Ruin (2 page)

"Except Jane," I added.

Jane gave me a grateful smile.

"Oh, yes, of course. Except Jane. Jane'll always be here, won't you, dear?"

Jane's smile became tight. "Yes," she said. "I'll always be here."

No one said anything about what would happen once old Mrs. Merriweather, Jane's grandmother, died. I'd never asked Jane about her plans for the future, and I doubted she'd talk about it anyway. She'd think of it as bad luck to discuss a person's death before the event. If I thought it really would bring bad luck and wasn't just something that made Jane upset, then maybe I would ask. That made me seem like a bitch, but I didn't care. Mrs. Merriweather was a cold old woman who worked her granddaughter to the bone. The sooner she died, the better.

She'd definitely be happier, and Jane would be free.

I leaned over the counter and lowered my voice. "So, Molly, what do you know about that guy? Did he talk to you?"

"Only to give me his order. Black coffee, no sugar, that's all he wanted." She stared at the back of his head as he sat at a table. "He's polite. I'll give him that."

"There you go, Jane," I said. "He can't be an ax murderer if he says please and thank you."

She thumped me lightly on the arm.

"He was quiet, though," Molly went on. "Didn't want to chat. I asked him where he was from and he said 'A long way away.' When I asked him if he was in Winter for business or pleasure, he just shrugged. What do you make of that, Kate?"

"Nothing in particular. Why?"

She looked at me like I was stupid. "Because you're going to be a criminal expert! You won't be a very good one if you don't start thinking like a cop. Like your dad. His instincts are good."

I silently groaned. "Yep," I said with a hard smile. "Dad's awesome. I wish I was more like him."

"You already are. You just need to try harder, that's all."

Jane pressed her foot on mine. I don't know why. I mean it's not like I was going to bite Molly's head off for being nice about my parents. Besides, she was right. Dad
did
have good instincts. He was the perfect small-town cop. Everyone loved him. He looked out for the residents, settled petty disputes quickly and amicably, and he and Mom had a finger in every community activity going around. They were goddamn perfect, and I was their perfect daughter.

In Winter, at least. At college, I wasn't such a Pollyanna, although I was still the good girl by most students' standards. It's just that my parents, and the people of Winter in general, had different standards. It was damned tough to live up to them.

Molly cleared her throat, and her gaze rose above my head. I turned around and looked straight into the dark blue eyes of the stranger. My breath escaped in a little gasp that drew his attention to me. I stopped breathing altogether. He was even more handsome up close. His eyes were like deep seas. A girl could easily flounder in their depths and not want to be rescued if she fell in. He had a strong jawline and cheeks, a straight nose and lips. They weren't full, but I found myself wanting to trace them with my fingertip, corner to corner. He wasn't smiling. I wondered what it would take to get him to laugh.

He handed some coins to Molly and accepted his change. "Thank you," he said. Oh boy.

He had one of those voices that melted over you like thick, warm chocolate. It made me gooey just hearing it.

"You're welcome," Molly said, smiling.

The stranger nodded.

"Are you staying in Winter long?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe." His attention shifted to the view out the window and a small crease dented his brow. He seemed to be lost in thought, or worried about something. Then the muscles in his jaw clenched, and he gave a single nod. He must have made up his mind. "Is there any work here?"

Molly's face fell. "Oh. No, nothing that I can think of. Jane?"

"Um," was all Jane said, staring up at the stranger.

"It doesn't get that busy here," Molly said, speaking for her. "Maybe you'll have better luck in Riverside. One of the campsites or diners might be hiring. They get more visitors than us."

"I've just come from Riverside." He didn't say whether he'd looked for work there, or why he'd left. Molly was right. Riverside might have something for him, being the beginning of their busy tourist season. "Thanks again," he said. "The coffee was great. The best I've had in a long time."

Molly beamed. "What a shame there's no work for you."

He nodded. "It's a nice town. I wouldn't have minded staying awhile." His gaze swept around the diner, out the window, then back inside, finally falling on my face as if that had been his intention all along.

