Free Winter's Destiny by Nancy Allan Page A

this anymore than she did.
    She glanced into the master bedroom. One bed, her dresser, and the rocker were the only furniture left behind.
    Amy knew one thing. She had to find her son and bring him home. To do that, she had to find her husband. Dan was close to his sister, and Nita was protective of him. Would he go there? Nita would take Jamie in a heartbeat and that would certainly make things easy for Dan. Amy reached in her pocket for the cell and speed dialed Dan’s cell. Voicemail. She tried Nita. Voicemail again. She tried Brandon. Same thing.
    Something was really wrong. She recalled the delivery truck she had passed on Lighthouse Road. A moving van!
     
     

CHAPTER 14
     
     
    Amy tore down the stairs and out the open front door running headlong into Dallas. He grabbed her arms and brought her to a dead stop. “Hey, where’s the fire?”
    The concern was visible on his kindly face but a voice echoed in her mind: You made a big mistake calling the sheriff . Remembering the threat to Jamie, she pulled back, twisted free of his grip, ran for the Jeep, jumped in, and jammed the key into the ignition. The engine fired.
    Before she could back out, the driver’s door flew open. A strong hand grabbed her wrist. “Now hold on just a minute.”
    “Let go! There’s no time.” Amy tried to twist from his grip.
    “Mrs. Johnson, step out of the vehicle; you’re in no condition to drive right now.” He looked at her haunted expression and swollen eyes.
    Amy pretended to relent. The second he released her wrist she rammed the transmission into reverse and with the driver’s door still wide open, she floored it. The tires screamed backward down the driveway. She slammed the door closed, hit the road, shifted into first, and disappeared down the narrow road.
    Dallas dove out of the way and ran to his Yukon. He caught up to her in no time, but pulled back when he saw her Jeep sliding from one side of the narrow, pot-holed road to the other. It was all but out of control. At the speed she was going, Amy would either end up over the edge or send someone else over, should they be so unlucky as to be coming from the other direction. Dallas radioed ahead and gave his deputies instructions: “We’re going to need the spikes. Lay them down before the turnoff. And get a move on!” He shouted. “She’ll be there in less than twenty minutes. Let’s hope nobody’s headed her way.”
    When he reached a straight stretch on the road, he accelerated, almost catching up with her truck before it hit the spikes. The tires blew, spinning the Jeep crazily. It grazed a pole and bounced to a stop. The deputies were ready and approached cautiously, hands on the butts of their guns.
    Dallas pulled his Yukon onto the wide, grassy siding, waved them back, and jogged over to the Jeep. Blood trickled from the cut on her forehead and her eyes were closed. Dallas opened the door and the motion brought her around; her eyes fluttered open. Dazed, she fell back into the seat.
    “Mrs. Johnson. Can you hear me?”
    She turned her head, recognition flashing across her face. Then without warning, she jumped out of the seat, her fists pounding his chest and arms. “Don’t do this! I have to find my son. I have to find Jamie!” Her shoe flew out and Dallas groaned as it impacted his bad knee.
    “Want some help, Sheriff?” his deputy called.
    With one quick move, Dallas grabbed her arms and swung her around, backing her into the Jeep. “Kick me again and you’ll be visiting the inside of our facilities,” he said through gritted teeth, pushing her firmly against the truck. “Now, do I need the cuffs, or are you going to calm down?”
    They were eye to eye. He saw hers refocus and the anger diminish. Her body relaxed slightly. He grabbed her wrist. “Come on.”
    Limping, he took her to his Yukon and motioned her to the passenger seat. “Sit.” He hooked an arm over the open door and looked down at her. “I’ll call an ambulance.”
    “I