Protecting Her Child Read Online Free PDF Page B

me. Why don’t you climb into your Jeep and head back to Atlanta? You can tell Eve that Dixie’s her daughter for all I care. I’ll have my baby tested when my life gets a little more stable. But right now, I need some space.”
    Before he could say anything else, she ran from the beach, kicking the sand with her feet.
    If only Pete could convince her to return with him to Atlanta.
    He had two more days before he needed to be back at Magnolia Medical. He’d make sure Meredith didn’t stray too far in case she changed her mind.
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    The headlights cut through the darkness. Meredith blinked back hot tears that stung her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry.
    Driving down this winding coastal road demanded her full attention. She couldn’t afford to let down her guard.
    VHL. Her baby could be at risk. Why should a tiny unborn infant be saddled with something life-threatening? Not the legacy any child wanted to inherit from its mother.
    Anger welled up within her, and she wanted to scream against the injustice. Not her baby.
    Didn’t she have enough to worry about right now?
    What about Dixie Collins? Why would she pretend to be Eve’s daughter?
    Meredith’s only possessions were a small overnight bag, a quilt she’d made for her baby and enough cash in her pocket for a week of food and hopefully as many nights in a low-rent motel. Until she could find another job and earn more money.
    Her hand instinctively patted her protruding stomach. Two months and her baby would be born. How could she work then? Perhaps she could do sewing alterations or take on consignments. But piece-work wouldn’t provide enough income to survive.
    Meredith pulled in a leveling breath and touched her pocket, where she’d tucked her husband’s pocketknife. The knife he’d forgotten to take the day he’d been killed.
    Right now, the weight of the weapon provided reassurance. She needed to be careful, yes. But not paranoid.
    No one had followed her out of Refuge Bay. She hadn’t seen another car along the coastal road for miles. No steel-gray pickup truck. No ruffians who thought they could push her around. No one who knew she was on the run.
    She rested her shoulders against the back of the seat, feeling her taut muscles relax ever so slightly. The baby kicked and she almost laughed.
    â€œHey there, little one. I know I’m not alone. You and I are in this together. And with the help of God, we’ll make it.”
    The roadway straightened into a long stretch of two-lane road. She checked her speed. Fatigue weighed heavily on her. She needed sleep. And not in the front seat of the car.
    She longed to stretch out her legs and prop her head on a feathery pillow. Eight hours of uninterrupted slumber would brighten her outlook and ease the dull ache that twisted up her spine.
    She cracked open the window, allowing the cool night air to circulate through the car. Readjusting the backrest, she shook her head, hoping to be free of the lethargy that had her in its grip, and reached for the radio knob. Before her fingers pushed the button, she caught a flash of light in the rearview mirror.
    Meredith pulled her hand back to the steering wheel. She straightened in the seat as her heart thumped a warning. The fatigue fled, replaced by a frisson of fear.
    She flicked another gaze in the mirror. Headlights charged along the road, coming closer.
    Her eyes dropped to the speedometer as her foot pushed down on the gas. Fifty-five miles per hour. Sixty.
    The lights drew closer.
    From their intense glare and raised elevation, the vehicle appeared to be larger than her four-door.
    An SUV perhaps?
    The muscles in her neck tensed. The road curved and she struggled to keep the wheels on the pavement. A gust of wind swooped through a break in the trees.
    She gripped the wheel more tightly, made the turn and felt pinpricks of anxiety dance along her neck. Once again lights flashed in the mirror.
    The