Chapter 5
“Did Megan find you?” Lincoln asked when Charlotte arrived. He stood up and helped push in her chair when she sat at his table, then asked the waitress to bring another round of coffee and a couple of banana-walnut muffins.
“She did. Thanks for sending her over. It was nice to see her again.” They enjoyed their coffee and muffins as Lincoln told her what he knew about the people walking past the window.
“You really know everyone,” she said when she’d finished her muffin.
“Not everyone, but most of them. It’s hard not to in a town this size.”
“Chance Creek is bigger than Elliott Ridge.”
“It is, but not that much bigger. Drink up,” he added. “I’ve got one more errand I’d like to run before we head home. Are you up for that?”
“Sure.”
The bells over the diner’s door jangled to announce a new customer, and a tall man with a hawk-like nose walked inside. He scanned the restaurant, noticed them and strode their way.
“Hell,” Lincoln muttered.
“Who’s that?” Charlotte asked.
“Blake Warrington, the man who wants our town. This should be fun.” He stood up as the man approached. “Blake.”
“Lincoln. You ready to sell yet?”
“No.”
Warrington sighed. “You all keep dragging your feet, but it’s not going to change how this ends.” He nodded at Charlotte, who had stood up, as well. “Who’s this?”
“Charlotte, meet Blake Warrington.”
Charlotte nodded. “Nice to meet you,” she said automatically, even though it really wasn’t, and shook his hand when he offered it. His grip was uncomfortably firm.
“Charlotte just bought one of our houses,” Lincoln said.
Warrington’s jaw tightened. “Which is soon to be one of my houses. I hope the Elliotts explained I intend to annex their property,” he said to her.
“They’ve explained everything,” Charlotte said coolly. “Sounds like your expectations are going to be disappointed.” She would not let this man intimidate her. He thought he was a tough customer, but she could already tell Ivan would give him a run for his money.
Warrington drew back. “I… don’t think I’m the one who’s going to be di sappointed.”
Charlotte shrugged and turned to Lincoln. “You said you had another errand before we return to the Ridge?”
“That’s right. We’ll see you around, Warrington.”
“You can be sure of that.” Warrington stalked back to the hostess station. Lincoln flagged down their waitress and settled the bill.
“Charming man,” Charlotte said when they were outside on the sidewalk.
“Wish I’d never met him,” Lincoln said.
“So what’s this errand we’re supposed to run?”
“Thought you might want to meet one of the local veterinarians. What do you say?”
Charlotte straightened in surprise. “I’d love to meet one of the local vets,” she said eagerly. She needed to find a job as soon as possible, after all. She hadn’t let herself think too hard about what would happen if there weren’t any positions in town.
“We’ll go there next.” He led the way to his truck and drove her to the Chance Creek Pet Clinic and Shelter, a little outside of town. “I’ve known Bella Mortimer since grade school,” Lincoln explained on the way. “She’s a little older than me, but she was always friendly. I’m sure she’d be happy to chat.”
When they arrived, Charlotte surveyed the large, modern facility. It looked prosperous and well cared for. She got out of the truck in time to meet up with a middle-aged woman who’d just exited the clinic, leading a frisky puppy on a leash.
Charlotte bent to let it lick her hand and gave it a pat as Lincoln exchanged greetings with the woman.
“Janey used to work at the grocery store when I was a kid,” he explained as he introduced them.
“I remember when you Elliott boys were babies. You were just as cute then as you are now,” Janey said. “Nice to meet you, Charlotte. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” She struggled to keep from laughing at Lincoln’s expression.
“I am not cute,” he muttered when Janey was a safe distance away.
“Sure you are.”
“I’m ruggedly handsome.”
“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that.”
She gave a little shriek when he swept her off her feet and cradled her in his arms as he covered the short distance to the front door. He set her on her feet again just outside it. “See? Rugged, not cute.”
“Maybe rugged and cute,” she allowed.
