Page 35 of Wait in the Truck
“And once that’s done?” I ask, forcing my mind back to the issue at hand.
Grandma Jo grins. A slow, creeping, I’ve-done-this-before kind of look that leaves me wondering how well I really know her. “Here’s what you’re gonna do. Take Ridge’s truck up near the river, by the waterfall where Lucy and Jonah died.”
Rhett stiffens beside me, his shoulders going tight. The place is haunted as shit, and we all know it. Not that I care. A ghost would have to be real fucking bold to hauntme.
“The anniversary of their deaths is in a few days,” she continues. “If anyone finds Ridge’s truck up there, they’re gonna assume he jumped. Everyone knows he was never the same after Jonah died. He’s been spiraling for years, and it wouldn’t shock a damn soul if they thought he finally gave in to the ghosts in his head.”
Goddamn. It’s like watching a master at work. Maybe I’m more like my grandma than I thought.
Rhett exhales. “That could actually work.”
“Yeah,” I say, lips twitching. “Real poetic justice.” Andconvenient as hell. If I were a more sentimental man, I might even call it fate. But let’s be real—fate didn’t put Ridge in the ground.My wildflower did.
Grandma Jo lifts a brow. “It won’t mean shit if someone stumbles over his body. Which brings me to my next question—what are you gonna do with him?”
Rhett grimaces. “We can’t just bury him here. This is a ranch, not a fucking graveyard.”
Debatable.
It’s not like Ridge would be the first man to get a one-way ticket to an unmarked plot of dirt on this property.The soil around these parts will fucking thrive now.
My gaze flickers to Rhett for a second, just long enough to catch the subtle clench of his jaw.
“You boys aren’t thinking big enough,” Grandma Jo continues, snapping me out of my little trip down murder memory lane. She waves a hand, taking a long sip of coffee. “People go missing on ranches all the time, kid. But you’re right, digging a hole isn’t always the best way to go about things.”
Something gleams in her gaze, something coolly calculating and ruthless, and I know I’m about to fall a little more in love with this psychotic old woman.
“No body, no crime,” she finishes.
Ohhh. Oh, I like where this is going.I tilt my head, feigning ignorance. “So what are you suggesting?”
She sets down her cup, straightening her shoulders. “We put his body in the wood chipper, dump it into the compost pile, then take the spreader and spray it throughout the field. Potatoes go in this afternoon, so by the time someone comes sniffing around, Ridge will be part of next season’s harvest.”
It’s official… I fucking adore this woman.
Rhett lets out a strangled sound. “Jesus Christ. What is wrong with this fuckin’ family?”
“That’s… wow.” I exhale a low whistle. Effective. Efficient. Beautiful, even. If I weren’t already the one responsible for Toby’s eternal dirt nap, I’d almost feel jealous I didn’t come up with this plan myself.
Grandma Jo shrugs, completely unfazed by my admiration. “It’s practical.”
Rhett looks at me, waiting for a normal human reaction, but he should really know better by now. I’m already imagining the logistics. Wood chipper—easy. Compost pile—manageable. The spreader—in-fucking-spired.
Maybe this is what they mean when they say love makes you do crazy things.
“How do you even know how to do this?” Rhett asks, his voice an octave higher than usual, like he’s just realizing we were raised by a woman who absolutely has bodies in her past.
Grandma Jo smirks. “Boy, I’ve been around these back roads a time or two. And besides, you know how I love me a true crime documentary.”
I choke on a laugh, covering it with a cough. I love her. I love her so goddamn much.
She waves a hand. “Now, I’ll take care of Sage while you two handle this.”
I straighten, instantly on edge at the mention of her name. “Make sure she knows she’s not alone.”
Something dangerous flickers in Grandma Jo’s eyes. “Don’t you worry about that.” She pats my cheek, firm and knowing, like she already understands how deep I’m in. “You boys go on and get this done. I’ll make sure that girl upstairs doesn’t have to worry about a damn thing.”
I exhale, letting her words settle before looking at Rhett.
