Chapter 12
A quiet evening together, the cure for her and Zoey’s stress. Curled up on the couch Jennie snuggled closer to her daughter. Despite all the unknowns that still lingered, a sense of peace descended. David was on the mend and the man responsible for targeting Zoey was dead.
She twirled her little girl’s hair around her finger.
It seemed like yesterday she had held Zoey in her arms for the first time.
A bittersweet day. The moment she realized she was in the parenting world alone.
But when the doctor had placed her beautiful girl in her arms, her fears vanished, at least temporarily.
The lights of the TV glowed on the walls, and the voices droned in the background.
Zoey’s soft breathing indicated she’d fallen asleep.
Five years ago, Jennie had vowed to never put Zoey in harm’s way again. Yet, here they were. Yes, the creep who’d tried to entice her daughter to meet him was dead, but the idea that the man had uploaded her baby’s picture for other predators to view gave Jennie the willies.
What if Kenny had found the website?
She had to tell David about her past to keep her daughter safe. She should have told him days ago when this whole thing started, but she couldn’t shake off the shame.
Growls and barks penetrated the quiet.
The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Her neighbor’s dogs, Max and Zeus, rarely made noise.
Heart racing, she lowered Zoey’s head to the throw pillow and crept to the window. Spreading the blinds with her fingers, she peered out into the night. Max’s teeth glinted in the moonlight while Zeus ran along the fence line.
Someone was out there.
Jennie gasped. She dropped her hand and flattened herself against the wall. Her mind raced with possibilities.
She hurried to the coffee table, snatched her cell, and punched in David’s number. Cradling the phone against her ear, she paced the living room. Her gaze jerked to the front door. A rustle and light taps stole the air from her lungs.
“Whitman.” His voice came through a tunnel on the other end.
“Help,” Jennie cried, but her voice refused to work.
“Jennie? Are you there?”
She swallowed and pushed the words out. “Help. He’s been here.”
“Who? Jennie, what’s going on?”
“The dogs. The front door.” Her mind was a jumbled mess.
“I’m on my way. Stay inside.”
Thank heavens he understood enough to know she needed him.
“Jennie? Did you hear me? Stay inside.”
“Yes.” She jostled the phone in her sweaty palm.
Zoey wiggled on the couch but remained asleep.
A few minutes later, a knock on the door echoed in the entry.
Jennie squeaked and slapped her hand across her heart. She peeked out the window. David was squatting on the porch studying something.
She flung the door open.
He stood and she threw herself into his arms. His hand rubbed up and down her back. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m here now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Her body trembled in his hold. She had to get a grip on her emotions. She was stronger than this.
Determined to recapture the strength she’d fought so hard for, she shifted out of his embrace. “S-sorry. I shouldn’t have fallen apart like that.”
A glimmer of empathy shown behind David’s gaze. “You know, it’s okay to need help.”
“True, but when you’ve had to be strong for so long, it’s a tad difficult to let others in.” She rubbed her arms as a chill passed over her.
“Well, you have help now. Miss Emily, Brandon…me.”
“Thanks. I needed to hear that.” She tossed a glance at the still sleeping Zoey. David was right. She had to let go of her fears and accept help for Zoey’s sake. “What did you find?”
“Photos of you and Zoey taped to your door and all around your porch.”
Jennie attempted to swallow past the Sahara Desert in her throat. “I thought the creep was dead.”
“He is.” David’s jaw twitched. “This can’t be him.”
Her stomach churned. “Then who? Who would do this to us?”
“You tell me?” He clutched her shoulders and peered into her eyes. “Is there anyone who’d want to hurt you?”
Kenny. But it couldn’t be him. He had no idea where she lived.
She shook her head.
David raised a brow.
“No one with the exception of Tina knows I live in Pinewood Shores. And I don’t have any enemies here.” She’d changed her phone number and hadn’t left a forwarding address. No one from her past should know where to find her.
“All right, if you’re sure.” He pivoted and clasped the doorknob. “I’ll take the pictures into evidence, then sweep the outside to make sure whoever it was is gone. Please promise you’ll call if the dogs start barking again.”
“Promise. And thank you.” She closed the door behind him and rested her forehead against the wooden barrier. “Coward. You should’ve told him about Kenny,” she muttered.
She returned to the living room, scooped Zoey into her arms, and headed down the hall.
Bypassing her daughter’s room, she laid the sweet little girl on her king size bed.
Brushing a strand of hair from Zoey’s forehead, Jennie placed a kiss on her daughter’s cheek.
“You’re sleeping here tonight, princess. ”
Kenny’s release from prison had rattled her.
But how could it be him? Jennie rushed to check the window locks and closed the blinds as tight as possible.
Running her fingers over the raised scar tissue on the back of her neck, she closed her eyes.
She’d survived Kenny’s beating only by the grace of God.
What if he was out there? And if so, would she survive again?