Page 38 of Traces Of You

The only way she was going to get answers was to ask Ford herself.

Which meant it’d be today, when he came over with groceries for her.

They’d fought when she’d handed him money and her list, but he gave in.

No, they didn’t fight.

The Ford she remembered never argued, though he was showing signs of wanting to last night.

He was stubborn and ground his teeth, but she held her stance and he took the cash in the end.

They were going to have to come to terms because she wouldn’t stay locked on this property as a prisoner constantly checked and watched.

That wasn’t much different from having to look over her shoulder the rest of her life.

10

A UNIT

Ford parked his SUV in front of the cabin, didn’t see Reenie’s car, but the lights were on.

He grabbed the few bags of groceries he’d picked up and carried them to the front door.

It opened before he could knock.

“Don’t do that,” he said.

“Do what?” She reached for the bags, but he held them back and walked in.

“Open the door without asking who it is.”

She didn’t seem scared to him. Even rolled her eyes.

“I looked out the window and saw your SUV. I even have the curtains closed because Clay told me I have to. It’s dark in here and I’d like some sunlight.”

“Sorry,” he said. “Better safe than sorry.”

He wasn’t paying attention to the curtains moving, but was watching everything else around the landscape.

From the camera that Clay put on the tree hidden in the front to see anyone coming down the driveway, to the lock that was pretty damn sturdy, telling him his brother had replaced it today. He’d get a key for that later.

“Thanks for picking everything up for me.” She was unloading the bags that he’d set on the table. “How long am I going to be a prisoner on the property?”

He sighed. “Not long. You need to come and go. It’d look odd if you didn’t.”

There were employees on the grounds. No one that he knew of that ventured this far down the road. He didn’t think anyone even went to Clay’s house on the property.

There were new apple trees planted behind Clay’s ranch and the cabin, but further back and as far as he knew only Clay and his father checked on them.

But people would still see Reenie at the cafe and driving around.

“That’s right. What do you want for dinner? Burgers or chicken?”

“You don’t have to cook for me.”

“I’m cooking for me and you’re here. We can eat together. I know you want to talk.”

“That obvious?” he asked.