Chapter Eighteen
Meredith emerged from the shower with her mind in turmoil.
The day spent with Wade had been like a dream, a perfect fantasy that couldn’t last. Returning to Nolan Ranch had brought a stone-cold reality check. Wade’s touch hadn’t cured her of any problems. She still needed a getaway vehicle.
That didn’t mean she had to leave. She didn’t want to leave Lost Lake.
But it was better to be prepared for trouble than to pretend it didn’t exist. Tripp had threatened to kill her family.
She had no doubt that he would try to harm Wade and Wynona if they got in the way.
Meredith wanted the freedom to hit the road at the first hint of danger.
She left the bathroom with wet hair and a towel wrapped around her body.
She’d overheard the earlier conversation between Wade and Wynona.
Now the kitchen was silent, the air weighted with emotion.
She put on an old T-shirt and leggings before she ventured that direction.
Wynona was standing near the window with a far-off expression.
Wade had probably retreated to the barn.
Meredith felt a flurry of anticipation as she imagined him there, waiting for her to join him.
First things first, however. She approached the phone, picked up the note, and attempted to puzzle out the hastily scrawled name. “Does this say Victor?”
“Yes.”
Meredith dialed the number. A man answered on the third ring. She introduced herself and asked a few questions about the truck. They made plans to meet at the Rocksprings Café tomorrow at noon. When she hung up, she found Wynona staring at her.
Meredith sat down at the table.
“Why won’t you let me give you the Subaru? You’re the only one who drives it.”
“I can’t afford it.”
“You can’t afford free?”
“Wynona, it’s worth ten grand.”
“Consider it a bonus.”
“No. I need a truck.”
“For what?”
“For myself. For my peace of mind.”
Wynona crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. She understood Meredith’s background, and her desire for independence. Meredith wouldn’t feel right about taking the Subaru, and it wasn’t big enough for her three dogs.
“Do you have enough money?” Wynona asked.
“I will, as soon as you pay me.”
“You’ll have to take me to the bank.”
A visit to the bank on Saturday was part of their usual routine, along with grocery shopping for the week. Meredith figured it was better to go now than try to rouse Wynona before noon tomorrow. She grabbed the keys off the hook.
As Meredith headed outside, she noted that Wynona was already dressed to impress in a sparkly top, denim skirt, and cowboy boots.
They both hustled toward the car. Meredith was afraid Wade would come out of the barn and start interrogating them, so she didn’t waste time.
She left a cloud of dust in the driveway that settled on Wade’s truck.
She realized, with a jolt of self-awareness, that she wasn’t just getting prepared for Tripp.
She was running scared from Wade. Everything they’d done today, from the frank discussions they’d had to the way he’d touched her, made her feel like she was losing control. She was falling in love with him.
It was a terrifying thought. She couldn’t fall in love with Wade! He was too handsome, too ambitious, too charming, too experienced. He was too much man for her in every way. She tightened her hands around the steering wheel, taking deep breaths.
“So,” Wynona said. “How was your picnic?”
“It was nice,” she said vaguely.
“You’re a pretty girl. He could do worse.”
Meredith supposed that was a compliment. Uncomfortable, she changed the subject. “Will you come with me to look at the truck tomorrow?”
“I can’t. Patty’s treating me to a spa day.”
Meredith was glad to hear it, even though the plans interfered with her own. “Can I borrow your driver’s license?”
She blinked in surprise. “What for?”
“I don’t have one.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I never passed the test.”
Wynona shook her head in wonder. “Is Wade aware of this?”
“Of course not.”
She made a harrumphing sound that wasn’t a refusal.
Meredith pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store a few minutes later.
There was a bank branch inside the store, which made things convenient.
Wynona visited the ATM while Meredith went to get milk.
On impulse, she bought ice cream and cake mix.
She wasn’t sure how to celebrate a dead person’s birthday, but cake couldn’t hurt.
When they reunited at the car, Wynona reached into her purse for the money she owed Meredith. She tossed it in the passenger seat, with the driver’s license on top.
“Thank you,” Meredith said.
“You know my license isn’t valid. They revoked it after the DUI.”
She did know, and she also knew that Wade wouldn’t approve of her using it. Wynona could be counted on to keep the secret as long as Meredith didn’t try to curb her partying. They were making a deal to live and let live.