They were met at the front desk by a woman in her thirties with blond hair so light it was almost white. Her nametag read Hannah Matheson .
“Hi, Lincoln. I heard you were back,” she exclaimed and came around the desk to give him a hug.
“I didn’t know you worked here. And since when are you a Matheson? You were an Ashton last time I saw you.”
“Married Jake the fall of the year you left. It was kind of sudden,” she admitted with a smile. “Those Mathesons won’t quit once they set their heart on you.”
“Is Jake a military man?” Charlotte asked.
“No. He’s a rancher. Why?”
“Just wondering.”
“Glad to see you so happy,” Lincoln said to Hannah.
“I am happy. I graduated from veterinarian school a couple of years ago, and Bella let me join her practice.”
Charlotte’s heart fell. It sounded like there were plenty of veterinarians to go around here. There wouldn’t be any need for her. Still, when Lincoln explained their errand, Hannah asked them to wait and disappeared farther into the building. She came back with another woman, who smiled when she saw Lincoln. Her honey-blond hair was swept up in a messy bun. Her blue eyes matched her shirt. She wore jeans and a battered old pair of cowboy boots.
“I heard you were back in town,” she cried. “It’s good to see you, Lincoln.”
“Good to see you, too,” Lincoln said. “Charlotte, this is Bella Mortimer. Of course, she was Bella Chatham when I used to know her.”
“I’m an old married lady now,” the woman said, beaming. “Nice to meet you, Charlotte.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” All these new people were beginning to be overwhelming. Charlotte hoped she could keep them straight.
“Bella’s husband isn’t in the military, either,” Hannah said.
“Is he supposed to be?” Bella asked, raising her eyebrows .
“I thought Charlotte might want to know.” Hannah smiled.
“I was told earlier that newcomers to Chance Creek often marry men who’ve served,” Charlotte rushed to explain, then wished she’d held her tongue when a smile tugged at the corner of Lincoln’s mouth.
“That is true,” Hannah said. “Happens a lot around here. I grew up here, though. So did Bella. We don’t count. You’re new to these parts, though. Might want to be careful.”
“I guess so,” Charlotte said. Was she blushing? She had a horrible feeling she might be.
Lincoln took pity on her and changed the subject. “Charlotte is a veterinarian. She’s moving to Elliott Ridge and she’s looking for work.”
“Really?” Bella lit up. “We desperately need more vets in town. The three of us can’t keep up.”
“Three of you? Your brother is still in the business, too?” Lincoln asked as Charlotte perked up again, her hopes revived.
“That’s right. Hannah and I care for pets, mostly,” Bella said. “I’m a sucker for cats and dogs—and any animal, really. My brother, Craig, specializes in livestock. He’s the one the ranchers call. Of course, they call me, too, constantly, because my brother is run off his feet. There’s a fourth veterinarian in town. Old Chuck Fife. He’s off on fishing trips half the time, though. He refuses to call himself retired, but he is. What’s your specialty, Charlotte?”
“Horses, mostly,” Charlotte said. “But I can handle any kind of livestock.”
“Awesome!” Hannah exclaimed, then bit her lip. “Sorry, but we’re desperate around here for someone like that.”
“Hannah’s right,” Bella said. “We could definitely use another livestock vet in town.” She checked herself. “I mean, no pressure or anything.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Hannah said. “Tons of pressure. Please save us! We’ll find you a military man to marry.”
“She’s already found one,” Lincoln said. “I mean…” He rubbed a hand over his head. “Hell, you know what I mean.”
“Oh, we know what you mean,” Bella said and rolled her eyes. “Don’t scare her away before we put her to work. You should talk to my brother as soon as you can, Charlotte.” Bella went behind the desk and tapped away at a computer. “He’s pretty busy the next few days, but he’s got some time Thursday morning. Is it okay if I give him your number?”
“Of course. Can’t wait to meet him. In the meantime, would you show us around your place?” she asked.
