Page 67 of Mountain Refuge

She jerked back.

“Sorry. I, uh…” Ryan sighed and turned his attention to his coffee.

“No, I’m sorry. Anyone watching would think it odd that I pulled away. I’m not used to being touched.”

Tracy glared at her. “You’re being an actor. Act.”

A loud escaped. “You’re right. I promise to do better.” She crossed her heart.

Ryan kept the conversation on normal things such as their grocery list, what they wanted to watch on TV that evening—all things Taya suspected married couples talked about—until their server returned with their food. He eyed her chocolate gravy. “I should’ve ordered a side of that.”

“Where are you going to put the food you ordered?” No way he could possibly eat it all.

“Right here.” He rubbed his stomach.

“Enjoy.” The server smiled. “I’ll be back to check on you. Oh, and the woman in the window paid for your meal.”

Taya stared at the fan who had visited their table. The woman wagged her fingers. Despite her innocent demeanor, frigid shivers skipped up Taya’s spine. She forced a smile, then ducked her head as Ryan waved at the woman. “Give her our thanks.”

“Yes, sir.” The server rushed away.

“That was nice.”

“Yeah.” Taya cut into a biscuit dripping with butter and chocolate gravy. Not even her favorite splurge of a breakfast could erase her twanging nerves.

They should’ve run upon finding out about the men searching for them in town. Was it because of the title on the SUV? Did The Boss have the ability to dig through DMV records? If so, the trafficking ring was bigger than she’d thought. Staying in Misty Hollow would bring the ring here. Girls would disappear, and there wouldn’t be anything she could do to stop it.

Taya reached over and gripped Tracy’s hand. She’d focus on keeping her niece safe and leave the rest to the authorities.

~

A myriad of emotions flickered across Taya’s face. Fear, regret, tension…none of which he could erase for her. “We’ll shop for groceries quickly so we can hurry home.”

She nodded. “Yes, we’ve made our appearance. I’d rather not come to town again unless we absolutely have to.”

“I need a library card.” Tracy stuffed the last of her biscuit in her mouth. “I’m going through the books we bought real fast.”

“That won’t take long,” Ryan promised. “I doubt we’ll run into any bad guys in the library.”

“If that’s where young girls hang out, they will be thee.” Taya crumbled her napkin and tossed it on her plate. She dug in her purse for some money and set it under her plate. “I’m ready.”

“I’ll leave the tip.” He widened his eyes. “We’re talking trafficking, aren’t we?”

“Yes. The tip is already taken care of.” She stood. “Please. Let’s hurry so we can get back fast.” She cast a quick glance up and down the street before ushering Tracy back to the Jeep.

Ryan followed her gaze. While cars were parked up and down the street in front of various stores, only a few people strolled the sidewalks, and not one of them looked toward the diner.

Even though the library was within walking distance, they decided to drive. He took up the rear as Tracy and Taya shoved open the double doors.

“Make it quick.” Taya glanced at Ryan. “We can apply for the card while she browses the shelves.”

He nodded and moved to the front desk. Less than five minutes later, he had a library card. The librarian hadn’t asked how long he planned on staying in town, and he didn’t offer the information. Despite his trying to make light of the circumstances, Taya’s constant being on guard kept him glancing over his shoulder, too—something he’d never done before despite his search history on the internet.

“I found five.” Tracy approached the desk, her arms full. “This ought to keep me busy for a week.”

Back in the JJeep, Ryan glanced at Tracy in the rearview mirror, then at Taya. “What about school? Shouldn’t she be homeschooled or something? How long has she been out?” Had Tracy been trafficked? That was a question he needed the answer to, but he would wait until the girl wasn’t within hearing distance.

At the grocery store, he let Tracy help him fill the cart, then insisted on paying for the food. “New hubby, remember?” He jerked his head toward a woman watching.

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