Chapter 2

Zoe POV

Sliding out of the red vinyl booth with an enormous sigh, I rub a hand over my belly and groan. It's so swollen I can barely breathe. I drop the receipt back onto the table, along with a few notes from my pocket, and stretch. My aching muscles protest. They had been hoping they could finally give up for the evening and rest at last, but we still have to make it back home. 

“Earl, what are you trying to do to me?!” I moan while flashing him a big grin as he comes out of the kitchen to stand at the counter. He rests his large hands flat on the pale grey surface as he admires his handiwork. This man loves nothing more than to fill people to bursting. I was on my way back from a call out to assist with a foaling mare when the flashing lights of Earl’s diner called out to my rumbling stomach and lured me in. Dinner and two pieces of pie later, I’m thinking I would have been better off with the boring sandwich I had originally planned to inhale before falling into bed. I'm so full I can barely move.

“Zoe, I bet you haven’t eaten since breakfast,” he comments, drumming his fingers on the counter as he waits. He rolls his eyes when I have to pause and think about that. I can’t even remember whether I ate any breakfast, but I know that I’ve survived on coffee and adrenaline since. “My cousin is a vet, and he never stops to sit and eat a meal either. So, if I get the chance, you bet I’m going to take good care of you. Someone needs to.” Earl continues, clearly very proud of the amount of food he’s tempted me into eating. 

I hop up onto the foot rail that runs around the outside of the counter. Leaning over as far as I can, I press a kiss to his waiting cheek, where he taps his finger pointedly. Sly old dog. Earl might be happily married for the last forty years, but I bet he was quite the charmer in his day.

“You’re a god among men, Earl,” I praise as I toss my change into the tip jar on the counter and wave at Mandy, my server, before walking outside into the cool evening air. It’s already dark outside, and the town is all but deserted. As I glance back towards the white-painted diner and spot Earl bustling around inside, I realise he might have stayed open just for me. It's eerily quiet. He probably would have shut up and let Mandy go home if I hadn't waltzed in. There isn’t another sinner to be seen. Which is probably a good thing, I decide as I zip up my fleece and look down at my worn boots and mud-stained jeans. 

At least I hope that it's mud. In this job, it could be anything. It's better not to think about it.

“Milk, bread, cereal,” I mutter to myself as I remember why I was driving home this way in the first place. The fridge is practically empty. I need to grab some essential supplies if I want to get through to the end of the week without having to do grocery shopping. And I definitely don't have time for that. Loading up my arms with bread, milk, and a box of cereal that probably has more sugar in it than a bar of chocolate, I head up to the till and pay. The gangly teenager rings it up and accepts my card without once looking up from the screen of his phone. It would be impressive if it wasn't so rude. 

“Thank you!” I say brightly, wondering if my overly cheery tone would be enough to get his full attention, but no dice. He is so engrossed in whatever he is watching that I don't think he even hears me. With my arms full, I use my hip to shove the door open and push my way out into the night. Balancing everything on one arm, I manage to get the door open without dropping anything and I toss my purchases across the console. My passenger seat is already cluttered with other junk, and I watch in disgust as the milk topples off the pile and onto the floor. Wonderful. Too tired to even care, I climb in and turn the engine on. 

Sitting behind the steering wheel and glancing in the rearview mirror, I sigh as I pull a bit of straw out of my messy blonde bun and try to ignore the dark circles under my eyes. I look awful. 

There's a brief flash of light that catches my eye and I turn to see where it came from. Another car is parked at the far end of the lot, tucked in under the trees, well out of the way. An amber flame glows in the darkness where the tip of a cigarette has been lit. It burns even brighter for a second as the smoker takes a deep pull. Whoever it is appears to be looking straight at me. Given there’s nobody else around, if I was waiting for someone to arrive, I’d be doing the same. 

Propping my shopping back right side up, I reverse my brother's big old black Land Rover Defender out of the parking lot in a wide arc and set off for home, mentally calculating how much sleep I can still get if I’m home and back in bed within half an hour.

A loud yawn escapes me and my eyes water. I’m bone tired and even taking a shower when I get home seems like a monumental task. But I need to. I must stink. While a soak in a hot bath sounds much more appealing, I’m afraid I’d fall asleep in the tub. Living alone means nobody to rescue you from drowning. Shaking my head hard to ward off the drowsiness creeping in, I turn up the radio and roll down the window. My hair whips around my face in the breeze as I sing along to a pop song that I’m probably far too old to be enjoying. I sit up straighter, concentrating on staying away long enough to get home and crawl in the door. 

Relief washes over me as I turn down my long driveway. Nearly there. 

The wide-open pastures around me dance and sway in the warm breeze. The odd light is invigorating. It feels magical, like the energy in the air after a thunderstorm. I suck in a deep breath and just enjoy the moment. The peace. It’s why I bought this place after all. I didn’t want to be in a city clinic treating caged hamsters and house rabbits all day. I wanted the great outdoors. Big skies and open spaces. That and the fact it was the only one that I could afford within a reasonable drive back to my parents. 

The jeep bounces and rolls over the uneven surface that I need to get fixed as well. Eventually. It’s on the to-do list but it’s way down in the order of priority. Hiring someone to help me is number one before I run myself into the ground. I only took over the practice a year ago and things are going well, but I’ve spread myself too thin. It’s all well and good winning new business, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day for me to do it all. Much as it pains me to admit it, I need help.  

I’m contemplating where I might advertise for a part-time manager and new veterinary nurse when the glint of something behind me catches my eye in the rear-view mirror. There's a car stopping at the end of my laneway, but with its headlights turned off. If it wasn’t for the full moon and its light reflecting off the chrome trim, I never would have seen it. My heart hammers in my chest as I slow down and watch it closely. Praying for it to just pull off and go on its merry way. 

Forcing myself to let out the breath I’d been holding without realizing it, I curse as it moves again, but not in the direction I want. Instead, it slowly rolls forward and turns into the laneway behind me, lights still off. Sometimes I get late-night calls, but normally they need me to go to them. And if it was an emergency patient, surely I'd have a call on my phone. And they definitely wouldn't be driving without no lights in the dark. 

My older brother Chase is a military man, protective by nature. With three younger sisters constantly getting into mischief, he worried about us. Chase drilled into us to trust our intuition when we were out and about. Always be aware of your surroundings. And if something doesn’t feel right, never worry about looking foolish, just get the hell out of there as fast as you can.

And right now, my instincts are screaming at me that something is very wrong. And to run. Except I can’t. That car, the one that doesn’t want me to know it’s following close behind me, is blocking my only way back out onto the road.

I’m trapped.