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better odds than two against one. I don’t have a gun, but I can get one from my granddad."
    Shelly shook her head. "Reed’s got the gun part covered." The thought of carrying a gun herself nauseated her.
    "What does this Victor guy look like so I’ll know what to watch for?"
    Shelly shuddered when she pictured Eddie, with those cold, hateful eyes boring twin holes in her. She stood, sending the swing swaying back and forth.
    "About six feet tall, dark complexion, dark hair and mustache. Snazzy dresser, though if he does come here, I don’t think he’ll be wearing Armani suits. And he’ll probably disguise himself somehow." Shelly exhaled as if doing so would rid her of thoughts of Eddie. "Now, if you’re staying, you’d better start earning your paycheck. We’ll be busy in a few days. Make sure all the tubes are good to go. And the oil needs to be changed in the van."
    Chris hesitated, likely still trying to decide on an appropriate response in light of all the information she’d dumped on him in a short amount of time. Finally, he smiled and saluted, trying no doubt to lighten the mood. "Yes, ma’am."
    When he disappeared around the edge of the cabin to work on the tubes, she looked down the road but couldn’t spot Reed. A chill ran down her back despite a temperature in the lower eighties.
    Damn you, Eddie Victor. I won’t let you do this to me. I won’t let you win.
    ****
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
    By the time Shelly closed the office for the day and convinced Chris to go home, she was beyond exhausted. She hadn’t been able to do anything right, dropping files, fumbling the phone, and cursing with each of the three paper cuts stinging her fingers. She couldn’t concentrate on the design for the new brochure or the accounting, jumping at every sound and watching out the door for Reed to return from his walk.
    She’d been so distracted that she’d barely been able to talk to Callie, one of her friends from Dallas who’d called to check on her after hearing the news about Eddie. Only when she’d called her mother to check on how her father was doing was she able to focus. But the moment she hung up the phone after hearing there was no change, her nerves went on high alert again.
    She locked the office and wondered if she should have alarms installed in the office and her cabin. Crime was virtually nonexistent in Bobcat Ridge, so she’d never felt the need for anything other than a normal door lock to protect herself.
    She stood on the porch staring out into the surrounding forest, the deep green turning black with the approaching night. She shivered, feeling exposed. Had Eddie somehow made it this far already? Was he out there watching her, pointing a gun at her? Had Reed run into him?
    Stop it. Her worst enemies were her imagination and panic. She had to keep a tight rein on each and trust Reed to be able to take care of himself.
    Like Troy had? A doubting voice from deep within her mind whispered the question, making her close her eyes tightly and take a slow, deep breath. She swore she wouldn’t go back to the woman she’d been when her parents had brought her home, jumping at every creak of the cabin, seeing Eddie Victor’s face in every shadow. But as night descended on the mountains, she wondered if she could keep that promise.
    She strained to see beyond the clearing but saw nothing other than the faint swaying of leaves. Where the hell was Reed? And what had he been doing all afternoon?
    Fatigue weighing on her shoulders, she stepped off the porch and made her way to her own cabin. She flicked on the light and went immediately to the refrigerator. But after opening the door and staring at the fully stocked racks, she realized she was too tired to eat. What she really wanted was a nice hot bath.
    She stared at the front door, hating that she had to worry about someone getting in. She slid a chair under the doorknob, telling herself it was just a precaution. A little peace of mind while she