not a one had ever managed to hide anything for long.
She looked up when she heard a sound at the stairs. Rusty stood there in Rachel’s jeans and T-shirt, her hair in disarray and a guarded expression on her face.
“Well good morning,” Marlene said cheerfully. “You hungry?”
Still eyeing Marlene cautiously, Rusty edged her way over to the bar. “I could eat.”
“Well good. Frank’ll be down shortly and we’ll have a nice meal.”
Rusty perched on the edge of a bar stool and watched as Marlene poured the eggs into a skillet. She turned the bacon and turned the heat down on the grits to let them simmer.
“I don’t like eggs.”
“I hate to hear that since that’s what I’m cooking. I expect you’ll eat them or go hungry.”
“Don’t you want to know when I’m leaving?” Rusty said in a belligerent tone.
“Since I haven’t asked you to leave, no.”
Rusty frowned and fidgeted on the stool. “So you don’t care if I stay?”
“I’m concerned that there are people worried about you. Seems to me you ought to let your folks know where you are at least.”
Rusty’s eyes iced over and her entire body stiffened. “I don’t have any folks. None that give a damn anyway.”
Marlene had figured as much, but she didn’t want to take this girl in if she had a family worried about her somewhere.
Just then Frank ambled down the stairs and into the kitchen. He stopped to drop a kiss on Marlene’s cheek before he turned to the bar. He eyed Rusty warily but took a seat without comment. Rusty didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for him either.
They squared off like two cagey animals, each watching the other for any unexpected moves.
“So are you saying you want to stay?” Marlene asked casually.
Rusty scowled. “I didn’t say that.”
Marlene turned as she picked up the skillet and shoveled the eggs onto a plate. “Frank, will you get the biscuits please?”
She arranged the bacon next to the eggs and then scooped the grits into a large bowl. After everything was set on the bar, she took a seat across from Frank and Rusty and gestured for them to dig in.
“Will you be going after breakfast then?” Marlene asked as she buttered a biscuit.
Rusty’s lip curled derisively. “You want me to go, don’t you?”
“If I wanted you to go, I’d say so. I’m not one to mince words.”
“Got that right,” Frank muttered.
She shot him a quelling look. Something that resembled a smile skirted Rusty’s mouth.
“I’d like for you to stay if that’s what you want,” Marlene said to Rusty. “But if you accept my offer, you’re going to have to be honest with me. About everything. And there are rules.”
Frank snorted and Marlene glared at him again.
“Don’t get her started on the rules,” Frank said with a resigned sigh. “Just nod your head and say yes ma’am.”
Marlene leveled a stare at Rusty. “Does that sound like something you can live with?”
Rusty squirmed under Marlene’s scrutiny. She picked at her food and toyed with a piece of bacon with her fork. “What if you change your mind?”
Marlene willed herself not to react to the fear and insecurity in the child’s voice. And she was a child. A child trying very hard to be an adult, but a baby nonetheless.
“I won’t change my mind, Rusty. As long as you abide by my rules and respect my house, then we’ll get along just fine.”
For a long moment Rusty stared at Marlene as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Then she glanced sideways at Frank.
“Then I’ll stay. For now,” she added hastily.
CHAPTER 7
THANKS to losing his goddamn earpiece, Ethan was paired with Donovan as they searched the heavy undergrowth. Ahead, Donovan stopped and held a hand to his ear.
“Say again, Sam, you’re breaking up.”
Donovan turned to Ethan as he listened intently.
“Roger that. We’re on our way.”
Donovan fiddled with his GPS unit, stared down intently and then looked up as if determining
She looked up when she heard a sound at the stairs. Rusty stood there in Rachel’s jeans and T-shirt, her hair in disarray and a guarded expression on her face.
“Well good morning,” Marlene said cheerfully. “You hungry?”
Still eyeing Marlene cautiously, Rusty edged her way over to the bar. “I could eat.”
“Well good. Frank’ll be down shortly and we’ll have a nice meal.”
Rusty perched on the edge of a bar stool and watched as Marlene poured the eggs into a skillet. She turned the bacon and turned the heat down on the grits to let them simmer.
“I don’t like eggs.”
“I hate to hear that since that’s what I’m cooking. I expect you’ll eat them or go hungry.”
“Don’t you want to know when I’m leaving?” Rusty said in a belligerent tone.
“Since I haven’t asked you to leave, no.”
Rusty frowned and fidgeted on the stool. “So you don’t care if I stay?”
“I’m concerned that there are people worried about you. Seems to me you ought to let your folks know where you are at least.”
Rusty’s eyes iced over and her entire body stiffened. “I don’t have any folks. None that give a damn anyway.”
Marlene had figured as much, but she didn’t want to take this girl in if she had a family worried about her somewhere.
Just then Frank ambled down the stairs and into the kitchen. He stopped to drop a kiss on Marlene’s cheek before he turned to the bar. He eyed Rusty warily but took a seat without comment. Rusty didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for him either.
They squared off like two cagey animals, each watching the other for any unexpected moves.
“So are you saying you want to stay?” Marlene asked casually.
Rusty scowled. “I didn’t say that.”
Marlene turned as she picked up the skillet and shoveled the eggs onto a plate. “Frank, will you get the biscuits please?”
She arranged the bacon next to the eggs and then scooped the grits into a large bowl. After everything was set on the bar, she took a seat across from Frank and Rusty and gestured for them to dig in.
“Will you be going after breakfast then?” Marlene asked as she buttered a biscuit.
Rusty’s lip curled derisively. “You want me to go, don’t you?”
“If I wanted you to go, I’d say so. I’m not one to mince words.”
“Got that right,” Frank muttered.
She shot him a quelling look. Something that resembled a smile skirted Rusty’s mouth.
“I’d like for you to stay if that’s what you want,” Marlene said to Rusty. “But if you accept my offer, you’re going to have to be honest with me. About everything. And there are rules.”
Frank snorted and Marlene glared at him again.
“Don’t get her started on the rules,” Frank said with a resigned sigh. “Just nod your head and say yes ma’am.”
Marlene leveled a stare at Rusty. “Does that sound like something you can live with?”
Rusty squirmed under Marlene’s scrutiny. She picked at her food and toyed with a piece of bacon with her fork. “What if you change your mind?”
Marlene willed herself not to react to the fear and insecurity in the child’s voice. And she was a child. A child trying very hard to be an adult, but a baby nonetheless.
“I won’t change my mind, Rusty. As long as you abide by my rules and respect my house, then we’ll get along just fine.”
For a long moment Rusty stared at Marlene as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Then she glanced sideways at Frank.
“Then I’ll stay. For now,” she added hastily.
CHAPTER 7
THANKS to losing his goddamn earpiece, Ethan was paired with Donovan as they searched the heavy undergrowth. Ahead, Donovan stopped and held a hand to his ear.
“Say again, Sam, you’re breaking up.”
Donovan turned to Ethan as he listened intently.
“Roger that. We’re on our way.”
Donovan fiddled with his GPS unit, stared down intently and then looked up as if determining
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