Tattered Stars

by Catherine Cowles

  “I don’t know yet. I’m sorry I have to bail. I’ll come back tomorrow if I can.”

  “No need, if you’re busy. I can handle this on my own.” She turned away and started around the barn, my father and Koda following her.

  Why the hell did it feel like I’d let her down? I muttered a curse as I picked up my pace to a jog. In less than a minute, I was heading down the mountain. But the look on Everly’s face stayed with me.

  As soon as I hit the two-lane highway, my foot pressed the accelerator. I’d only worked one kidnapping since I’d started working for the sheriff’s department. I’d been a deputy sheriff at the time, and it had rocked me. It had turned out to be a custody dispute, a man simply taking off with his son. But my mind had been full of all the worst what-ifs.

  I adjusted my grip on the steering wheel, turning onto a back road to avoid going through town. I worked my jaw back and forth as I slowed my breathing. By the time I pulled to a stop by the lake, I had my mask firmly in place.

  A number of squad cars and SUVs littered the small parking lot, and an ambulance sat with its back doors open. Tourists and locals alike gawked at the scene. I slid out of the truck and looked at one of our youngest officers trying to hold them all back. “All right, you guys, back up. Please move to the picnic area at the other end of the beach.” I motioned for another deputy. “Sergeant Ruiz will be with you in a moment to take your statements.”

  I got a few scowls but far more sheepish looks as if people knew that what they were doing was just a little heartless. Officer Williams sighed as he turned my way. “What is wrong with people?”

  “They’re just curious. Want to know what happened.”

  “It’s not their business.”

  “You’re right there.” I glanced towards the assembled group and caught sight of Cammie’s tear-streaked face. “If anyone comes back, send them on their way. If they refuse, arrest them.”

  “Okay, Sheriff.”

  I strode towards Young and Cammie. I was glad Young had been the one who responded to the call. She was green but had a way with victims that made them feel more at ease. Cammie looked up as I approached, and I caught sight of what would soon be a hell of a shiner. I swallowed back the curses I wanted to spew. “You okay, Cam?”

  She nodded, the movements jerky. “I just want to go home.”

  Hadley appeared next to her fellow EMT partner and popped an instant ice pack. “Let’s get this on that eye now that it’s clean.”

  I watched as she gently placed the ice pack in Cammie’s hand and guided it to her face. “Does she need to go to the hospital, Hads?”

  “I don’t think so. No sign of a concussion. But she’s a little shocky. Some juice wouldn’t hurt.”

  Cammie’s best friend, Katie, shot up from where she was sitting on a bench nearby. “I have some Gatorade in the back of my car from when I do my long runs. Would that help?”

  Hadley gave her a gentle smile. “That would be great.”

  Once Cammie had a few sips of Gatorade, I bent forward to meet her gaze. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “S-sure. Katie and I paddleboarded across the lake with a picnic. It’s the perfect day for it, but we wanted to avoid the tourists. We ate lunch and then, uh, I had to pee. So, I walked off a ways. I was just looking for a good spot. But someone grabbed me. H-his hand went around my mouth before I had a chance to scream.”

  Cammie shuddered, and Hadley wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. “I was so scared. I just froze. He started dragging me off, and that’s when everything kicked in. My dad makes me take a self-defense class every summer. I always thought it was so stupid.” She let out a laugh, but it was almost manic. “I guess parents really do know best.”

  “A lot of the time, they do. Then what happened?” I asked.

  Cammie’s gaze went a little unfocused. “I bit down on his hand and threw my elbow back. It stunned him, but he recovered quick. He caught me with a punch as I was trying to run away, but he lost his balance, I think. I heard a crash, and I just kept running. I screamed the whole way.

  “Katie met me halfway back to our spot, and I told her to run. We both got onto her paddleboard, and she rowed us back. I left everything there. I couldn’t… I was too scared. What if he came back? I shouldn’t have left our stuff there like trash. Am I going to get a fine?”

