The moment she learned that her husband was dead.
She’d lost all semblance of warmth and life in her body as she waited to hear about her daughter.
This was different.
This she saw coming.
“Hey!”
Tony’s voice turned her head in his direction.
She’d lowered her chin moments before, unwilling to continue to look into the barrel of his gun, but when she heard his shout, she wanted to see if this was it, the last moment of her life.
Instead, she saw him swing his gun around toward the fencing that was the outside door of the garden center.
Her own gaze swung in that direction and she saw a lone figure step into view.
The chain link didn’t give her a clear view of the uniformed officer making their way toward the gate, but it didn’t take more than a glimpse of his face to know who it was that was heading straight toward the armed man.
West.
He had his hands up in the air, the burning San Antonio sun reflecting off of his sunglasses.
Noelle had no idea what the man was thinking!
Walking out into the open, even with his Kevlar vest and that helmet thing that looked like it came right off of a battlefield.
All she could think of was Tracy and their daughter.
What was West thinking?
“Tony,” he called out in a calm, clear tone. “I’m Major Cooper with the Texas Rangers. I just want to-”
All she could see was the way Tony’s arm was shaking.
And the way his finger was inching toward the trigger.
No.
Not again.
Somehow she was up on her feet.
Somehow she closed the distance and grabbed his arm.
The gun went off and that’s when she realized what she’d done.
“Noelle!”
West was there, trying to reach his arm between the gate and the wall.
Tony pushed back against her, throwing them both back from the fence.
The whole room was full of sound.
Shouts.
Screams!