“Sure. Come on back.”
“I’ll stay here,” Hannah said. “Our receptionist is on a break.”
Bella led the way, and Charlotte and Lincoln followed.
“This is the biggest clinic I’ve ever seen,” Charlotte said.
“Well, we act as both an animal hospital and a no- kill shelter, so we need a lot of space. We work with a network of volunteer organizations to get our animals to good homes. Plus we have a spay-and-neuter program that’s beginning to make inroads on the feral cat population in Chance Creek. Things were a little out of control when I started, but I think we’re doing good work.”
“It looks like it.”
“We have a joint program with Chance Creek High where kids help us exercise the animals and habituate them to humans,” Bella explained when they came upon three teenagers romping with several dogs in a grassy outside area. “That building has our surgery and recovery rooms.” She pointed to it.
The tour lasted quite a while, and Bella answered all her questions patiently. Later, on the drive back to the Ridge, Charlotte couldn’t stop marveling about Bella’s facility. “How does she feed all those animals?” she asked Lincoln. “She must be a wizard at fundraising.”
“Her husband is a billionaire,” Lincoln said.
Charlotte turned to him in surprise.
“I’m not kidding,” Lincoln said. “Evan Mortimer is an actual billionaire. They met on a reality TV show. I have to admit our trip to her clinic had two purposes. One was to introduce you to Bella. The other was to let her know—and her husband through her—what we’re doing on the Ridge. Evan must have a lot of professional contacts. We want to diversify our income base, and I think entrepreneurs would be a good fit.”
“Well, aren’t you devious?” Charlotte asked. She’d noticed the care Lincoln had taken during their visit to explain to Bella that he and his brothers were hoping to attract remote tech workers to the Ridge.
“I prefer to think of it as being enterprising.”
As Lincoln drove, Charlotte decided it was time to face the music and pulled out her new phone. The man who’d sold it to her had helped her set it up, and she’d downloaded a few apps while she was in the range of the store’s Wi-Fi. Unsurprisingly, she hadn’t gotten any texts, but when she checked her email, there was one from Ivan.
Charlotte went cold, but she clicked to open it.
And immediately wished she hadn’t.
I will find you , the email read. You owe me, and you’re going to pay.
Charlotte swallowed. So much for him moving on.
There was an attachment labelled Invoice .
“Something wrong?” Lincoln glanced her way, then returned his attention to the road.
“No,” she said absently. She braced herself and opened the attachment. The document contained a list of dates, descriptions and numbers. It went on for pages. Charlotte scrolled up and down until she finally understood. Ivan had documented every cent he’d ever spent on her, from the cost of her portion of their first dinner to the price of the toothpaste she’d purchased on his credit card two days before she left. There were items of clothing, movies and symphony tickets listed. He’d set a price for her rent and charged her for half of all their grocery bills. He’d listed her school loan payments, as well.
How long had it taken him to tally this up? Charlotte lowered the phone. Or had he been keeping a running total the whole time she’d been with him? Reminding himself daily of what she owed him. Of how much he could require of her.
She looked down at the phone again, scrolled to the end of the document and took in the final number. He hadn’t deducted a single cent for the wages he should have paid her but never did. When she’d graduated and begun to work for him, she’d mustered the courage to ask what salary she’d earn. “Salary?” he’d said. “Forget a salary. Take this.” He’d handed her a credit card that was linked to his account. “Buy whatever you like, whenever you like. Don’t worry about the limit. You’ll never reach it.”
“Of course there’s a limit,” she’d told him. “What if I bought a yacht?”
“Baby, buy two yachts. Buy three.” They’d been eating at an upscale restaurant, where he’d ordered a bottle of champagne and toasted her liberally. She’d thought he was reckless and romantic and that together they’d build a life and a racing dynasty to end all dynasties. She’d been so damn stupid.
