"I'm fine, don't worry." Grace prayed Paige didn't pick up on the tremor in her voice. "I'll be home soon. Bye."
Grace decided against turning on her signal to exit for Providence. It was best not to advertise her intentions to her stalker. Instead, she hit send on a call to Robert then waited until the last possible second to veer to the exit.
She kept an eye on her rear-view mirror, and when the red Nissan took the exit too, Grace wanted to vomit.
Robert took so long to answer, she almost hung up.
"Hello."
Relief flooded through her when his deep voice filled her car. So much so that tears flooded her eyes.
"Hey, Robert, this is Grace, Gabe's sister. You know the guy who's marrying your cous?—"
"I know who you are, Grace." Humor laced Roberts words.
"Right, sorry."
He had after all helped install new cabinets in the kitchens of both homes a couple weeks ago. And he was there last week when most of his family showed up to help unload their belongings from the moving truck.
"What's up?"
"I think I may have a stalker." The words rushed out. "W-we were stuck in the elevator together during the power outage, then he f-followed me all the way from the hospital in Richland."
"Are you sure it's been the same car all the way, not just a similar car?"
"Yes, it's the same car."
"Where are you?"
"I just exited the freeway."
"Do you know where I live?"
"I don't know which house is yours, but don't you live on the same street as Paige's Aunt Charity?"
"Yes, my house is the fifth one on the left side. Drive straight to my house. I just got home, so I'll wait out front for you."
"Thank you!" Grace ended the call and swiped away the tears on her cheeks.
She heaved a sigh of relief when she spotted Robert—still in uniform—standing in front of his house. He motioned for her to pull into the driveway.
She did so and rolled down her window when he approached her door.
"Are you okay?"
"I d-don't know yet." Her voice was as shaky as her hands.
Robert lifted his head and looked up the street. "Is the red Nissan the car that followed you from Richland?"
"Yes."
Robert straightened and rested his hands on his gun belt as he watched the car come to a stop at the end of the driveway.
It's stopping! Seriously?
Robert's lips turned up. He waved at the driver as he climbed from the car and darted up the drive. The next thing Grace knew, the stalker from the elevator had wrapped Robert in a bear hug that involved a lot of back slapping.
Then suddenly Damon was crouched by her window. "I'm sorry, Grace, I didn't mean to freak you out by following you all the way from Richland. But when you pulled out of the hospital parking lot, I noticed your rear passenger side tire was low. Like dangerously low."
