more than a long soak in the bathtub. Glancing outside, she saw that the sky was turning the prettiest colors of pink and orange as the sun set. She bit back a groan. She’d been in this room for an entire day.
Grant approached her then he held out his hand and she took it, standing.
“Malcolm and I have some things to work on. Would you like to go home?” Grant’s blue eyes searched hers.
She nodded. “More than anything.”
John stepped forward. “I’d be happy to drive her for you.”
She peered over at John and smiled. “Thank you.”
Grant placed his hands on each side of her face. She leaned into one of them.
“I’m truly sorry for everything that has happened,” he said.
“Me, too.” She paused and looked down at his lips before meeting his gaze again. “Will we see each other again?”
Grant smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I would like that very much.”
She glanced over at Malcolm. “You all be safe and I pray that you get to Keltie soon.”
“I thank you for that, ma’am.” He stepped forward. “Please forgive me.”
She reached out to touch his face. “It’s all right. I promise.”
With a curt nod, Malcolm left, taking John with him. She glanced back at Grant. Alone and safe at last. They stood arm-in arm and when she turned back to him after everyone left, he placed his other hand into her hair at the back of her head and brought her in for a kiss.
She placed her hands on his waist. His kiss was gentle but held promise. As if he wanted to reassure her that he would be back. She needed this, his unspoken assurance and kissed him back with a promise of her own.
Stepping back, he held out his hand. “Give me your cell phone.”
“There isn’t a lot of battery left.” She reached into her back pocket and handed her cell to him. “Why do you want it?”
“To give you my phone number. I want you to let me know when you arrive home safely.”
“I will.” She took the phone back and headed for the door. Stopping, she looked back one last time. “Please be careful.”
“I will.”
“Promise.”
He smiled. “Aye, I promise.”
She closed the door behind her and searched for John. She found him with Malcolm in the parking lot near a car. As she headed toward them, her thoughts stayed behind with Grant. Silently, she said a prayer for their safety.
“I’m ready when you are.”
Malcolm patted John on the back, then turned and said good-bye to her. As she and John pulled out of the driveway, the car turned left and headed home. Sleep was not going to come easy. Twenty-four hours had passed since this whole thing had begun. She was on edge, and as she rubbed the back of her neck, her mind kept playing out all of the scenarios that Grant and Malcolm could get into.
Lost in her thoughts, ten minutes passed by before she realized they were not headed in the direction of her house.
“You missed a turn back there but if you catch the second right up here, you can still get to my house without having to back track.” She searched the landscape for the familiar restaurant. No sound came from the driver and he never turned as she told him to.
“Where are we going?” She gripped the door handle as she searched his face for any sign of what he was thinking. She became nervous. Something didn’t add up.
“Please, where are you taking me?”
Before she could say anything else, he directed the car off to the side of the road. He leaned toward her and with one hand opened the glove compartment, pulling out a bottle and a rag. Heart pounding, she scooted as far back into her seat as she could and screamed. She knew what he was going to do.
She reached for the door handle and tried to get out, but the door was locked. Her fingers fought to open the lock but in her hysteria of trying to get out and not be attacked, she was just fumbling around.
John placed the rag over the head of the bottle and tipped twice. Then he placed the damp cloth over her mouth and
Grant approached her then he held out his hand and she took it, standing.
“Malcolm and I have some things to work on. Would you like to go home?” Grant’s blue eyes searched hers.
She nodded. “More than anything.”
John stepped forward. “I’d be happy to drive her for you.”
She peered over at John and smiled. “Thank you.”
Grant placed his hands on each side of her face. She leaned into one of them.
“I’m truly sorry for everything that has happened,” he said.
“Me, too.” She paused and looked down at his lips before meeting his gaze again. “Will we see each other again?”
Grant smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I would like that very much.”
She glanced over at Malcolm. “You all be safe and I pray that you get to Keltie soon.”
“I thank you for that, ma’am.” He stepped forward. “Please forgive me.”
She reached out to touch his face. “It’s all right. I promise.”
With a curt nod, Malcolm left, taking John with him. She glanced back at Grant. Alone and safe at last. They stood arm-in arm and when she turned back to him after everyone left, he placed his other hand into her hair at the back of her head and brought her in for a kiss.
She placed her hands on his waist. His kiss was gentle but held promise. As if he wanted to reassure her that he would be back. She needed this, his unspoken assurance and kissed him back with a promise of her own.
Stepping back, he held out his hand. “Give me your cell phone.”
“There isn’t a lot of battery left.” She reached into her back pocket and handed her cell to him. “Why do you want it?”
“To give you my phone number. I want you to let me know when you arrive home safely.”
“I will.” She took the phone back and headed for the door. Stopping, she looked back one last time. “Please be careful.”
“I will.”
“Promise.”
He smiled. “Aye, I promise.”
She closed the door behind her and searched for John. She found him with Malcolm in the parking lot near a car. As she headed toward them, her thoughts stayed behind with Grant. Silently, she said a prayer for their safety.
“I’m ready when you are.”
Malcolm patted John on the back, then turned and said good-bye to her. As she and John pulled out of the driveway, the car turned left and headed home. Sleep was not going to come easy. Twenty-four hours had passed since this whole thing had begun. She was on edge, and as she rubbed the back of her neck, her mind kept playing out all of the scenarios that Grant and Malcolm could get into.
Lost in her thoughts, ten minutes passed by before she realized they were not headed in the direction of her house.
“You missed a turn back there but if you catch the second right up here, you can still get to my house without having to back track.” She searched the landscape for the familiar restaurant. No sound came from the driver and he never turned as she told him to.
“Where are we going?” She gripped the door handle as she searched his face for any sign of what he was thinking. She became nervous. Something didn’t add up.
“Please, where are you taking me?”
Before she could say anything else, he directed the car off to the side of the road. He leaned toward her and with one hand opened the glove compartment, pulling out a bottle and a rag. Heart pounding, she scooted as far back into her seat as she could and screamed. She knew what he was going to do.
She reached for the door handle and tried to get out, but the door was locked. Her fingers fought to open the lock but in her hysteria of trying to get out and not be attacked, she was just fumbling around.
John placed the rag over the head of the bottle and tipped twice. Then he placed the damp cloth over her mouth and
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