Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 (5 page)

“I’m supposed to put you into your car from the wheelchair,” the nurse said. “But I’ll let you up here. Just be careful, okay?”

“I will,” I promised as I stood up and followed my mother across the parking lot.

We almost made it to our black SUV when a reporter in a suit ambushed us from between two cars. He was tailed by a cameraman who easily kept up, even as he carried a towering TV camera.

The reporter flashed a bright, movie-star smile. “Ms. Sumner, can I get a statement? I’m with the local news and we’d like to get your story. You’re quite a hero.”

I quickened my pace. “No comment. Please leave me alone,” I whispered loudly as I reached the SUV and climbed in while my mother tossed my overnight bag in the back and slid into the driver’s seat. I held the flowers in my lap as she sped away. Turning, I saw a swarm of reporters rushing away from the red-brick hospital into the parking lot. But the scene disappeared from sight when we merged onto the street.

I looked over at my mother as she focused intently on the road ahead. “Thanks, Mom. Good driving. What would Dad think if he knew you could drive like that?”

She chuckled and relaxed, easing off the accelerator to settle into the right lane at the speed of traffic. “I just did what I had to do. That was close, but we probably haven’t seen the last of them. They may show up at home.”

“Can Dad issue a restraining order?” I asked.

“I’m sure he can if he really needs to. It might be better if you give them a statement. If they get what they’re after, then maybe they’ll leave us alone.”

“I’ll think about it,” I muttered with a deep sigh, not at all happy about the prospect of being on the evening news.

How would I answer their questions about last night? The only option would be to lie. The less the world knew about the truth and Dakota, the faster my life could return to normal.

I really hoped this would blow over soon. Closing my eyes, I rested my head against the seat and pushed my thoughts of the media out of my mind for the rest of the way home.

***

My afternoon was a whirlwind of activity. As expected, the reporters showed up on our doorstep soon after we arrived home. My mother convinced me to give them a short statement. Hoping they would leave if I gave them what they came for, I slipped outside and faced the cameras. Questions were fired at me and microphones were shoved under my nose. I spoke in a shy, quiet voice, mesmerized by the crowd in the front yard and scared that I would say the wrong thing. But I calmly relayed my stray dog story before my mother told the reporters they’d had enough time with me and shooed them away.

I also spoke to Ethan, but only for a minute between his shifts. He rarely worked a double shift, but when someone wanted to give one up, he never turned down the opportunity to add few more hours to his timecard. I was relieved that he didn’t have time to give me the third degree. Brooke called a few times, and I felt badly letting her calls dump into my voicemail. After dealing with the reporters, I didn’t have the energy to talk about last night again.

That evening, I stepped out of my bedroom freshly showered wearing skinny jeans and a purple sweater. My hair fell out of a loose ponytail at the base of my neck, a stray blonde lock tickling the side of my face. A dry bandage covered the scrape along my hairline.

Before I reached the stairwell at the end of the hall, my mouth watered from the smell of lasagna. After a long day and hot shower, I was definitely hungry. When I turned at the bottom of the stairs, I saw my mother cutting a tomato for the salad. “Shall I set the table?” I offered.

“That would be wonderful.”

As I pulled three dinner plates out of the cabinet, our doorbell rang. My mother and I looked at each other and then stared at the kitchen entrance that led to the front door.

“Oh, no, not more reporters,” I groaned. “Where’s Dad?”

My father’s police car and badge had been enough to discourage the straggling reporters that had shown up after the first group I had spoken to.

“He’s working on something in the garage. I’ll handle this.”

My mother wiped her hands on a dish towel before heading toward the front door with a look of determination on her face.

“Thanks, Mom.” I resumed setting the table, first with the plates and then the silverware. When my mother didn’t return immediately, I crept along the wall to the corner beside the entrance to the kitchen. Listening carefully, I heard a familiar soft voice.

“I’m sorry to just drop by, but we only got home with Ryder about an hour ago. I wanted to personally thank Laken for what she did.”

“It’s not a problem. I’m sure she’d love to see you. Laken!” my mother called softly.

I immediately stepped around the corner and stopped when I saw Mrs. Thompson in the doorway. Her long, ash-blonde curls reminded me of Ryder’s almost white halo of hair. Her belly swollen with her unborn child, she wore maternity jeans and a white blouse rimmed with lace around the neckline and sleeves.

She smiled as I slowly walked toward the open door where she stood. It was still light outside, but shadows extended across the sidewalk and yard from the descending sun.

“Hi,” I said when I stopped at the doorway.

“Hello, Laken. It’s wonderful to see you.” Mrs. Thompson’s blue eyes brimmed with tears as she embraced me in a warm hug. I responded, gently placing my arms around her shoulders. Then she pulled back quickly, as if embarrassed. “I’m sorry to be so emotional, but I’m eternally grateful for what you did.”

An awkward silence hovered between us as I didn’t quite know what to say. My mother noted it and jumped in. “I need to get back to making dinner. I’ll leave you two alone to talk.” She squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before returning to the kitchen.

“How are you feeling today?” Mrs. Thompson asked.

“Fine. I was just a little sore and tired when I woke up at the hospital earlier, but that’s all.”

