chemistry classes,” Liz interrupted, slowly rising to her feet.
“Chemistry!”
“Maybe then I’d know the formula for making myself invisible. That’s the only way I’ll get out of here.”
Matt scowled at her. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’ll take only two seconds to run across the lawns. Nobody will see you.”
“Matt, anyone can look outside during those two seconds,” she said, shaking her head. “Andthey’ll see their upstanding bank manager running for her life with her bathrobe hiked up to her knees. I just can’t take the chance of going out your front door.”
Gazing into her distressed gray eyes, Matt silently and thoroughly cursed himself for putting her in this predicament. Granted, he hadn’t expected her to show up on his doorstep before breakfast, but the responsibility for getting her back to her house unseen was his.
Feeling that increasingly familiar protectiveness rise up inside him, he walked over to her and put his arms around her in comfort. She didn’t return his embrace, but she didn’t resist either.
“I’m sorry, Liz. If only Corey hadn’t already been around with the papers, we could have disguised you as him. Can you call in sick at the bank? Then you could stay here all day.…”
She stiffened and pulled away. “No. Anyway, I have to be there today. It’s important.”
“Okay,” he replied, sensing she couldn’t be swayed. “Maybe some coffee will help us—”
He cut off his own words as an idea popped into his head. Ignoring her puzzled frown, he worked through the details. It was crazy, but it might just work.
“Liz, could you stand a little claustrophobia? If you can, I think I can get you out of here.”
“I suppose.” Shaking her head again, she chuckled wryly. “Actually, I’d do anything.”
He grinned at her. “Anything?”
Her face flushed, and she nervously rubbed her forehead. “Matt, I really hate repeating myself …”
The smile dropped from his face. “Forget it,honey. I already got the message. You might as well make yourself some coffee while I get things ready, okay?”
She nodded. “Is there anything else I can do?”
“Just practice being the trash.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to do this!” Liz said with a groan twenty minutes later.
“Well, if you can think of a better way to get out of here without being seen, go ahead,” Matt said, grinning. He was dressed in cutoff jeans and a sweatshirt, its sleeves ripped out.
Hands on her hips, Liz kept her gaze on the large packing carton she was to hide in. She knew Matt had reinforced the bottom so she wouldn’t fall out of it, and he’d already cut a small hole in the hedge out by the gardening shed. One side of the carton had been cut, also, and was held together only with packing tape.
“You’re going to carry me out to the backyard in this carton like I’m the trash, and then I’m supposed to climb through the hedge and pretend I’m out by the shed to smoke a cigarette?” she asked in awe.
It sounded ridiculous, she thought, but she couldn’t help believing it would work. Somehow, crazy things always did. At least no one would see her until she “magically” appeared at the shed. She only hoped any observer would be questioning his eyesight and not how she got there in the first place. And Matt would bring out several more boxes and place them with the first, as if he weregetting them out of his way before they went in the trash.
“The plan’s foolproof, and you’re always smoking by the shed,” he pointed out. “By the way, lately you’ve been out there more than three times.”
“I had a setback.” She wasn’t about to tell him he was the setback.
“There is another way to quit.…”
“I saw
Cold Turkey
and forget it! Sex doesn’t cure everything,” Liz replied caustically. There was a long silence, and she glanced up into Matt’s amused eyes. “Don’t say it! Don’t even think of saying it!”
He laughed. “Just get in the
“Chemistry!”
“Maybe then I’d know the formula for making myself invisible. That’s the only way I’ll get out of here.”
Matt scowled at her. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’ll take only two seconds to run across the lawns. Nobody will see you.”
“Matt, anyone can look outside during those two seconds,” she said, shaking her head. “Andthey’ll see their upstanding bank manager running for her life with her bathrobe hiked up to her knees. I just can’t take the chance of going out your front door.”
Gazing into her distressed gray eyes, Matt silently and thoroughly cursed himself for putting her in this predicament. Granted, he hadn’t expected her to show up on his doorstep before breakfast, but the responsibility for getting her back to her house unseen was his.
Feeling that increasingly familiar protectiveness rise up inside him, he walked over to her and put his arms around her in comfort. She didn’t return his embrace, but she didn’t resist either.
“I’m sorry, Liz. If only Corey hadn’t already been around with the papers, we could have disguised you as him. Can you call in sick at the bank? Then you could stay here all day.…”
She stiffened and pulled away. “No. Anyway, I have to be there today. It’s important.”
“Okay,” he replied, sensing she couldn’t be swayed. “Maybe some coffee will help us—”
He cut off his own words as an idea popped into his head. Ignoring her puzzled frown, he worked through the details. It was crazy, but it might just work.
“Liz, could you stand a little claustrophobia? If you can, I think I can get you out of here.”
“I suppose.” Shaking her head again, she chuckled wryly. “Actually, I’d do anything.”
He grinned at her. “Anything?”
Her face flushed, and she nervously rubbed her forehead. “Matt, I really hate repeating myself …”
The smile dropped from his face. “Forget it,honey. I already got the message. You might as well make yourself some coffee while I get things ready, okay?”
She nodded. “Is there anything else I can do?”
“Just practice being the trash.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to do this!” Liz said with a groan twenty minutes later.
“Well, if you can think of a better way to get out of here without being seen, go ahead,” Matt said, grinning. He was dressed in cutoff jeans and a sweatshirt, its sleeves ripped out.
Hands on her hips, Liz kept her gaze on the large packing carton she was to hide in. She knew Matt had reinforced the bottom so she wouldn’t fall out of it, and he’d already cut a small hole in the hedge out by the gardening shed. One side of the carton had been cut, also, and was held together only with packing tape.
“You’re going to carry me out to the backyard in this carton like I’m the trash, and then I’m supposed to climb through the hedge and pretend I’m out by the shed to smoke a cigarette?” she asked in awe.
It sounded ridiculous, she thought, but she couldn’t help believing it would work. Somehow, crazy things always did. At least no one would see her until she “magically” appeared at the shed. She only hoped any observer would be questioning his eyesight and not how she got there in the first place. And Matt would bring out several more boxes and place them with the first, as if he weregetting them out of his way before they went in the trash.
“The plan’s foolproof, and you’re always smoking by the shed,” he pointed out. “By the way, lately you’ve been out there more than three times.”
“I had a setback.” She wasn’t about to tell him he was the setback.
“There is another way to quit.…”
“I saw
Cold Turkey
and forget it! Sex doesn’t cure everything,” Liz replied caustically. There was a long silence, and she glanced up into Matt’s amused eyes. “Don’t say it! Don’t even think of saying it!”
He laughed. “Just get in the
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