“Chocolate tacos?” Jessica rolled her eyes, drawing Ruth’s attention back to the here and now. “That’s just crazy.”
“Can we get dessert, Mom? Please, please, please? I know it’s not a weekend, but I’ve never had a chocolate taco.” Penny’s brown eyes were so earnest that Ruth couldn’t help but suspend the family rule.
“We’ll make an exception tonight.” Anything to prolong a feeling of normalcy. Ruth knew that the moment she stopped gathering memories from her high school years, she would have to face the tough reality that held an imminent threat.
An eighteen-year-old girl was missing. Some monster was out there.
Again.
Could it be the same man who had struck fifteen years ago, taking Rachel, Erin, and Courtney? She wondered if the same kidnapper had been the masked attacker from that summer night.
Wide girth, furry skin, thick hands ...
No! There was no proof that the same man had taken those other girls, and Ruth wasn’t going to make this about herself. She had gone through steps toward her own recovery, acknowledging her trauma, accepting support, moving on, and now giving back. She was here in Prairie Creek to give back to the community, not to impose her personal fears on it. While there was a slim chance that her attacker had gone after Addie Donovan all these years later, Ruth had to remember that she hadn’t returned to Prairie Creek to start a police investigation; she was here to help. Maybe the best way to start was to offer support to Addie’s parents, though she needed to find an entrée to the couple.
When Cordelia came by with the check, Ruth asked her what she knew about the circumstances of Addie’s disappearance.
“I don’t know about the details.” Cordelia nodded to a table by the window, where a couple Ruth’s age sat with two children, one in a high chair. “Ask Jimmy.”
Jimmy Woodcock, the most recent owner and editor of Prairie Winds, sat texting on his phone while a sullen-faced woman talked at him. He and Ruth had talked on the phone when he was gathering information for two short blurbs about her local practice and the hotline, but she doubted he’d remember that. Ruth hadn’t recognized him at first, as he’d grown a mustache that gave him a cowboy look, but he was still a big man, a T-shirt stretching over his chest and biceps. From the look of those soft hands, she doubted that he’d ever even been on a horse, though his hands did seem strong, with short, thick fingers.
Strong hands, wide girth . . .
She was about to turn away from the broad-shouldered man when he caught her looking.
He lifted his chin, arrogant as ever, and smiled, his eyes shining dark over his mustache. The woman looked up in annoyance, chewing in silence as he motioned Ruth over.
“Well now, if it isn’t the minister’s daughter. Ruthie McFerron.”
“It’s Ruth Baker now,” she said, a bit surprised that he knew who she was. After the rape, she had kept a low profile in high school. “I went to California, got married, and had a kid.” He studied Ruth intently as he introduced his wife, Desiree, and kids. Desiree nodded but suddenly seemed more interested in wiping the baby’s hands.
“That’s right. I did a piece on you, right?” he asked. “About you moving back.”
“We talked on the phone.” Ruth turned to the bland wife. “I’ve moved back for good, with my daughter.” She nodded toward the girls. “I’m working as a therapist, setting up a small practice. I’ve got an office next door to Emma’s shop.”
“Yeah? It’s gonna be a real small practice here,” Woodcock said. “Plenty of crazies, but none of them know it. Trust me, I’ve seen it all, covering the local news.” He held up his phone. “See that? Something breaking right now. Just when you think Prairie Creek might be a nice, peaceful town, some shit breaks.”
“And ruins your dinner,” Desiree said with a scowl.
“Is that about Addie Donovan?” Ruth asked. “I was wondering if you knew the details of her disappearance.”
“He knows everything,” Desiree bragged. “Gets updates straight from the Sheriff’s Department.”
“That one’s a simple story. Girl, eighteen, went riding alone, and her horse came back without her. The boyfriend was out of town, so the parents thought it might be a ruse to get with him. He says no, but off the record? These things are always about sex. Looking for love in all the wrong places.” He grinned—not a wholesome “dad” smile, but the sort of inviting look you might get in a singles bar.
“I see.” Ruth folded her arms across her chest. Apparently Jimmy didn’t have a lot of respect for his wife and kids. “So the police think she’s safe with her boyfriend?”
“I’m working on confirming that right now. In fact, I’m going over to the office to get some confirmations and post the story. Got to keep the website updated. It’s the only way for a newspaper to survive these days. Subscriptions are down, but there’s money to be made through advertisers on the web.” Jimmy pushed his plate away and tossed down his napkin. “You want to come see, Ruthie? Check out the operation and get the latest on the story?”
She didn’t. The last thing she wanted was to spend time alone in a hot office with a guy who had all the charm of a lizard. Ruth suspected that a look under the table would prove that Woodcock was living up to his name.
“I need to get the girls home,” Ruth said, gesturing toward the door with her thumb. “But thanks for the information. And sorry to interrupt your dinner.” This was directed more toward Desiree, but the woman was chastising the baby about something. Ruth backed away, glad to escape the dour couple.
*
He watched her leave the diner, her head held high and those voluptuous breasts leading the way.
Well, aren’t you looking pretty, Ms. Ruthie McFerron Baker, the minister’s voluptuous daughter. Ripe as Eve just kicked out of Eden. He had busted the cherry on that one when she was just a filly. His only regret was letting her get away. He should have kept her when he had the chance, dragged her to his place and added her to his collection.
But too many things had gone wrong that night. Wrongs that still had to be righted.
He watched from the shadows of Main Street as she guided the two young girls. Now that she had a daughter and a full, ripe woman’s body, she would have so much more to offer. She would know how to use those hands and that mouth to tease him to a frenzy.
His cock was a rocket in his pants, aching for release. That girl in the shed was just not enough. He needed more, and here was the minister’s daughter, ripe for the picking. But she was older now, smarter. This time he would have to plan carefully if he wanted to hold on to her.
For now, he would watch, wait, and find another way to relieve himself. He pressed a hand to the hard rod between his legs and smiled. You had to love Prairie Creek. Come into town for dinner, and you got so much more.