Breanna was grateful that Todd had given her the day off. After last night’s ordeal, there was no way she could return to work so soon. She’d never been so scared in her life. The police had arrived quickly last night, and arrested the three men. Thankfully, they weren’t completely finished loading their truck and so they were caught in the act. The police had asked Brad and Breanna questions afterwards. The TV stations had wanted in on the action, but Brad denied them any interviews, thank goodness.

Being in that predicament made Breanna think clearly for the first time since she started going out with Tom. Now she knew beyond a doubt that breaking away from Tom was the best thing for her. Never again was she going to feel helpless.

She realized with all that had happened, she’d forgotten about Amanda’s wedding gift. Breanna shrugged. Her friend would have to get it herself now.

Breanna sat at the breakfast table and stared at her bowl of oatmeal. Her mind relived the past five wasted years of her life. Tom had made her lots of promises. He never fulfilled even one.

Why would he want to string her along for five years if he didn’t love her or want to have a future with her? Nothing made sense. It wasn’t as if he was taking advantage of her in any way, although on most dates, she was the one who paid for dinner or a movie. Occasionally, he asked if he could store some boxes in her shed, which was fine with her since she didn’t have any use for it. No skin off her back there. So then why did he continue to make her believe he wanted to marry her?

Her cell buzzed with a text message, so she clicked it open. It was from Brad. I’m thinking about you. Please call me once Tom has left. Love you.

She smiled and texted back. Love you, too. I’ll call you after he leaves.

Was she crazy to be starting a new relationship before she’d even ended her first one? Yet, she’d be crazy not to want Brad as her boyfriend. He was so amazing and wonderfully sweet. She was very lucky to have found him.

Her heart lightened as she dressed for the day. Knowing that Brad was on her side supporting her made all the difference in the world. As she fixed her hair and applied her make-up, she realized her courage had grown stronger than she’d thought was possible. She was actually looking forward to confronting Tom and telling him that they were through. In fact, she might even drop in and visit him instead of waiting for him to come see her. Since he lived at the hotel where he worked, and because he had the day off, she would be able to get in, deliver him the bad news, and then quickly leave. Once that weight was off her shoulders, she would be able to spend more time with the man she truly loved.

Driving to his work, she was surprised that she wasn’t nervous. Well, maybe a little, but she was mostly anxious to get Tom out of her life. The hotel was easy to find, and she quickly parked and climbed out of her car. She didn’t expect the place to look so rundown. It reminded her of the dumps that the criminals hung out at in the TV police shows. Some of the windows were made out of cardboard. The building was in need of a major paint job, and the roof... Well, she wouldn’t want to stay here during a rainstorm.

When she walked inside, she realized it matched the outer conditions. How sad. Did anyone come to stay in this piece of crap? And if they did, were they expected to pay? She wouldn’t pay more than a dime a night for this place.

Behind the counter sat a shabbily dressed man who smoked a cigar. The bushy whiskers on his face, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look sick. But when she noticed the white and yellow food stains on his gray and blue flannel shirt, she wondered why he was working at all. Unless, of course, the owners couldn’t find anyone better to replace Tom during the days he’d be gone on vacation.

“Can I help you?” the man asked roughly.

“Umm, yes. I’m looking for Tom. I don’t know what room he’s staying in.”

“Tom? What’s his last name?”

“Patterson.”

The man’s thick, black eyebrows drew together. “We don’t have anyone staying here with that name.”

Was this man stupid? “Tom actually works here as the night clerk, but he’s taking a few days off. He also lives in one of the rooms.”

The man shook his head. “Sorry, lady. The night clerk is Joel, not Tom. Are you sure you have the right hotel?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’m sure. I’ve known Tom for five years. I’d think by now I’d know where he works.”

“But, nobody works here, or lives here, by that name.”

Growling in frustration, she reached into her wallet and found a picture they had taken of them the first year they’d been going out. “See. This is Tom Patterson.”

The man took the picture from her. His gaze narrowed for a few moments, and then he widened his eyes.

