The Coltons: Fisher, Ryder & Quinn: Soldier's Secret Child. Caridad Pineiro

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ was headed to Dallas. Seemed to me she didn’t want to go back there if she could avoid it.”

      “Have any other strangers passed through here recently?” she asked, glancing back and forth between the bartender and truck driver. The waitress came over at that moment with their cobblers as the bartender said, “Have you seen any new faces around, Alice?”

      A frown created a ridge above the older woman’s eyebrows as she considered the question. “Just that salesman who said he was on his way to San Antonio. Didn’t seem like much of a salesman to me.”

      “Why’s that?” Fisher questioned.

      “Got the most expensive thing on the menu. Didn’t ask for a receipt and left a lousy tip,” she said and wiggled her fingers to indicate that she wanted to see the photo.

      After Fisher handed it over and she examined it, she said, “Don’t remember the girl.”

      He pulled the other photo from his pocket and passed it to the waitress. “Was this the salesman?”

      She glanced at it, but shook her head and placed the photo on the counter of the bar. “Don’t recognize him.”

      “Me, neither,” said the truck driver as did the bartender.

      She exchanged a glance with Fisher, who handed the bartender the photo of Sara. “Do you think you could keep this just in case Sara comes by again? We can give you a phone number where you can call us.”

      “Sure.” The bartender plucked a pen from inside his apron and jotted down the cell phone number that Macy provided.

      Although they had ordered the desserts, she had no appetite thanks to the disappointment of discovering virtually nothing about Sara. The only worthwhile information they could pass to Jericho when he returned in a day or two would be the name of the company that the truck driver worked for and the license plate number. It wouldn’t be all that much harder for Jericho to get the man’s name based on that and their description of the truck driver. She didn’t believe the older man had done anything, but Jericho could hopefully confirm that the man had no prior record.

      Fisher bent close to her and whispered in her ear. “Do you want to go?”

      “I’m not really very hungry,” she admitted.

      He brushed a kiss along her brow and laid his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go home then. Maybe T.J. will be able to tell us more once we tell him what we know about Sara’s dad.”

      The tenderness of that caress chased away some of the disappointment. “Let’s go home,” she confirmed.

       Chapter 15

      They were on their way to Macy’s, but it must have occurred to her that they would have to go past the Hopechest Ranch to reach her house.

      She laid a hand on his arm as he drove the Jeep along the country road. “Do you mind if we drop by the ranch and speak to Jewel? I’d like to share what little we have and see if she maybe has some information for us.”

      “Not a problem.” He slowed the Jeep as they neared the driveway for the ranch, then turned onto it and drove up to the front of the house.

      After he had parked, he said, “Do you want me to go with you?”

      “Of course. Together, right?”

      Together for now, he thought, but couldn’t disappoint. She had been too discouraged after their visit to the roadside canteen. Because of that, he nodded and followed her as she walked to the front door and entered, calling out Jewel’s name as she did so.

      A very pregnant woman—Mexican, young and pretty—was the first one to respond.

      “Macy. Miss Jewel is in the library with Joe,” the woman said.

      “Is something wrong, Ana?”

      Ana wrung her hands together and glanced toward the back of the house. “Joe said he had to talk to Miss Jewel. That he had something to tell her about Sara.”

      Macy placed her hand over her stomach and wavered on her feet. Fisher was immediately there, his hand at her shoulder to offer support and comfort.

      “Let’s go see if Jewel can talk to us,” he said and squeezed her shoulder.

      She reached up and placed her hand on his, seeking his solace and he offered it, easing his hand down so that she could grab hold of it.

      Together they walked the few steps back to the library, a moderately sized room filled with books, a leather sofa and chairs as well as a small table where the children could read or study with some measure of quiet.

      The door was ajar as they approached and Macy could hear the gentle tones of Jewel’s voice as she spoke to Joe.

      She knocked on the door, but no one responded. She was about to knock again when Jewel came to the entrance to the library.

      “Macy. I’m so glad you’re here.” Her sharp-eyed gaze immediately went to Fisher behind her, down to where their hands were joined and then back up to her face.

      “You have news?” Jewel asked.

      “Not all that much unfortunately. And you?”

      Jewel opened the door wide and held out her arm. “Why don’t you come in. You need to hear what Joe just told me.”

      Her stomach did a little flip-flop, sensing the news would not be good. She tightened her hand on Fisher’s.

      They entered the room. Joe was seated on the maroon leather coach, but stood as he saw them. He nodded his head in greeting and said, “Mrs. Ward. Mr. Yates.”

      As anxious as she was, she couldn’t muster the energy for niceties. “Your aunt tells us that you’ve got something we should hear.”

      The boy shifted from foot to foot and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He inhaled deeply and held it before finally speaking. “I saw Sara and T.J. together the afternoon before she disappeared. They were by themselves at the corral and Sara seemed upset.”

      “Upset with T.J.?” Fisher asked, but the boy quickly shook his head.

      “I don’t think so. It seemed like T.J. was trying to make her feel better. I think he has a crush on her,” Joe said.

      Jewel came up to stand by Joe and placed her arm around his shoulders. “Tell them what else you heard.”

      Joe fidgeted once again, clearly uneasy about what he would say and possibly, about betraying a friend’s confidence. Macy understood that and so she tried to relieve that concern.

      “I know you want to protect your friends, but if it’s something that could get them hurt—”

      “T.J. was telling Sara not to worry. That he would take her to a place where no one could find her.”

      “Was there someone СКАЧАТЬ