been around a lot of people, both when I was a kid bouncing from place to place before the Pattersons, and in the army. I’ve learned how to read them. How to judge intentions and purposes. Little Claire had no reason to help Amelia Whalen, especially not secretly.”

“I’m not little Claire anymore.”

She stared down at where Khan had come to rub against her legs, sensing her distress. She shifted her gaze back up to his when his finger tilted her head gently under her chin.

“No, you’re definitely not little Claire anymore...but your heart is still the same. Still generous. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, and they’re telling me you’re one of the good guys.”

She parted her lips, unsure of how to respond. Luke had helped her so much already. Him putting his faith in her now wasn’t something she took lightly.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I want to prove it wasn’t me who killed Julia.”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “We will.”

His lips touched hers, softly, briefly, before pulling away. All she could do was stare at him.

He actually growled at her. “Staring at me with those big, beautiful eyes is just going to get you kissed again, Kitten.”

Was that supposed to scare her off? She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled. “So, the kitten has little claws.”

He slipped his arm around her waist and yanked her closer. She laughed breathlessly as her body fell against his.

Then he kissed her for real.

His lips were gentle but firm, commanding but careful. So perfectly Luke.

Claire scooted up onto her knees on the bench between his legs, wrapping her arms around his neck as one of his hands gripped her waist firmly and the other trailed along her spine.

She’d dreamed about this kiss for years. Even when she hadn’t been old enough to really know what kisses were supposed to be, she’d known that she’d wanted her kisses to be with Luke.

This one didn’t disappoint.

He kissed her with shattering absorption, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His tongue invited hers to play, to dance. His teeth nipped at her full bottom lip gently before soothing the sweet hurt with a gentle lick.

They were both breathing heavily by the time they broke apart. This wasn’t the time or place to get lost in each other.

But now she had even more reason to clear her name.

More kisses with Luke.