Then they’d wanted mine.
What other land did they want?
Creak.
I shot up on the couch at the sound coming from the front porch. My heart nearly stopped, and I froze, listening.
Creak.
My eyes were fixed on the curtain. Is that a shadow? My eyes might have been playing tricks on me, but deep down I knew better. The shadow moved closer to the window, as if someone were peering i
n. Time stood still, and my breaths became shallower. I lay stock-still until whoever it was backed away. There was definitely someone outside on the porch. My heart was hammering in my chest, and instinct kicked in. Grabbing my phone, I crept toward the study where Drake kept the guns. To survive in Alaska, you had to be comfortable with firearms and know how to keep your wits about you. The same applied for being a nurse. A level head was a necessity.
I thought about the news over the past week. A bear had been seen in town. Maybe it was a bear on our front porch. A bear would make noise. But a bear wouldn’t peer in the window. Would it? And wouldn’t it be louder? My mind raced as I tried to sort it out.
Remain calm.
Think.
Call someone.
Drake was out of town. I needed someone who was close. I dialed Hayden, knowing his place wasn’t too far.
On the second ring, he picked up. “Hey there. What are you doing? Ka—”
“I think someone is outside on the porch.”
He got serious instantly. “We’re on our way. Where are you inside the house?”
Grabbing a gun and ammunition, I loaded the gun. I crept back down the hallway toward our bedroom. I was a complete mess inside, but I kept my breathing normal. Nevertheless, a slight tremor broke through my practiced calmness. “I’m in the hallway on the way to the bedroom. Let me stop and see if I hear anything.”
“Ale—”
“Shh.”
The revving of Hayden’s truck was loud over the phone, so I pulled it away from my ear. Closing my eyes, I focused on listening. The distinct rattle of the front doorknob brought me up short. “Someone is definitely here. They’re trying to open the door.”
Bears can’t open doors.
“Alexa, I’m with Kane. We are less than two minutes away. Keep going to the bedroom and lock yourself in.”
There was another exit in the bedroom. I pushed forward though my feet felt like they were stuck in sludge.
Hayden kept talking. He was calm but authoritative. “Stay on the phone with me. If anyone walks through that door, you shoot the motherfucker. Kane is on the phone with Drake.”
Drake.
I wish he was here.
I strained my ears to listen for anything, but the whooshing of my heartbeat was louder than anything else. With a shaky hand, I released the safety on the gun and took a deep breath to calm myself. The tremors eased as I remained focused on the task at hand the same way I did when a patient’s life was on the line.
Remain calm.
Assess the situation.
React to what happens.
Think about what could happen.