Her hands shook as she pocketed her phone. Now what was she supposed to do? Did he really expect her to pay all that money back when he hadn’t paid her a dime for her work? Could he take her to court?
Should she countersue him?
Would that only make him angrier?
Steven would know what to do.
“What’s wrong?” Lincoln asked, glancing her way.
“It’s nothing serious. Just something I need to take care of.” She didn’t want Lincoln or anyone else here to know what a fool she’d been. Bad enough her grandmother had passed away before Charlotte could correct her mistake. Shame heated her cheeks and carved a pit in her stomach every time she thought of how obvious it had been to everyone but her that she never should have been with Ivan. Grandma had strong feelings about “airing your dirty laundry in public,” so Charlotte knew how much it must have pained her to phone Steven and request his help to save her.
Now Ivan was asserting his control over her again. The amount of money he’d demanded dwarfed her tiny savings, but she had a feeling it accurately represented the amount she’d charged on his credit card over the past few years. Of course, it was less than she should have earned if he’d simply paid her a salary, so she had no reason to feel guilty about what she’d done.
Still, the idea of facing Ivan in court terrified her.
She straightened her shoulders. If she had to go to court, she’d show everyone that letter, explain her story and trust that justice would be on her side. If not, she’d ask for time to pay off Ivan. Bella and Hannah had said they desperately needed another veterinarian in town. She’d live as frugally as possible until her debts were paid.
Or maybe she’d run all over again.
Lincoln glanced her way again. “Are you all right? You look a little funny.”
“Maybe I ate something that disagreed with me,” she said faintly.
“We’ll be home in a minute.” He stepped on the gas. “Tell me if you’re going to be sick.”
She nodded. She just might. Ivan had lobbed a missile her way, and she had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last one.
The minute she was alone, she’d call Steven and get his advice.
By the time they got to number37, Charlotte’s color had returned, and she felt well enough to offer to help Lincoln bring her new bed inside, but he called Nate instead. Together they moved the old mattress to the spare room, assembled the metal frame in Charlotte’s bedroom and maneuvered the new mattress up the stairs and onto it.
“Did you buy any sheets and covers?” Lincoln asked when he ushered Charlotte in to see their handiwork.
She shook her head. “Totally forgot about it. I was too busy splurging on clothes.” She placed her bags near the closet and sat on the bed, smoothing a hand over the new mattress, her head bowed.
“You can keep the ones you borrowed as long as you need them. Maybe you should make one of those mood board things before you go shopping for stuff for the house. This is going to be your dream home, right?”
When she didn’t answer, Lincoln’s gut tightened. Something was wrong, and he didn’t think it was something she’d eaten. Charlotte had been fine until she’d pulled out her phone on the drive home. He’d bet his life she’d gotten some bad news, but she’d made it clear she didn’t want to talk about it.
“My dream home. Right,” Charlotte finally said. “Of course.”
“It’s a great house,” Nate put in. “I should really grab one for myself before all the good ones are taken.”
Charlotte nodded listlessly. “Sorry, I’m still feeling under the weather. I think I need to lie down.”
“I’ll head out then,” Nate said. “See you two later.” He clapped Lincoln on the shoulder and made for the door.
“Let me help you make up the bed,” Lincoln offered. He grabbed the sheets, and when Charlotte stood, he began fitting one to the mattress. Charlotte moved to the other side. They got the bed made in short order, then Lincoln turned to go.
“Hope you feel better. I’ll bring you dinner later, if you like. That way you don’t have to go to the cafeteria.”
“That would be great. Just knock on the door and I’ll come grab it from you.”
So much for eating with her, Lincoln thought wryly. Charlotte was making it very clear she wanted to be alone—and meant to spend the rest of the day that way.
“You sure you’ll be all right while I’m gone?” He needed to get to the mill for the rest of the afternoon, but he hated to leave her when he didn’t know what the problem was .
