Chapter Thirty
“Is the threat over?”Sarah asked, almost breathless.She sat up straighter, plumping pillows to lean against the wooden headboard.
“Maybe,” Ben said, setting his phone aside.“Kemper was arrested in Idaho, a neighboring state to Montana.We don’t know yet if it was actually him doing those things in Mountain Wood or someone else.”
“It must be him.Who else would do such a thing?”
“All kinds of crazy people,” he answered.“The world is full of wackos.”
“Does this mean I can go home, Ben?I really want to participate in the Rhubarb Festival celebration.”
“Not a good idea,” he said.“The Idaho authorities need to interrogate Kemper and determine where he’s been this month since he went AWOL.”
“But he’s in custody, right?He can’t get at me now.”
“Sarah, listen.We don’t know for sure if your stalker was Kemper.It would be stupid to let down our guard.”
“Ben, I can’t stay here forever.”
He looked at her for a long moment.“Do you want to leave me?”
“No.”She flushed.“But Mountain Wood is my home.Not that I’ll be there much longer.”
“What’s that mean?”He tilted his head.
It didn’t matter now if he knew.“I’ve pretty much decided to return to New York, to modeling.My agent says the designers are looking for me.”
His brows rose.“I thought you were done with that life.So superficial, you said.So shallow.”
“It’ll only be for a year or two.I really want to honor the pact I made with Mira and live on the ranch.Frankly, I need the money.Turns out I gave away a little too much.”She let out a weak laugh.“Now, I don’t have enough for my feed barn.”
His gaze didn’t waver.“How much?”
“What?”
“How much money do you need?I’ve got cash saved up.”
Appalled that her admission had prompted him to make the offer, she rushed out, “Oh, no.I’d never take money from you.”
“Why not?”
“I have to do this on my own.It’s my dream.Something I want to do.I wasn’t angling for a loan.”
“It wouldn’t matter to me if you were.”
Suddenly, it seemed he wasn’t listening to her.She curled her fingers around his biceps.“Ben, I need to work for the money.As far as leaving you, of course I don’t want to.Especially not after...”She let her fingers flutter between them.“Not after this.”
“But?”
“But I want to be a part of the town’s annual celebration.Back with Jim and Milly.”She squeezed his arm and blurted, “And I want you there.Come with me, Ben.”
He uttered a rough sigh.“If you’re hellbent to be there, then I’m going with you,” he said.“But this time for damn sure not without help.I’ll bring a team.If you insist on hanging out in a crowd, we’re going to make a show of force.If that guy threatening you is still around, he’ll have to go through us.”
“A show of force?”Sarah exclaimed in horror.“That might intimidate the townspeople.You can’t do that.I’ll be fine.Kemper is in lockup.He can’t get me now.”
