Fallon stepped over the rows of pumpkin and pulled the heavy cart to the edge of the large garden.As she pulled it behind her toward the farmhouse, the sudden roar of an engine filled the air, disrupting the calm she’d just enjoyed in the garden.
A van barreled down the road, turning sharply and smashing through the gate.Gravel flew, the van rocking as the tires spun for purchase in the dirt.Fallon froze as the van headed right for her, and then Zara screamed her name.
“Fallon!Run!”
The van’s tires screeched as the driver braked hard and the passenger jumped out, racing right for Fallon.“Cameras or not, you’re coming with me!”he yelled as he ran toward Fallon.
Snapping into action, she jumped behind the cart and kept it between her and the male, who looked wild-eyed and frantic.
“Crew!Help!”Zara shouted.“Weston, you fucker, get the hell out of here!”
Zara joined Fallon, throwing squash at Weston as he tried to grab Fallon.
Fallon ducked as a gourd sailed past her head, smashing against Weston’s shoulder with a dull thud.He snarled and lunged, shoving the cart toward Zara and knocking her down, and grabbing Fallon’s wrist.She heard the sound of pounding feet and knew the herd was coming to help, but she had to get free of Weston before he dragged her into the waiting van.
“No!”she shouted, twisting her arm hard.
He yanked again, jerking her toward him.She kicked out, aiming for his nuts but getting his knee instead.As he grunted at the impact, she tore free of his grip and stumbled backward.
Ford shouted, “Fallon!Zara!Run!!”
She turned and sprinted toward the barn, grabbing Zara’s arm and pulling her along.Her heart was pounding and dirt was flying as they raced to the barn.Weston shouted for them both, his footsteps following close behind.
Then—a second engine roared.
Fallon looked over her shoulder just in time to see a car barreling through the broken gate and heading right for the van.Weston skidded to a stop, eyes wide as the car slammed into the van with a deafening sound.The van shot forward into Weston, crashing into him and throwing his body into the dirt yards away.
Fallon ducked, shielding her head from the dust and debris that rained down on them.
The air stilled.
Coughing, she looked through the haze and saw the car’s driver-side door open.
A female stepped out.
“Mom?”
* * *
Fallon’s knees buckled and she nearly dropped right into the dirt.
“Fallon!”Sera shouted as she jogged toward her.
Fallon’s legs finally caught up to what she was seeing and she ran toward her mom until they caught each other in an embrace, crying and laughing at the same time.
“How are you here?”Fallon asked as she hugged her mom tightly.Then she eased back and studied her.She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes, but she was there, in the flesh.
Sera cupped her face and kissed her forehead.“Oh, it’s so good to see you!I have so much to tell you.But first, who was trying to grab you?”
Fallon’s brain registered the fact her mom had hit the van with her car and the van had hit Weston.As she leaned past her mom to look at the male on the ground, she saw Avi racing out of the farmhouse toward her, with Crew, Ford, and Grey already with Zara.
“I think you killed him,” Fallon said.He didn’t seem to be moving.But good riddance to bad rubbish, as her grandma would say.
“Well, he wasn’t a good guy, right?I just…as I was coming up to the farm, I saw him grab you and I could practically feel your panic, so I just gunned it.”
“Good job.He was definitely a bad guy.”
Sera chuckled and tears spilled down her cheeks.She hugged Fallon again.“Baby girl, I’m so happy to see you.”
