Choices of the Heart Read Free Page B

on the edge of the bed, her tears flowing. He held her against his side and rubbed her back. She couldn’t stop crying, taking big gulps of air.
    “He’s gone, Chloe. You’re safe now,” Reese whispered.
    “I’ll never be safe.” She shook her head and pulled from Reese, burying her face in her hands. “Not here in Broken Bow.”
    A commotion in the hallway drew Reese to the door. “I’ll be right back, Chloe Anne,” he said before stepping into the hallway. He closed the door behind him.
    She knew the sooner she left this awful place, the better off she would be. How awful that Pa should have found her already. She’d run away from that evil monster only to be hunted by him as soon as she returned. Life was simply not fair sometimes.
    Reese was here, saving her from her father again…as if nothing had changed. Well…the date on the calendar, perhaps, but not her feelings and attraction toward Reese. She loved him still, probably always would, but she couldn’t stay here, not with her father on the loose. Not even for the love of her life.
    A brief rap on the door surprised her. She stood and walked toward it, this time being smart enough to ask who was on the other side.
    “It’s me, Chloe, with Sheriff Jacks.”
    She opened the door and moved away. Fully aware of how awful she must look, she hesitated to look Lowell Jacks in the eye.
    “Miss Chloe, I’m sorry for what happened, ma’am. Reese has told me what he saw when he came in. Do you want to add anything to his report, ma’am?”
    She glanced first at Reese and then at Lowell before she sat back on the bed.
    “He was going to rape me, Sheriff.” Her voice was thick, as if her tears were lodged inside her throat. “Had Reese not pulled him off, he might have succeeded. He’s much stronger than I am. He slapped me across the face and punched me in the jaw after I kicked him in his privates.”
    Her face fell back into her hands. This was just not right! This was not how life should be!
    “I’ll add that to the report, ma’am. My partner took your pa to the station, and we’ll keep him locked up until you leave town, Miss Chloe. You’ll press charges, won’t you?”
    She nodded. “Yes, I will press charges,” she said. “And thank you, Sheriff, for locking him up. I’m much obliged.”
    “You taking care of her, Reese? Does she need a doctor?” Lowell continued to stare at her.
    She scoffed at that. How bad did she look? “I’m a nurse.”
    “Right.” Lowell nodded with a sigh. “I forgot that’s what you went to Lincoln for.” He shot her a sheepish look and then ran a hand through his blond hair. “I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Chloe. You know Miss Daisy and I were in school together. It’s a sad loss. You too, Reese. Ronnie was a good man.”
    She nodded toward the sheriff, agreeing with his assessment of Reese’s brother.
    Reese showed Lowell to the door.
    He turned back to Chloe. “I’ll go on down and get you some ice for your cheek. You’ll be wanting to change out of your dress.”
    She looked down at the spot on her chest that he was pointing to. The outline of her father’s black, sooty fingers was silhouetted on the grey linen covering her breasts. “I guess so.”
    “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
    He shut the door behind him, and she fell back on the bed. She’d left Broken Bow so she’d never have to go through that kind of scene again. Her pa had never tried to split her legs apart. That was a new one. Never hit her in the face, either. He was always careful to hurt her where no one could see, so the townsfolk wouldn’t think less of him. He’d called her plenty of ugly names. Whore was tame compared to some he’d come up with in the past. There had never been any sexual advances toward her, just the physical and verbal abuse. The man was obviously depraved.
    Bastard.
    He’d beaten her poor mother to death and hadn’t received so much as a slap on his wrist. Damn right, she was going to