CHAPTER SIX
The slowing of the car woke Chloe. She wiggled into a more upright position and stretched as much as the tight space of the passenger seat would allow her. Snow fell at a good clip in the light from the headlights as they drove down an exit ramp.
“Where are we?” she asked, rubbing her face and twisting to work out a few kinks that had settled into her muscles. Sleeping in a car wasn’t always restful, but apparently last night’s sleeplessness had added to her exhaustion from the evening’s events.
“Gonna make a quick stop for supplies.” Wes said, pulling into a Walmart superstore lot.
“Supplies for what?” she asked, pulling on a blanket laying on top of her. Where had that come from?
Wes grasped it and tossed it in the backseat. Immediately a chill ran up her hose covered legs. “First thing we need is to get you some warm clothes.”
She lifted a skeptical eye at him. “At Walmart?”
He tapped the dashboard clock. “Hate to point it out to you, sweetheart, but it’s after ten. All the malls are closed.”
“Walmart it is.” She buttoned up her coat, grabbed her bag and opened the door. The chill hit her like a blast from the freezer. There was nearly four inches of snow on the ground and the gusts of wind had picked up.
“How far north did you drive us? Canada?” she asked as Wes met her at the front of the SUV. He’d parked only one aisle from the store, the weather apparently keeping saner people at home.
“We’re just south of Columbus in Grove City. I wanted to stay close to the interstate. Once we’re north of the city we’re likely not too find another place to get you clothes.” He grabbed a hold of her arm to steady her, glancing down at her high-heeled boots. “You’re going to need sturdier winter boots.”
“If I’d known I was going to be taking a trip in a blizzard, I’d have worn my hiking boots.”
As they made their way into the store, she slipped twice, glad both times that Wes kept her from falling onto her keester in the cold wet snow. It was bad enough when you did it in jeans, but a skirt and hose? Yeah, not fun at all.
Once inside, he let go of her and grabbed a shopping cart. “Why don’t you head to the women’s department while I get some food supplies?”
She stopped mid-stride. “You’re just taking me to my sister’s place, right?”
Wes moved closer, close enough that she had to tilt her head up to see his eyes. “This guy has escalated and intends to really hurt you. Do you want to put your sister, Gage, and their baby in his cross-hairs?”
Fear for her sister and her unborn child hit her hard. Damn the man was right again. “No. I’d never want to do that.”
“Then grab enough clothes for a week. Warm clothes. I’ll meet you near the shoes in a little while.”
Before she could inform him that no way was she going to be gone from work for a week, he’d turned his back to her and strode off like a caveman going in search of a wooly mammoth. A man on a mission.
With a shake of her head, she grabbed her own cart and walked the opposite direction to the women’s section. Determined to find something warm, she searched through the clothes’ racks, snatching up two pairs of jeans, some long sleeve tees and sweaters. It had been years since she’d shopped in the superstore for her wardrobe. Memories of Bobby bringing her and their youngest sister Dylan shopping for school clothes every year hit her hard. She’d wanted designer jeans and tops from the mall like the other girls at school. That resulted in a loud screaming battle between Bobby and her, ending with a teen-aged slamming of the bedroom door.
Chloe smiled as she reached for a plaid shirt.
One thing about her older sister, Bobby always learned from every encounter. The next August, right before school was to start, she’d taken her and Dylan to the mall. Seated in the beat-up Toyota she’d driven for years, she took out her wallet and handed them each one hundred dollars.
“That is all the money I have to spend on school clothes this year. You may spend it on whatever you want. It’s your money,” Bobby said.
“Designer jeans?” Chloe asked, all excited and visions of looking like a pop-singer floating around in her head.
“If that’s what you want.” Bobby nodded. “Just remember, that’s all you get. If your jeans cost ninety-nine dollars, you can’t get anything else. No shirts. No sweaters. No dresses.”
“What about underwear and shoes?” the ever-practical Dylan asked.
Chloe wanted to smack her. They’d just been given one hundred dollars to buy what they wanted. She wasn’t spending it on panties and bras.
Bobby smiled at Dylan. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of those along with a winter coat in a month or so. Today is about outfits. Oh, and whatever is left over from the money I gave you, is yours to save for later.”
They’d gone in the mall and quickly, Chloe jumped into shopping. Just as quickly, she realized there was no way she could buy the cute designer jeans and tops for just one hundred dollars. She had enough for only one outfit. When she’d complained to Bobby, her sister said she’d just have to wear all her clothes from last year. Which was fine if you were Bobby and stopped growing taller at five-feet-four inches. She’d shot up another two during the spring and summer, teetering on five-foot-ten.
That’s when reality hit her. Shopping for designer clothes to keep up with the cool kids would mean she wouldn’t have enough clothes for school. She couldn’t wear only one outfit all year long. Finally, she turned to her oldest sister and guardian.
“Can we go to Walmart?”
Bobby had put her arm around her waist and smiled. “Why don’t we try the sale rack against the wall first.”
In the end, she’d gotten one pair of designer jeans and a cute top on sale and the rest of her clothes at Walmart, where she found some designer clothes at discount. Her sister taught her several things that day, such as budget your money and live within the limits of what you have. Sometimes you can get what you want if you’re patient and are willing to think outside the box—or search through the sales rack. Peer pressure to be liked can be a very costly thing. Being an individual and believing in yourself is important.
With a smile Chloe headed with her choices towards the dressing room, stopping in the underwear aisle to snag some panties. She should probably get some bras, too, but one of the perks of having time off was to go braless. A smile split her lips. If it bothered the deputy, well, that was just his problem.
Fifteen minutes later, she found Wes standing in the shoe section, examining the women’s boots.
“I don’t think they have those in your size, deputy,” she teased.
