A Thanksgiving Tale of Terror-part three by Terri Reed

Pamela couldn’t believe her eyes. “That’s my brother Johnny. I didn’t know he was home from Afghanistan.” She sent up a prayer of thanksgiving that he was here in one piece. But why was he home?
Cranton put his hand on Pamela’s arm preventing her from exiting the car. “Wait. You can’t tell him about the man with the gun.”
She frowned. “Why not?” She narrowed her gaze. “What are you into? Drugs? Gambling?”
He shook his head. “Nothing like that.”
“Then why did some guy show up on your doorstep with a gun?”
He stared out the front window, his strong jaw tight. “It’s complicated.”
She was well acquainted with complicated. Her gaze left Cranton’s profile to watch her brother striding toward the car. “For now you’re my new boyfriend. But later you will tell me what’s going on.”
Cranton’s eyes widened. Then he grinned. “Sounds like a good cover to me.”
Her heart did a little flip. She let out an indelicate snort to downplay the affect his smile had on her. She opened the door and rushed to meet her brother. Forgetting about her handsome, albeit secretive, neighbor for a moment, she let out a happy yelp and embraced her brother. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”
Johnny looped his arm around her shoulders. “I needed a little down time first.”
Understanding twisted inside her. She’d done the same thing when she’d first returned.
Johnny’s gaze zeroed in on Cranton, who had climbed out of the car. “Who’s this?”
“This is Cranton Berryfield. My...boyfriend.” The word stuck in her throat. Longing hit her square between the eyes. She wished it were true. Wished that Cranton Berryfield was her boyfriend and not her mysterious neighbor on the run from a gun toting man. What had she gotten herself into?
The sound of tires crunching on the dirt and gravel road filled the air. A second later, a black sedan came into view. The same car that had driven down their street. Pamela’s stomach dropped.
Cranton ran around the front end of the car, grabbed Pamela by the hand and pulled her toward the cabin. “Inside, quick!”
A spray of gunfire erupted.