Chapter 3
Ignore, ignore, she demanded herself as she walked away from Anderson and his friend, Rafferty, a friend who should be an enemy. Enemies made more sense since they were in competing offices. There were only so many people needing insurance around here. Mortal enemies would’ve been perfect!
Eyes trained ahead of her, she focused on Tess Thorn, Landstad Bank’s first female president. Once again, she wished that they had met anywhere other than Mia’s Cafe in the middle of Landstad. The last thing she needed was to be gossiped about. Except with the storm, they had little choice if they wanted to meet in person.
A few days before, they had met online late in the evening when Ruth had been looking through Facebook and a post caught her eye. It asked if anyone had read the book about Ted Bundy that had just come out. Quickly, she responded since she had read it the previous weekend at her moms, and when she hit ‘send,’ the post vanished, which made her nervous. After all, the post had been about a murderer. But the person had messaged her, and they had messaged back and forth for a few hours about the book and others they had also read. Then Tess had asked if she wanted to meet with the possibility of forming some sort of book club.
Today had been that day. Since they both lived and worked in a town of fewer than two thousand people, they had agreed to meet at the cafe. They had never spoken until today, despite being next-door neighbors for over a year. But then again, it wasn’t like they had lawns or reasons to hang out at their front doors.
Looking up and seeing Tess Thorn, she hurried over to her booth and slid in across from her. Not looking back to see what either man was doing, she looked at the woman sitting across from her. Over the last year, she had seen the blonde bank president around town. She may run the bank Ruth kept her money in, but Ruth had no reason to talk to the president, ever. When she had needed a loan she went else where, bypassing the local gossip when a loan was actually needed. In reality, she hadn’t had one of those since this woman came to town.
Seeing her up close, Ruth noticed that the woman was younger than she had thought she would be. Being a president, Ruth had expected her to be a decade or more older. The woman couldn’t have been more than forty. Wavy hair just touching her shoulders made her look every inch the professional she was. Her light gray eyes were a surprise—very unusual. She made a mental note about that for a character later.
Tess stuck out her hand with a professional smile. “Tess Thorn.”
Smiling, Ruth took her hand. “Ruth Kennedy.”
The awkwardness was broken when the waitress came to their table and dropped off two waters and menus in a flurry, “Here are the menus. Hey, Ruth, not at your mom’s today?”
Ruth looked up at the waitress. Of course, Mia knew everyone’s business—that was her business. Once again, hating some aspects of small-town life, gossip being a big one, she fake smiled. “No, no, it’s storming, so I am staying in town.”
“I suppose, wouldn’t want Chester to have to drive in snow.” The waitress looked out the window at the stormy street.
Everyone knew that Ruth’s parents were Sara and Chester Kennedy and that on weekends, she went to their place. And she got a ride there. It wasn’t that she couldn’t drive; it was just easier not to sometimes. Winters were those times.
“Mia,” Ruth warned. She had known Mia Lawson almost her entire life. Both of them had been raised in town, and neither had yet to leave it. And in all that time, Ruth had not become friends with Mia…for obvious reasons.
“Sorry, there’s just a little tension in here right now,” Mia stated cryptically, looking around the room. The action made her purple ponytail flop around.
“You and Rafferty now, and Natalie Beckett and Hazel May are here. I don’t think either one knows. Yet.” Mia walked away, as her name was called by a man in the back.
Tess watched as the waitress walked away. Turning back to Ruth, she asked, “You and Rafferty Brooks?”
Of course, Tess would already know who Rafferty was. That and Rafferty always made a point of knowing the women in town, new or old. He knew them all.
“Not like that. Ick. He is just a jerk; always has been.” Ruth tried to stem the gossip on that immediately. Even the thought had given her a shudder of mild disgust.
“You could do worse,” Tess said with a shrug.
“Ick,” Ruth emphasized the word a bit louder.
“So, what did you think of the book?” Tess asked, returning them to the topic that brought them there.
“What did you think about it?” Ruth did not want to tell her opinion first in case Tess thought otherwise. What if their completely different opinions destroyed whatever friendship they might have? Then what?
“What book?” Mia was back with her pad for their orders.
“You would not be interested,” Ruth hissed, hoping Tess would take the hint and not tell Mia anything.
“The new one on Ted Bundy,” Tess answered at the same time, missing the hint.
“I think the author had a major thing for him. It was kind of creepy.” Mia had an opinion about everything and would share it with anyone.
“You read it?” Ruth asked in shock. She and Mia had nothing in common. There was no way they would have a shared reading preference.
“I thought that too,” Tess said and then added that she wanted the salad.
“I read a different one a few years ago that was way better on him,” Mia said, not asking Ruth what she wanted as she scribbled their order in her notepad, which Ruth didn’t care about because Mia knew she wanted the special. She always ordered the same thing. Before Ruth could say anything about it, Mia was called away by a customer.