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Do I even have clothes?

The door opens again, and Anastasia peeks her head back in. “I was talking to a friend of mine who’s a nurse and overheard the good news! You get to go home!” She pumps a fist in the air.

I can’t help but smile.

If I was born with an extra dose of sunshine, I get the feeling Anastasia was born with two. “Yeah, I’m glad.”

She moves farther into the room. “Oh! You don’t have any clothes, do you?”

“That just hit me, too.”

“Not a problem at all! I’ll be right back.”

Before I can stop her, she’s rushing out of the door and leaving me behind.

I lean back against the pillow and turn my head to stare out the window. The sun is bright and happy. As the storm inside me threatens to return, I close my eyes.

“Lord, I know You have me in Your capable hands. Please guide me. I’m scared.”

A soft knock on the door has me glancing up as Captain Leopold walks in, a paper bag in his hand. “Hi, Miss Swanson. I hope it’s okay I dropped by.”

“Do you have more questions for me?” A shot of fear rushes through me. Did they find my stuff? Were there pills in there?

“No. Not at this time. But I do have clothes. I stopped by the coffee shop, and Anastasia told me to bring them by. She picked them out, so if they don’t fit, it’s her fault. She said to tell you that she got busy, otherwise, she would have brought them by herself.” He laughs softly, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “She said she came by earlier.”

“Yeah, she’s sweet.”

“She is.” He sets the bag down. “Listen, I truly wish I had more answers for you. Charleston PD has taken over the investigation, and anything besides your accident is not in my jurisdiction.”

I swallow hard. “I understand. Thanks for trying.” Truth is, I like the captain. He was so kind when he was here yesterday, and even told that detective from Charleston to cool it a few times when he’d started getting aggressive with me. I’m not a big crier, but if he weren’t here, the detective likely would have had me in tears.

“Are you sure that you’re safe?” he asks. “Is there someone I can call?”

“No. There’s no one.” I swallow hard, the lump in my throat growing. “I do know that I won’t get any answers sitting here, though. So, safe or not, I need to find out what happened.”

“Understood.” He crosses his arms. “Listen, if you’re unsure about your safety, then I’d talk to Ryker Granger.”

“I haven’t seen him since I first woke up.” He was gone when I came to after passing out, and there’s been no contact since. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that I wished he’d walk through that door more than once.

There’s just something about him that puts me at ease.

“He’s a quiet guy. Keeps to himself. He asked about you earlier when I swung by the coffee shop, so I think he’s just trying to give you space. Either way, he and his team are good at finding something out of nothing. Don’t tell them I said that,” he laughs. “But it’s true.”

“What do you mean ‘his team’?”

“Well, he was a Navy SEAL until a few years back. Now he works private security for a company out of Maine.”

“But he lives here?”

“His work requires a lot of travel. Look, the point is, if you’re really seeking answers? He’s a good place to start. And if anyone is going to keep you safe while you find them? Well, you can’t go wrong with a guy like Tank.”

“Tank.” I snort, not at all having to wonder where he got the name. “That’s fitting.”

“If you only knew.” Captain Leopold chuckles. “Please let me know if you need anything, okay?”

I consider his offer, as well as the information about this Ryker guy who rescued me. A former Navy SEAL in private security? That’s one way to get the answers I need. Affording him, well, that’s another problem entirely.

But like my grandfather always said, one worry at a time.