  I took Cammie’s hand and squeezed it gently. “You did everything just right, and your dad’s gonna be so proud of you. I’ll send some deputies to get your belongings. Don’t you worry.”

  Young stepped forward. “Ruiz sent techs that way just before you got here. They can retrieve everything.”

  “See, already being dealt with.” I patted her hand. “I need you to think really carefully. Can you describe the man who attacked you?”

  Cammie’s eyes flared, panic setting in. “I-I don’t know.”

  I met her gaze. “Squeeze my hand.” She did as I ordered. “I’m with you. No one’s going to hurt you. Just close your eyes and tell me everything you remember. There’s more there than you think. Was he bigger than you? What about his hair?”

  “Dark, I think. There was dark hair on his arms.”

  “Good. That’s really good, Cam. What about his build?”

  Cammie’s eyes stayed closed, but she trembled beneath the blanket even though it was almost ninety degrees out. “Bigger than me. Really strong. And fast. I…I didn’t see his face. I didn’t want to. If I saw it, I was scared he would kill me.” Her eyes flew open, tears spilling over her lashes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see anything else.”

  I laid my free hand over hers as her nails dug into my palm. “It’s okay. What you gave us helps. We’re going to do everything we can to find him.”

  “Cammie!” Her father charged past Officer Williams, headed towards us. “Oh, God, are you okay?”

  “I’m okay, Dad. Really.”

  He pulled her into a hug. I stepped away but I couldn’t seem to move my gaze. Sobs wracked Cammie’s body as her father held her. The only thing I could see was my father holding Shiloh as EMTs inserted an IV. He’d had to lie on the gurney with her because she refused to let go of him.

  Ruiz appeared to my left. “Boss? You okay?”

  I shook my head and turned to him. “I’m fine. Do we have anything yet?”

  “Nothing much. Techs think they found the site of the attack, but they haven’t found any sign of the attacker.”

  I checked my watch. Whoever did this could’ve made it around the lake by now. “Has anyone come off the trails?”

  “I don’t think so. No one has been able to leave the parking lot, at least.”

  “Okay. I want two four-person teams. One takes the north side trail, the other the south. If he’s coming back out this way, I want us to get him. And check all the male onlookers’ hands. He could’ve slipped into the crowd.”

  “You got it.” Ruiz looked up at me, trying to choose his words carefully. “I can take point if you need me to.”

  My back molars ground together. “I’m fine. But thank you.”

  Ruiz nodded hesitantly as if he didn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth. But I was fine. I had no other choice.

  13

  Everly

  I washed down the last bite of my egg salad sandwich with a drink of my soda. I had a feeling Spoons would become the lunch spot I treated myself to whenever I needed a pick-me-up. I needed to bring lunch from home as much as possible, but today being the first day of my new job meant that I deserved a little treat.

  A young woman who’d introduced herself as Jill gave me a warm smile as she stopped at my table. “Are you all finished?”

  “I am. That was delicious. Thank you.”

  “I’m so glad I didn’t steer you wrong. The egg salad is my favorite.”

  I looked down at my empty basket as she picked it up. “You certainly didn’t, and the focaccia it’s served on is amazing.”

  She beamed. “We make it right in-house.�
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  “I’ll definitely be back soon.”

  “We’ll be glad to have you. Welcome to town.”

  Jill hadn’t recognized my name when we’d engaged in idle chitchat as I ordered, so I figured she was newer to Wolf Gap. But I was grateful for a friendly face, and a spot where I knew prying eyes wouldn’t greet me. “Thank you. I hope you have a good rest of your day.”

  I pushed to my feet and headed back towards the vet’s office. I had time to meander if I wanted to. Maybe pop into a shop or two. But as I peeked into windows, my mind traveled to the same place it had dozens of other times over the past few days.

  Hayes hadn’t returned to the cabin this weekend. And he hadn’t called or texted. I felt a flare of disappointment that was completely irrational. I barely knew the man, and he didn’t even like me. His father, on the other hand, was a complete charmer. He’d made me laugh, even after he’d informed me that we needed to tear down the barn. And he’d helped me take down the rest of the dilapidated fencing.

