Free Witness Pursuit by Hope White Page B

here.”
    Bree quirked an eyebrow.
    â€œKnock it off,” Cassie said. “He’s just doing his job.”
    Bree’s phone beeped. She held it up. “Mom.”
    â€œGo ahead, tell her I’m okay.”
    Bree answered. “Hi Mom...Yeah, I’m with her now. She’s okay...I’ll tell her. Love you, too.” Bree pocketed her phone. “Mom says she loves you even if you won’t stay with her at the resort.”
    â€œIt’s safer for Mom this way.”
    â€œI wish you would’ve called me instead of me having to hear about it from Mom,” she said in her hurt voice.
    Bree had survived her share of violent situations, and Cassie wanted to spare her big sister more trauma.
    â€œCassie?” Bree prompted.
    Cassie put Dasher down and watched him enjoy all the new smells of her apartment. “I’m okay...well, I was okay until we heard an explosion outside just now. Chief Walsh went to investigate. He said not to open the door to anyone but him and when you knocked, I couldn’t see you through the peephole.”
    â€œI was picking up the dog, sorry. What is going on around here? First the body in the cabin, then a crazy man in urgent care, and someone tried to break into the farmhouse? How are you coping with all this?”
    â€œI’m fine.” Cassie glanced at the window across the room. “I just wish Chief Walsh would let me know he’s okay.”
    â€œWant me to look?” Bree started for the window.
    â€œNo, stay away from the window.”
    â€œWhat? Why?” Bree studied her.
    â€œI saw a guy out there. It’s probably nothing.”
    â€œHoney.” Her sister took Cassie’s hand. “Never, ever ignore your instincts. If you think there was something off about the man outside, then respect that feeling.”
    Bree knew a lot about trusting her instincts. She’d learned the hard way after surviving a relationship with an abusive boyfriend. She’d also found a wounded man in the mountains named Scott, and trusted her instincts that told her he was not a criminal. Scott turned out to be a wonderful man who was now Bree’s boyfriend.
    â€œWe’ll tell Nate about the strange man outside,” Bree said.
    â€œNo.” Cassie pulled her hand away. “I’m probably overreacting.”
    â€œOr maybe not. Why don’t you want to tell him?”
    Cassie sat on the sofa and Dasher jumped up beside her. “Nate’s got enough going on. He doesn’t need to deal with my paranoia about some phantom stranger.”
    â€œThat’s not it,” Bree challenged, joining her on the sofa. “Come on, out with it.”
    â€œLook, he already thinks of me as his friend’s bubbleheaded little sister who talks way too much. Why add overreacting, hysterical woman to that list? I don’t want him looking at me that way. I want him to see me as...” Her voice trailed off as she noticed a wry smile playing across her sister’s lips. “What?” Cassie challenged.
    â€œNothing.” Bree winked.
    â€œWhat’s with the wink?”
    â€œAdmit it, his opinion of you means so much because you kinda like him.”
    â€œHe’s the police chief. Everyone likes him.”
    â€œI’m not talking that kind of like. I’m talking hugging and holding hands and—”
    â€œStop.” Cassie stood, grabbed the food bag and went into the kitchen. She had to get away from her sister’s teasing comments.
    More like, unavoidable truth.
    Drat, who was Cassie kidding? She’d been crushing on Nate Walsh for months and kept pushing it away, telling herself he’d never be interested in a naive chatterbox like her.
    She also knew he was the exact wrong person to date because of his dedication to his job. She wanted to take off and explore the world, whereas Nate was firmly rooted in the community as police chief. He wasn’t going anywhere