Every Last Breath by Jessica Gaffney Read Free Book Online Page B

tell me why you are seeking an injunction against your husband?”
    Maggie understood that the secretary was probably ill informed on the reason for her visit. She removed the paperwork from her handbag and stated that she already had a protective order from her home state, but she wanted to ensure her safety here in Colorado.
    She handed him the papers and sat back, not sure how he would react to her ordeal. So many other people just stared; it was beginning to make her feel ostracized.
    She folded her legs and breathed in deeply while he thumbed through the documents. “You’ve certainly been through the ringer.”
    She smiled curtly.
    “We don’t see many of these documents Maggie. And I’m very sorry that you even need one.” He dropped the paperwork and tipped his chair back. “It says here your ex-husband will soon be released from jail.”
    “I was told I would be notified prior to his release. I haven’t called the attorney who was handling this back at home.”
    He looked her in the eye. “Do you want me to handle this for you or are you just here for the consultation?”
    “I assure you I take this very seriously. I have a little boy at home that I want to protect. I don’t want to be caught in a situation where if he comes after me, I am left unprotected by the law.”
    “Under these circumstances, I feel the judge will uphold the protective order or issue a no-contact order. The last thing the state wants is a lawsuit on their hands. Once we get it, the local law enforcement will be notified and they can help you should he head this direction.”
    Maggie sat back. She had already been to the local police station and showed them her documents. What she wanted now was to live in peace as if things couldn’t happen.
    “We will prepare for the worst. Don’t you worry.”
     

     
     
     

CHAPTER 8
     
     
     
    Maggie felt like the wings of hope had latched onto her back and given her flight. Everything was going to be alright. She could breathe now and enjoy the holiday. Klaus had been kind enough to let her take the day off so that was a huge help, and she was also thankful that the school had room in their aftercare program to watch Eli while she drove back from Denver. The office visit was also free, part of the consultation network. So far, the God had been on her side.
    Klaus would pay her for the extra hours she put in, so she stopped by the office after dropping Eli off. It was a lot of extra driving but it was worth it. Pulling through McDonald’s she picked up two hot chocolates on her way to the school, hoping Eli wouldn’t be too upset she picked him up late. Little kids hate being last.
    Maggie parked the car and headed inside. The wind was blasting full force. Once she signed him out of aftercare, his little hands were so busy playing he didn’t want to go home. “Do we have to go?” he whined.
    “Yes, it’s time for dinner.”
    “But mom.”
    Maggie lured him out by promising to pick up the pinecones once they got home. She stuck to her promise.
    Eli left his book bag in the car and ran inside for a box to collect the pinecones. The weather wasn’t getting any warmer and with the extra work Maggie had piling up in her car, this was the best way to spend time with Eli and get his assignment done.
    She clipped on Vala’s leash and headed out to the yard, “Come on Eli. The sun is going down.”
    Maggie’s street was not your typical residential neighborhood. There were subdivisions in Colorado, but hers was more secluded and a dirt road that led up to some larger homes that overlooked the main route. The boundary between properties was often unmarked but understood, you didn’t trespass on your neighbors lawn, not in the hill country where everybody carries a rifle.
    The farther they drifted from the house, the more looming Maggie felt. What if her dream was about Eli. Was he the one being shot at?
    She deterred her fears to Vala. She would know if anyone was outside, she’d