“These might work for you.” He held up a pair of tan short boots that resembled men’s work boots.
Pushing her cart up beside his, she took the boot from him. “Not too bad. I could tuck the jeans into the top and lace them all the way if I’m trekking through deep snow.” She paused her inspection to glance up at him. “Is there a lot of snow where we’re going?”
“Won’t know until we get there.”
She flipped the boot over, checking the thick heel and soul. “Would be great for hiking. Are we going to have to trek up a mountain to get there?”
“Might have to go through some terrain. Won’t know—”
“Until we get there. Yeah, I get it. You’re not really going to tell me are you?”
The corner of his lip turned up and he lifted one brow.
The man was irritating. He didn’t plan to tell her where he was taking her, no matter how much she hinted. And by now, she was pretty sure he intended to isolate her in his cabin. The cabin they’d spent the night together in. The night she couldn’t remember.
Heat filled her face at the memory of waking up in his bed, clueless as to what had occurred, and her quick escape the next morning. Forcing herself to concentrate on the present, she handed the boot back to him and reached for a pair of high-gloss, mid-calf boots with three-inch stilettos. “How about these then?”
“Not going to work. You’d break your neck in them.”
“Okaaayy…” She set the impractical boot back in the box and reached for a pair of black suede short, slouch-type boots. “How about these. Easy to get into. No lacing them up like the others. Will fit over the bottoms of my jeans.” She flipped them over. “Smaller heel than even the pair you’re holding and a good tread. Perfect for walking around Westen.”
“They would, if you were going to be strolling around town. Which would be a very bad idea.” He took the black boot out of her hand and replaced it with the one he’d chosen.
She glanced at the prices on the boxes, smiled and picked them up. “I’ll just get both.”
“Seems like a waste of money.”
“It’s my money to spend,” she said, flashing him a smile.
He inhaled and slowly exhaled, as if bracing himself for a physical blow. “Not really.”
Chloe tipped her head sideways, the smile disappearing quickly. “What do you mean, not really?”
“I’m taking you off the grid.” His steady gaze met hers.
“What exactly do you mean by off the grid?” She sent him a piercing look.
“From this moment, until we can find your stalker, you’re not going to leave an electronic footprint he can follow.”
“And that has to do with my money not being my money…how?” She really wasn’t liking how this sounded.
“No credit cards or ATM withdrawals.”
“What?” She gave him the open-mouthed, you-can’t-possibly-be-serious stare. “Exactly how did you plan for me to pay for all these clothes you demanded I get?” she asked, waving her hand over the cart. While she hadn’t gone too crazy—well, except for the two pairs of boots—she certainly had more items in her cart than the cash in her wallet could cover.
“I don’t,” he said, pushing his cart out into the aisle headed to the check out.
Thanks to his long-legged stride, she had to practically run to catch up with him. By the time she did, he was already unloading his cart’s contents onto the check-out belt.
Angling her cart to the side, she slid right up behind him to whisper in his ear. “I’m not letting you buy my clothes.”
“Yes, you are,” he said without turning around.
“I can just get some money from the ATM near the door.” She started to move away. He grabbed her by the hand, stopping her.
“I said, no ATMs. Anyone with the skills capable of hacking into a phone can find out where you’ve used an ATM. I don’t want your stalker knowing which direction we’re headed.” The intensity of his blue gaze focusing in on her and the grip of his hand on hers let her know he was deadly serious.
Dammit. She hated being out of control and in anyone’s debt. Quickly, she tried to think of some way to convince him to let her pay for her own clothes.
Wes leaned in closer. “If he knows about your sisters and finds a trail of you heading north, where do you think he’ll look first?”
“Bobby’s.” Her heart sank. No matter how much she wanted to dig her feet in and be the independent woman who could pay her own way, she wouldn’t let her own ego put her beloved sister and future niece or nephew in jeopardy.
“We’ll call it a loan. You can pay me back later.” He loosened his grip on her hand slightly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her knuckles. “Please?”
His actions and the magic word, as Bobby always called it, took some of the sting out of her ire.
“Okay, but I’m buying the black boots and my underwear.” She glared at him. “I have enough cash for that and no way are you buying me panties.”
He didn’t even blink, but the muscles near his mouth quivered.
“And don’t you dare laugh at me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said and turned back to unloading his cart.
“Good,” she muttered, grabbing her clothes and piling them on the end of the checkout counter. She also snatched some single serving bags of chips and two extra size chocolate bars, tossing those on top of her clothes for good measure. It was going to take some serious junk food to keep from killing him tonight.
Once the clerk reached the end and he paid, Chloe laid her items on the counter. Thankfully, Wes had the grace and good sense to move the full shopping cart out and two aisles down while her total was being rung up.
“You know,” the barely-over-twenty-something girl said, leaning close as she handed her the change. “I wouldn’t complain if someone who looked like that wanted to buy me panties.”
“He’s my brother. It would be weird,” Chloe said, trying to hide her mounting irritation.
“Your brother?” Wes asked when she carried her bag to where he was waiting.
She shrugged. “First thing that came into my mind.”
“Good thinking. If your stalker comes looking for you here, he won’t be looking for a sister and brother combo.”
Chloe arched one brow at him. “So glad you approved.”
He picked up the bag containing her clothes. “Want to change in the bathroom before we go back out in the storm?”
Casting him another slant-eyed glance she reached for the bag, handing him hers to add to the cart.
He held up the shoes he bought. “Might want these first. There’s some socks in the bag, too.”
Pressing her lips together, she whirled and stalked off into the bathroom, Bobby’s voice bouncing around in her head.
“If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.”
And right now, there was nothing nice for her to say to, or about, Deputy Wes Strong.