Chapter 23
twenty-three
Leo
Sheriff Henry called me this morning to confirm that Mitchell Hale was in fact in Haven Valley; he just couldn’t pinpoint where exactly.
I asked him if he could send an image of him over to me so that I’d know whom to keep a lookout.
He sent it right over to me. Looking at his photo, he looked like a normal guy.
Nothing stood out. He didn’t give off this evil vibe.
I felt a rage like never before trying to consume me, but I pushed it down so I could stay levelheaded as I called a meeting between myself and my brothers, Gentry included.
Once we’d finished our day at the ranch, we all rode our ATVs and met at the Confession Tree so that we could speak away from any prying eyes.
I needed to do this quickly so that I could get back to Carolina and Luke. I didn’t care how much she fought me, I was staying at the ranch until the psycho was caught. I needed to be near them, and I hoped she’d make things easier on me and understand.
“How can we help?” Brooks asked as we all sat in front of the tree, Brooks beside me and Holden and Gentry sat across from us.
Ainsleigh begged to be included, but I gave her a task so she’d feel helpful.
I wanted to know how Mitchell managed to gain access to a secure building, so I had her digging into the reservations to see if she could find a link between the man who stalked Carolina.
“I have a photo of him. We need to remain extra vigilant while we’re on the ranch. He’s gotten access when he shouldn’t have once already,” I said as I pulled out my phone and sent the image to them in our group chat.
“This guy looks normal,” Holden said as he stared at his phone.
“I thought the same thing. He doesn’t give off stalker vibes, but I don’t even know what that’s supposed to look like,” I told them frustrated that we hadn’t caught him yet.
“If you can’t be here, someone needs to be at the house with Mom and Luke at all times. I’m sure we can get the ranch hands on board too,” Gentry suggested. It wasn’t a bad plan, but I wasn’t sure if Mom would go for it.
“We need someone watching Carolina too, but I don’t know how that’d work. It’s not like someone can follow her into patient rooms,” I replied as I let out a frustrated sigh.
“We’ll figure out a way to keep her safe,” Brooks promised, and I hoped we’d be able to follow through.
“I can’t lose them,” I said as I looked down at the ground. Just the thought of losing either of them or both of them… I just couldn’t think that way.
“You won’t,” Holden said, the promise deep in his tone.
“Let me know if any of you come up with a way to keep her safe. He won’t hurt my son ever again,” I said as I stood.
I’d have loved it if I could convince Carolina to take a leave of absence from her job so she’d be on the ranch where we could ensure she was safe, but I knew she wouldn’t go for it.
Her stalker had taken so much from her already.
I couldn’t have him take yet another piece.
I needed to get back to the house to check on them.
Carolina had likely arrived by now since when I checked the time it was after five.
After dinner, Luke convinced us to play a board game that had us strapping headbands around our foreheads. It was a nice distraction from the threat that loomed.
Luke also convinced us to watch Rio yet again after his bath. I needed to find a way to convince him to pick a different movie. Earlier today I found myself humming along to the songs now stuck in my head after watching it repeatedly.
He crawled in my lap tonight and fell asleep against my chest. Carolina sat two cushions away from me, her body coiled tight. With each day that passed with her stalker on the loose, she’d grown more frustrated and afraid. I couldn’t blame her.
I patted the cushion beside me to break her out of her thoughts.
She turned her head at the sound, her eyes filled with worry as she looked over at me.
“What?” she whispered, her voice sounding defeated.
“Come here,” I told her as I held my arm open.
Reluctantly, she slid over and laid her head on my chest with a sigh.
I wrapped my arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. I pushed the button on the side of the couch to lift the recliner so we’d be more comfortable, and pulled the plush blanket from the back of the couch, covering the three of us.
Carolina settled into me and ran her fingers over my shirt.
“I’d dreamed of nights like this when I was alone,” she admitted, and I ran my fingers up and down her arm, hoping she’d continue. Part of me loved knowing that she’d thought about me often in the years we were apart.
“What do you mean?” I asked when she didn’t elaborate.
“Me, you, and Luke cuddled on the couch together watching a movie. Us all enjoying a board game. The simple ways we could spend quality time together,” she explained as she paused the movements of her hand before she continued.
Now that I knew about Luke, I often thought about them too.
“What made you think about that?” I asked.
“He looked so much like you. I couldn’t forget you even if I tried.
I had a miniature version of you. When he got old enough to ask about you, we spent so many nights looking at photos of us.
We pulled up photos of the ranch so he could see.
He was obsessed with knowing you. It was hard not to envision life without you in it,” she replied.
A part of me wanted her to say it was because she missed me, but I had to remind myself that she’d thought about the three of us and that was good enough for me.
“Why’d you keep the rings?” I asked. I needed to hear her say it again.
She sighed before she responded.
“I needed the reminder of what I’d lost. The reminder of what we had.
Eventually, those rings became what I clung to when the nights were hard and I missed you so much.
Anytime I was stressed or needed to feel close to you, I clung to them like a lifeline I couldn’t live without.
I needed to have the one thing you’d given me aside from Luke that reminded me of the promise,” she said and stopped.
Her tears wet my shirt, and I stopped rubbing her arm.
I was seconds away from lifting her head up so I could look down at her and beg her to finish.
“I needed to be reminded of the promise that you loved me once,” she finished as more tears soaked my shirt.
I still loved her. I never stopped. But I didn’t tell her that.
I held her tight as the emotions coursed through her.
Hoping that she could feel my love without the words being spoken.
I wasn’t ready to tell her yet. I needed to make sure she was staying before I ever put myself out there like that.
I rested my head on the back of the couch and held her tight. She closed her eyes and I felt her move to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“What else did you see?” I asked once she’d calmed.
I needed to hear she thought about me just as much as my thoughts were plagued with her.
“I saw you teaching Luke how to play baseball. I saw you cheering from the sideline at games and carrying him on your shoulders. I saw you teach him your love of horses and how to ride,” she admitted.
I could see it all.
I wanted it all.
I’d eventually have it all.
We fell asleep on the couch. The three of us. The family I always wanted and longed for finally in my arms.