Standing Guard. Valerie Hansen

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СКАЧАТЬ you can follow me to my office and we can get started right away.”

      “I don’t know, I...”

      He held up his free hand as though taking an oath. “I promise you. I am one of the good guys. I even have the medals to prove it. I can dig them out and show you if necessary.”

      “I’ll take your word for it.”

      “Good, then hop in your car and let’s go.”

      “Why are you doing this?” Lindy asked, still acting hesitant.

      “Because you look like somebody who needs help and I’m in a position to offer it, that’s all. No ulterior motives. Scout’s honor.”

      It was easy to tell she remained anxious. He assumed that was because of those useless bank cards and the fact that someone had violated her privacy. He could understand feeling that way. He just hoped she would take him up on his offer instead of changing her mind and driving off.

      Watching in his rearview mirror, he was relieved to see the silver sedan pull out and fall smoothly into line behind him. She was going to let him help. Good. If he’d ever met someone who needed a friend it was Lindy Southerland.

      Why care? he asked himself. That was an excellent question. Perhaps it was because of the woman’s demeanor. Or maybe it was meeting a widow who was raising her child alone that had tapped into his conscience and created such a strong desire to offer assistance.

      He’d seen plenty of widows overseas; enough to last him a lifetime. And every time his work had fractured more families, his gut had tied in bigger knots. Knots that still lingered and had resulted in a medical discharge in spite of his continued desire to serve.

      The doctors who had judged him no longer fit for duty hadn’t understood. Nobody did. There was no job Thad had ever tackled that he hadn’t approached with complete dedication. That was why he’d assumed personal responsibility for the outcome of every skirmish and why the shrinks who had debriefed him had insisted he be sent back to civilian life.

      Well, here he was. And, in retrospect, his presence had been advantageous after Rob and Ellen had died in the fire that Ellen’s sister, Natalie, had caused. But that didn’t make life fair; not for his lost brother, not for Rob’s orphaned kids who had been given to people who were not even kin, not for all the survivors who had to carry on in spite of broken hearts.

      That needless sense of loss continued to disturb Thad but not in the same way it had at first. His personal faith had faltered initially, then had deepened in the aftermath of the tragedy, yet he was still searching for a satisfactory explanation for all the pain his family had suffered.

      Perhaps he always would.

      * * *

      Lindy knew she was being foolish to trust a virtual stranger but there had been something about Thad Pearson that had emotionally connected him to her. From the moment he had touched her hand and shown such concern for Danny, she had liked him. She couldn’t help herself.

      But do I dare trust him this much? she asked silently. If she’d been the least bit computer savvy or had known someone else who might be willing to go to bat for her, she wouldn’t have turned to Thad. However, since he was not only handy but had dropped into her life at exactly the right time, as if heaven-sent, she felt compelled to let him try to help. Worst case scenario, she’d have to change the passwords on a few accounts. Other than that, she couldn’t see any big risk.

      Sensing movement out of the corner of her eye, Lindy glanced into her side mirror. Speaking of risks, what did the driver of that big, white, dual-cab pickup think he was doing? This narrow section of road was no place to try to squeeze by.

      Her hands tightened on the wheel. The other truck had pulled even with her and was easing to the right, encroaching on her lane.

      She tapped the brakes, slowing to give the larger vehicle room to drop in between her and Thad. Since she knew where they were headed, she didn’t need to stay right on his bumper. Besides, somebody had to do something before that other driver caused a wreck.

      Lindy fell back, waiting for the more massive truck to sail on by. It did exactly the opposite, pacing her exactly.

      Scowling, she glanced over, trying to see who was driving, but was thwarted because the truck sat so much higher off the ground than her car. Its broad side door and right fender stayed even with her no matter how she varied her speed.

      Her heart pounded. Her breathing grew shallow, rapid. Had Thad noticed what was going on? It sure didn’t look like it.

      Again, Lindy changed speed, shoving the gas pedal to the floor. Forty became fifty. Then fifty-five.

      The rear of Thad’s truck loomed ahead. She thought she saw his head turn, saw him look back.

      Suddenly, the white truck swerved.

      Slammed into the side of her sedan.

      Hit hard enough to shove her onto the narrow shoulder!

      Metal crunched and grated. Gravel flew. She almost overcorrected and went into a ditch, then regained the edge of the roadway and came to a stop as the reckless driver accelerated and sped away.

      Incredulous, she just sat there, her fingers clamped to the steering wheel, her eyes wide. Staring blankly.

      The driver who had forced her off the road passed Thad as if his truck were standing still and disappeared around a curve.

      She could barely breathe, barely think straight.

      This was turning into the second worst day of her life.

      * * *

      Thad stopped the moment he realized what had happened. Jumping from his truck he ran back to Lindy. “Are you all right?”

      The side window rolled smoothly down. Her breath was condensing into visible clouds and her complexion had lost its rosy glow. “Did you see that? That idiot was trying to wreck me!”

      “Sure looked that way.” Thad continued to check the road as he spoke in case the heavy-duty truck came back. “I thought he just wanted to pass us until I saw him deliberately ram you.” He was leaning against her car with both hands capping the edge of the door over the window slot. “Who was he?”

      “I don’t have the slightest idea. I didn’t recognize his truck, either.” She peered forward and winced. “How bad is the damage?”

      “Looks mostly cosmetic,” Thad said. “Though you should still have a garage check over the car before we go on.”

      Lindy let go of the steering wheel and stared at her hands, watching them shake. “I’m not sure I’m ready to drive again, anyway.”

      “No problem.” Straightening, Thad slipped his cell phone from the clip on his belt, flipped it open and stepped away from her car to speak. He didn’t ask Lindy’s permission. He simply called the sheriff.

      She was tugging at his elbow long before he finished the call but he persisted. “That’s right. Hit-and-run. Highway 9, south of town. Nobody’s injured. A guy in a white truck sideswiped Mrs. Southerland’s car then took off. No. We didn’t get СКАЧАТЬ