“Wade mentioned that he wanted to spend time with you.”
Wynona shrugged, not denying it.
“Maybe the two of you can talk.”
“I won’t hold my breath.”
“He’s trying, Nona. Give him a chance.”
Wynona narrowed her eyes at Meredith. “The only thing he wants to talk to me about is going to rehab. And you’ve got a lot of nerve taking his side against me while you sneak around behind his back.”
“I’m not sneaking around.”
“Borrowing my license? That’s not sneaky?”
“I’m not taking his side,” Meredith said. “I’m suggesting that you talk to him about your relationship.”
“Our relationship?”
“He thinks you don’t love him.”
“He said that?”
Meredith crossed her arms over her chest and didn’t answer.
“He wouldn’t say that,” Wynona said. “He wouldn’t care.”
“You’re wrong,” Meredith said flatly.
Wynona hitched her purse up on one slim shoulder. “Let’s talk about you and where you’re going in that truck.”
Her throat tightened with emotion.
“Are you running away from my son or someone else?”
She didn’t answer.
“Honey, I know what you’re going through, believe me. I know how it feels to escape a bad man. I know all about running. But I also know that sometimes it’s a mistake to run. Sometimes you have to face your fears and stand your ground.”
“When have you done that?”
“Never,” she said, meeting her gaze. “I’m what you call a cautionary tale. You want to end up like me?”
Tears blurred Meredith’s eyes. “Where are you going tonight?”
“Nowhere good,” she said. “Don’t wait up.”
Meredith drove back to the ranch with an unsettled feeling that was half excitement, half dread.
Wade would be angry with her for multiple reasons.
Although she trusted him to control his temper, she couldn’t prevent past arguments with Tripp from invading her psyche.
She’d learned to avoid conflict with men.
She parked the Subaru in its usual spot and got out.
Wade was sitting in a chair on the front porch, a half-empty beer bottle in his hand and two dogs lounging at his feet.
Judging by his damp hair, he’d showered.
He was wearing faded jeans and an old T-shirt.
He gave her a dark look that promised difficult conversations or wicked delights. Perhaps both.
Daisy emerged from the garden with her tennis ball, in full gallop, and almost knocked Meredith sideways.
The dog ignored Meredith and ran straight to Wade.
He took the ball and sent it sailing into the stratosphere.
Meredith figured he was trying to lose it and thwart Daisy, but the dog loved a challenge.
She went racing after the ball. Meredith was happy to see Daisy back to her old self.
She went inside the kitchen to put away the ice cream and milk. When she returned outdoors, Daisy had already found the ball. Sunset brought a soft display of pink clouds. Meredith fed the dogs kibble and secured them in the dog run. She needed a chance to talk to Wade without distractions.
Wade rose from the porch and walked toward the barn. His shoulders were stiff with irritation as he disappeared inside, but he left the door open in clear invitation.
Meredith felt a wave of nervous energy as she returned to the kitchen to wash her hands.
Anxiety had parched her throat. She poured herself a glass of peach iced tea.
Taking it with her, she approached the barn.
Wade wasn’t lifting weights or pacing the room in agitation.
He was sitting at the edge of his bed, staring at his phone screen with annoyance.
When she came inside, he tossed the device aside and straightened abruptly.
Meredith closed the door behind her. She waited for him to interrogate her about the truck or his mother’s whereabouts. He did neither.
“Your mother stayed in town,” she said.
“I gathered that.”
“Is there something else you’d like to discuss?”
A crease formed between his brows. “We spent the entire day together, and you didn’t mention buying a truck once.”
She took a sip of iced tea and said nothing.
“Are you leaving?”
She lifted her chin in defiance. “Maybe.”
“You haven’t told me your real name,” he said in a low voice, as if the words pained him. “I don’t know who you’re running from. I don’t know if you’re planning to cross the border tomorrow. I don’t even know if you came in here to have an honest discussion or finish what we started earlier.”
Heat suffused her cheeks.
He rose from the bed slowly. “Maybe you’re looking for a fight, because that’s what you learned to expect from that prick who never married you. But I’m not him, Mary. I’d definitely rather fuck than argue.”