Chapter 31
chapter
thirty-one
Caleb decided to let Millie keep talking. Lecturing her would do no good right now.
But he really wished she’d trusted him more. That she’d told him this earlier. That she’d asked before jumping on his computer.
“I didn’t think about what that might mean.” Millie’s words came faster now. “Not until afterward. But if Garrick’s tech people happen to notice the login—if they trace the IP address—” She broke off, her hands trembling. “Caleb, what if I led him here? What if this man’s death is my fault?”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and she looked away, blinking hard.
Caleb stepped closer, his voice firm but kind. “Millie. Look at me.”
She hesitated, then lifted her eyes to his.
“You were trying to protect yourself,” he told her. “Trying to make sure you were safe. That’s not stupid. That’s survival.”
“But if Garrick knows—”
“If he knows, we’ll deal with it. But right now, all we have are guesses. And even if he does have an idea about where you are, you’re not alone in this. You have us. We’ll be here to protect you.”
Millie shook her head, her expression tight. “You don’t understand. Garrick is—he’s . . . he’s relentless. He doesn’t stop. And if he knows I’m here, he’ll come. Or he’ll send someone. And people will get hurt.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Someone already did.”
Caleb saw it then—the way her weight shifted toward the driveway, toward the road beyond. The way her gaze flicked briefly toward the garage.
She was thinking about running, wasn’t she?
“Millie.” His tone sharpened just enough to pull her attention back. “Don’t.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t leave.” He held her gaze, willing her to hear him. “I know that’s what you’re considering. You’re contemplating packing up Biscuit, grabbing your keys, and disappearing before anything else happens. But you can’t run forever.”
Her face went paler. “I might not have any other choice.”
He stepped closer. “You’re already exhausted. You’re looking over your shoulder every second. You’re living in fear. That’s not living, Millie.”
Her jaw trembled, and she looked away again.
“Stay.” Caleb’s voice sounded softer now. “Let us help you. Let me help you.”
She didn’t answer right away.
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint barking of a dog inside the kennel and the rustle of wind through the trees.
Finally, Millie looked back at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “What if I can’t stay?”
Caleb’s chest ached at the rawness in her voice. “You can. You just have to trust me.”
She stared at him, her expression unreadable as the weight of the decision hung heavy in the air between them.
A few minutes later, Millie stood inside the kennel, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched the controlled chaos unfold.
Caleb had insisted she needed a distraction.
Right now, he lingered beside her, not seeming to want to be too far away.
The sheriff’s deputies still worked the scene outside. They’d probably be here all day.
Inside the kennel, dogs barked in overlapping bursts, some excited, some impatient. Max worked at the far end, hauling a bag of food toward the storage area.
The normalcy of it felt surreal.
Millie’s thoughts still churned, replaying Caleb’s words. You can’t run forever. Let us help you.
Could she trust that? Could she believe that staying was the right choice?
She didn’t know.
Her gaze drifted to the woman working near the middle of the kennels. She was young—early twenties maybe—with dark hair pulled into a messy bun. She wore jeans and a hoodie, both practical and worn in a way that suggested she spent most of her time around animals.
“Who is that?” Millie asked as she nodded at the woman.
Caleb followed her gaze. “Kendra. She helps out part-time with the kennels. Three days a week, usually.”
Millie nodded, watching as Kendra crouched beside one of the runs, coaxing a nervous terrier closer to the gate. Her voice was gentle, her movements unhurried.
She seemed nice.
And pretty, Millie thought, in an effortless, outdoorsy kind of way.
Kendra straightened and turned, catching sight of Max as he set the bag of food down. She said something Millie couldn’t hear, her smile quick and bright.
Max grinned back, his posture easing as he leaned against the counter. He said something in return, and Kendra grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
The exchange was easy. Light. Flirtatious in a way that felt natural, like the two of them had done this dance before.
Millie looked away, something sharp and unwelcome twisting in her chest.
She wasn’t jealous. At least, she wasn’t jealous of them specifically.
It was something deeper than that.
Watching them flirt reminded her that she was alone, that she wasn’t meant to be in a relationship.
She’d thought she’d found the one once. With Caleb.
And then again with Garrick.
Both times, she’d been wrong. When it came to relationships, she’d made a pattern of bad choices.
Her gaze drifted to Caleb. He’d moved to one of the kennels and was talking to a beagle who seemed eager for attention.
There was something about her, Millie thought bitterly. Something that attracted the wrong kind of men.
The ones who broke her heart.
Or the ones who broke her.
She wasn’t sure which was worse.
Maybe she just wasn’t meant to have that kind of happiness. Maybe some people were built for solitude, and she was one of them.
The thought settled heavy and cold in her chest.
The kennel door swung open, and Sheriff Sutherland stepped inside.
His expression was serious, his gaze sweeping the space before landing on Caleb. “Caleb, there’s something you’re going to want to see.”
Caleb straightened, his posture shifting into alertness. “What is it?”
The sheriff glanced briefly at Millie, then back to Caleb. “Outside. I’ll show you.”
Caleb nodded and turned toward Millie. “I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, her pulse kicking up again.
Caleb followed the sheriff out, the door swinging shut behind them.
As he disappeared from sight, Millie stood frozen, her mind racing.
There’s something you’re going to want to see.
What did that mean?
Had they found something? Evidence? Another body?
Her stomach twisted.
She glanced toward the door, then back at the kennels where Kendra and Max continued their work, oblivious to the tension coiling tighter around her.
Whatever the sheriff had found, it wasn’t good.
She could feel it in her bones.