“I’ll be fine. I’m going to take it easy. I’ll look up design ideas. Make that mood board you were talking about.”
He relaxed a little. She wouldn’t spend time planning to fix up her house if she didn’t mean to stay. He crossed the room but stopped in the doorway.
“How’s your cell phone signal? Looks like you got a new phone.”
“I did. I needed something better than the one I had.” She named the service provider she’d chosen, and he winced.
“Let me guess. You didn’t mention you were living up here on the Ridge?”
She shook her head. “Should I have?”
He nodded. “Give your phone a try.”
She pulled it out and tapped on the screen. “What’s your number?”
He told her and she tapped it in, then frowned. “I’m not getting any reception. No bars at all!”
“I’m not surprised. The Ridge is a dead zone for most carriers.” Lincoln told her the name of the cell service provider he and his brothers used. “I should have warned you earlier. Next time we’re in town, let’s get you switched over. You need to be able to use your phone up here.”
“Definitely.” She didn’t look happy about this latest development. Lincoln hurried to assure her she could still make calls while she was on the Ridge.
“Reception is somewhat better at the town hall. There’s Wi-Fi coverage there, as well.” He gave her the password. “Unfortunately, our Wi-Fi is pretty spotty, too, but we’re getting an upgrade this fall.”
“Good to know.” She stared at her phone despondently.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone?” He lingered a moment longer.
“Positive. I’m fine, really. Just need a rest.”
She didn’t look fine, and she wasn’t meeting his gaze, but Lincoln decided not to push. She’d tell him what was wrong when she was ready.
“See you later.”
“See you.” As soon as he went out the door, Charlotte closed it behind him and locked it.
Yep. She definitely wanted to be left alone.
Lincoln texted Amanda, told her what had happened and asked her to check in on Charlotte if she could during the day. As he walked to the mill, he transferred the balance of the cost of her house from his personal account to the family one to which he and his brothers all had access. It was official. Charlotte was staying—he hoped.
Luckily, things went smoothly at the mill for the last few hours of the day. He’d braced himself for some awkwardness since Gage had taken the lead this morning, but Gage took a spot among the men without comment, and everyone got on with their work. They were fulfilling several orders at once, so there was plenty for everyone to do.
The only snag came when the board edger jammed, causing a bottleneck in their production line. Lincoln followed all the safety procedures, locked out the machine and unjammed its blades. He ignored the grumbling from some of the men; nothing could get him down today.
That good feeling came crashing down when he stopped by number37 on his way home, however, and found Charlotte still wasn’t feeling well. He’d hoped to spend the evening with her. Maybe sit on the beach again. Instead, she handed him the sleeping bag and foam mat he’d used the previous night.
“I think I need to be alone tonight,” she said. “Sorry for being such a wet blanket, but I’ve got a headache now. Do you want to take the mattress I used last night, as well?”
“That’s okay,” he said quickly. No way in hell would he call Nate to help him carry that mattress back to his parents’ house. Nate had helped him move it into the spare room earlier. Moving it again would be advertising that Charlotte had kicked him out. Next thing he knew, Hudson would be sniffing around. “Are you sure you don’t want me to sleep here? I’ll leave you alone to rest.”
“Amanda kept me company this afternoon, which was nice, but now I’m feeling worse. I think I’ll be better off alone.”
“Okay,” he said reluctantly and took the things she handed him. “I’ll be right next door, though, so call me if you need anything. Meanwhile, I’ll grab you some food.”
Lincoln dumped his things in number35 and fetched Charlotte a tray from the cafeteria, which she accepted with only a few words of thanks before saying good-night.
“This isn’t about the house, is it?” he asked and relaxed a little when she quickly shook her head.
“Not at all. I’m happy to be here.”
“I’m happy you’re here, too.”
When she’d shut the door, Lincoln stalked to his parents’ place, grabbed a chair off the back deck, lugged it to his new front porch and sat there while he polished off the food he’d brought for himself. Afterward, he made another trip to his folks’ place to replenish the ice in his cooler, snag a six-pack from the fridge and some snacks—in case Charlotte felt better later.
He had just made it back to number35 when his phone chimed. He pulled it out of his pocket with alacrity, hoping it was Charlotte, but a different name came up on the screen.
“Hey, Lincoln, this is Lena Hughes. I don’t know if you remember me. I used to be Lena Reed—from Two Willows,” a female voice said when he answered. “I bumped into Bella Mortimer this afternoon, and she said you have a bunch of empty houses on Elliott Ridge and were looking for people to move there. Is that right?”
“That’s right,” Lincoln said. “And I do remember you. I talked to Cass at Carter’s wedding.” Lena and her four sisters had a wonderful ranch outside town. They’d had a wild upbringing, and he’d heard rumors about trouble in recent years, but according to Cass, Lena’s oldest sister, things were better these days.
“I was sorry to miss that,” Lena said. “One of our cows was sick, and I had to stay home, but I heard the ceremony went off without a hitch and everyone had a great time. Tell Carter congratulations.”
“Will do. You’re interested in our houses?”
“We had a family dinner tonight, and I told everyone what Bella said. Turns out Alice knows someone who’s involved in a start-up. Have you heard that Alice works in costume design now?”
“I think Nate mentioned that.” He’d seen Alice at the wedding but hadn’t had the chance to say more than hello to her.
“She works on all the biggest movies, and she’s got connections to everyone. Anyway, she met this woman at a premiere, Anne Thatcher, who makes video games, and the two of them hit it off. They’ve been online friends ever since. Now Anne is looking to relocate somewhere cheap because she’s trying to stretch her angel investment money as far as it can go. She thinks she’s got a project that’s going to sell, but she needs a long runway before it can take off. Or something like that. I’m trying to quote what Alice told me.”
“What’s the product?”
“Hell if I know,” Lena said cheerfully. “The minute she started talking about it, I tuned her out. Something super girly, I think.”
Lincoln laughed. “Don’t blame you. Do you have her number?”
“I’ll send it to you. Alice says hi, by the way. She says Dennis is right, but don’t let it stop you. Stay the course, and you won’t regret it in the end.”
“She said… what?”
“Alice gets hunches sometimes, remember? They’re rarely helpful, but they’re pretty accurate. Listen, I’ve got to run.”
She cut the call before Lincoln could ask any more questions.
Dennis was right? About what?
Lincoln’s gut twisted. About Charlotte bringing trouble to the Ridge? Dennis had said something similar when Amanda arrived. Kept yammering on about a Trouble Summer or something.
Calamity Year.
The phrase came unbidden to his mind as he sat on his deck chair and popped open a beer.
Was more trouble coming?
He sure as hell hoped not.
She needed to know what was going on.
Charlotte paced her darkened bedroom, unable to keep still. It was nine thirty, and she was afraid to turn on her light, even though the sun had set a long time ago. She’d noticed Lincoln sitting on the front porch of the house next door earlier. Keeping watch or passing the time or whatever it was men did when they were thwarted. At one point he’d had a phone call, proving there really was a carrier that provided cell phone coverage on the Ridge. Her provider was useless. She hadn’t been able to make a call or access the internet all day. Lincoln finally retreated inside, and a light came on in the bedroom across the way from hers. On the one hand, that was reassuring. If anything happened, all she needed to do was scream, and he’d come running.
On the other hand, it was a pain in the ass.
She’d meant to spend the afternoon doing research and coming up with a plan for how to fight back against Ivan, but first she hadn’t been able to get on the internet—or even call Steven. Then, when she was about to try Lincoln’s suggestion to go to the town hall, Amanda had shown up and refused to take Charlotte’s hints that she wanted to be alone. She’d asked Charlotte about her plans for each room and come up with so many suggestions that soon they were brainstorming furniture and window coverings as well as kitchen cabinets and backsplashes. Since Charlotte’s phone was hopeless, Amanda had used hers to create an online pin board for her, and together they’d filled it with images.
