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“Can’t say that I would put anything past them,” Buster concluded. “I don’t know of anything in particular, but I steer clear of the family.”
It was quite a statement if Buster didn’t like them. He had a keen eye for judging folks. Said it came from years of sizing up young men for hiring purposes. She remembered him always talking about the eyes. All Buster had to do was look someone in the eyes and he could tell if they were bad.
The fact that he didn’t care for the Archer family spoke volumes in her book. Aiden Archer topped her list at the moment.
“I didn’t get a chance to update you on Phillip Rhodes yet,” Darren said to her. Her stomach twisted in a knot at hearing the name. “He works for a delivery service and has moved around. He delivers packages to residential areas.”
How easy would it be for him to stalk someone on his route? Especially if it changed every day. “That’s convenient and fits the profile of the person responsible. Is that how you think he finds his victims?”
“He could work from the names on packages and then find the teens on their social media accounts,” he mused.
“That’s true,” she agreed. Reese took a moment to let the news sink in. Rhodes could be exactly who they were looking for. She shivered thinking about it. Camree Lynn would have known him despite not caring for him. At least, that’s what she’d said when Reese warned her friend to stay away from the man. Did Camree Lynn have secrets?
The short answer was probably yes. Even best friends kept a few things to themselves. Like the time Camree Lynn got busted trying to sneak a beer from her parents in middle school grade. Reese had overheard her friend’s ninth grade boyfriend, Jaden, complaining about her getting grounded. When Reese asked her friend about it, Camree Lynn had said she was grounded for getting a D on a math test.
So, yes, even friends lied to each other at times.
Phillip Rhodes was definitely on the list of two names.
“Do you know anyone who might have the inside track on Aiden Archer or his family?” Darren asked Buster.
“I can ask around,” he said.
Darren nodded. “That might be a better approach than us showing up to ask questions.”
“I’d like to see his face when he sees me, though,” Reese interjected.
“Part of me agrees and the other part doesn’t think it’s such a good idea,” Darren stated. “He might see us coming and do something...”
Reese heard what he was saying and she didn’t disagree. “I still want to see his reaction.”
DARRENCOULDN’TARGUEReese’s point. It was logical. However, his heart strongly disagreed. His protective instincts kicked in with every word she was saying, and he couldn’t apologize for it. Explaining it didn’t seem like it would do a whole lot of good, either. When Reese Hayes dug in her heels, not much could change her mind.
Worse yet, if it was him in the position instead of her, it was exactly what he would want to do. So, coming up with an argument that could persuade her to change her mind without basing it on pure emotion was difficult.
“I hear you,” he began, searching for the right words, “but it could be putting you in the line of fire and I’m having a hard time thinking about doing that to someone I care about.”
“We could all three go,” Buster interjected. “Reese could wear something to cover her face. We still have a cowgirl hat or two around here that might work. Or a baseball cap. Something to hide her until the last minute. If I’m there, you’ll have backup.”
“It takes a lot to run this place,” Darren pointed out. “If we’re both out, the animals suffer.”
“Not if we’re there and back this evening,” Buster said. “In the meantime, I’ll do some digging around to see if I can get a location on him.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Darren said. “Keep in mind the person we’re looking for is dangerous and willing to destroy property. If he knows you’re involved, who knows what he’ll do to you.”
The statement got a rise out of Buster. His eyes widened and his lips compressed into a thin line. “Let the bastard come at me.”
Buster wouldn’t be the kind to back down from a fight, but he needed to go in with his eyes wide open if he intended to help. Darren wanted his foreman to know the risks involved.
“Okay, then,” Darren said. “As long as we’re all aware of what can happen and willing to accept the risks, we can drop in on Aiden.”
Reese nodded in agreement. She was about as stubborn as they came, but as beautiful, too, and his feelings toward her were clouding his viewpoint. He could admit it. Being with her again brought out feelings he didn’t think existed any longer. He’d loved Hazel in his own way, but he could also admit to having closed off a large part of his heart after Reese that no one else seemed to have the key to unlock.
Which didn’t mean he was saying they should go down that path with each other again. Hell, he didn’t know where he stood when it came to Reese and didn’t want to find out. Not now, in the middle of moving to his folks’ house, fending off a would-be killer and trying to get settled for his girls so he didn’t lose them to his former in-laws.
His cell buzzed, so he excused himself from the table after thanking Reese for the meal. The look of pride in her eyes wasn’t helping with the attraction bit. He’d programmed in Stacie’s number earlier and sent her a text.
She didn’t wait for him to speak after he answered. “What happened?”
