Page 14 of K-9 Prime Target

“But they weren’t harmless. And they may not be now.”

She nodded. “I’ll talk to Doug and Marlena tomorrow. Though I doubt they’ll do anything, either.”

“If you persuade them this is bad publicity for the resort, they might do something to protect you,” Liam said. “At least they can let people know to look for Nicholson.”

“I’ll try,” she said. “Our best opportunity to stop him will be if we can verify he’s here. That’s a clear violation of his parole.”

“So, we both can keep an eye out for any sign of him and alert others to do the same,” he said. “What are you going to do in the meantime?”

“I’m going to be careful and alert. And I have Sky.” She looked down at the dog at her side. “She may not look it, but she’s very protective.”

“I’ll be here, too,” he said.

“My personal bodyguard?” She looked amused.

“I can think of worse jobs.”

“That really isn’t necessary,” she said. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be all right.”

“Are you sure? It doesn’t feel right to leave you here alone.”

“I’ve been managing by myself for a long time now. I’m tougher than I look.”

As a professional athlete, she had learned to endure rigorous training and the pain of injury. But it wasn’t her physical well-being he was as worried about now as her emotional state. She had been truly terrified when she called him earlier.

She forced a smile. “Really. I’ll be all right. Now I’m exhausted. I want some supper and sleep. Go back to your hotel, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Reluctantly, he resigned himself to leaving. “If you need anything, call me,” he said.

“I will. I promise.”

She unlocked and opened the door for him. He hesitated, then kissed her cheek. Then he hurried away, afraid of revealing too much if he dared speak. Apparently, he had never stopped loving Nina Rose. Even if she didn’t feel the same about him.

* * *

I hope you slept well, darling Nina, thinking of me. I’ve been thinking of you.

Nina stared at the note that fluttered from her mailbox. The large white piece of paper had caught her eye as she backed out of the driveway shortly after 6:00 a.m. She was sure the note hadn’t been there the night before—which meant Nicholson had returned last night. Or he had never left. The thought made her sick to her stomach. She had tossed and turned all night, on edge and fearful that he might return. Now she had to face the idea that he had been watching her all night.

Heart pounding, she looked around, but no one else was stirring this early in the morning. But he might be lurking anywhere. It was inky black outside the glow of the single security light at the corner of her street.

Beside her, Sky also stared into the darkness. But the dog registered no alarm, and when Nina looked at her, the canine gently fanned her tail. Fury rising in her throat, Nina folded the note and shoved it into her pocket. Then she returned to the car, urged Sky inside, got in herself and locked the doors behind her.

Once again, she scanned the area around her. Two of the houses farther down the street were vacation rentals, with a steady stream of unfamiliar vehicles parked outside. Was Nicholson staying in one of them? If she shared the idea with the sheriff’s office, would they check? Or would they dismiss her concerns as worrying over nothing?

She started the car and headed for the resort. She didn’t have to be at work this early—not if she was excused from ski patrol duties. But she hadn’t been able to sleep, and she wanted to meet with Doug and Marlena as soon as possible. She had let her fear, and the need to pretend this wasn’t happening again, keep her from confronting the problem head-on. But last night, as she lay awake staring into the darkness, fury had overcome some of her anxiety. She wasn’t going to let this man destroy her life. Not again.

She arrived at patrol headquarters at the same time as patrol director Connor Donaldson. “Don’t say I’m not supposed to be here,” she said, before he could speak. “I can at least hang out until it’s light enough for filming.”

Connor shook his head and opened the door. “Keeping you off patrol wasn’t my idea,” he said. He led the way into the office, his goldendoodle, Farley, already nudging Sky. The two dogs batted at each other while Connor shed his jacket and pack. He turned to Nina. “Lily and Anders mentioned you helped with the skier with the broken leg yesterday morning.”

“I was right there when Lily sent the call,” Nina said. “I had to respond.”

He held up both hands, palms out. “I don’t have a problem with that. But Doug might feel differently.”

“I plan to talk to Doug this morning.”

“Are you opting out of the filming already?” Connor asked. “Was it that bad?”