I swallowed heavily. "You still could." It came out in a rush, and I was barely even aware that I'd spoken. It was as if someone else had said it.

He blinked at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you could work for nothing. Not nothing, of course, but maybe food and lodging. There are quite a few places around here in need of repairs, or with overgrown gardens. Plenty of people have spare rooms you could use. That's if you're just looking to kill some time and willing to work for no money."

His left eyebrow rose. It could have been a sign of amusement, or just his way of saying 'Don't be an idiot.'

"You don't know if I'm any good at that sort of thing," he said.

Fuck. I
was
an idiot. I couldn't tell him that he looked like he'd be good at fixing things with those arms. And why would anyone work for no money anyway? It was a dumb idea. I'd been sucked in by his amazing eyes and shoulders, and left my brain behind.

"Forget I said anything," I said. "It was just a thought."

"It was a good idea." His voice rumbling deep in his chest. "I'd take you up on your offer, but..." He glanced around the diner again, but this time his gaze didn't settle back on me. It was as if he was deliberately trying not to look. "I don't think I should stay after all. When's the next bus out of town?"

My heart sank. It was completely irrational. Why did I care what he did? Jane was right, and I knew it. This guy was a total stranger. He could be anybody, have done anything. Except if Molly was right and I did have good instincts...well, my instincts were telling me that this guy was okay.

"In which direction?" Jane asked, speaking in a full sentence for the first time since we'd met him.

"Not toward Riverside, silly," Molly said. "He's just come from there."

"Oh. Right." Jane blushed fiercely and tugged on the hem of her top.

"That's okay," he said, turning those intense blue eyes on her, like she was the only person who mattered. Nobody ever looked at Jane that way. Not even her grandmother. She smiled and stopped playing with her top.

Yep, my instincts were right. He was a good guy.

I thrust out my hand. "Hi. My name is Kate."

He hesitated briefly. "Ben."

I introduced Jane and Molly. "Are you sure you won't consider staying? Winter is a nice town, despite the name."

"I like the name," he said.

Okay then. "So why won't you consider staying? Just for a short time?"

"I can't. I shouldn't have got off the bus in the first place." He nodded at Molly. "Thanks again for the coffee. I have to go."

Jane started to say something, probably tell him there were no more buses through town until the next day, but I nudged her and she shut up. "Jane, is there any work around your grandmother's place that Ben could do?"

"Um..."

"Thanks, but no thanks," he said. "I better go."

"You said that already."

"You seem to need to hear it twice."

Was that his way of telling me I was talking too much? Well, huh. Maybe he wasn't such a good guy after all.

"We'll let you go then." I gave him a little finger wave. "You already know where the bus stop is."

"But—" Jane began.

I elbowed her in the ribs, and she closed her mouth. Behind me, I could hear Molly chuckling. We all watched as Ben picked up his duffle bag and slung it over one of those impressive shoulders. He nodded once then left.

We watched him walk up to the bus stop in front of the diner. "He won't come back here," Jane said. "Not after this."

"She's right," Molly said. "He won't like that you tricked him, Kate. It wasn't very nice."

"I didn't trick him." But they were right. I don't know why I didn't tell him about the bus schedule. He'd riled me a little, and I always reacted badly when people did that. I felt like a total bitch. "I'll go apologize."

I didn't get the chance to leave the diner. To my surprise, he strolled back in. "So, Jane," he said, easy as can be, "seems I need somewhere to stay tonight after all." His gaze slid to mine then quickly away. "
Does
your grandmother need any work done around her place or was your friend just playing some sort of game?"

"Um..."

"She does," I jumped in. I had to make amends somehow. "Her place is falling apart."

"Really?" he said, lazily. Seems he didn't believe me.

Bad start, Kate.
"Yes, really. Tell him, Jane."

Jane nodded, but it was Molly who spoke up. "Old Mrs. M will be very happy if someone could patch up a few things. Used to be a picture, that place, but it's gone to ruin. Poor Jane hasn't got the time for it, have you, dear?"

Jane shook her head, but looked a little panicked. "I, I..."