The afternoon had slipped away. By the time Amanda left, it was nearly dinner. The cafeteria would have been full of people, including Lincoln and his brothers. No way she could have made a private call from there. She’d stayed home, accepted the dinner tray Lincoln had brought her, and had been biding her time ever since. Now the settlement was quiet, and she could make her move.
As long as Lincoln didn’t catch her.
She changed into dark clothing, slipped on the thick-soled shoes she used to wear to work and went downstairs. Opening the front door as quietly as she could, she edged outside without closing it fully, so she could return to the house with as little noise as possible. She didn’t know if Lincoln could hear her from his bedroom in number35, but she didn’t want to take any chances. She could imagine his response if he learned she was being blackmailed by her thug ex-boyfriend. The Elliotts didn’t need her trouble dropped in their laps. They had enough of their own.
Charlotte tiptoed down the porch steps and made it to the street as quietly as she could. Once there, she picked up the pace, traversing the dark roads until she drew close to the town hall. She sat on its steps, pulled up a web browser and was happy to find the internet worked here. It was far too late to call Steven, even though she had a couple of bars, so she emailed him instead, telling him how she’d found a new home. Then she forwarded Ivan’s note to him, so he could read it for himself.
She moved on to haphazard searches for legal information. Can my boyfriend sue me if I break up with him? Before she got much further than that, her phone buzzed, making her jump.
It was Steven calling.
“Hello?” she whispered when she accepted the call. “Steven? What are you doing up so late?” It had to be past midnight on the East Coast.
“Couldn’t sleep. You’ll see how it is when you’re my age. Got your email and figured you might want to talk.”
Steven might not look the part of a hero, but this past week he’d become one to Charlotte. She breathed a sigh of relief now that he was on the other end of the line. He already knew about her mistakes, so she could talk to him plainly.
“You saw Ivan’s email. He sent me a bill for everything I ever charged on the credit card he gave me, plus rent and the student loan payments he covered. He wants me to pay him back for all of it—but he never paid me for the veterinarian work I did. He can’t do that, can he?”
“Of course not. He’s trying to intimidate you.”
Relief swept through her. “That’s what I thought.” She hugged her arms across her chest. Now that the sun was down, it was a little chilly up here. “I don’t think he knows where I am, or he’d be saying all this to my face. Can I just ignore him?”
“I think that’s the best course. He’ll have to sue you in court if he wants to try to collect,” Steven said. “This is a bluff. He’s trying to regain the power he lost when you left town. Trying to scare you into revealing where you are. Keep your head down for as long as you can.”
“All right.” When Steven put it like that, it all sounded so simple. “I have to admit, that email scared me.”
“You should be scared. I wouldn’t have had you crisscrossing the country and buying plane tickets in cash if I didn’t think you were in danger.” He was silent a moment. “Charlotte, if you ever think he’s figured out where you are… leave. As fast as you can. Don’t pack. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going. Just ge t out of there. Keep some cash on hand so you can use it to pay your way, just like you did before, all right?”
“All right,” she said faintly. She couldn’t believe she’d become some kind of fugitive.
“Ivan’s crimes will catch up to him sooner or later,” Steven assured her. “It’s not your job to bring him to justice. It’s your job to stay safe. Tell me about this place where you’re staying.”
Charlotte told him everything she knew, emphasizing the fact that Lincoln and his brothers were all military men and that there were temporary workers around, too.
“I should be safe here,” she finished, trying to convince herself as much as Steven.
“Good,” Steven said. “Keep me posted if you hear from Ivan again, though.”
“Will do. Thanks, Steven.”
“Any time.”
As Charlotte pocketed the phone, she heard a small sound.
She stood up quickly, her breath catching in her throat. “Who’s there?”