A Turn in the Road (Blossom Street #8)(32)

“Do you know what that is?” Annie asked.

“No. Don’t you?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, dear.” So much for that. Ruth bit her lip as she searched for another idea. “There’s got to be a way to protect ourselves.” Her gaze fell to the ground as she began pacing. “And your mother—”

“I think Mom’s safe.”

“I certainly hope so,” Ruth said, her mind whirling. “What would we tell the police? These bikers don’t even have real names! Who ever heard of men named Rooster and Skunk? If something did happen, God forbid, how could we tell the police we let your mother drive off with someone named Rooster?”

“She’s with Max, not Rooster. Nothing’s going to happen, Grandma. You’re getting yourself worked up for no reason.”

“Forget the police,” Ruth continued. “What am I going to tell your father?”

“Grandma, repeat after me. Nothing is going to happen.”

Ruth ignored that. “Grant will be so upset with me,” she went on. “He’ll say it’s all my fault and I can’t blame him. I’m responsible for this mess. I should’ve insisted I be the one to go. I’ve lived my life. You and your mother are young.”

“You want to see your high school friends again, don’t you?”

“Of course.” Ruth sighed. She desperately wanted to see Royce, too. Just once, so she could tell him how sorry she was, how deeply she regretted having hurt him. But if she had to give up her life in order to save her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Ruth wouldn’t think twice. A small part of her wondered if she was overreacting, but she decided she simply couldn’t take the risk.

“Do you have any ideas?” she asked her granddaughter. Annie was smart and sensible like Bethanne. The girl would come up with something.

“In my opinion, we should just wait this out. If Mom isn’t back in, say, another hour—”

“Another hour?” Ruth interrupted. That seemed far too long.

“Grandma,” Annie said, “it’ll take time to get into Wells and then more time to arrange for a tow truck. We should wait a minimum of ninety minutes.”

“Then what?”

“Then we…I don’t know, regroup, I guess.”

“Okay.” However, Ruth didn’t like it. She checked her watch so she’d know exactly when those ninety minutes were up and prepared to wait.

To distract themselves they discussed Las Vegas and what they’d do when they got there.

After ten interminable minutes, Ruth chanced a look at the bikers and to her shock saw the three of them swimming. Their clothes, all of them, were piled along the shoreline and…oh, my goodness, they’d gone in the water nude. She felt herself flush. While she’d been talking to Annie, those men had stripped naked.

“We don’t have a thing to worry about,” she told Annie. Ruth had the perfect plan. “I’ve got everything under control.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.” As casually as possible, Ruth strolled toward the lake.

“Grandma,” Annie called after her. “What are you going to do?”

She whirled around and pressed her finger to her lips, shushing Annie.

“Grandma,” her granddaughter called again, this time in a harsh whisper. “Don’t do anything…silly.”

Ruth waved off her concern. As fast as she could, she gathered up the men’s clothes. Clasping them to her chest, she ran toward Annie.

“What are you doing?” Rooster shouted.

Facing them, Ruth said loudly, “I’m taking your clothes and I’m not giving them back until Bethanne is returned safe and sound.” She clutched the clothes even tighter, unwilling to surrender a single item.

All three men laughed as though they thought her hilarious.

Without another word, Rooster started walking to shore and the other two followed. Soon vital body parts were fully exposed. Ruth gasped and backed away. Clearly the threat of not having their clothes meant nothing to them.

“That scares us, Grandma. That really scares us.”

Ruth dropped the clothes and, feeling more than a little ridiculous, hurried over to Annie.

They heard the roar of a motorcycle in the distance.

“Mom’s back!” Annie cried.

The weight of worry and responsibility instantly lifted from Ruth’s shoulders—until Max rode into view.

He was alone.

Ruth grabbed Annie’s arm. “Your mother isn’t with him,” she hissed.

“She’s probably with the tow truck driver,” Annie said, not revealing the slightest alarm. “And where is the tow truck?” she asked. A chill went down her spine. Hands on her hips, Ruth marched up to Max and waited until he’d turned off that blasted ear-splitting engine. “What have you done with my daughter-in-law?” she demanded.

Max slowly removed his helmet.

“I want to know right this minute where Bethanne is,” she yelled.

“Grandma, Grandma,” Annie hollered. “The tow truck is here.”

Ruth wagged her finger under Max’s nose. “You’re fortunate Bethanne is safe. Otherwise…otherwise, you would’ve been sorry.”