Chapter Nineteen
It turned out that they had run pretty far. Far away from the city but close enough to the valley that they were on familiar ground for Rhetta. Walking out of the forest, Rhetta flagged down a neighbor who didn’t question their nudity. He gave them a blanket and a ride back to her family’s ranch.
Similarly, no one in Rhetta’s family raised an eyebrow as she and Rory walked in the back door covered only in a blanket.
“Hungry?” asked her mother. Gloria looped an arm around her daughter. “We saved you two a plate. Figured you’d make your way back here sometime soon.”
Rhetta stood still in her mother’s loose embrace. Then she wrapped her arms around the woman and squeezed. “Thank you, mama.”
“For what?” asked Gloria as she pulled away from Rhetta and peered into her face.
