"Figured this wasn’t a drop by visit.” He lets out a chuckle. “Shoot it at me. What do you have?"
"The woman at the library. Evelyn Porter."
"The one you've been fixing shelves for."
I don't ask how he knows because everyone knows. Information moves through this town faster than the snowmelt in spring.
"She's running from someone," I say. "An ex. Controlling type. I don't have every detail, but it's there.”
Hank doesn't react. His coffee cup stays exactly where it is. This is why I trust him. He’s got years of law enforcement experience in a town where the biggest crime is someone's dog getting into someone else's trash, but he treats every piece of information like it matters.
"What do you need?" he asks.
"If anyone comes through town asking about a woman matching her description, dark hair, glasses, early thirties, I need to know before they find her."
"I'll keep an eye on the canyon road," he says. "Only way in and out. Anyone new comes through, I'll clock them. I'll let Ryan know too. He's on nights this week."
Ryan Halloway is one of Hank's deputies. He’s quiet and sharp-jawed. He’s the kind of man who takes up less space than you'd expect for his size. But he’s a good dude and I like the idea of him watching out for my girl.
“Thanks man.”
A week passes and I see Evelyn every day. Not just at the library either. She sleeps over at my place. I take her to The Ridge Diner and love on her until she calls my name into the ceiling. My world is complete. I feel whole in a way I can’t describe.
It's noon on a Thursday when my phone rings. I'm at the Summit House replacing a showerhead for Nora, and the caller ID says Hank.
I answer before the second ring.
"Something?" I say.
"Probably nothing. But you said to call." Hank's voice is careful. "Ryan clocked an out-of-state plate coming through the canyon this morning. Sedan. Not a rental, not a tourist. Drove through Main Street slow. Didn't stop. Went up toward the north ridge and came back down twenty minutes later."
The north ridge. Evelyn's cabin is on the north ridge. My hand tightens on the showerhead.
"What state?"
"Washington.”
Lumberjack Lagoon is in Washington.
The showerhead hits the floor. I'm already moving.
"Where's Evelyn?" Hank asks.
"She’s over at the library.”
"Good. Ryan's parking on Main Street now. Head on over there and we’ll meet you."
I'm in the truck in an instant. The engine’s on and my hands are at ten and two. My breathing is controlled because this is what I was trained for. Not plumbing. Not baseboards.This.
A thought catches me mid-stride. It’s clear and undeniable.Love. I love this woman.But I file it for later.
I push through the door and the bell chimes. Evelyn is behind the desk with Jocelyn and June. They look up as I barrel inside.
“Hey yo, look who decided to grace us with his presence.” Jocelyn’s voice is too cheerful.
Evelyn’s face softens, but it shifts when she reads my expression. "What's wrong?" she says.
I walk to the desk and get close enough that my voice won't carry. "Hank's deputy clocked an out-of-state car this morning. Washington plates. Male driver. Went up toward the north ridge."
