Page 2 of Unhinged

He glanced up, hope and wariness mingling in his expression. “Just out of town, near Cherry Ridge.”

Cherry Ridge was a fairly upscale rural area, the homes large and placed far apart, surrounded by dense woods flanking the river. He didn’t really look like he fit in with the Cherry Ridge crowd, but Carrie tried not to be judgmental. His clothes were cheaply made but clean, a sign that he took care of himself.

The trailer park. Rolling Meadows was out that way, too, a rundown grouping of doublewides spread over a few dozen acres. Carrie's heart went out to him. He probably couldn’t afford a car, let alone a cell phone. Guilt assailed her.

“Well…” Carrie bit her lip, carefully considering the dilemma. She’d been raised to help people, and he seemed harmless enough. “I guess we can take you.”

“Carrie!” Selah screeched from the passenger seat. “Are you crazy?”

“Hold on one second.” Carrie held up a finger to the man and leaned into the car. “He’s stranded, Selah. We should help him.”

Selah shook her head. “No way is he getting in this car!”

“Selah.” Was she serious right now? “He needs help.”

“Not from us!”

It was rare that Carrie ever stood up to Selah, but… she shot the guy a look again. Standing with his shoulders slumped forward dejectedly, he made for a pathetic sight.

“What’s your name?”

His gaze darted to Carrie's. “Thomas. My friends call me Tommy.”

“Hop in, Tommy.”

“Really?” Hope lit his features, and Carrie smiled.

“Yep, come on.”

“Thanks!”

Carrie slid into the driver’s seat and shot a look at Selah who glared back at her, arms crossed over her chest.

“This is a terrible idea,” Selah tossed over her shoulder as Tommy climbed into the backseat. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

Carrie glanced in the rearview mirror and caught Tommy’s grim expression. Having been on the receiving end of Selah’s sharp tongue before, she knew exactly how he felt. She quickly changed the subject.

“Cherry Ridge, right?”

He met Carrie's gaze in the mirror. “Yep. Head that way.”

Something in his tone made Carrie's insides twist. The way he phrased it made her think that her initial assumption was correct. He’d have them drive toward Cherry Ridge, then let him out before they got to the trailer park. Probably a good thing, too. Rolling Meadows wasn’t exactly known for its upstanding citizens.

Putting the car into gear, Carrie backed out of the parking spot and pulled into traffic on the main road, then headed toward the truck stop. Passing the ramps for the freeway, she gestured at the road. “How much farther?”

“Just a few miles. There’s a road up here to the right. I’ll let you know where to turn.”

With a nod, Carrie turned her attention back to the road. Streetlights became fewer and farther between, and traffic was almost non-existent at this time of night. Out here in the country, most everyone was probably already bedded down for the night, ready to greet an early dawn and work the land.

“Right up here.”

A road came into sight and Carrie flipped on the blinker. Dust clouded the rearview mirror in the red glow of the taillights as the car churned down the bumpy road. Trees flanked them on both sides, blocking the light from the moon, and Carrie glanced around. She hadn’t seen any houses out this way yet, not even a light of any sort indicating anyone lived out here. Unease crept into her stomach, sending up a flurry of butterflies.

“How much farther?”

“Not long now.”

Carrie took a deep breath and pressed the brake. “I’m sorry, this is all the farther we can go. We’re running late, and we really need to get home.”