of the Ranger’s engine rolling over, for a moment completely discombobulated.
Then she remembered.
She’d set her alarm and done just as Dell had suggested: she’d come back to Belle Haven, planting herself and her gear in Adam’s ATV so that she wouldn’t miss his departure. The vehicle was open on the sides but had a roof. She’d hidden in the back among a tent, sleeping bag, and two carefully folded, heavy wool blankets, all of it covered by a tarp.
According to her watch, it was four thirty. She risked a peek through all the gear to make sure it was Adam in the vehicle and not the boogeyman.
But there was no doubt that the tall, broad silhouette was Adam. He was talking on the phone in his low, steely voice.“Lilah, are you really calling me at four in the morning to check on me? Seriously?…Well, stop worrying. I’m fine…Yes, I ate…No, I’m not in pain…Yes. Yes. Jesus,
yes
, I’ll text you. Go take care of Brady instead of me, would ya?”
There was a pause, and when he spoke again, he sounded greatly pained. “I could have lived the rest of my life without knowing how you plan to take care of my brother, but thank you, Lilah. Thank you for that image that is now burned in my brain. I’m hanging up now.”
It was the most words Holly had heard him string together since she’d been madly in love with him.
Holly had seen Lilah with Adam a few times at the animal center. The two of them shared an undeniable chemistry, and she’d wondered once or twice if they possibly had something going on. But listening to him on the phone with Lilah now, Holly could tell that the chemistry wasn’t sexual. It had the familiar, extremely comfortable feeling of siblings.
Adam tossed his phone aside and Holly went still as a possum.
He didn’t look back, but she still didn’t breathe. Then the engine revved, and they were off and running. Their first turn was out of the parking lot. The second was onto the main road.
So far, so good.
Then the Ranger abruptly stopped short. Holly slid, bumped her head hard on a cooler, and bit her tongue rather than make any noise.
Please don’t let him get out, please don’t let him come back here and look
—
Of course he got out. She felt the shift of his weight leaving the ATV, heard his booted footsteps crunching in the predawn ice as he strode to the back.
Crunch, crunch, crunch…
Then nothing. Utter silence, and once again she stopped breathing. She huddled into herself beneath the tarp and closed her eyes.
Be the tarp, be the tarp
—
The tarp was abruptly lifted away. A dark shadow loomed over her holding a flashlight. Another shadow leapt into the compartment with her.
A seventy-five-pound shadow that was a dog. Milo put his nose to Holly’s ear and snuffled, then licked her from chin to forehead.
“Milo, down,” the big, grumpy shadow said.
Milo sighed at the command but followed the request and jumped down.
A sliver of moonlight slashed across Adam’s face. Leaner than Dell, he was built more like one of those cage fighters, tough and edgy and hard—except for his face.
An angel’s face. Dark disheveled hair, strong features, and a devastating smile when he chose to use it.
He didn’t choose to use it now.
There was a long beat during which Holly debated on continuing to play possum or face the music. Playing possum felt like a chickenshit way to go, but then again it was a bit early to face the music.
Or late…
And, anyway, facing the music was totally and completely overrated. Maybe a compromise halfway between? So it was with a sigh that she pushed the hair from her face and sat up.
Adam was crouched on his haunches, the bill of his ball cap low enough to completely hide his face except for his square jaw.
Something low in her belly quivered. She told herself it was the fact that she’d forgotten to eat dinner. “How did you know?”
“Your empty Jeep’s parked on the street.”
Yeah, crap. She should have pulled into the
Then she remembered.
She’d set her alarm and done just as Dell had suggested: she’d come back to Belle Haven, planting herself and her gear in Adam’s ATV so that she wouldn’t miss his departure. The vehicle was open on the sides but had a roof. She’d hidden in the back among a tent, sleeping bag, and two carefully folded, heavy wool blankets, all of it covered by a tarp.
According to her watch, it was four thirty. She risked a peek through all the gear to make sure it was Adam in the vehicle and not the boogeyman.
But there was no doubt that the tall, broad silhouette was Adam. He was talking on the phone in his low, steely voice.“Lilah, are you really calling me at four in the morning to check on me? Seriously?…Well, stop worrying. I’m fine…Yes, I ate…No, I’m not in pain…Yes. Yes. Jesus,
yes
, I’ll text you. Go take care of Brady instead of me, would ya?”
There was a pause, and when he spoke again, he sounded greatly pained. “I could have lived the rest of my life without knowing how you plan to take care of my brother, but thank you, Lilah. Thank you for that image that is now burned in my brain. I’m hanging up now.”
It was the most words Holly had heard him string together since she’d been madly in love with him.
Holly had seen Lilah with Adam a few times at the animal center. The two of them shared an undeniable chemistry, and she’d wondered once or twice if they possibly had something going on. But listening to him on the phone with Lilah now, Holly could tell that the chemistry wasn’t sexual. It had the familiar, extremely comfortable feeling of siblings.
Adam tossed his phone aside and Holly went still as a possum.
He didn’t look back, but she still didn’t breathe. Then the engine revved, and they were off and running. Their first turn was out of the parking lot. The second was onto the main road.
So far, so good.
Then the Ranger abruptly stopped short. Holly slid, bumped her head hard on a cooler, and bit her tongue rather than make any noise.
Please don’t let him get out, please don’t let him come back here and look
—
Of course he got out. She felt the shift of his weight leaving the ATV, heard his booted footsteps crunching in the predawn ice as he strode to the back.
Crunch, crunch, crunch…
Then nothing. Utter silence, and once again she stopped breathing. She huddled into herself beneath the tarp and closed her eyes.
Be the tarp, be the tarp
—
The tarp was abruptly lifted away. A dark shadow loomed over her holding a flashlight. Another shadow leapt into the compartment with her.
A seventy-five-pound shadow that was a dog. Milo put his nose to Holly’s ear and snuffled, then licked her from chin to forehead.
“Milo, down,” the big, grumpy shadow said.
Milo sighed at the command but followed the request and jumped down.
A sliver of moonlight slashed across Adam’s face. Leaner than Dell, he was built more like one of those cage fighters, tough and edgy and hard—except for his face.
An angel’s face. Dark disheveled hair, strong features, and a devastating smile when he chose to use it.
He didn’t choose to use it now.
There was a long beat during which Holly debated on continuing to play possum or face the music. Playing possum felt like a chickenshit way to go, but then again it was a bit early to face the music.
Or late…
And, anyway, facing the music was totally and completely overrated. Maybe a compromise halfway between? So it was with a sigh that she pushed the hair from her face and sat up.
Adam was crouched on his haunches, the bill of his ball cap low enough to completely hide his face except for his square jaw.
Something low in her belly quivered. She told herself it was the fact that she’d forgotten to eat dinner. “How did you know?”
“Your empty Jeep’s parked on the street.”
Yeah, crap. She should have pulled into the
Similar Books
