Page 70 of Operation: Return

He stood and headed for the door, waving her back when she stood to let him out. “Keep my offer in the back of your mind. If things don’t work out where you’re going, we’re here. We can’t exactly advertise in the paper, so you’d be doing us a favor. I know raising kids on this ranch is something to consider, but we work very hard to accept only people we think we can help.” He stalled at the door for a moment. “Be safe and if you need anything, my number is on my card. I left it there with the payment.”

He left and the tension filling her left the moment the door closed. She glanced down at her nervously shaking fingers. Even the first day Cole had come, she hadn’t had her usual response. She’d been nervous, but not to the point of physical reaction like she did with every other male. Her body had known even though she hadn’t wanted to believe the truth.

She gathered the money and slipped Connor’s card in her pocket, then called Gabby.

“Hey, I was wondering if you had any reason to drive into town today?”

Gabby was silent for a second. “I do need to go in and check on a few things, why?”

Pete stood in the doorway of her bedroom, looking like he might cry any moment. He never cried because she’d taught him there was no point in it. But she couldn’t help fighting back tears either.

“Pete and I need a ride into town. I think it’s time we got back to life and fixed a few things that I left undone.”

“Oh.” Gabby didn’t sound enthused about the idea. “Do you live in Piper’s Ridge?”

“No, I’m going to take a bus from there.” She’d find a way home. Cole was needed here, and she wasn’t going to go on a hunt to find him if he didn’t want to see her.

“A bus . . .” Gabby sighed. “All right. I’ll need about fifteen minutes to gather my things. Junior said Frank was arrested this morning, his cousin that worked for Dominic was arrested last night and they are still trying to determine how many men were killed over at the Lakely place. I am going to call in Deputy Blake though and let him know we’re coming into town.”

“Thanks. I’ll be ready when you are.” She hung up and Pete went back to pouting.

* * *

Gabby chattedfor the whole ride, but Erica felt little motivation to answer. Her nerves made thinking of anything worthwhile to say impossible.

“So, where did you want me to let you off? I don’t know of any bus station in Piper’s Ridge.” Gabby glanced over at her as they pulled into town.

Who was likely to know about the nearest bus station? The library? Maybe the city office? She wasn’t sure and since Cole hadn’t driven through town when they’d come, she’d never even been to Piper’s Ridge to look around.

“Is there a city office or maybe somewhere with public internet?” Erica bit her lip and hoped wherever they landed for the next few hours was safe. Her little gun pressed into her back, giving her a little confidence, but not much.

Chances were good that there would be only one bus coming and going from a place this small and she would have very little choice in the destination. Maybe she had enough money to hire one of those personal drivers online, but she wasn’t even sure there would be one this rural.

“The city office is connected to the post office and the library, so hopefully you’ll find whatever you need through one of those doors.” She pointed to an area at the end of the block.

The entire street was full of brick-faced buildings, all of them with different colored and shaped brick, though most were shades of yellowish brown. There was a hat shop, a movie theater that looked to be older than her, and a 24-hour gym on the corner.

“Where is your office?” Gabby was her only connection to the world in this town. If she had to go somewhere, she wanted to dash back to Gabby’s office.

“One street over, next to the gas station. It was a house that I converted to my clinic location. It had more of a comfortable feel than a store front.”

Erica got out of the car and tugged her bag out onto the sidewalk, then helped Pete. “Thank you.” She had no other words. Fear of the unknown wrapped her too tightly to say more.

“Keep in touch. You know how to reach me.” Gabby waved, waited until Erica closed the car door, then drove off.

Erica rolled the suitcase behind her, and Pete followed a few steps behind. There wasn’t anyone out on the street and a chill breeze flicked her hair onto her cheek. She decided the city office was the best place to start. After she settled Pete on one of the leather chairs in their waiting area, she went to talk to the woman at the counter.

There was no name plate to say who she was, but in a small town, why would there be? Erica tried to give what she hoped was a friendly smile. “Hi! My son and I just got a ride into town, and I was hoping to catch a bus. Do you have any information on one, or how I’d find a way to book a seat?”

The woman’s smiling face fell slightly. “Oh, honey. You’re not from around here, are you?”

That seemed like an obvious question that didn’t really need an answer. “Do they have internet and a computer at the library?” She pointed to the old-style door across the hall. It had a large single pane of glass for most of the top half with the word Library painted in an old font. The wood on the bottom and surrounding the window looked dark and rich, like walnut.

“Well, there are but I don’t think you’ll find what you need. The closest bus service is in Cheyenne, but I don’t know where it goes to or even where it picks up. Do you have a ride to Cheyenne?”

Erica glanced back at her son who was distracted with how the leather of the chair stuck to his legs. At least he wasn’t hearing her struggles. “Is there a hotel in town where I could stay until I find a ride?”

The woman flinched. “There is a motel, but you don’t want to stay there. It’s run by an old woman who doesn’t clean, and scary folks stay out there. It’s not safe. Especially not for a woman alone with a child.”

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