Page 40 of The Sound of Sleighbells

It was gone. Either somebody else had already found it, or Ed had lied to him.

Mouthing obscenities, he crawled back under the wire and climbed onto his motorcycle. What was he going to do now? And what in hell’s name was he going to say to Ed?

* * *

After a sleepless night, Judd was at work the next morning when the phone rang. His pulse lurched when he heard Ruth’s breathless voice.

“Have you heard anything?” he asked.

“Yes. I just got off the phone with Buck. The prints had a match. But not to Skip.”

Thank God.

“So, Skip is all right?”

“Yes. He’s in school now. He doesn’t even know about the drugs.”

The breath Judd had been holding ended in a long exhalation. “So, whose prints were on the drugs? Were they Digger’s?”

“No.” She paused. He could hear her breathing. She sounded emotionally drained. “They were Ed’s. He must’ve hidden them sometime before he was arrested. I had no idea he was involved with drugs. We were so poor—if he was making money, it wasn’t going to support his family. I don’t know if he’ll be charged or not. Right now . . .” Her voice broke. “Right now, I don’t much care. I just want this to be over.”

The thought of Ed making drug money while Ruth worked her fingers to the bone cleaning people’s houses made Judd want to drive his fist through a wall, but he controlled the urge.

“Where are you, Ruth?” he asked.

“At school. There’s a phone in the conference room.”

“Can you get away for a little while? I’d like to take you to Buckaroo’s for coffee and pie. We could both use the break.”

She hesitated, perhaps remembering last night’s emotionally charged phone call. But then she sighed. “I should be able to get away, as long as I leave word at the office.”

“Good, I’ll meet you out front in about fifteen minutes,” he said.

* * *

Ruth arranged to leave for a short time, then put on her coat and went outside to wait. Not wanting to start rumors in her workplace, she chose a spot away from any windows or doors in the building.

She stood gazing up at the trees that fronted the parking lot, their branches a dark tracery against the pewter sky. A V-shaped flock of geese flew overhead, their cries as faint as echoes. With Christmas barely three weeks away, the days were getting shorter and colder.

What would the holiday bring? A month ago, she’d planned a calm season of peace and plenty, a time of making new traditions with her children. But she no longer knew what to expect. Every day seemed to bring a new crisis—and at the heart of it all stood the man she’d sworn to forget.

A few minutes later, Judd drove up in his truck. With the motor still running, he came around to open the passenger door and help her onto the high seat. Her hand was cold, but the warmth of his big, leathery palm, enclosing hers, seemed to radiate through her body. She settled back into the seat, savoring the blast from the heater.

“Are you still good for Buckaroo’s?” he asked.

“It’s all I have time for,” she said.

They turned the corner and headed down Main Street with the Christmas lights glowing above them. As they passed the park, with its glistening tree, Ruth found herself wishing they could stop there and enjoy the lights, sounds, and aromas of Christmas. She’d promised to be back at school in forty-five minutes. There wouldn’t be much time. Still . . .

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” His voice interrupted her thoughts.

She gave him a grin. “You read my mind. Let’s stop.”

It was early yet. Main Street was far from crowded. He pulled into a handy space and helped her down from the truck. Side by side, they walked along the pavement that wound through the park. In the old days, he would have taken her hand. But that was then. This was now.

“Are you cold?” he asked. “That jacket looks thin.”

“I’m fine,” she said, but her teeth were chattering.

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