“I do, yes. The owner is a friend of my brother Joel. His name is Grady McFarland.” She gnawed on her lower lip. “I’m not sure if he’s home. I know he travels a lot for work.” She wasn’t sure exactly what Grady did, but she knew he was rarely at home. “I’m sure he won’t mind if we borrow his driveway.” She parked well off to the side so she wouldn’t block him in. As she threw the gearshift into park and killed the engine, she wondered if Grady would mind if they used the place as a hideout if he wasn’t home. Joel had used it in the past, and Grady hadn’t minded. She made a mental note to call Joel after breakfast to ask for Grady’s contact information. For now, she figured Grady would recognize the SUV as belonging to one of the Sullivans. “We’ll walk to the café from here.”
“Okay.” Dom looked surprised by her decision but didn’t argue. “Whatever you think is best.”
She opened the back hatch for Smoky, then walked around to grab the backpack from the back seat. She had enough food for Smoky to last another day, but after that, she’d need to replenish her supplies.
Shoving that problem aside for the moment, she shut the car door and closed the back hatch. “Come, Smoky.”
Her K9 trotted to her side, appearing eager to get to work. Too bad she didn’t have a way to track the gunman. Her K9 would alert on gunpowder and gun oil, but it would be impossible to track the guy while he was driving around in the GMC truck.
If he was on foot, though, the way they were, that would be different. Kendra was certain Smoky would alert her to the scent of the gunman.
Dominic carried the laptop tucked under his arm as they made their way through the neighborhood. The café was farther than she’d anticipated. She shivered when the cold northerly wind slapped her in the face.
“Stick close to me.” Dom looped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her toward his side. She noticed he’d shortened his stride so she could keep up with him. “We’ll be there soon.”
“I know.” She appreciated his efforts to warm her. If things were different, she’d enjoy walking with Dom and Smoky. Reminding herself that Dom lived in Billings, she pushed the thought of spending time with him once this was over, away. “Once we reach the café, we’ll call the Cody police first to let them know the truck is for sure a dark GMC Sierra pickup truck. Then we’ll call my family.”
“Your family?” He frowned. “I thought you didn’t want to drag other innocent people into this?”
“I don’t, but we’re going to need help.” She sighed. “Especially since we don’t know how this guy keeps finding us.”
“I told you I have another plan to hide our internet connection. If we can find a place to stay, we should be safe.”
She didn’t respond as a few of the houses around them had lights on now, indicating the occupants were getting ready to start their day. There would be more cars on the roads too as people headed to work.
Would that help hide them? Or make it harder for her and Dom to spot the gunman? Both were distinct possibilities.
“Kendra, you mentioned several of your sisters and sisters-in-law are pregnant. And there are kids at the ranch too.” Dom frowned down at her. “It’s bad enough you’re in danger. I’d rather not drag any of your family members into the line of fire.”
“I know.” She was torn between wanting more support and keeping her family out of this. “We’ll start with the local police and go from there. Maybe Raine has additional information for us.”
“She’ll probably want me to meet with Marshal Andrew Levy,” Dom muttered. “Not sure I’m in agreement with that plan.”
“We’ll have to meet with him sooner or later. Our attempts to stay off the radar haven’t worked as well as we’d hoped.” She gestured to the lights ahead. “There’s the café. I’m starving.”
“Me too.” Dom didn’t say anything more as they cut through the back parking lot, then went to the front of the café to head inside.
Grateful for the warmth, she stood for a moment, then gestured toward a table in the back. “That’s a good spot.”
“Works for me.” He glanced at Smoky. “I hope they don’t mind your dog.”
“They won’t.” She wasn’t worried about that. She tossed the backpack in first, then slid into the booth. Dom dropped onto the bench seat across from her. Smoky crawled beneath the table, resting her head between her front paws.
“Good girl,” she praised, smoothing a hand over Smoky’s soft fur. “You’ll get to eat soon, too, okay?”
An older woman who already looked tired, despite the early hour, brought menus and water. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please,” she and Dom answered at the same time.
The woman cracked a smile, glanced at Smoky, then fetched their coffee. Kendra added cream to hers, before sipping gratefully.
Once they’d placed their orders, she pulled out her phone. “Time to call the Cody police.”
Dom arched a brow. “You have their nonemergency number memorized?”
She nodded. “What can I say? We talk to the local police on a regular basis. Especially over this past year.” She listened, waiting for the dispatcher to pick up. “This is Kendra Sullivan. I’d like to speak with one of the officers on duty. We’re safe now,” she quickly added. “But we have new information related to the gunman who took shots at us outside the Elk Lodge.”
“One moment please.” The dispatcher put Kendra on hold. Ten seconds later, another voice came over the line. “Kendra? This is Tom Howell. What’s this about a gunman?”
