swallowed deeply. She couldn’t believe she was even entertaining the proposition.
Ray fingered a stray piece of her hair. “Just so we’re clear, I’ve been very lonely lately. Your enthusiastic company would square the account. A fair trade.”
He scooped up the cash from the counter and pocketed it. She now had $100 to her name. Ray had everything else.
“Mom?”
Could she let him touch her? For Zoe?
“I’ll see you at noon, sweet cheeks.” He leaned close and licked the edge of her jaw to her ear. “If you’re not here, the sheriff will get an anonymous tip, and I don’t think you want him to wonder about you. Sheriff Redmond’s the curious type.”
She couldn’t hide her shudder. She hated that he assumed she’d comply. As much as she loathed to admit it, she wasn’t sure he was wrong.
Faith would do anything for Zoe.
THE SUN HAD fully risen when Stefan paused outside the Carder Diner, his empty thermos at his side. He’d grown tired of burning his morning brew over a campfire. Besides, Carla had a way with coffee beans.
The post-dawn glow gave the huge expanse of sky a soft tint. The angry clouds of yesterday were a distant memory. He’d been forced to get used to the constant sun and blue sky here. He missed the rain of Bellevaux, but the truth was, he’d grown to like the drama of the West Texas landscape. He hadn’t decided where he’d go after this, but he might want to stay where the sun wasn’t constantly hidden by clouds.
He pushed through the restaurant door at eight in the morning. The sizzling of hot bacon and scent of fresh coffee evoked a groan of temptation. Out of habit, he scanned the seating, lingering on the rear exit and timing his escape from the building. He didn’t anticipate trouble, but he doubted he’d ever break the habit. It had saved his life more than once.
When his gaze landed on the booth closest to the back door, he paused. Faith and Zoe sat at the table. Seemed he and the pair had one more thing in common.
Zoe dug into a plate of bacon and eggs while Faith watched her daughter, sipping on coffee, no plate in front of her. He walked over to his standard seat at the counter and took a sip from the cup Carla had placed at his usual stool before setting his thermos on the counter. Carla scooped it up to fill, but he didn’t attempt a conversation with her. He had every intention of eavesdropping.
“Mom? Aren’t you going to eat?” Zoe asked.
“Not today, honey.” Faith’s voice whispered with a quick look under her lashes at him. She flushed and dipped her gaze, stirring her coffee longer than anyone would need to.
So she’d seen him come in. No need for pretense. He grabbed his cup and slid into the booth adjacent to theirs. Her eyes widened. He lifted his cup and smiled at her.
“I don’t like camping out in the bushes,” Zoe complained. “I got prickles down my back. Will we get the car back today so we can sleep on the cushions?”
“Hush, Zoe. You know the car is broken. How about you use your inside voice and finish your breakfast. Please, Slugger.”
The little girl shoveled more food in her mouth while Faith avoided his gaze. She clearly would have preferred he sit anywhere but within listening distance. Too bad. If she was homeless, he could at least do something about that.
He didn’t bother to ask himself why he cared. Maybe she and Zoe reminded him of Jenny Jennings and her daughter. He’d been too late to save them. Was he simply trying to redeem himself?
Could be.
Faith lowered her head and stared into her coffee cup. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Her mouth was tight with stress. Something was wrong, something more than yesterday.
“Will that man fix the car? That would be good. I’m tired of walking everywhere.”
“Me, too.” Faith cleared her throat. “You let me worry about the car.”
“What did the man want to trade?”
Faith’s gaze jerked up to her daughter’s.
“You’re going to go see him at noon. He said he was lonely and you could help him, but I don’t get it. He wants to talk? He must be really sad. Maybe I should go with you. I’m a great talker. Everybody says so. I always get in trouble at school.”
A lot of words in one breath. Stefan would be impressed with Zoe’s soliloquy if Faith didn’t appear quite so mortified.
“I know very well.” Faith’s skin tinged a strange green and her gaze darted around the room.
Stefan could have told her no one else but him heard Zoe’s revelation. The moment he’d walked in, he’d mapped the location of every person in the diner. He studied his coffee so she wouldn’t have to see the fury he doubted he could hide.
Zoe swallowed another bite. “We could play baseball with him. Baseball helps me when I feel lonely,” she said between chews.
“I don’t think baseball’s what he has in mind.”
No doubt there. Stefan had never liked Ray, and had never let him touch his SUV. Rumor was the man had a reputation of gouging customers who couldn’t afford to take their car to San Angelo or San Antonio for repairs.
“You leave him to me, Slugger,” Faith said. “And don’t talk with your mouth full.”
For Stefan, the bigger question was why hadn’t Faith sought help from the law? He knew the answer. He and Faith had a lot in common. He’d never go to the law if he had a choice. There were too many questions he couldn’t answer. The idea of Faith feeling like she had no other options made Stefan want to knock most of Ray’s teeth out. That she was considering giving in—and he could tell she was, just from the sick expression on her face—made him want to do even more damage. Preferably something that would cause Ray not to walk straight for a month or two.
Carla walked over to his table. “Changing things up on me, Léon?”
He pasted his standard charming smile on his face. “What can I say? I’m a man of mystery.”
“I won’t argue there. What’ll you have?”
He ordered his usual, a couple of eggs, some bacon and a biscuit—he’d really miss her biscuits.
He motioned Carla closer and whispered his instructions in her ear. She grinned and hurried to the kitchen.
“I’m done,” Zoe said, shoving her plate away. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
Faith started to stand.
“M...o...o...om! I can go by myself.”
Stefan bit back a smile. Faith’s daughter made him smile. The girl had backbone.
For the next few minutes, Faith avoided looking his way by watching the door of the restroom.
Stefan emptied his coffee cup. He wasn’t quite sure how to approach Faith. If their positions were reversed he certainly wouldn’t want some stranger to stick her nose where it didn’t belong.
Before he could solve the dilemma, Carla set the filled thermos in front of him, followed by his breakfast. The aroma of bacon caused his belly to rumble.
He tucked into his eggs, keeping an eye out for Carla. The waitress better hurry before Faith and Zoe left.
The little girl rushed back from the bathroom. Instead of sliding into the next booth, she stopped right beside Stefan. “Hi. I saw you in the library yesterday.”
“That you did.” Stefan smiled at the little girl. “You were a big help.”
“Zoe,” Faith hissed.
The little pistol shrugged at him and slunk back to their booth.
“How