  Yet, I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about Hayes. The call he’d received. I’d never known anyone who ran straight towards danger every day at their job. And it was clear why. Hayes was a protector. And he’d likely become that way because of Shiloh’s kidnapping.

  That familiar swirl of guilt, anger, and grief swept through me. That potent array always seemed to be nearby. My brain knew that my father’s actions weren’t mine to take responsibility for, but the rest of me had a harder time recognizing that fact.

  A shadow fell across the sidewalk in front of me. “What the hell are you wearing?”

  I lifted my head to see Ian glaring at me in disgust, Ben just a few paces behind him. Instead of answering, I did my best to step around the man who used to be my brother. But he blocked my path. “I’m talking to you.”

  “And I’m walking away.”

  Ian grabbed my elbow, yanking me back. “You don’t walk away when I’m speaking to you.”

  I tore my arm free. “Touch me again, and I’ll make it so the possibility of you having children is non-existent.”

  He chuckled, throwing a look at Ben. “Isn’t that cute? She thinks she can defend herself.”

  “Quit it, Ian,” Ben barked, pushing him back.

  “What? I can’t hit her with the cold, hard truth?”

  Ben looked at me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I gritted out. “I can take care of myself.”

  Ian stalked towards me, the flare of rage in his eyes so familiar that it sent memories hurtling at me one after the other. “You need to be taught some manners, Everly.”

  Ben stepped between us, pushing my brother back. “Enough. You need to cool off, Ian. Evie, get out of here.”

  I didn’t argue. I simply left. I didn’t run, but I fled, just like I had all those years ago. I hurried down the street and slipped inside the vet’s office.

  Tim looked up from his desk. “Hey, how was lunch?”

  “Good,” I choked out and went straight for the break room. I knew Miles was gone for the afternoon, and the other vet tech, Kelly, had gone to lunch with her boyfriend.

  I sank into an empty plastic chair and put my head between my legs. Flashes of light and memory slammed into me: Ian dragging me by the hair as I clawed at his arm and begged him to stop, the slap of his open palm against my face, the taste of blood in my mouth.

  I struggled to breathe as tears slipped out of my eyes. I’d thought I was so much stronger than this. Yet here I was, falling apart. My lungs trembled as I willed them under control.

  “Hey, Everly? Tim said you were back here. I wanted—” Hayes’ words cut off as he caught sight of me. He was the last person I wanted to see me this way. He crouched in front of me. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  I forced myself to sit up, but I couldn’t disguise the shaking. “Nothing, I’m fine.”

  His concern morphed into a scowl. “You’re not fine. You’re shaking like a leaf, and your face has no color in it at all.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment as if I could make it all disappear. The run-in with Ian. Hayes witnessing my weakness. I wanted to simply float away.

  “I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

  My eyes fluttered open at his words. He hadn’t disappeared, and I hadn’t floated away. “It’s not your job to help.”

  “It’s exactly my job. And I’ll do it wherever I can.”

  I studied the man in front of me. The angular jaw that always betrayed Hayes’ frustration. The rough stubble and planes of his face. Those eyes so dark and deep, I felt as if I could sink into them and get lost for days. Nothing in him spoke untruths. Maybe Hayes truly was one of the good ones. Someone determined to make the world better for everyone around him. “You don’t need to take care of me.”

  He pushed to his feet and started for the door. I thought I’d finally sent him running. But instead, he only poked his head out. “Tim, we need twenty.”

  “We don’t—”

  Hayes ignored me and simply shut the door. He began moving around the small kitchenette without another word to me, opening cabinets until he found two mugs. Then he riffled through drawers until he found a box of something. Within a few minutes, he was easing into the chair opposite me and handing me a steaming mug.

  I didn’t touch it. “What if I don’t like tea?”

  “Then just wrap your hands around the mug. It’ll help.”

