Was it because she’d just been added to the county planning commission? Did he see this as a way of her family claimingmore property? Because that wasn’t why she’d joined the commission.
Her gaze locked with Travis’s. “Sarah legally bought that land.”
“Legally,” Travis repeated, his lips narrowing as if he were tasting the word. “Funny thing about being legal. It ain’t always the same as being right.”
Naomi’s heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it. She heard the threatening undertone to his voice.
“People need to be taught lessons,” he continued, his gaze narrowing and his voice dropping lower. “About the way things work around here. Locals don’t like it when strangers show up and act like they own the place.”
Arguing with him would get her nowhere. She knew that.
She needed another plan.
Her gaze darted to the road again.
It was still empty.
Please, Lord. Send someone. Please.
“You should be more careful.” Travis moved so close that she felt the body heat radiating from him. “People around here don’t forget.”
She crossed her arms, desperate to put space between the two of them. “I’m not discussing this with you.”
He glared at her. “You already are. My family bled for that land. And now you Kings act like you’re saviors, like you deserve that property just because you decided you want it.”
“We mind our own business, and we help dogs,” Naomi muttered the familiar excuse. “That’s all.”
She and her brother were actually helping abused women, but she didn’t say that. She and Caleb didn’t advertise what they did at Refuge Cove. Part of their objective was to keep that quiet. Instead, people in town thought they ran an animal shelter and boarding facility.
Officially, they also ran a nonprofit, invite-only retreat center—at least, on paper that was what they did. It was their way of keeping the shelter invisible.
Travis tilted his head. “Helping dogs? Helping yourself is more like it.”
She backed up until her shoulder brushed the side of her Expedition.
Her options narrowed. With her vehicle possibly inoperable, she was trapped out here. With him.
Travis knew it.
Had he picked this spot to ram into her because he knew she’d be cut off from help?
As she glanced at him, something dark flickered behind his eyes.
She locked her gaze with his. “So, why did you purposely hit my SUV?”
His smile vanished. “Careful. That’s a serious thing to accuse someone of. I’d hate for a pretty little thing like you to get hurt because of some false accusations.”
He reached for her, and his fingers grazed her cheek.
She stiffened and slapped his hand away.
Travis didn’t care. If anything, he seemed amused.
He took another step.
Fear trembled through her.
She had to keep her panic at bay, but it felt like a losing battle.
