She nodded quickly.
He hated that she’d already gone through so much yesterday, yet danger still lurked in this town.
He lowered his mouth to hers, trying to give her in one kiss the calm and safety and love he knew she needed.
Aspen saton the back porch, legs tucked under her, hot cocoa in hand. It was raining. Figured. Couldn’t have a gloomy day without rain.
Becket was inside while Jesse had run down to the station. He’d tried to be discreet about why he needed to go in the day after she’d been kidnapped, but she’d seen right through him…he was questioning her mother.
Her fingers tightened around the mug.
She already knew her mother had been living with Dylan. Jesse had told her that the car he’d used to kidnap her had been rented inhername. Was there more?
Her black eye flashed in Aspen’s head. There probably was.
It hurt. Even when she was certain she expected nothing from her mother, the deceit still felt like a kick in the stomach.
She sighed.
So far, Becket hadn’t come out to check on her, but she knew he’d been watching from the window. In a lot of ways, he reminded her of Jesse. He was protective. And kind. And when things got serious, so did he. But he was also different. He used humor to lighten the mood a lot more.
She startled at the ringing of her phone.
Jesus, she was jumpy.
She lifted the cell, immediately sucking in a sharp breath.
Her mother.
Was she done at the station? A part of her didn’t want to answer the call. She wanted to let it ring out, then block the number. Cut all ties so the woman didn’t have the opportunity to hurt her ever again.
But the other part of her needed to know the extent of her relationship with Dylan.
“Mom.”
“Aspen, I just got out of the sheriff’s office. They told me what happened. Are you okay?”
She frowned. Did her mother really care? “I’m fine. What did you tell them?”
“What?”
“They were asking about your involvement with Dylan, right? What did you tell them?”
There was a small pause before she spoke. “That he paid for me to come here. He paid for the Airbnb. He paid for my food, the rental car. Everything.”
Aspen closed her eyes, breathing through the hurt, almost not wanting to ask the next question. “And what did he get in return?”
“He got to put everything in my name. I also promised I’d help him get close to you. Encourage you to return to him.”
Everything in her name to conceal his movements, and using her mother to give Aspen a little nudge. She massaged her brow, not sure whether to laugh, cry or scream. Maybe all three.
“He kidnapped me, Mom.”
“I know, but—”
“He would havekilledme.” She didn’t have confirmation, but deep down she knew it was true.
Another pause. “He wouldn’t—”