Ben's lips flattened and he blinked at her. He'd picked up on her nervousness loud and clear. "Maybe there's someone else...?"

"No!" I said. Molly and Jane stared at me, surprised by my outburst. "Mrs. Merriweather has a huge house, and it really does need some work. The roof leaks, there's mold in the bathrooms, and the hot water sometimes doesn't come on."

"Jane, you never said it was that bad," Molly scolded. "Why didn't you say? Frank could have come up to take a look."

"She wouldn't even let me tell Dad," I said. "You know how proud Mrs. M can be."

"You mean stubborn," Jane said.

Molly clicked her tongue. "You must have been freezing up there in winter."

Jane shrugged. "It's not so bad. It works sometimes."

"Sounds like you need a new water heater," I said. "What do you think, Ben?"

"Um..." he said in such a perfect imitation of Jane that I thought he was making fun of her.

But one look told me different. He'd gone pale, his lips bloodless. Maybe he was going to faint. I was about to ask him if he needed to sit down when Molly interrupted.

"I'll get Frank onto it right away, as soon as we close for the evening."

"No!" Ben blurted out. "I'll do it. If Jane doesn't mind having a strange man around the house."

It was as if he'd seen right into her heart to her fears. She swallowed hard, clearly not sure what to say at this show of psychic powers. As for Ben, he no longer looked like he needed a good lie down, thank goodness. Whatever was wrong must have passed. He looked...hard.

Determined. The change was odd and piqued my curiosity.

"I'll stay too," I said. "Safety in numbers and all that." It felt weird talking about Ben being an ax murderer when he was right in front of us, but in a way it was good that he knew we weren't blindly trusting him. If he
was
thinking about doing away with us in the night, he might think twice now.

"You don't have to," Jane said without much conviction.

"I want to."

"I know who you are, young man," Molly said, wagging her finger at him. "Everyone here can describe you to the police if necessary."

I snorted. The other four patrons were old Mr. and Mrs. Trotter, both nearly blind, and the Carmichael sisters who couldn't hear. They were completely oblivious to our conversation.

"I know you don't know me," Ben said. "But I give you my word I won't hurt anyone. Inform the local police if you like."

"Kate'll do that."

"I pass right by the police station on my way home," I added quickly. No way did I want Ben to know my dad was a cop. People had a strange way of reacting when they found out I was a cop's daughter. I had stopped telling everyone within weeks of starting at UMD. Before that, I might as well have walked around with a sign on my head that said
Loser
.

It's all settled then, Molly said.

"Yes," I echoed. "All settled." Now all I had to do was work out a way to tell Mom and Dad that I was staying in the same house as a complete stranger.

Chapter 2

Ben held the diner door open for Jane and me, then followed us out. It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon although you wouldn't know it. Main Street was almost deserted. A couple wandered into the drug store, and Mr. Stoppard waved at us from where he sat in his rocking chair outside his tire and auto parts store. No one else was out.

"I'm sorry about the bus thing," I said, as much to break the awkward silence as anything else. "I was just..." I shrugged, not really sure how to explain my moment of immaturity without sounding like a mean girl.

"You made up for it," he said with half a smile. "All is forgiven."

"Thanks."

He looked in every store window as we walked, while I tried to catch Jane's attention. I didn't want to carry the conversation by myself, but she ignored me. I don't think she wanted to talk to him at all.

"So where are you from?" I asked.

A few beats passed before he answered. "Minneapolis."

"I have friends there. Which suburb?"

"I've lived in a few different ones."

Oh-kay. "Any in particular?"

"No."

"So you moved a lot?"

"Something like that."

It was like having a conversation with a brick wall, but I wasn't giving up. No matter how flippant I'd been in the diner, the cold reality was that he could be dangerous. I needed to find out more before I'd be comfortable staying with him.

"What's your full name?"

"Ben Parker."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

All good so far, so I tried the question that really bugged me. "Why did you get off the bus in Winter?"

He shrugged and stopped to peer into Barrett's hardware store window. "It looked like a great little place."