Ride The Storm (Storm Warning Series Book 4)

by Geri Foster

Kendall remained quiet for several heartbeats, then she said, “Okay, so what happened?” Her voice held none of the previous happiness or expectation, and the loss of it hit her harder than she expected. It wasn’t that Kendall had so quickly given up on her ideas that stung. It was that she was so excited that they were a possibility in the first place. Was it really so bad to be an independent woman? Did she really look so sad and lonely to her friends? She’d hoped she’d been hiding that better.

  Focusing on the topic at hand, she explained, “There was a new guy at the meeting and, to be honest, he was kind of creepy. Jeff had been outside the bank, and he must’ve noticed something unusual, so he came in. The guy left and Jeff decided to be polite and walk me to my house.”

  “Well, that’s better than nothing, I guess.” Kendall let out a disappointing breath. “But, he did come in?”

  “Yes, and that’s why I want to shop for new furniture. My parents bought most of this stuff when I was a kid and Dad got a big tax refund check. Nothing has changed since.”

  “I get it. Now, with the big job as the Vice President, you have some extra cash and it’s burning a hole in your pocket.”

  “Not exactly.” She went to her closet and took down the suit she planned to wear to work. On Sundays, she always decided her wardrobe for the week. That way, she didn’t have to get up and figure out what to wear. “When I looked at all that old stuff I thought, Jeff probably thinks I’m ten years older than my actual age. And he wouldn’t be wrong to think that. My décor is definitely outdated and doesn’t say anything about who I am. But Jeff aside, what am I waiting for? It’s time for a change.”

  “You got your hair styled in that cute bob, you shopped for a new wardrobe and now you want to tackle your house.” Kendall laughed. “Good for you.”

  “Let’s be clear. I only bought all those new clothes because of the job...and I’d lost twenty pounds. Nothing fit. Besides, I couldn’t walk around in my position wearing plain skirts and loose tops. The position called for a professional appearance.”

  “But you’re happy with your new look, right?” Kendall asked, a worried slant to her tone.

  “Absolutely! I am so glad I had the push to change. It was way overdue. And you and Rachel were a dream team, helping me find me.”

  “We certainly got you fixed up in that department.”

  Now it was her turn to laugh. “I’m so glad you two helped me. You’re the best friends a girl could have. I had no clue about clothes.”

  “Your closet was practically bare.”

  “To be honest, I, like so many other women, was waiting to lose more weight. It’s no fun shopping for fat clothes.”

  “You are not fat,” her friend insisted. “Why do you keep saying that?”

  “The tags in my dresses say size sixteen. When they say six, I’ll feel better.”

  “That might not happen, so don’t be so tough on yourself. You’re one of the nicest people in town, and now you have a great job.” Kendall cleared her throat. “And men walking you home from work at night.”

  “Stop that! You’re being silly. Don’t try to create something between me and Jeff that doesn’t exist. I get the feeling he’s the kind of man who wouldn’t like that.”

  “I think he’s hot.”

  Her cheeks flared. “Kendall Matthews! You’re a married woman.”

  “Well, I do. And if the gossip at the Hair Pin is any indication, several other women think so, too.”

  “Oh, goodness. You’re such a tease.”

  Kendall laughed. “You want me to invite Rachel? We can go shopping this evening. Maybe have a glass of wine before we hit the furniture stores.”

  “I’d love that. Thank you for being such a good friend to an old lady.”

  “You’re not old, Nancy. Forty is the new thirty. Haven’t you heard that yet?”

  “I have, but in my case, I find it highly unlikely.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t. You have a hell of a lot going for you, girl. VP of the bank, member of the City Council, organizer for the veterans’ group meeting, and a Sunday School teacher. I don’t know where you’d put a man if you caught one.”

  Oh, the mere thought. “Don’t you worry about that, I’ll make room.”

  * * *

  Jeff spent the night preparing for an attack he hoped would never come. Alone on the ranch, he made the perfect target. But, with the way he’d rigged the place, no one would sneak up on him. Not to mention the geese and Rosco. They were his second line of defense.

