I put the frozen tenderloin on my chopping block and begin cutting it into thick steaks of filet mignon, ignoring Daniel’s question.
“That really is a sharp knife you have there,” he says. I continue to ignore him.
“Kara,” he calls to her. “What’s your father like?”
She looks over at me and I try to convey to her to keep that information to herself. I don’t think there’s any way for Matt to find out that the children and I never made it to Florida, because if he did, I’m not sure a blizzard would stop him from trying to get back home to us.
“Daddy’s a good man,” she snifles. “He loves us.”
“Where did you say he was again?” Daniel asks.
“At the south end of the ranch,” I answer.
“And where is that?”
“South.” Daniel doesn’t appreciate my sarcastic reply.
He makes a move to stand, but before he fully leaves his seat I try and distract him again.
“It’s about thirty miles away,” I say. “There’s no way for him to get back here. He and his men are all on horseback. They left two days ago to do what they could to get the cattle to safety before this storm hit.”
“So, he’s staying outside camping? In this weather? You expect me to believe that?”
“No,” I tell him. “There’s a lodge at the southern end of the ranch. That’s where they’re riding out the storm.”
“I guess there’s food and heat there.”
“Yes. I make several months’ worth of meals and leave them in the freezers up there every fall. They’ll be fine until this storm passes and the snow is cleared enough for them to get back.”
Daniel leans back and looks at me.
“So, you married yourself a real cowboy, didn’t you?”
“I married a good man.”
“Are you saying I’m not a good man? Because I can show you otherwise.”
I ignore him and continue to prepare the steaks and heat up the griddle. I would love nothing more than to plunge this nine-inch knife into his jugular, but I’m not confident I could pull it off. And if I couldn’t, Kara would pay the price.
“What did you do to Julianna?” I ask.
He looks at me, startled by the question.
“You let it slip once when you were threatening me. I know you killed her. The police know it too, they just couldn’t prove it.”
“Because they didn’t have enough evidence,” he says, eyeing me. I try to keep my face emotionless. This might be my chance to find out what happened to my friend.
“I almost didn’t take their deal,” he says. “That was my lawyer’s doing. He convinced me they had enough to put me away for at least twenty-five years. I took the ten and got out in five.”
I nod, staying focused on slicing the onions.
“Since you’ve already served time for that crime, they can’t try you again, so you can speak freely.” I stop what I’m doing and look at him directly in the eye. “What did you do to my friend?”
Matt
“How much longer is this storm supposed to go on?” I wonder out loud as I pace around the confines of the lodge. “I’ve got to get home and check on my family.”
I look outside at the raging storm and see no possibility that it will let up anytime soon.
“They said last week it could go on as long as three to four days,” Caleb says. “I know you’re worried, but you’re just going to have to try and relax.”
I hate to admit it to him. I hate to admit it to myself, but sometimes I wonder if God is listening to me. How could I be separated from my family at a time like this? I don’t even know what’s going on with them. I can’t get to them. I can’t help them. I can’t even get in touch with them to see if they’re okay or if they’ve slid off the road somewhere and buried by a mountain of snow.
“It’s killing me.”
“I know. But there is nothing you can do until this storm stops and we can dig out of here. Hopefully, the storm will be over by tomorrow and we can get ready to leave.”
“Why don’t you come and help me make some waffles? It may take your mind off your family for a little while.”
“Nothing is going to take my mind off my family,” I say, but walk toward the open kitchen anyway.
“Jake’s almost a man and Faith is a strong woman. They’ll both take care of Kara and Graham. They’re going to come out of this okay.”
I nod, but deep inside, I am scared to death and wonder what on earth could be worse than this not knowing?
Faith
“Julianna was always suspicious of me,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I think she wanted me at first, until I made it clear that you were the one I was interested in pursuing. Then she took an almost instant dislike of me. I think she was jealous because I didn’t choose her.”
I stare at him, not commenting because I want him to continue. I’m fascinated by his take on how things evolved and how he sees himself as the object of everyone’s desire.
“I’d already decided weeks beforehand that you were going to be my wife. Julianna would be fun for some passing one-night stand sex. She was amazing in bed, but you were the one I wanted for my wife. You were the one I wanted to be the mother of my children.” He pauses. “Did you know I’d had her one night before classes started? At least I think I did. She was at a party with a friend of mine. We all were drinking and did some drugs together. I remember wanting to fuck her brains out but I was so out of it the next day I couldn’t remember if I did. I’m guessing she never told you about that did she?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from commenting. I just let him ramble on about how superior he was and how he manipulated all of us in his game.
“She probably couldn’t remember either. It doesn’t matter. It was you I wanted. I saw you at the end of the semester your freshman year and decided right then and there that you would be mine. So, I did some investigating and read your file over the summer, making sure I knew your schedule and when you would register at the beginning of the fall semester. You were perfect. You were the physical embodiment of everything I ever wanted in a wife.” He smiled. “You were young, blond, beautiful and smart.”
I continued to stare at him and say nothing.
“When I read your transcripts, I hoped you were as smart as I believed you to be. And you were smart. You had friends. Everyone wanted you to either be their girlfriend or their friend. That made me want to possess you even more.”
“Why?” I finally ask. “Why would you want someone smart? Wouldn’t it have been better to have someone willing to be less?”
“What’s the challenge in that?” he asks. “No. I wanted someone who was my equal in intelligence. Or as close to it as I could get. You fit that description. I loved that you were on a full scholarship. I loved that you made the President’s list. You were perfect.”
I bite my lip and remain silent once more, waiting for him to continue.
“Oh, make no mistake. Julianna caught my eye. I definitely wanted her. But only for sex. You, though. I wanted you forever. I wanted to possess you and make you mine.”
I was thankful that Kara was in the other room and couldn’t hear how her mother fell for the machinations of a lunatic. I watched him as he continued.
“I found out which classes I could place you in and made sure it happened.”
“You’re the reason my classes got switched?”
“Yes. It helped that your two friends were already enrolled.”