She touched my bandage for a quick moment. “What happened here?”

“I fell last night. I can be pretty clumsy sometimes.”

“But you were very brave to do what you did. I can’t begin to imagine where Ryder would be right now if it hadn’t been for you.”

I felt a blush heating up my cheeks. “It was nothing, really.”

“Laken, it’s anything but nothing. I want to explain what happened. Ryder was outside in the backyard playing on his swing set when I had to go to the bathroom.” She rubbed her swollen belly. “Frequent trips to the bathroom are one of the many joys of pregnancy. I could have sworn the fence gate was secured. He can’t open it, you know that. But when I returned, the gate was open and he was gone. I tried finding him myself at first, but it was hard to get through the woods carrying this extra weight.”

“You don’t need to explain. I’m sure you did everything you could to keep him safe. These things happen sometimes.”

As I smiled at her, something nagged at the back of my thoughts. If the gate really had been secured, then how had he gotten out? My smile faded as I remembered how far away he had been when I’d found him. Mrs. Thompson noticed my frown immediately and was about to say something when I asked, “How is Ryder? Has he said anything about last night?” I tried to smile again, not only to distract her from my worried expression but also to wipe out my concerns. Our town was safe. The thought that someone could have taken Ryder out of his yard sent shivers up my spine. Children weren’t kidnapped around here. Surely there was another explanation.

“He’s doing just fine. The doctors were really impressed that he only had a few scrapes and bruises. He even seemed to stay warm enough. And you know, he still doesn’t talk much. But he keeps talking about a bear. He keeps saying, ‘The bear hug me.’ Does that make any sense to you?”

Of course it did, but how could I possibly tell this woman that a full-grown black bear had helped find her son and kept him warm? “No. Does he have a teddy bear that he wanted to hug when he got home? He didn’t have one with him when he left the yard, did he?”

“No. Oh well, it’s probably just him babbling. He doesn’t make much sense, yet.” She shrugged, accepting that there was no logical explanation for his words other than the rambling of a three-year-old. “Did you get the flowers?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Yes. They’re beautiful. Thank you. I put them up in my bedroom and they smell like heaven.”

“I’m glad you like them. It’s a small token of our appreciation. We’d love to do more for you, give you a reward, but our finances are pretty tight with one young child and another one on the way.”

“That’s completely unnecessary. My reward is knowing that he’s safe.”

“Can I ask you something? How did you find him? Your dad told us a stray dog led you to him. That’s really amazing.”

“Yeah. He’s an amazing dog. Just showed up one day and I’ve been feeding him ever since.” I looked away from her for a moment as I lied.

“Is he here? I’d love to meet him.”

“No. A couple reporters came by earlier and they scared him off. He’s very shy. But I’ll leave some food out for him tonight in case he comes back.”

“Please tell him how wonderful and special he is for me. Oh, wait a minute. Is he big and black like a bear? Maybe that’s where Ryder got this idea of a bear.”

“Sort of. That must be it.” It was too easy to just agree with her so that she had an explanation for her son’s babbling.

She glanced at her watch. “I need to get home to help Wes put Ryder to bed. Thank you again, even though a simple thank you doesn’t come close to expressing how I feel right now.”

“You’re welcome,” was all I could think of to say. I could tell by the look in her eyes how grateful she was.

“Why don’t you and your parents stop by for dinner sometime? I make a killer pot roast.”

“That--would be great,” I said, forcing myself to smile. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was a vegetarian.

“Okay. Good night, then.” She hesitantly turned to walk away, but after two steps, spun on her heels and gave me another hug. “You’re an angel,” she whispered in my ear.

After a quick squeeze, she let go and started to leave again. Only this time she kept going to her car and waved out the window as she backed out of our driveway.

I smiled and waved back before retreating into the house and closing the front door once her car had disappeared down the winding road.

After dinner that evening, I slipped out back to sit on the patio steps. The sun had dipped behind the mountains and the darkening sky had faded to purple. A chill had crept into the air, but I was warm in my fleece jacket. It wasn’t nearly as cold as last night.

I whistled softly, calling out Dakota’s name. I hadn’t seen him all day and I missed him. I was relieved that he’d had the sense to stay away today, but it felt strange not to have his company. His presence comforted me in a way I couldn’t put into words.

The back door opened and my father approached behind me as it fell shut with a bang. He sat down beside me, a steaming coffee mug in his hand. The bittersweet scent of coffee mixed with a nutty-flavored creamer filled the air. “Let him go,” my father said. “He’ll be fine, and he needs to stay away for a while until this blows over.”

“I know. I miss him, that’s all.”

My father acknowledged my sentiment with a brief nod. “The mayor called. He’s holding a town gathering on Saturday in your honor.”

“What?” I gasped. “Dad, please tell him not to. I don’t want that. I just want to go back to working at the pizza shop and being the girl that no one pays attention to. This is crazy. The reporters were enough and I answered their questions. I don’t want this being turned into a circus. Please.”

“I agree with you that it is a little crazy. But I know Mayor Hobbs, and when he decides to hold a town gathering, there’s no changing his mind. Unlike you, he loves the attention and will use any excuse to bring everyone together.”