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had found her again, and was even more relentless than before. Melody thought she was being smart by switching hotel rooms every week and using a different hot-spot for her Internet connection, but whoever was stalking her was apparently smarter than she’d given him credit for. Melody had no idea how he was finding her, but she was tired of it all. She missed Amy. She missed Baby. She missed her parents. She missed Pennsylvania.  
    Melody stared at the letter that sat in the middle of the floor where she’d dropped it after reading it. The front desk clerk had given it to her as she came in that day, and Melody knew she really wouldn’t like what was in it. Once she’d closed the door to the hotel room, Melody had reluctantly opened the note. She’d never forget the words.  
     
    No matter where you go, I’ll find you. We’re the same, you and I, why can’t you see that?  
     
    Melody had no idea what it meant. This note was just as creepy as all the others. But there was no postmark on it. Whoever had sent it to her, had walked into the hotel and handed it to the clerk. That meant he was here. That also meant Melody had to go. Now.  
    Melody put her head back down on her knees. She was out of ideas. Well, she had one more idea, but she had to gather up the courage to follow up on it. She squeezed the phone in her hand harder. She’d bought a bunch of disposable phones to use to call her family and Amy. She’d seen enough shows on television to know they were untraceable. It obviously didn’t matter now though. He’d found her anyway.  
    Melody picked up her head once again, held the phone up and looked at it. She’d memorized the phone number Tex had given her. She never had any intentions of calling him, but she’d memorized it anyway.  
    She was so tempted. Melody thought back to their conversations. Tex was a good guy. He oozed good guy through every pore in his body. He was an honest-to-God-hero and Melody needed a hero, but she didn’t want to drag him down, and she knew she would. He’d get so embroiled in her situation and he’d want to “fix” it, but Melody had no idea how he could.  
    But she was tired and scared. She had money, thanks to her closed caption jobs and with Amy’s help, to move on, but to where? To another hotel in another city where the same pattern would play out? She was as far away from Pennsylvania as she could be, but somehow whoever was stalking her had still found out where she was.  
    Melody absently opened the text app on the phone and slowly, number by number, pushed in the number she’d memorized. Then, without thinking, she typed out the first thing she thought of.  
    Putting the phone down on the floor without hitting send, Melody put her head on her knees again. Her dyed brown hair fell in waves around her head and spilled down her legs. She mentally argued with herself. What would it hurt to send the text? It’s not like Tex knows where I am. I miss him. I miss talking to him. He’s kept me sane this last year. He made me feel normal.  
    But what if he’s mad I deleted my account on the chat site? What if he doesn’t answer back? But what if he does? I need to feel connected to someone for just a little bit. I need to feel not so alone. He’s a SEAL. He can help me.  
    Without thinking more about it, Melody picked up the phone and hit send. The two words she’d written seemed garish on the small screen, but summed up all her riotous emotions so well. Would Tex respond? Would he care? Melody put her head back on her knees and closed her eyes, afraid to hope, afraid to move, afraid to stay.  
     
    * * *  
    Tex sat at the table in the little café across from the bookstore watching and waiting. Baby lay at his feet, her eyes seemingly also focused on the store across the street. It was as if she somehow knew Melody was nearby.  
    Tex was nervous, and he never got nervous. He was always known as the stoic one. The one who never broke a sweat before