  Standing at the kitchen counter, sipping his third cup of coffee, he wondered if he was starting to get paranoid. In the crisp morning light, he thought more rationally about what went down the night before. Had he only imagined a danger where none existed?

  Wouldn’t be the first time.

  Yet, the fear in Nancy’s eyes assured him not all of it was in his imagination. She tried to hide it, but Alec Jones had scared her enough to make her step back from him and look for an exit route.

  That alone validated his concern. She didn’t seem like a woman who overreacted to just anything. If that were the case, the bigwigs at the bank wouldn’t have promoted her to practically running the place.

  The president, Robert Hatley, was nothing more than a figurehead He had only seen the man once, and he had been on his way out to lunch with a few executives from Denton at the time. With just that one meeting, it was clear the man didn’t have his head in the game at work. He noticed that day how many questions Nancy had to answer for him. He had either bought his way into the position, or some higher up had owed him a big favor.

  Nancy Wigan, on the other hand, had been born for the job. She knew the financial business inside and out. Smarter than a whip, she’d on several occasions saved her customers a lot of money on investments. Least, that’s what Russ claimed.

  Thinking of his brother, he decided to drive into town, take him to lunch and try to locate the Alec Jones character. As he moved across the living room he glanced outside, then he clicked on his computer and checked all the cameras. Nothing out there. He’d already taken care of the livestock and finished up the chores around the ranch. It would be safe to leave.

  A few minutes later, he backed out of the driveway, spun around and drove into the Travis’ place. Jumping out of his pickup, he pulled the chain across his driveway and locked it. Something he’d never felt the need to do before.

  “Hey, Jeff,” Aaron Travis called out, as he came around the yard. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m just being extra cautious.”

  Aaron stopped near his pickup and tilted his head. “Why?”

  “There’s a stranger in town.”

  “That’s nothing new. Visitors come here all the time.”

  “This person tickled my curiosity.”

  Aaron nodded. “I understand, and I’ll keep an eye out. My sister, Karen, and my mom are in the house, I’ll alert them as well.”

  He held up his hands. “I’m not saying we’re under attack.”

  “You don’t have to,” Aaron said, staunchly. “If there’s a stranger making you nervous, we need to all be on our toes.” He gazed around. “We’re pretty secluded, aside from the neighbor on my left. This is a dead-end road. Pays to be alert.”

  Aaron Travis had sure made a huge one eighty in the last year. Wasn’t that long ago he was operating under his daddy’s thumb, taking all his anger and frustration out on the world. One person in particular, Candi Matthews, had faced the brunt of his wrath and all because she’d refused to get rid of their son after she’d become pregnant as a teenager. If he weren’t looking at the man now, seeing him with his own two eyes, he wouldn’t believe such a transformation possible. But, now, Aaron was free of his dad and was making amends, accepting responsibility for his actions and trying to be a good father to his son, Tyler, and a good man all around.

  Nodding his thanks, he turned to get in his truck. “Just don’t go shooting anyone,” he chuckled. “It might be ov
erkill on my part.”

  “I trust you, Jeff. If you’re concerned, so am I.”

  Pulling into town, he cruised down Main Street, passing Sheriff Quinn’s office, Fred’s Donut House, the Hair Pin Beauty Salon, and the Inked tattoo place. Several people shopping traversed the sidewalk, totally unaware anything might be amiss.

  He shook his head as he turned and headed toward the bank. It would just be opening and he hoped to catch a glimpse of Nancy to assure himself she was okay. He was just turning the corner as she walked up to the front door, key in hand, and shoved inside.

  She wore a pretty pink suit with a white silk blouse and heels. My, that woman sure knew how to dress. He tried to ignore his pounding pulse and the roll of his stomach, telling himself he didn’t have time for a woman and nobody should have to put up with his sulkiness anyway.

  Knowing she’d safely arrived, he drove to his brother’s, pulled in the driveway and alighted from the vehicle. Nancy lived across the street from Russ, so he scanned the neighborhood before heading to the front door. Everything looked all right, for now.

