Eight Months Pregnant, My Husband Locked Me in a Freezing Cabin for His Ex on Christmas Eve novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: Deleted After Eight-Forty

"What paper?" I said.

Neil didn't answer.

"Deputy," Eli said, "is there a warrant, or a court order, that says this woman can't leave?"

The deputy looked at Neil. Neil looked at his phone.

"There's a petition," Neil said. "Mom's lawyer was going to file it today."

"That's not an order," the deputy said, almost to himself. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Mr. Garver, I can't stop her from taking her baby to a hospital."

"Then I'll follow," Neil said.

"You'll do what you want," Eli said. "But she rides with me, and nobody lays a hand on her or the baby on the way."

I tried to stand.

Eli put one arm behind my back and the other under my knees, and he carried me out the front door.

Snow blew across the porch. The deputy stepped aside to let us by.

Neil called after me, "Hallie, I love you. I'm doing this for you!"

I didn't turn around.

Eli set me in the passenger seat of the plow truck and tucked the blanket around June and me. He turned the heater to full and pulled out onto the ridge road.

The tree at the narrows had been cut and shoved aside. Two county trucks sat beside it with their lights going.

"Eli," I said, once we were past them. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet."

"Why?"

"You haven't seen the bill," he said, and the corner of his mouth moved.

It was the first time I had laughed in two days.

Alder Pass General was a low brick building at the bottom of the valley, with a wreath on the front door.

A nurse took June from me at the emergency entrance. A second nurse put me in a wheelchair.

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