Page 29 of Ruger's Rage
The woman in the mirror looks tired, cautious.
Six months of freedom, and I'm still carrying the shadows Marco cast.
But Ruger's not Marco.
That's what scares me most—the hope that he might actually be different.
Last night's text conversation replays in my head as I dress for work.
His honesty surprised me.
No grand gestures or empty promises, just truth:Because losing that bar would break Ellie, and I've seen enough of her broken.
Every instinct tells me to keep my walls up, but something about him makes me want to peek over them.
To see if there's really something different on the other side.
I head out of my trailer and walk right into Backroads, Ellie's already prepping for breakfast.
She looks lighter today, the strain of the past months lifted from her shoulders. "Morning," she calls, flipping pancakes. "Sleep okay?"
"Not really," I admit, tying my apron. "Still processing."
She nods, understanding without needing details. "Trust takes time. Ruger knows that."
"Does he?" I grab coffee mugs, setting them on the counter. "Men like him are used to getting what they want, when they want it."
"True." She slides pancakes onto a plate. "But he also knows the difference between getting and earning."
Before I can respond, the bell over the door jingles.
My heart jumps to my throat until I see it's just our first regular customer, Old Pete, who comes in every morning at 7:30 sharp.
"Morning, ladies," he greets, settling into his usual booth. "Beautiful day."
I bring him coffee, grateful for the distraction of my morning routine.
Pour coffee, take orders, deliver food.
Simple tasks requiring just enough focus to quiet my racing thoughts.
By 10 AM, the breakfast rush winds down.
I'm wiping tables when my phone vibrates in my pocket.
The screen is still cracked from the drop the other day, but functional enough to read:
Ruger:
Morning, darlin'. Bringing paperwork by around noon. Save me some pie?
Such a normal text, almost like we're normal people with normal lives.
Me:
Blueberry or apple?
Ruger:
