Goodbye Girl (Hidden Lane Ranch) (11 page)

She finally
stopped crying again and pulled away. “Before Mom died, I met a guy at work,
Seth. We went on a date here and there, but were mostly friends. At least until
Mom died. I was so overwhelmed with everything he sort of swooped in and took
care of a lot of things for me. I was only nineteen and he was twenty-five. Honestly,
he was a lifesaver. He helped me pack up the apartment and I moved in with him
and his brother, but only as a roommate at first. He didn’t push for anything
while I dealt with all of this. He sat in court with me every day when Jack was
tried for what he did to Mom.”

I nodded,
trying to fight back the jealousy I was feeling that this guy took care of her;
I didn’t even know her then but the thought of someone else being there for her
bothered me.

“We had a good
relationship for a long time, but then he lost his high paying job at the
factory. He had trouble finding something that paid the same amount of money
and he started hanging out with a new crowd and eventually selling drugs. I
didn’t like the people he had around and I wasn’t afraid to say it, even in
front of them. He didn’t like that at all and he started to become controlling,
trying to tell me where to go, who to be friends with. Given the shady people
he was keeping company with, I’d been hit on more than once by them and that
pissed him off so he kept close tabs on me. I have no doubt he was having me
followed sometimes.”

“One day after
a horrible fight - he didn’t hit me but we screamed at each other and I was
pretty sure he thought about it but the apartment was full of too many people -
I decided enough was enough. I’d stayed out of obligation since he was there
for me when Mom died, but I wasn’t going to end up like her. I packed up my
stuff and told him I was leaving. He lost it. He completely went ape shit on
me. That’s when he hit me.”

My body tensed
as I listened, my hatred for this guy growing by the second. What sort of
jackass would lay a hand on a woman, especially a woman they claimed to love?

She was
trembling now, but when I reached out to hold her, she held her hand up to stop
me and shook her head. “Let me finish,” she mumbled. She took a deep breath
before she kept going. “He was going do more than hit me, but someone knocked
on the door and said something about a drug deal gone bad and he had to leave. I
have no doubt he would have put me in the hospital.”

“Does he know
where you are?” I asked, getting up from the bed and pacing her room. If I ever
laid my eyes on this guy, there was no telling what might happen.

She bit her
lip and shrugged. “I don’t see how. I ditched my phone when I left. I ran it
over with my car and then threw it in a river. I thought maybe he had GPS on my
car or something, but if he did, I thought I would have heard from him by now. I
mean, it’s been three months.”

I nodded,
relieved at her answer. If he was looking for her, I doubted he would look in
Wyoming, especially on some ranch.

“There’s
more,” she mumbled, looking down at her hands.

“What?” I
asked, my mouth going dry.

She got up off
of the bed and went down on her hands and knees next to the bed. She reached
underneath it and pulled out a big blue duffle bag. She unzipped it and I
gasped, dropping to my knees near her when I saw what was inside. There were
bundles of cash - what looked to be $100 bills. Where the fuck did she get
that?

“I took this
from him when I left,” she whispered. “I wasn’t sure where I was going to go or
what I was going to do. I just knew I had to get away from him so I didn’t end
up like my mother.” Her voice was trembling again and her eyes filled up with
tears.

“How much is
there?” I asked, standing back up slowly and sitting on the bed.

She zipped up
the bag and pushed it back under. “I have no idea. I never counted it. I kept
one bunch out when I left to pay for gas, hotels, and food, but that was it. When
I got here I put it under the bed and this is the first time I’ve opened it.”

She stood up and put her hands on her
hips. “Let’s lay down,” I urged her, pulling her to me and laid back on the
bed. I enveloped her in my arms and gently kissed her forehead. If she took
that kind of money from him, it probably wouldn’t be long before he found her. He
didn’t sound like the kind of guy that would part with that much money easily. I
wasn’t going to think about that now; I was thankful to have her back in my
arms and there she was going to stay.

I woke up to
the sound of Clint’s even breathing. I glanced up and watched him sleep,
reaching up to lightly touch his face. I couldn’t believe after everything I
told him he was still here and still wanted to be with me. Before he’d gotten
here, I was seriously considering leaving the ranch. I’m glad I hadn’t.

I untangled
myself from his arms and noticed it was about two AM. We’d been asleep for
about three hours. I wondered if Eliza had made it back from the bar ok. I felt
bad leaving her, but I was not in the mood and not feeling well.

I walked into
the bathroom, shutting the door and turning on the light. I stopped and looked
at myself in the mirror. My eyes traveled to the spot on my cheek that Seth had
hit. I touched it and started sobbing, grabbing my soap and throwing it across
the tiny bathroom. I sank to the floor sobbing. Now that Clint knew about my
past, it was like the floodgates were opened. Sobs racked my body as I thought
about my mother and what Jack had done to her. I thought about Seth and how
much he changed from the boy who helped me get through my mother’s death to
some sort of monster.

“Rachel?”
Clint knocked on the door, concern in his voice. He opened the door and picked
me up in his arms, carrying me back to the bed. He let me cry until I had no
more tears left, stroking my back. “Let it out, babe. It’s ok now. You’re safe
here.”

When I was
finally done crying, he sat up. “How about a shower or bubble bath? You need to
relax.”

I nodded. It
was three in the morning, but a hot shower sounded good.

He patted my
leg. “Good. You go do that and I’ll go make you some tea. Ma swears by it when
you’re feeling down. Wyatt and I think it’s nonsense, but Eliza seems to like
it.” He rolled his eyes and smiled and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Good, that’s
what I like to see on my girl,” he whispered as he stood up. He leaned down and
kissed my forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

I watched him
walk out of my bedroom before grabbing some fresh clothes and heading to the
shower. I had no idea how I’d gotten so lucky to find Clint by some strange
chance. I hadn’t stopped anywhere since I’d left Buffalo that day other than to
grab gas and some food. A higher power led me to decide to spend that night in
Sheridan; I had no doubt.

***

I walked back
behind the garage and headed down to see the horses. Before coming here, I had
never ridden a horse. Now I went a few times a week. My favorite horse came to
the edge of the fence to greet me. I patted her neck before turning around to
survey the ranch. Yeah, I’d changed a lot since that night Clint found me in
that diner.

One thing that
hadn’t changed was the fact that I could take care of myself and hated it when
people told me what to do. I looked around, not seeing anyone nearby and snuck
to my car. I started it up, cringing at the noise it made. Hopefully no one was
near enough to hear or I was so busted.

“I don’t want to tell you what to do,
Rachel, but can I please make one request?” Clint asked me later that night
after I’d told him about Seth and showed him the money.

“Sure,” I’d replied.

“Please don’t go into town without me or
Wyatt. You could probably go with Eliza too, but I don’t want you to go alone. I’m
worried about Seth.”

It seemed like
a simple request, but as time past, I was getting tired of the restrictions. I
knew he meant well, but going one time alone wouldn’t hurt anything.

I put the car
in drive and headed down the long driveway of the ranch. My fingers gripped the
steering wheel tight and my heart was pounding until I got to the end of the
drive. I turned towards town and blew out a breath I hadn’t even realized I’d
been holding. I made it. I glanced down to where I usually kept my phone when I
drove and swore. I’d forgotten it on my dresser! Oh well, I’d be back in no
time and they won’t even miss me.

I turned up
the radio in my car and rolled down the windows, letting the warm summer air
blow against my face. I was so excited for this party for Eliza. I had told Clint
what a big deal Mom made of my birthdays when I was growing up, but it had been
awhile since I’d really celebrated anyone’s birthday. I couldn’t wait to dance
all night with Clint and enjoy the evening with my new adopted family.

I got into
town and ran the errands I needed to quickly. Of course Clint would find out I
didn’t listen to him when I told him I no longer needed to go into town, but
maybe once he saw I went and came back safe and sound, he would relax a little
bit.

My car was
full of bags of stuff for the party and I was on my way home when the gas light
in my car went on. I was near the last gas station on the way out of town, so I
figured I better stop and fill up. I pulled up next to the pump and hopped out.
I filled the car with gas, looking around at the different people around me. I
smiled to myself at all the cowboy boots and hats; such a change from back home
but one I’d grown to love.

I went to pay
inside so I could grab a soda before the twenty-minute drive to the ranch. I
came back out and dropped my soda when I saw who was standing by my car. It was
him
!

He was
standing there leaning against the side of my car, wearing his aviator shades. He’d
changed his hair since I saw him and it was now cut short but styled into some
kind of mohawk. He was wearing jeans and a wife beater - his usual outfit. My
heart was racing and my mouth went dry. How the fuck had he found me?

“Get in the
car, Rachel. We’re going to go for a drive,” he commanded, his voice low. He
lifted up his shirt and showed me the gun stashed there. “Don’t make me cause a
scene.”

I wanted to
scream and let the other people at the gas station know what was going on, but
I was frozen. I really thought I was home free of Seth and I was shocked to see
him. Clint was right and tears filled my eyes as I thought about how I didn’t
listen to him and now I wasn’t so sure I’d ever see him again.

As I walked
back to the house for lunch, I noticed Rachel’s car was gone. Eliza’s truck
wasn’t back from her meeting either. My mouth went dry and my heart started to
pound in my chest; did she not follow my instructions?

I bounded up
the stairs and pulled open the front door. “Ma, where’s Rachel?” I called out.

She came out
from the utility room. “She said she was going for one of her walks this
morning. I haven’t seen her since.”

I took off my
baseball hat and tossed it on the counter before running my hand through my
hair. “Her car’s gone. She didn’t say anything about going anywhere?”

Ma went to the
window to check for her car. “I had no idea,” she trailed off quietly. She
turned back to look at me. “I’m sorry. She mentioned that you wouldn’t let her
go into town alone and I told her it was for her own good but that’s where the
conversation ended. She said she was going to go for a walk and I got busy here
and didn’t even notice.”

“I’ll try to
call her.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed her number. It rang and
rang, eventually going to her voicemail. No fucking answer! I stormed down to
her room and opened the door. Her phone was sitting on her dresser. She either
forgot it or didn’t even bother to take it.

I balled my
hands into fists. “I have to find her. I have a bad feeling. Even if she did go
into town for errands, she should be back already.” I took my hat and put it
firmly back onto my head and ran out the door before Ma could say another word.

I ran into
Wyatt on my way to my truck. “Where’s the fire, big bro?”

“I have to
find Rachel,” I responded, not missing a step. “Wanna come?”

He followed
behind me, a concerned look on his face. “Sure, what happened?”

I opened the
door of the truck. “Get in and I’ll explain.” I sat down and started it, barely
giving him enough time to get in and shut the door before tearing away from the
house.

“Whoa, why are
you driving so fast?” he asked, clutching the door handle.

I was holding
the steering wheel so tight the whites of my knuckles were showing. “You know I
don’t want Rachel leaving the ranch without one of us, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well this
morning she was mad at me because she has some stuff to do for Eliza’s party in
town and I told her I would take her later. I’ve promised her that a few times
and we end up working too late to make it since everything practically shuts
down around five. So after breakfast she told Ma she was taking a walk when she
actually snuck out and left. Ma was too busy to notice and I didn’t until I
came back to the house for lunch.”

“Hmmm…I
wouldn’t think her errands would take her that long,” he said, rubbing his jaw.

“Exactly,” I
responded tersely.

“Do you
actually have reason to think that her ex is after her? Has she gotten any
threats?”

I shook my
head. “No, she smashed her phone right after she left and didn’t even get a new
one until recently.” Most of my family thought I was being a little ridiculous
with how I kept such a close eye on Rachel, but they didn’t know about the
money she’d taken from him. They all thought he was a controlling asshole that
hit her. Maybe it was time to tell them. “She took money from him. A lot of
money.” I didn’t take my eyes off the road, trying not to speed too much. The
last thing I needed was to be pulled over by the cops and be delayed even more.

“What do you
mean? What money?” He asked, confusion in his voice.

I signed. “He
lost his job and started hanging out with a bad crowd, eventually selling
drugs. He’d built up quite an empire, becoming some sort of drug lord. She had
nothing to do with it and he actually didn’t involve her at all. She was
planning on leaving him and that’s when he lost it. He liked having her on his
arm; she became more of trophy than anything.”

