Page 2 of Unbound

She must be on the run.

I take a step back, lifting my hands. “Look, I don’t know if you’re waiting for someone, but a truck stop in this area at night is no place for a defenseless woman. He’s not the last of them.”

She nibbles her bottom lip, turning to the side and shrinking back as two more truckers walk past us and go into the convenience store.

I was raised to protect women first and ask questions later, so I can’t just leave her out here in the cold.

“Can I call someone for you?”

She shakes her head. I wrap my hand around the back of my neck and debate how to convince her I’m trustworthy so I can help her.

“My sisters would skin my ass if I left you out here like this. What’s your name?”

The mention of sisters seems to catch her attention. An ounce of tension eases from her shoulders.

“Eden,” she says. Her voice has a rasp to it.

I extend my hand. “Name’s Sterling. Sterling Redford.”

She looks down at my callous rancher’s hand before tentatively extending hers. I grasp her small, soft fingers and shake her hand gently.

“Can I help you in some way, Eden? I’m headed to Virginia Beach, but I can take a detour if you tell me where you’re going.”

She glances around at the darkness and the unrelenting rain. “How far is Virginia Beach?”

“About eighteen hours, plus stops. I’m coming from my family’s ranch in La Pradera. Been on the road for four.”

“I don’t have much money.”

“I’m not expecting anything in return.” I point to the dog tags around my neck. “I’m in the military. I’m headed to a training camp for six weeks before I go on another mission overseas. Where are you coming from?”

She seems skittish, and the last thing I want is to scare her off or leave her here.

She shrugs. “Just a small town. I’m … I’d like to get farther away from Texas.”

“Well, between here and Virginia Beach, there are a lot of options.”

The guys who went into the store earlier comes back out, followed by an employee with the truck stop’s logo on his shirt.

He pokes his head halfway out the glass door. “Hey, read the sign. No loitering.” He points to the faded sign.

I turn back to Eden. “I’m going in to get some road-trip snacks and an energy drink so I can drive through the night. You want anything?”

Her eyes dart to the employee’s finger on the sign. Finally, she steps closer to me and nods.

“Okay,” she says.

I turn toward the guy and grab the door for Eden. “We’re coming in to get a few things.”

She walks in ahead of me. I try not to hover near her, instead going toward the energy drinks and selecting two different flavors. I also grab a yellow Gatorade and a bag of Funyuns, dill pickle sunflower seeds, and some beef jerky.

I dump it all on the countertop near the register and turn around to look for Eden. She’s over near the snack aisle.

“I’m waiting for her. Where’s your restroom?”

The guy points to the back corner, behind where she is. I walk toward her, fishing through my wallet for my credit card. She has a packet of peanut butter crackers clutched in her tiny hand.

“Here.” I extend the card out to her. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. My stuff is up there. Can you just pay for it all together?”