Without a Trace by Amanda Stevens

Author:Amanda Stevens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-03-09T18:04:46+00:00

Chapter Ten

Shaken by that second phone call, Rae spent the rest of the morning at the ranch with her father and brother, determined to sit tight until they received further instructions from the kidnappers. That was assuming another call would be forthcoming. Doubts plagued her. What if the ransom demand was a ruse intended to keep the family from looking for Sophie until it was too late?

On and on Rae’s mind spun until she became so agitated that the slightest sound caused her to jump. Her father’s disposition was no better. He watched the phone on his desk with an almost unblinking focus while Jackson’s mood alternated between rage and despair. Rae wasn’t unsympathetic to her brother’s anguish, but her patience could stretch only so far. He seemed determined to take his fury out on her, and the incessant carping wore on her nerves until she found herself sniping back at him.

He wasn’t wrong. Sophie should never have been able to sneak out of the house so easily. Rae should have kept a closer watch. But her brother wasn’t without fault, either. He’d literally dropped Sophie on Rae’s doorstep on his way out of town. He’d not only expected her to keep an eye on his teenage daughter, but also to take up the slack at work. Rae accepted her part of the blame, but she would allow herself to be a punching bag for only so long before she fought back.

“Rae?”

She started. Jackson had left the room for a bit and the silence had lulled her. Despite her chaotic thoughts, she’d almost drifted off to sleep. “Yes, Dad?”

“Go into town and get us something to eat.”

The request surprised her. “Dad, there’s a ton of food in the kitchen. If you don’t want leftovers, Jetta can whip up something else.”

“I gave her the day off. I couldn’t stand all that hovering.”

“She’s just trying to help.”

He scowled at Rae. “I know that. But I don’t like to be fussed over. I’m not senile or at death’s door like some folks like to make out.”

Point taken. “Then I guess you don’t want me to fix you anything, either.”

He sighed heavily. “Can you just humor me for once? I want real food. Go get me the blue-plate special at the Corner Café.”

Comfort food, Rae thought. Her father and his cronies often met for lunch at the café to savor Winona Landry’s fried chicken, mashed potatoes and buttermilk biscuits while they argued over local politics. Under normal circumstances, Rae might have tried to steer her father toward a more heart-friendly choice, but the circumstances were far from normal and she wasn’t about to intervene at a time like this. If he wanted fried chicken, so be it.

Jackson came back into the room then and Rae attempted a truce. “I’m making a run into town. Dad wants fried chicken for lunch. What about you? Can I bring you back something?”

He went straight over to the window to stare out. “I’m not hungry.”

“What about for later?”

“I said I wasn’t hungry, but do whatever you want.

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