  I had the burning urge to stick out my tongue at him. But as I wrapped my hands around the ceramic, and the heat sank into my palms, something in me eased. “You’re very overbearing, you know that, right?”

  He shrugged and blew on his tea. “Everyone has to have a character flaw.”

  I snorted. “I’d say you have a few.”

  “Never claimed to be perfect.”

  I stared down into the swirling liquid. “Perfect’s boring anyway.”

  “Very true.” Hayes was quiet for a moment, letting the silence swirl around us the same way the liquid in my cup did. “You going to tell me what happened?”

  I sighed. It was clear he wasn’t going to leave me alone until he got some pieces of the puzzle. “I had a run-in with my brother. Just brought up some bad memories.”

  “Okay…” He was quiet and, for a moment, I thought he wouldn’t push. “What’s the status with your family?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Have you been in touch with them since you left Wolf Gap?”

  I dunked the tea bag a few times before taking it out and resting it on a spoon. “I lived with my older sister in Seattle until I moved out for college. But, no, I haven’t talked to the rest of my family since I was twelve. Allen and Ian paid a couple of visits to Seattle when I first moved there.”

  Hayes’ jaw worked back and forth as if he were working out a math problem in his mind and having trouble. “They harass you?”

  “They made their presence known. But once we moved, they didn’t put any real effort into finding us.”

  “And your mom? She didn’t put a stop to it?”

  I gripped the mug a little tighter, my mother’s face flashing in my mind. “I think she lost her fight.”

  “You were her daughter.”

  “And I cost her the love of her life.”

  Hayes’ gaze bored into mine. “Was that really how she saw it?”

  “I honestly don’t know. All I know is that she couldn’t break free of that life. My sister, Jacey, tried to get her to come with me, and she wouldn’t. She didn’t want that freedom for herself.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever understand your family. The people they’ve tied themselves to.”

  I traced an invisible design on the table. “I won’t lie, there’s some ugliness. Hate. But some of the paranoia comes from how they were raised. My grandparents on my dad’s side were the same way. They’ve been preached to about the government being out to get them. Other preppers wanting to pillage and steal. It skewed their
outlook. But there’s good in that community, too.”

  “I know that. Some folks simply want to live off the land or protect their families in case the worst happens. But that’s not…”

  His words fell off, but I finished Hayes’ sentence for him. “That’s not what my family is.” I looked up to meet his gaze. “My childhood wasn’t all bad. And my parents taught me things that I’ll forever be grateful for.”

  There was heat in those dark eyes. It blazed as he swallowed. “But you’re different from them. Always were. Or you wouldn’t have ridden that horse into town all alone.”

  I’d tried time and again to think back and see what might’ve made me do that. To break free of everything around me. I’d never exactly figured it out. “While my dad always looked for danger, I saw beauty—in the land, in other people. In all of it. As much as he tried to school me, I could never get my mind to work that way.” Not even after Ian’s attack.

  Hayes took a sip of his tea. “Shows a strength of character.”

  I let out a mock gasp, my hand flying to my chest. “Hayes Easton, was that a compliment? Careful, I might start to think you actually like me.”

  That familiar scowl returned. “I never said I didn’t like you.”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “I didn’t.” He adjusted the collar of his shirt. “But I did make you feel unwelcome. And for that, I truly am sorry. Do you think we could have a do-over?”

  “A do-over?”

  “We’re fond of them in my family. If someone messes up, they can ask for a do-over to start fresh.”

  A fresh start. Wasn’t that exactly what I was trying to foster here? For myself. Hopefully, for a whole lot of animals. So, who was I to deny Hayes the same? I extended my hand. “I’m Everly Kemper.”

  Hayes’ large hand engulfed my smaller one, the rough calluses on his palm sending a skitter of sensation up my arm. “I’m Hayes Easton. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Everly. Welcome back to Wolf Gap.”

  He made it seem as easy as taking an eraser to a chalkboard. But I knew it wasn’t quite that simple for either of us.