One Night Stand Ch. 06

Sometimes she had taken them all back to their trailer and put in a video; others they had all gone to the casino for an afternoon snack. Occasionally they had even run wild around Sebida, causing what trouble they could, without getting caught, of course. She smiled, remembering that growing up in Sebida had not been all bad.

"I parked the truck over at the diner. Ryan and I made a big show of getting reacquainted in front of the gas pumps. I'm sure that Patsy will remember the whole thing and be happy to share the story with the sheriff or whoever else shows up."

"Since I'm sure they'll be looking for both your vehicles and maybe even my truck, I thought it might be a good idea if we left town in my baby."

"Your baby?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, a little project that I have been working on for a few years. I store her in an old garage I rent from old Clyde Ledbetter. You remember him, Laura?"

She laughed as the memory of the four of them letting his pig out of its pen one day. After he had tried to hit on her Mama, who was working at the time in the garage he owned. "Oh yeah. I'm surprised that he would even rent you one."

"Money's tight for him since he broke his back and had to close the old place. So, renting me the space gives him a bit of money the government can't trace," Jack explained, looking sideways at Ryan.

"I never worked for the IRS or Social Security Administration anyway. And right now, I'm not in very good standing with my former employer. So, your secret is safe with me. Not that I'm all that happy about how many the two of you seem to share."

She was half tempted to reassure Ryan that he had nothing to worry about where Jack was concerned, but then again, maybe a bit of jealousy might serve her purposes.

"It would be best, of course, if we could wait for dark, but Ryan doesn't think that's wise. I already have my own trouble with the illustrious Sherriff Earl Kerr. So, if we can avoid more, I'm all for that."

"So, how about you take off in your rental towards Madison, Ryan? Maybe even run into Walmax and buy some formula or diapers or something baby-like. I'll take Laura and Chloe in my beauty. And you can meet us in Navasota."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. How are you going to get them to 'your beauty' anyway? And what about a car seat for Chloe?" Ryan argued.

She shook her head, "I need to see Elena before we leave anyway. I can have her drop off her old car seat at Ledbetter's garage, Jack. Then, I can change clothes with her. From a distance, we look alike. And since she is pregnant again, no one will even think anything about my tummy."

Ryan nodded, "Okay, but what about Chloe? Do I take her with me? What do I do if she gets hungry and wants to feed?"

She shook her head, "No, Jack needs to take Chloe when he leaves. I think there is one of Tommy's old Marine jackets in the closet. I hate doing it. But if we put it back, I'm sure Miss Esther would understand. If you hunch over, you should be able to hide her nicely, at least no further than Ledbetter's anyway."

Jack laughed, "You always were such a good strategist. That sounds like a plan to me. What about you, Ryan? Trust me with your little girl and her Mama?"

Ryan sighed, "What choice do I have, old friend?"

"Okay, you two get the hell out of here while I nurse the baby one more time. Ryan, make me another cup of that nasty tea Lupe left, while I call Elena. And bring me the gym bag out of the closet, please." She issued orders to the two men as naturally as she once had to her legal team.

No, she might have been holed up in Sebida for her pregnancy. Still, as Jack had reminded her, she had always been a damned fine strategist, whether playing tricks on the fine upstanding citizens of Sebida for payback for some slight to her family, or in the boardroom.

And this time, she had something even more precious than revenge or money and status to fight for - her life and the life of her child. And who knows maybe even a future with her daughter's daddy.

She chuckled; if not, Jack was looking for a wife. As if.