Running to the Farmer (The Runaway Brides of Darling Creek #2)

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Louisa

We wait until after dark.

With Jake at the wheel, Ennis, Wylie, Curly and Olivia squeeze into the cab of the truck. Dani, Ellis, two other willing ranch hands, and I ride in the smelly horse trailer. I hold my breath as Ellis's hand steadies me on the bumpy ride to my mother’s house.

We cut the lights and load trash bags of clothes, valuables, and children’s toys into the trailer, but no one was speaking.

When that’s done, my mother herds all eight of her kids from the house to the trailer in a silent march.

Well, it’s mostly silent. Until I’m spotted by Jaxyn.

He gasps when he sees me at the back of the trailer, arranging boxes and bags. “Louisa!”

I can’t even bring myself to shush him. I whisper, “Hi, sweetheart!”

His little arms squeeze me tight as tears sting my eyes.

Outside, someone curses. “Shit, someone turned on a porch light down there.”

Someone else whispers, “Does that house down there belong to the compound?”

I hear my mother’s voice answer, “Yeah, that’s Floydene Blatch’s house. She’s probably already on the phone. We gotta go.”

We count heads three times, and once again after Jake shuts and secures the trailer doors.

I cross my fingers and pray to the god I don’t even know if I believe in anymore to keep this situation under control.

We travel maybe half a mile down the road before lights flash red and blue ahead of us.

The truck with the trailer comes to a grinding halt, and I silently curse.

This is not good.

Quietly, I move to a gap in the wall and try to see what’s going on.

There, in a deputy sheriff's uniform, is one of the elders of the church. Elder Mark.

No. The gossip mill said he was in training at the community college for...what exactly? I have no idea.

This has to be fake. He has to be impersonating a deputy.

But the official truck, the badge, the holster...it all looks real.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. This is not happening.

And yet, it is. What's worse, he's been helping the Prophet. Possibly meeting up with him to give information about the comings and goings in the area. That's what I saw the other night.

What do I do?

Don’t say anything, Jake. Just ask if you are free to go. You don’t have to say anything.

Another officer exits the marked truck: clearly a superior female officer, but I have no idea who that is.

To my extreme chagrin, Jake exits the truck, and I can hear him answering questions politely.

Elder Mark says, "We got a call about stolen property from the church up the road."

"I wouldn't know about that," Jake says. "We're on our way back from a ski trip."

"A ski trip, with a horse trailer?" Elder Mark asks.

"Well, what can I say? I packed a lot of luggage."

There’s no way Elder Mark is buying this, and neither is his superior officer.

And, there's no way they'll let us pass without worming their way into having a look in the trailer.

There’s only one way out of this.

Olivia’s whisper is panicked when she sees me quietly working the trailer door open. “Louisa, where are you going?”

I look back and place my finger over my mouth, telling everyone to keep quiet.

Ellis climbs over boxes, bags, and children and comes to my side, pulling me back. “It’s okay, Ellis. I’ll talk to him.”

“Louisa!” he hisses. “That’s crazy. You can’t.”

I calmly say, “Watch me,” then exit the trailer.

“Dammit, Louisa!”

Sure, I’m really pissing off my husband, but it’s better than the alternative.