“Oh, yeah. I remember him, but his name isn’t Tom. I can’t remember what name he used, but it definitely wasn’t Tom. I think it started with an H... And his last name is Olsen. That’s what we would call him.” He chuckled and handed her back the photo. “Anyway, he used to work here, but one night the pigs tracked him down and made him run like a jackrabbit.” He laughed loudly.

Pigs? Jackrabbit? What was this, a farm? “Sir, I don’t think I know what you’re talking about.”

“Ya know, the cops were here looking for him about a year ago. When he found out, he ran like the coward he is and went back into hiding.” He scratched his bushy chin.

She shook her head. “No, I think you got the wrong man. Look at the picture closer.” She showed him the photo again. “His name is Tom Patterson.”

“Sorry, lady, but this man is Olsen. He has a small scar on his chin, right?”

She swallowed the lump growing in her throat. “Uh... yes.”

“I guess he told you his name was Tom because the pigs are looking for him. Apparently, the man has been breaking and entering at several different stores, and the pigs are trying to track him down.” He chuckled. “What an idiot. He thought changing his name would keep them away? Yeah, right.”

Her heart beat rapidly as dizziness swam in her head. Could this man be telling her the truth? Had Tom been lying to her all of these years? A dense pain started in her forehead, but she was sure by the time she returned home, it would be a full-fledged migraine.

“D-do you know where he lives now?”

“Nope, and I don’t care, either. He was a loser when he worked here. He sat around on his lazy butt and never did anything. I’m glad he’s gone.”

The tightness in her head squeezed tighter. Suffocation closed in around her, and made her struggle to even breathe. Were the walls closing in around her, too? She had to get out of here. Fast.

“Uh, thanks for your help.” She took a step back and swayed. No, she couldn’t lose control now. She must stay focused!

“Hey, lady? Are you all right? You don’t look so good.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Do you need a little pick-me-up?”

His voice made her ears throb. “A what?”

“You know, an upper, speed, whatever you want to call it. The first one is on me just because I think you’re pretty, but after that, you have to pay for them, just like everyone else that comes in here.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was he really suggesting that this hotel sold drugs? “Uh, no thanks. I have my own at home,” she lied.

She turned and hurried out the door before he could stop her. When she climbed in her car, she breathed in deeply, and slowly exhaled. Confusion swam in her head. Tom didn’t work here? But, every time he talked to her about his job, he always referred to it as the hotel. Sometimes he even described his boring night as the desk clerk. Yet, the man inside mentioned the cops were trying to find Tom, but he’d run to find another place to hide.

Her stomach lurched. Had Tom been running from the police? Was he doing it now? Could that be the real reason he needed to get away, blaming it on a trip to see his parents?

For some reason, she didn’t believe him. How could she after discovering this? And yet, if he didn’t work here, where did he work? He still made money, so why didn’t he want to tell her he’d gotten a new job?

Once she reached home, she laid on the couch with a cold rag on her forehead. She’d taken some medication for the headache, and hopefully it would work quickly. Her head pounded with uncertainly, and she didn’t want to talk to Tom or whatever his name was. She wanted to think clearly when she screamed at him for lying to her. And she definitely wanted to have full use of all her facilities when she kicked him out of her life for good.

Breathing slowly and deeply, she tried to calm herself, but her breathing exercises weren’t working this time. The only thing that had worked to calm her lately was Brad.

She smiled and her mind eased a bit. He’d been like a drug to her since meeting him. His nearness stirred feelings within her, and his smile and laugh was like a shining ray of sun on a rainy day. If only he were here with her now, she wouldn’t have a headache.

Should she call him and tell him to come over? She really wanted to, and yet, she didn’t want him here when Tom arrived. Then again, did she care about Tom’s feelings at all? He’d been lying to her, so why should she care what he thought?

She sat up and the damp rag dropped to her lap. If seeing Brad would make her feel better, she’d do it!

She grabbed her phone and started punching in his number, but before she could finish, she heard a truck with a bad muffler stop outside. She hitched a breath. Could Tom be here already? She hoped not.

Her tension caused her body to shake as she walked to the door. She tried to convince herself it wasn’t Tom. It wasn’t even afternoon yet. Why would he come ahead of schedule? That never happened in the five years they’d been dating, so why now?