Autumn stepped up beside him and he reached for her hand, drawing her close.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry you were here to face this threat alone.”
“I’m not sorry.” She surprised him by moving into his embrace. The dogs bumped against them, but he ignored them. “I’m glad you weren’t here.”
He shook his head. “I never should have let you go.”
She leaned back, gazing up at him in the glow of the light from her back door. He squinted to see her better as two paramedics ran past, pushing a gurney between them.
“I shouldn’t have left,” Autumn said. “I promised the doctor to look out for you. Instead, I left you to fend for yourself.” She frowned. “Although it wasn’t exactly as if you were following doctor’s orders, were you?”
“Ah, Autumn.” He managed a grin despite the pounding in his head. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”
“A pair of what?” She choked out a laugh. “Fools?”
“I was thinking more like two stubborn peas in a pod.” He lowered his forehead to hers. Having her in his arms felt right. And in that moment, he knew he couldn’t walk away. “Autumn, I love you. I know it may be too soon for you, but I want you to know how much I care.”
“Love?” She leaned back again to look into his eyes. “Is that the concussion talking? Don’t worry, I won’t hold you to it.”
“It’s not the headache.” Although, he couldn’t deny desperately wishing he could lie down. He tried to find the words to tell her how much she meant to him but it wasn’t easy to think clearly. “You’re very special, Autumn. I know this must feel fast, but we’ll take things slow.” He frowned, then added, “If you’re willing to see me again.”
She hesitated, then nodded slowly. “I think we should have this conversation when you’re feeling better.”
He was stung by the rejection, but before he could say anything more, the paramedics rolled the gurney past with a small figure strapped on the cot. Two IV bags hung, dripping fluids, and the EMTs were hurrying toward the ambulance.
A pair of officers approached, their faces solemn.
“Autumn? We’re going to need your weapon and to take your statement,” one of the officers said. His name tag identified his last name as Bolder and his expression was full of empathy. “I can tell by the bullet holes in your house that you didn’t have a choice but to use deadly force, but you know the drill.”
“I do, yes. Here you go, Sam.” Autumn broke free of his grip and handed her weapon butt-first to the officer. “I’ll gladly give you my statement. Have you picked up her weapon? You’ll need that as evidence.”
The second officer held up a bag containing a gun and the clip. “Got it.”
“Good. Do you mind if we go inside?” Autumn asked. “I’d like to wash off the blood. Jordan has a head injury and he needs to sit down.”
He wanted to protest he was fine, but Sam nodded and gestured for the house. “Sure, let’s go.”
The dogs followed them inside. Jordan was glad for the opportunity to sit as the interview took longer than he’d anticipated. They were just finishing up when Detective Peters arrived.
Jordan swallowed a flash of irritation as the detective went through the same list of questions Autumn had just answered.
Peters glanced at the bullet-ridden door and broken window. “She just shot at the house?” His voice held doubt with a hint of scorn.
“Yes. I think she let her emotions overrule her common sense,” Autumn said calmly. If she was annoyed with Peters, she didn’t let on. “Going back to my mother’s murder, it took place when I was seventeen, soon to be eighteen, spending the week at summer camp. Meredith was there, too, and apparently she resented me even then. We were the same age, if I recall correctly. To my shame, I didn’t pay her much attention. I was involved with my friends, barely noticed her. That must have bothered her, too. I vaguely remember her missing the swimming event at the lake. We need to go back and see if we can figure out how Meredith left the camp to kill my mother, then return without anyone noticing.”
Peters looked skeptical. “I don’t see how that’s possible.”
“She admitted to killing my mother.” Autumn’s tone grew fierce. “It all fits. She first took revenge on my mother, then when her father died in prison, she came after me. She had a warped sense of justice—that I needed to suffer as much as she did. Her first few attempts were done with caution and stealth. That slowly changed as her violent attacks escalated. This,” she said, waving at the bullet-ridden door, “is a sign of her desperation to kill me. To hurt me as much as she must have been hurt during her time in foster care.”
The blunt statement sent a chill down Jordan’s spine. If Autumn hadn’t put in the new security system, and wasn’t such a great cop, she may have been hurt.
Or killed.
“Seems odd that this woman would come after you just because her father died in prison,” Peters said. “I guess if she survives, we can ask her.”
Anger spiked Autumn’s eyes. “I’m telling you, she confessed. And she did all of this.” She threw her arm wide. “Worse, she almost killed Jordan, too.”
“Enough.” Jordan stood, causing Cutie to scramble up as well. “I’m taking Autumn back to the ranch. You can talk to her more tomorrow, if needed.”
