“Fuck,” Wyatt said quietly under his breath.
Teslyn was about to ask what was wrong, but before she got the words out, she spotted the police cruiser turning into the lot and heading straight for them. “Oh, my God,” she said, her voice just as quiet as his had been.
“Okay, you can turn around now,” said Ivy. “How do I look?”
Teslyn turned in her seat, lightheaded with panic. They hadn’t come this far only to be caught in a thrift store parking lot. “Wow, you look beautiful,” she said, doing her best to look as if she meant the words, and wasn’t going to be sick.
“Ivy,” said Wyatt, his voice firm. “I want you to get down on the floor and stay quiet. There’s a policeman, and I don’t want him to see you. Do you understand?”
She was on the floor before he finished his sentence.
“Keep driving, Barney Fife,” Wyatt muttered, but the officer pulled alongside their truck, his open window even with Wyatt’s. Teslyn couldn’t breathe.
The cop eyed Wyatt. “Afternoon.”
Wyatt nodded politely. “Afternoon.”
“You hear about that girl who was kidnapped from Mississippi yesterday?” The policeman asked with a thick southern drawl.
“Sure did,” said Wyatt, and Teslyn nodded, grateful for the sunglasses she still wore, and the way they hid her face.
“I see you two have Georgia plates. Where are you headed?”
Wyatt sounded so natural she might have believed him when he said, “Arches National Park.”
“Utah.” The cop nodded. “Beautiful place. That’s a hell of a ways from Georgia.”
“It’ll be worth it, though,” Wyatt assured him. “We love the outdoors.”
“Right.”
He sounded like he didn’t believe them. Any minute now, he was going to get out of that police car, see Ivy, and realize exactly who he was speaking to, and Teslyn didn’t know what the hell she was going to do then.
The officer cleared his throat. “I just figured with you having Georgia plates, you might be spending time on the interstate. Wanted to make sure you knew about that missing girl.”
Teslyn’s stomach pitched violently. It was one thing to know objectively you were being hunted, another entirely to have the wolf at your door.
The cop rattled off the make, model, color, and license plate of Teslyn’s car. “Can’t have too many pairs of eyes looking for that baby,” he said.
“Absolutely, officer,” replied Wyatt. “I appreciate you helping to spread the word.”
The men nodded at each other as men do, Teslyn’s chin inching closer to her chest as the squad car drove off. She swore softly and let her body pitch forward, her head landing between her knees.
“Relax. It’s okay,” he said, his hand gently stroking her back. “He’s gone.”
“Can I come out now?” asked Ivy.
Teslyn righted herself in a flash. “No, not yet.”
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“There’s a McDonald’s across the street,” said Wyatt.
Ivy piped up, “Can I get a root beer?”
“No,” Teslyn and Wyatt answered in unison, their eyes meeting across the seat.
A wave of gratitude swept over Teslyn. If it weren’t for him, she would likely be sitting in a jail cell right now, or worse. She couldn’t even bear to think of what may have happened to Ivy. “Wyatt… Thank you,” The words were so tiny compared to the debt she now owed him.