  “I wondered if you’d make it today,” his brother opened the door and greeted before he had a chance to knock. Stepping out, he looked up at the sky. “It’s so nice out, I figured this would be a good day to work outside.”

  Jeff laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “I work outside every day.”

  “That you do,” Russ threw over his shoulder as he turned and headed toward the kitchen. “You’re younger than I am.” He turned back and pointed at him. “And don’t you forget it.”

  “I won’t, but if you want that patio finished, we’d better get at it.”

  Winter had left the back porch in serious need of mending. Together, they’d managed to do the repairs and now they only had to scrape off the old varnish and apply new stain and the thing would look like new.

  “Let’s get to work.” He reached for the leather gloves in his hip pocket.

  “You want coffee first?”

  “No, I had three cups already. I thought if we got enough done we might hop on over to Gert’s Diner and grab lunch.”

  “That sounds like a plan to me.” His face turned cloudy. “I don’t like it as much since Candi quit, but I guess it’s okay.”

  “She has her hands full going to college, raising a son and planning a wedding.”

  Russ opened the drawer and took out his own gloves. “Austin said she needed to enroll in college while Tyler is in school, that way she’d be home with him in the summer.”

  “Austin paying her tuition?”

  “She managed to get a few grants, but he’s picking up the rest. I don’t want to tell you what a fight that turned out to be. She’s been standing on her own feet a long time. I didn’t think Austin would ever convince her it was the most logical thing to do.”

  “Women can be stubborn. We all know that.”

  “Do you miss never being married, Jeff? No kids, no wife?”

  He shook his head at the thought. “I’ve gotten used to being on my own just like Candi. A woman would find it really hard to fit into my world.”

  “Why, because of the moods and your downright orneriness?”

  He smiled. “I guess. Besides, why are we having this conversation? I’m not looking at anyone.”

  “David, Lucas’ deputy, said he saw you with Miss Nancy last night. Here I am, living right across from her, and I missed it. I thought maybe you had a date or something.” Russ shoulder bumped him. “She sure is a looker.”

  “I was only doing her a favor by walking her home. One of the veterans at the meeting made her a little uncomfortable, that’s all.”

  “Oh, I hope it wasn’t serious. She’s doing a good thing, but I worry about her. She’s there with several unstable men, some with a lot of violence trapped inside them.”

  “It’s a concern all right, but the doctor is there.”

  “Then why didn’t he walk her home?”

  He shook his head and lowered his brows. “I don’t know. That’s a good question. I’m going to suggest to him someone makes sure she’s watched after.”

  “Good idea.” Russ started to head outside when he turned back, his brow scrunched. “Wait a second, what were you doing at the meeting? I thought you said you’d never go to one of those things.”

  Unwilling to admit his real reason for being there, he just grumbled and pushed past his brother. “This deck won’t finish itself you know. Times a wastin’.”

  Russ chuckled but, for once, he didn’t press any further. Stepping onto the back patio, he clearly saw where they’d stopped their last day’s work.

  “Who was the soldier that spooked her?”

  “He never served in the military. That’s what rung my alarm bells. Why show up at a veterans’ group session when you’re not military?”

  “Maybe he just needed someone to talk to. Lots of lonely people in the world today, you know.”

  “He’s not the talkative type.”

  “So, you spoke to him?”

  “Nancy introduced us briefly. He didn’t answer when I asked him his unit or where he’d been stationed.”

  “Dead giveaway. Even I still remember my old company and it’s been forty years. Still know my military number, as well. Some things a man doesn’t forget.”

  “That’s what I figured.”

  “Do you think you need to alert Lucas?”

  “No, not yet. All I have is a gut feeling.” He didn’t want Russ to worry, so he didn’t mention the part where he’d been followed.

  Three hours later, they walked into Gert’s Diner right in the middle of the lunch rush. “This place is packed,” he said. “Maybe we should go to my place and settle for a sandwich.”

  “No deal,” Russ said, his eyes searching the diner. “We’re here and we’ll wait for a table. Besides, today is chicken fried steak.” He rubbed his stomach. “And I’m hungry.”

  Soon, a couple stood and left and Russ rushed to grab the table. They scooted in and picked up the menus. His eyes were strolling through the selections, looking for something good, when a familiar voice sounded next to him.

  “Hi Jeff.” Nancy stood next to their table, her friends with her. “Hello Russ. It’s nice to see you two.”

  Both men stood. “It’s nice to see you, too, Miss Nancy,” Russ said. “We came for the chicken fried steak.”

  “I hope it’s good.”

  “She wouldn’t know because she only had a salad.” This came from the woman who ran the Hair Pin Beauty Salon. Austin had introduced him to her at Rachel and Lucas’ wedding, said her name was Kendall, recently married to Marcus Matthews.

  “Well, I’m having the chicken fried with extra gravy,” Russ announced.

  “Now you sound like Lucas,” Rachel said, laughing. “Candi used to know his order by heart.”

  Russ shook his head. “I sure miss her waiting on us, but I’m glad she’s working toward her degree.”

  “We all are,” Nancy said, her eyes moving to him. “What are you having?”

  “Probably a sandwich.”

  “Oh, that’s a good choice.”

  “Not a country boy?” Kendall asked. “Every guy around here is in love with Vern’s homemade specials.”

  “I’m not that hungry.”

  Nancy licked her lips and he had to look away. He didn’t need that kind of temptation.

  “Enjoy lunch, gentlemen. I’ll see you at the bank.”

  They left and, unable to help himself, he turned to watch as Nancy exited the diner, admiring the soft sway of her hips. Damn, it’d been a long time since he’d taken note of something like that.

  “Nancy looked awful pretty today,” Russ mentioned.

  He pulled his gaze away and swallowed the unease of getting caught checking her out. “I didn’t notice.”

  “The hell you didn’t.”

  * * *

  Alec followed Nancy Wigan to the diner, hoping to grab her while in the parking lot. But,
once she pulled in, several other women joined her, spoiling his chances.

  Still frustrated at not being able to follow Crawley home, he nearly jumped out of the car and grabbed her despite the nearness of the other women. What were they going to do, attack him?

  He fingered the black ski mask in his lap. He made sure to always have it on him so that when the opportunity presented itself, he’d be ready. Earlier he’d scouted out an abandoned building on the outskirts of town where he’d take her. With rope, a rag for her mouth, and zip ties for her hands and feet, he had everything all planned out.

  But, would he get the opportunity? Three times this morning alone he’d spotted either the Sheriff or the deputy prowling around the town like a hit squad. He had to be careful not to bring attention to himself if he hoped to kill Crawley and get out of town.

  Now, as he waited, he hoped the women would leave separately—and soon. Much to his surprise, he watched as Jeff Crawley and an older man entered the diner shortly after the women. The aroma of fried food kicked up his appetite and made his stomach growl.

  The number of parked cars in the lot warned him not to be foolish, not to try anything with this many people around. However, he could sit and watch. No harm in that. For a brief second, he thought about sauntering inside and ordering lunch. What would old Jeff Crawley think of that?

  Might teach him a lesson. He snickered, covering his mouth. It was a habit he’d recently acquired after getting one of his front teeth knocked down his throat by his old man, who’d briefly come sniffing around hoping to score some drugs. That was nearly a month ago now. He’d shot him four times in the chest and he’d do it again if given half the chance. The death of Jorge Opara ended his family line. Everyone was dead. Everyone, except him. His sister died of an overdose six months ago. Two days before he murdered his old man, his mom’s mutilated body had been found in a dumpster in the projects. He suspected the old man and so did the police, not that they did anything about it. No, he’d had to take matters into his own hands. Just like now.

  With no one left, and the Tri-City gang hot on his trail for taking their cut of the last drug deal, he’d set out to find his brother’s killer. Hell, he had nothing better to do and no one left to lose. He lived on borrowed time, anyway. As soon as Christian, out of Chicago, caught him, the Tri-City gang would wipe him off the face of the earth.