Aside from the thought of never seeing her son, she might never see Hudson.More of that familiar ache welled up.Not being with him was torture.Take away those two people from her life, and she might as well be dead.She’d live out the rest of her life like a zombie.Those were the only two people who mattered.
Ironically, she had to stay out of both of their lives to keep them safe.She’d had to walk away from her son because she’d been too young to take care of him.Now, she was walking away from Hudson to protect him and his family.
Would he give up now that he knew the truth about her circumstances?Would he happily let her go?
Her life was complicated, confusing.Funny enough, her emotions were crystal clear.In her heart, she wanted to be part of her son’s life as well as Hudson’s.Was that practical?
No.
Was it realistic?
No.
The heart didn’t care.It wanted what it wanted.
Pushing through the woods, her vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes.Cassie was not usually a crier.Her usual MO was to hold everything inside and push it down deep.Since opening up to Hudson, that was no longer possible.Now, tears spilled out like an overflowing bathtub.
Breathe.
One look at Christian—or whatever his name was—and she would grab the money she’d hidden, grab the IDs with her second new identity, and disappear from the only place she’d ever called home…Texas.
More of those hot tears leaked, streaking her cheeks, and a deep sense of loss threatened to gut her.
The right choice wasn’t always the easy choice.This one might just be the end of her.Or could she stick around and figure out a different plan?
16
Hudson neared the ranch called Here For D Heaven, where Cassie believed her son lived.He immediately understood the place sold Hereford cattle, and the name meant the owners had a sense of humor.He pulled onto the shoulder half a mile past the gate.He’d driven past it twice to get the lay of the land, regroup, and think up the right approach.No easy answers appeared.
He could pretend to be interested in purchasing one of their heifers.Or just interested in touring their operation.
The reason for sticking around and asking questions needed to be more than a quick in and out.He needed to be there when Cassie arrived.He was certain this was where she would come before her eventual disappearance.If he couldn’t catch her now, there was a good chance it was all over.
Or should he find a spot and camp out?Wait to see if she showed?It could take hours for her to arrive.Or she could have hitchhiked to cut the time.
Would she, though?
Should he go?Wait at the ranch in case she had a change of heart?
Lost in the woods, she would have no idea Nikki was safe.
Hudson issued a sharp sigh.He pulled out his cell and mapped the route on foot using the map feature.The one-hour drive would take her fourteen hours to walk, according to the app.In his experience, the walking estimation was intended for slow walkers, so she could likely make the trek in eleven to twelve hours.Plus, the app recommended roads, whereas she could cut across the woods.Would she, though?
The mountain lion was still out there, and even if it wasn’t, its earlier presence would remind her of the dangers of being alone in a rural area.It was daylight now.Had she survived the night?
Shit.
If he didn’t find her and help, if he didn’t know that she was all right, the memory of her would haunt Hudson for the rest of his life.He just wished she had realized that he wasn’t built to walk away before she’d taken off.
Would she go into town and do something public to draw attention?If so, he’d miscalculated.She could’ve been in town long before now.It was the logical place to go if she wanted to make a scene.She had no cell and no way for him to reach her.
Waiting, not knowing, was the worst feeling.The tension in the pit of his stomach grew.
Curiosity had him wanting to take a look at the boy, who she’d said was fifteen years old.Would Hudson see Cassie in the boy’s face?In his mannerisms?
His cell buzzed, drawing him out of deep thought.
He checked the screen and saw that a call was coming in from Eduardo, the private investigator he’d hired.