Broken Trust Read Online Free PDF Page A

anguish, something he hadn’t done even with his parents. At one time,
he’d confided everything to this woman.
    The truth held him back.
    Grunt nudged Toni’s arm. She gave a
startled yelp and pressed closer to Mac. “That’s the dog that attacked the man
shooting at me. The guy took off into the forest.” Her gaze darted about,
searching the trees for signs of someone hiding within the shadows. “Do you…do
you think the man’s still out there?”
    Mac squeezed her arm. “Don’t worry.
You’re safe with us. This is my new dog, Grunt. If the man returns, he’ll give
us an alarm.” Mac patted the mastiff’s head.
    Toni stared at the monstrous canine
with skepticism. The dog sidled up against her, sniffing her bare feet and
legs. He licked her ankles and she gave a short laugh, her voice hoarse. Fury
filled Mac when he thought of someone chasing her down, trying to kill her.
What if he and Dad hadn’t found her in time?
    She bent at the waist and hugged
his dog. “You saved my life, but you sure smell.”
    Mac hid a smile as Grunt gave her
another slobbery kiss across the face.
    “My purse.” A brown leather handbag
lay in the dirt close by and Toni snatched it up, then clasped it against her
chest. Her gaze scanned the trees, her eyes wide. It might be some time before
she felt safe again.
    “Hey, you two!” Dad called. “You
gonna’ bring me up or leave me down here all night?”
    Mac chuckled. While he pulled up
Dad, a battery of questions crowded his mind. As soon as they returned to his
cabin, he and Toni needed to have a long talk. He had to know what had brought
her all the way out here to see him.
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Toni took a shallow breath,
grateful to be leaving the forest. Her attacker might still be here, hiding,
waiting for the opportunity to shoot them. Then again, he’d probably left by
now. Surely road rage wouldn’t linger this long.
    A sliver of smoke rose from the
treetops as they approached Mac’s cabin. Pine needles crunched beneath her
feet. Mac had given her a pair of old tennis shoes he had stuffed in the bottom
of his backpack. Several sizes too large, they flopped around on her feet and
she picked her way carefully over the uneven ground. She worried about her car,
but couldn’t do anything about it right now. Hopefully her assailant wouldn’t
bother it.
    Hank led the way down the narrow
trail. Mac brought up the rear with Grunt. The dog panted, trotting along the
thin path, his presence somehow comforting as Toni stared into the shadows.
    The snap of a twig made her whirl
about and stare blindly into the thick stand of timber. A sudden chill embraced
her and she shivered. The hair stood up on the back of her neck. The gunman
with the ponytail could be following them. She couldn’t shake a feeling of
danger and wished they were indoors. Out here in the open, she felt too
vulnerable.
    “It’s okay. You’re safe, now.” Mac
squeezed her shoulder from behind, his strong, gentle fingers offering
reassurance. Doubt still plagued her mind. How could Mac protect her? Even he
wasn’t impervious to bullets, evidenced by the wound in his leg.
    At Eric’s funeral, Mac had been in
a wheelchair, fresh out of surgery to repair torn muscles and tendons from the
bullet wound he’d received in Afghanistan. He’d looked pale and gaunt and she
knew he must have disobeyed his doctor’s orders and jeopardized his own health
to attend.
    Her dad had once told her God let
His children be tested in order to strengthen their faith. Lately, her family
seemed to be tested more than their fair share.
    Determined to trust in God, she
trudged up the hill. Her side ached with every breath she took and she
struggled not to inhale deeply. When they reached the cabin, a wave of relief
swept her and she hurried toward the door.
    The large structure sat in the
middle of the copse, built of red timbers. It puffed a stream of smoke from its
chimney. The tangy scent of wood smoke and cooking meat