God, Indie had no idea.
And the pathetic part was, even after everything Sylvia had done, Indie still felt guilty that Colt wasn’t speaking to his mother.
Sylvia called him every day. Some days he answered, some days he didn’t. The rational part of Indie’s brain knew it wasn’t her fault. But there was also this other part that said if Colt had married someone else, maybe he wouldn’t have had to choosebetween his wife and his mother. Maybe Sylvia would have accepted another woman.
A loud bang from her engine made Indie jump. Then she saw smoke. Thick clouds of smoke that blocked her vision of the road.
Shit.
She quickly pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Should she get out? She was still ten minutes from home, and there was nothing around her but forest.
The smoke grew thicker and her pulse sped up. Could the engine explode or something? Damn, now she was scared. Out. Definitely out.
She grabbed her keys, then her phone from the middle console and her camera bag from the passenger seat. She was stepping behind her car when lights appeared down the road. She expected the driver to slow beside her. Maybe roll down their window and ask if she was okay.
Instead, they passed her and parked just in front of her car.
She frowned, her stomach doing a little twist. Then she saw who it was.
Gordon Sharp. He climbed out of a beat-up old Toyota Camry.
No.
She quickly lifted her phone and tried to unlock it, but the tremble in her fingers caused her to hit the wrong number.
“Hey.” He stopped in front of her and she took a big step back. His clothes were dirty, like he hadn’t washed them in days, and the stench…God. Maybe it had been more than days. “Indie, right?”
Did she have a weapon in her car? There was a wrench—she could use that. But how would she get there in time? “What do you want, Gordon?”
“You look scared. You really don’t need to be. I just want to chat.”
“Really? Is that why we’re doing this on the side of the road while it’s dark and there’s no one around?”
“Well, I went to see Colt yesterday at the park but he wasn’t there, and some guy told me to fuck off. I’ve tried calling my son, and he won’t answer. Not sure if he’s listening to my phone messages, asking him to talk. So I found your address and got to your house just as you were leaving today. Thought I’d follow you.”
She gasped. “You’ve beenfollowingme? Wait—did you do something to my car?”
“Like I said…we need to talk.”
“You want to talk to Colt? I’ll call him right now. But I should warn you, he won’t be happy you’re here.”
“Exactly.” Gordon stepped closer. “But the thing is, if I wanted to hurt you, I could have already. I don’t want to hurt you…not right now, anyway. Consider this a little warning to my son. He can either hear me out and give me what I need. Or the next time I pay you a visit, I might not wanna just talk.”
Fear kicked her in the belly. “You’re threatening me?”
“I’m simply sending a message that I’d like to speak to my son, and if that doesn’t happen, bad things will follow.” One side of his mouth lifted, and he stepped back. “You have a good night, Indie. Hopefully your safe little townstayssafe.”
Her heart still drummed frantically as she watched his Toyota pull onto the street. And the second he was gone, she grabbed the trunk of her car to keep herself upright.
With shaking fingers, she lifted her cell and called Colt.
“Indie, where are you?”
“M-my car broke down.”
He cursed. “I’ll come to you. Are you safe?”
Noises sounded over the line. The rattle of keys. The click of a door opening.
