done?” Suddenly it really mattered to her.
He hesitated just a moment too long, and she turned away, face flushing.
“Hey, no, it’s not what you think.” He grabbed her hand, turning her back to him. “She offered, that’s all. But—I didn’t.”
“Why not?” Jaci whispered, still recovering from the shock.
“Didn’t want to.”
“What changed? I thought you liked her.”
He shrugged.
“Has Amanda noticed?”
Another shrug.
Jaci closed her eyes, more relieved than she wanted to admit. She took a deep breath and looked at him. “Ricky, I—” His eyes were steady on her, unnerving her. “Never mind.” She pushed away from the wall, irritated with herself. “I’ll just go now.”
He seized her wrist. “What were you going to say?”
“Nothing.”
He let her arm go and leaned back on his elbow. “Okay . . .”
“What does that mean?”
He sighed. “You’re such a little girl sometimes, Jaci.”
The door opened behind them and Neal came in. He glanced at them and shut himself into the bathroom.
Jaci turned back to Ricky, but he’d moved to the door. He opened it. “It’s getting late, Jaci. You better go. Unless you came here to say something.”
She stepped up to the door and walked out of the room. Before Ricky could close it, she whirled around and stuck her hand in the jamb. “I did. I wanted to tell you—be careful.” Withdrawing her hand, she fled down the hall.
November 1, Victoriaville, Canada
T he tall blond with creamy skin stepped out the front door of the narrow, redbrick apartment, looking from side to side. She turned around and locked both the deadbolt and the doorknob.
Carl understood her nervousness. Just a month ago the girl had been taken into police custody for “harboring criminals.” Luckily Carl had been around to get her out of jail.
“Hi, Natalie,” he greeted her as she ran over to his rental car. No buses or begging rides from the RCMP this time, though Carl hated driving in other countries.
“Hi.” Her lilting accent reminded him that English wasn’t her first language. She glanced behind her as she buckled her seatbelt.
“It’s okay.” He put the car into gear. “Nobody followed me. Local law is working with us this time. Nobody’s going to hurt you.”
“I know.” Still, she clutched her handbag in her lap and stared straight ahead.
Carl felt bad for her. She’d been doing a good deed, helping three girls get away from their kidnapper and across the Canadian border. She probably didn’t help strangers anymore. “I really appreciate you taking me to the spot you found the girls.”
She pointed him onto the freeway. “Go west.”
“How’s Chris doing?” He hoped mentioning her boyfriend would relax her a bit.
She brightened. “Oh, he’s good! We’re engaged.” She flashed her hand at him, showing off a large diamond ring.
“That’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Here, take this exit.”
Carl turned off the freeway, noting the country road they traveled on. It narrowed down to two lanes, one each way, and the twists and turns forced him to slow down. “You sped out of here?”
“Yes. In Chris’ car.”
They headed further into the country. Natalie sat up taller and narrowed her eyes, scanning the left side of the road. Carl hoped she’d be able to find it. The foliage and greenery all looked the same to him.
“I think that’s it . . .” She tapped her finger on her chin.
Carl did a U-turn and pulled over. The asphalt dipped down into a slight ditch. Dead vegetation covered the area, but he could imagine the tall grasses that were there a month ago.
“Yes, I’m pretty sure this is it. They were in the grass, hiding. I didn’t see them until one of them—the dark-haired girl—jumped out at me.”
“And then what?” It never hurt to hear the story again.
“My car had a flat tire. She offered to change it for me if I gave them a ride into town. A van came from that direction.” She
He hesitated just a moment too long, and she turned away, face flushing.
“Hey, no, it’s not what you think.” He grabbed her hand, turning her back to him. “She offered, that’s all. But—I didn’t.”
“Why not?” Jaci whispered, still recovering from the shock.
“Didn’t want to.”
“What changed? I thought you liked her.”
He shrugged.
“Has Amanda noticed?”
Another shrug.
Jaci closed her eyes, more relieved than she wanted to admit. She took a deep breath and looked at him. “Ricky, I—” His eyes were steady on her, unnerving her. “Never mind.” She pushed away from the wall, irritated with herself. “I’ll just go now.”
He seized her wrist. “What were you going to say?”
“Nothing.”
He let her arm go and leaned back on his elbow. “Okay . . .”
“What does that mean?”
He sighed. “You’re such a little girl sometimes, Jaci.”
The door opened behind them and Neal came in. He glanced at them and shut himself into the bathroom.
Jaci turned back to Ricky, but he’d moved to the door. He opened it. “It’s getting late, Jaci. You better go. Unless you came here to say something.”
She stepped up to the door and walked out of the room. Before Ricky could close it, she whirled around and stuck her hand in the jamb. “I did. I wanted to tell you—be careful.” Withdrawing her hand, she fled down the hall.
November 1, Victoriaville, Canada
T he tall blond with creamy skin stepped out the front door of the narrow, redbrick apartment, looking from side to side. She turned around and locked both the deadbolt and the doorknob.
Carl understood her nervousness. Just a month ago the girl had been taken into police custody for “harboring criminals.” Luckily Carl had been around to get her out of jail.
“Hi, Natalie,” he greeted her as she ran over to his rental car. No buses or begging rides from the RCMP this time, though Carl hated driving in other countries.
“Hi.” Her lilting accent reminded him that English wasn’t her first language. She glanced behind her as she buckled her seatbelt.
“It’s okay.” He put the car into gear. “Nobody followed me. Local law is working with us this time. Nobody’s going to hurt you.”
“I know.” Still, she clutched her handbag in her lap and stared straight ahead.
Carl felt bad for her. She’d been doing a good deed, helping three girls get away from their kidnapper and across the Canadian border. She probably didn’t help strangers anymore. “I really appreciate you taking me to the spot you found the girls.”
She pointed him onto the freeway. “Go west.”
“How’s Chris doing?” He hoped mentioning her boyfriend would relax her a bit.
She brightened. “Oh, he’s good! We’re engaged.” She flashed her hand at him, showing off a large diamond ring.
“That’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Here, take this exit.”
Carl turned off the freeway, noting the country road they traveled on. It narrowed down to two lanes, one each way, and the twists and turns forced him to slow down. “You sped out of here?”
“Yes. In Chris’ car.”
They headed further into the country. Natalie sat up taller and narrowed her eyes, scanning the left side of the road. Carl hoped she’d be able to find it. The foliage and greenery all looked the same to him.
“I think that’s it . . .” She tapped her finger on her chin.
Carl did a U-turn and pulled over. The asphalt dipped down into a slight ditch. Dead vegetation covered the area, but he could imagine the tall grasses that were there a month ago.
“Yes, I’m pretty sure this is it. They were in the grass, hiding. I didn’t see them until one of them—the dark-haired girl—jumped out at me.”
“And then what?” It never hurt to hear the story again.
“My car had a flat tire. She offered to change it for me if I gave them a ride into town. A van came from that direction.” She
Similar Books