“Shit man,”
Wyatt muttered.

“I know…She
didn’t intend to take it when she left, but he pissed her off when he hit her
and she wanted to get him where she knew it hurt the most - money. I told her a
man like that wouldn’t let that much money get away from him without some sort
of retaliation.” I turned to look at my brother as we rolled up to a red light
on the outskirts of town. “I think he had some sort of tracker on her somehow. From
what she tells me, he knew where she was at all times. He had to have a way
other than just her phone. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s known for a while
where she was but was just waiting for the right time.”

“Wow,” Wyatt
gasped, taking off his cowboy hat. “No wonder you’ve been so protective. Can’t
say I blame ya, bro.”

“I’m fucking
freaked out right now man and I won’t relax until I’m hold her in my arms,” I
mumbled, fighting back the emotion I could feel growing. I had to stay calm;
she was probably fine and I was overreacting.

“It’s ok,
Clint,” he said softly. “We’ll find her.”

We turned down
the main drag of town and drove slowly, looking for her car. Neither of us said
a word and panic grew in the pit of my stomach. What if we didn’t find her?

I spotted
Eliza’s truck and pulled into the empty stall nearby. Maybe she’d seen her. We
both hopped out of the car and headed into the diner Eliza was in.

My eyes darted
around nervously until I found Eliza sitting in the corner booth with her
laptop. She had a look of concentration and a pencil stuck in a bun on top of
her head; no Rachel though.

Wyatt and I
slid into the seat across from her. She looked up with a grin. “To what do I
owe the pleasure of both of my brothers joining me here?” We didn’t say
anything and the smile fell from her face. “What’s wrong? Is it Ma?” She closed
her laptop firmly.

“No, no. Ma’s
fine,” I quickly assured her. “We think Rachel came to town this morning but we
can’t get a hold of her. She either forgot or left her phone at home and no
one’s heard from her. I was hoping you’d seen her around here.”

She shook her
head and pushed her laptop away from her. “No, I haven’t. I’ve been holed up in
here since my meeting. I decided to stay here and work for a while; I’m
addicted to the coffee.” She motioned to her mug in front of her.

“Shit,” I
muttered and scrubbed my face with my hand. I pounded my fist on the table,
causing the few customers in the diner to turn and look at me. “Where
is
she?”

Wyatt put a
hand on my arm. “We will find her. I promise.”

“Why the
panic? She can’t be far. You aren’t seriously worried about Seth, are you?” Eliza
asked, confusion written across her face.

I looked
around; I didn’t want to talk about the money around all these people. “Are you
ready to go? Come with us and I’ll explain.”

“Okay,” she
said slowly, packing up her laptop and grabbing her purse. “Why can’t you tell
me here though?”

I gave her a
look of exasperation and Wyatt held up his hand. “Just come along and he’ll
explain it all.”

We left the
diner and got into my truck; we’d come back later for Eliza’s vehicle. Before
we left, I told her all about the money Rachel had stolen.

“Fuck, Clint!”
She said, her blue eyes as wide as saucers. They filled with tears. “What if he
found her? What if he has her?”

“Eliza!” Wyatt
warned. “Don’t!”

“It’s a valid
concern, man,” I said quietly. It’s all I’d thought of since the moment I
realized she wasn’t at the house. What if he
did
have her? What would he
do to her? Something told me it would probably be more than just slapping her
around. I pushed the thoughts from my mind. I was going to lose it unless I
focused on finding her. I couldn’t even think about what I was going to do to
him when I saw him. He would wish he stayed in Buffalo.

“Let’s call
the police,” Eliza said, her voice filled with panic. “They can help us.”

I shook my
head. “No. Not yet. Besides, she hasn’t been gone for twelve hours much less
twenty-four, so I doubt they’d do anything. We have nothing to give them other
than a ‘hunch’ anyway.”

She slumped in
the backseat. “Well what the fuck are we going to do then?”

I shrugged. “I’m
not sure other than driving around for a while. Maybe we will see her car…or
something.” I wanted to throw something right now. I was so damn frustrated and
felt helpless. I had a bad feeling deep in my gut though; I just knew I had to
get to her soon.