Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(71)

“Thanks,” she whispered when she slid off the saddle.

“No problem. You can ride anytime you want.”

She turned to face him. “Thanks for trusting me. Most people don’t.”

Jesse nodded once. “Their loss, kid.”

She smiled. “Right. Their loss.”

When Star disappeared about five, Zak told him she’d gone in to make supper. “You think she can cook?”

“Don’t matter. We’re going to eat it either way.”

Zak grinned. “I guess if I can eat your cooking I can handle about anything.”

An hour later she stepped on the porch and yelled that supper was ready. Jesse washed his hands as he eyed quiche and salad on the table. His children stared at him like they were not touching it until he ate some.

Jesse took a bite and declared it great.

Star smiled. “My mother taught me to cook when I was no bigger than Sunny Lyn.”

“Will you teach me, Star? I only had a mother for one day.”

“Sure. I’ll teach you one thing a day. We can make supper together.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I was lucky. I had a mother for seven years.”

After dinner they watched a movie Jesse had seen a dozen times. He stepped out on the porch as Danny sat next to Star and told her what was about to happen next.

It had been a good day, he thought. A peaceful time. In a way he felt closer to Adalee. Maybe he was helping her. Star might not be at home but Adalee knew she was safe.

When the movie ended, everyone was ready for bed, even Star. “I can’t believe I’m going to bed with the chickens. Until today I had no idea what that phrase even meant.”

Before long the house was silent. Jesse walked out to the barn and dialed Adalee. He told her every detail of the day he could remember.

“Thanks,” she said when he was finished. “For everything.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, one other thing. Didn’t hear a cuss word all day.”

Adalee sounded like she was crying. “I don’t believe it.”

The conversation changed directions when Jesse said in a low voice, “Talk to me. I like hearing your voice.”

She seemed to understand. She told him the details of her day. The people, the customers.

He sat down and listened. It felt so good to be talking to someone his age, and as he listened he could almost feel his hand touching her.

The conversation moved into how to handle Star as if she were their child. After several ideas they agreed to let her stay a few more days at the farm, then suggest she go back to school. He could drop her off at the bakery when he took his kids to one of the grandmothers’ houses. Adalee and Star could visit while they had breakfast. She promised to keep it light and not make a fuss if Star wanted to come back to the farm.

“We need to rebuild our relationship,” Adalee admitted. “She’s right, Jesse, I’m not her mother. I’m her sister. Maybe it’s time I started acting like one.”

“She’s welcome to stay over here at night. In truth, she’s good with the kids and the horses. If I bring her home, she won’t have time to run around with her wild friends.”

“I’m not sure Star isn’t the wild one. Can I come out sometime?” Adalee asked.

“You’re always welcome.” He hesitated, then added, “I’d love to see you, and it has nothing to do with your sister. In another world, I’d love you to come out and sleep over, but that’s not happening.”

She laughed. “Someday?”

“In our dreams maybe,” he echoed.

They were both silent for a while, then she whispered, “Think of me tonight.”

Jesse closed his eyes. “I usually do.”

Neither said goodbye. He didn’t want to and he guessed she felt the same.

When he went back inside and turned off the lights, he glanced in each bedroom, checking one last time that all was well.

Star’s face shone in the moonlight. As she slept, and with no dark makeup, he saw she was just a kid pretending to be grown. The thought crossed his mind that if she hadn’t climbed in his pickup yesterday, there was no telling where she’d be tonight.

He lay in his bed doing what he said he would, thinking of Adalee. A peace settled over him. They might not get together often alone, but they could be friends. They could help one another raise the kids. They would talk. They could dream of someday.

That was enough right now. He’d gone from lonely to someday.





Chapter 44


Colby


Ranger Colby McBride climbed on his Harley and rode over to the fire station. He knew he could use Sam’s computer to contact his friend David Hatcher back at headquarters. Colby had slept on one of the bunks upstairs last week, so he was considered one of the guys. Sam, the fire chief, even told Colby he’d have to go out if a call came in.

When the information he’d asked Dave for started coming in, Colby called headquarters, guessing that David would be the only one still in the office.

“What did you find?” Colby asked.

“Good evening to you too.” Dave didn’t waste any time. “I found plenty. Reports of rape where the woman was cut are coming in from several counties. I’ve eliminated those solved and those accounts where the woman knew her attacker. When I matched those locations up with places Leon Newton had worked in the past five years, several lit up. A few had the exact MO. Apparently when he moves, he only travels one or two counties over. Two years back, reports of incidents with bad knife cuts started coming in from emergency rooms. Most of the women were not willing to press charges. Too afraid. The cuts were getting deeper. At first he cut deep enough to bleed, but the last few victims required stitches.