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Back Alone in the Woods Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Chapter Twenty-One
  24. Chapter Twenty-Two
  25. Chapter Twenty-Three
  26. Chapter Twenty-Four
  27. Chapter Twenty-Five
  28. Chapter Twenty-Six
  29. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  30. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  31. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  32. Chapter Thirty
  33. Chapter Thirty-One
  34. Chapter Thirty-Two
  35. Chapter Thirty-Three
  36. Chapter Thirty-Four
  37. Chapter Thirty-Five
  38. Chapter Thirty-Six
  39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  41. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  42. Chapter Forty
  43. Chapter Forty-One
  44. Chapter Forty-Two
  45. Chapter Forty-Three
  46. Chapter Forty-Four
  47. Chapter Forty-Five
  48. Chapter Forty-Six
  49. Chapter Forty-Seven
  50. Chapter Forty-Eight
  51. Chapter Forty-Nine
  52. Chapter Fifty
  53. Chapter Fifty-One
  54. Chapter Fifty-Two
  55. Chapter Fifty-Three
  56. Chapter Fifty-Four
  57. Chapter Fifty-Five
  58. Chapter Fifty-Six
  59. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  60. A letter from Charly
  61. Acknowledgements
  62. About the Author
  63. Also by Charly Cox

While Alyssa felt a tremendous sense of relief both because Sara wasn’t alone and that Cord wanted to accompany her, she felt obligated to point out an important factor. ‘It’s nearly a five-hour drive. What if something happens?’ The side-eyed look combined with the pursed lips was more than enough for her to know Cord was just as concerned about her leaving Holly right now as she was about him leaving Sara. But they both had jobs to do, and besides, there were plenty of people who would step in and up to protect her daughter. Except for a few friends, Cord was all Sara had, as her parents were out of the country until Thanksgiving a month and a half away.

‘I tell you both what, I’ll talk to Sara and see how she feels about me going. But I can already tell you she’ll probably be relieved not to have me hovering over her all night’ – a half-smile tipped one corner of his mouth as he repeated his earlier claim – ‘even if I don’t hover. I predict she’ll have my bag packed and at the front door before I get off the phone.’

Even Hammond offered up one of his rare smiles at Cord’s prediction.

‘All right then. You make your call while I let Brock know, and let’s see if we can be on the road in the next thirty minutes.’

Forty-two minutes later, after stopping first at Alyssa’s and then Cord’s – where Sara did indeed have his bag packed and ready for him at the door – they hit the interstate heading north.

‘Sara looks better than I expected,’ Alyssa admitted.

‘Yeah, especially considering the babies have been kicking the hell out of her kidneys and bladder lately.’ Cord winced and pressed the heel of his palm against his side as if he were experiencing sympathy pains.

Alyssa laughed. ‘That crap hurts, so I’m glad she can smile through it.’ They drove for a while in silence, and then she said, ‘Fingers crossed and God willing that Alexander Greene can give us the answers we need.’

‘Amen to that.’

Alyssa’s foot pressed down a little harder on the gas, shooting up to fifteen miles past the posted speed limit signs. She promised herself she’d slow again at the New Mexico/Colorado border.

Chapter Thirty-One

Tuesday, October 8