Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

could find her in a heartbeat. She couldn’t have that. Stitch’s cabin was the safest bet right now. The cabin had no connection to her family, so those looking for her would have to dig really deep to put the connection together to even think about heading this way.

When the Sheriff had told her he had spoken to Stitch and that they were on their way, she felt relieved. She was nervous as to how her brother and Stitch would react to seeing her injuries. Judging by the pain in her body, it could take weeks before returning to her normal self.  Before she got into the truck, she had taken one of the pain pills. Hopefully, she’d make it up to the cabin before it took effect.

She looked in the Sheriff’s direction. “I’ll be fine once I get to the cabin and can lay down. But thank you.”

She noticed the way his hands gripped the steering wheel, and he clenched his teeth. He wasn’t happy, but it was her decision, so the remainder of the drive was in silence.

Her eyes had just started to close when she felt the truck pull off the smooth asphalt and onto a more rugged road.  She became alarmed at how dark the area was. The only lights came from the headlights of the truck. It was creepy and eerie. She couldn’t even see lights from any nearby houses. She wished she hadn’t watched so many scary movies over the years because the imagery was like she was driving into one.

“Where are we?” She asked, trying to see through the darkness.

“This is a private road that leads to the cabin. Not many neighbors up this way. I’m sure that’s why Stitch bought the place.”

She looked back out the window into the darkness and was relieved that the Sheriff had been adamant about driving her. There was no way in hell she would have been comfortable here alone, especially with the circumstances surrounding her. Stitch’s place was far from civilization. As if the Sheriff knew the crazy thoughts floating through her head, he said, “If you’re not familiar with the area, it can get kind of creepy.  Especially at night.”

Yeah, no shit. She swallowed hard.  Right before she answered, the truck came around a bend and merged onto a smooth, paved driveway that was lit up like a runway at a busy international airport. Her eyes followed the path of lights leading to a gorgeous two-story log cabin. She pressed her face against the glass as they pulled up and parked in front of the steps that led to the inviting wraparound porch complete with rocking chairs, potted plants, and even a porch swing. She hadn’t even seen the inside and was already in awe. The porch swing had her name written all over it.

“This is beautiful. Are you sure we’re at the right cabin? With all of the lights on, it looks as if someone is home.”

The Sheriff put the truck in park and turned off the ignition. “Wait until you see it in the daytime. I’m jealous I didn’t buy it when Old Man Larkin put it up for sale. Stitch has done a lot of work to the place to bring it back to its former glory. Starting with all the solar outdoor lighting he installed. Since he doesn’t get up here as often as he would like, he wanted the property to appear as if someone lived here all year round.”

She opened the door wanting to get a better look, but when she twisted to slide out of the truck, the pain that tore through her mid-section made her pause. She bit down on her lip to stop herself from crying out. How in the hell was she going to get out of this monstrosity of a truck? The damn thing was so high that the Sheriff had to lift her and set her in it. She tried to position herself differently, but the muscles still pulled and caused tremendous pain no matter what she did. She prayed she had no broken ribs. However, she had heard that bruised ribs felt almost as bad as broken ones.  If she wanted to get into the house, she would have to suck it up.

She held her breath and counted to three. When she got to three, she pushed off, but a set of hands on her thighs stopped her.

“Whoa, easy does it.”

She glanced to her left and was met with a set of angry and concerned eyes of the Sheriff.

“Honey, let me help you out and into the house.” She nodded, but then a thought hit her. And it was a crazy thought. She wondered if it was the medicine making her looney. But what did she know about this Sheriff?  Sure, the townspeople seemed to fawn over him, but that could just be an act. She’d read in the news about individuals like him and how they use their power to manipulate people.

Once he helped her down, she stepped to the side, and in doing so, she tripped over her feet and almost fell. If it weren’t for the Sheriff’s quick reflexes, she probably would’ve ended up flat on her face. Not that it would matter because her face was already messed up.

She steadied herself before her gaze landed on his hard, penetrating stare with his hand resting on the butt of his gun attached to his hip. She swallowed hard.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” Oh geez, how could she explain to him what her thoughts were without either insulting him or pissing him off more than what he already seemed to be? He probably thought she was some nut case and wishing he hadn’t offered to give her a lift.  She took a painful breath.

“Let me start by saying I think my pain medicine is affecting my rational thinking. It’s just that I don’t really know you, and here I am getting into your truck and letting you drive