Stowaway by Becky Barker Page B

loosened the turf, Keri stepped closer again. Her heart skipped a beat, but she ignored it.
    After taking a good look outside the door and seeing nothing but dense foliage, they carefully lowered it again. She quickly took a step backward.
    “There’s a dead bolt to the right side if you come in from the yard and want to lock out intruders.” She pointed toward the lock.
    He grabbed it, slid it into locked position and then back out again. “It’s rusty but functional.”
    “You’ve seen the propane tank in the back yard?” she asked him as they made their way back through the tunnel to the chamber.
    “Yeah.”
    “It looks like it’s surrounded by bushes, but the trap door is on the far side of it. It’s easy to find if you know where to look, even in the dark, but it’s not easily seen or identifiable.”
    “Way cool,” he said with awe as he followed her up the narrow stairs to the closet trap door. “You have your own safe room. Not a bad idea with a family of law officers.”
    “That’s the intention. That and protection from atomic bombs,” she said, unsure if anything could protect them from a nuclear attack. She pushed up the closet floor board, triggering the spring to open the door. Making a mental note to oil it, she turned and passed the lantern back to Lamanto. Once he’d replaced it, she gave him a hand as he climbed the steps.
    “And nobody else knows about the chamber?”
    “Just my immediate family. Now Dad, Jack, me and you,” she said, brushing dust off her clothes. He closed the closet door and dusted his clothes. “Dad swore us to secrecy when we were younger, and we took our pledges seriously. I told you because emergency situations are the exception, but you can’t tell a soul or you’ll be cursed for life.”
    He used his right hand to make a cross over his heart. Then he crossed himself forehead to chest, from shoulder to shoulder. “Your secret is safe with me.”
    Keri grinned. “Covering all the bases?”
    “You betcha,” he said, returning her grin.
    They stared at each other for a long time, the smiles slowly fading to a more intense study of each other’s features. Keri noticed a smudge of dust on his cheek. She reached out to brush it off, but the skin-to-skin contact heightened the tension between them, causing the rest of her body to stir in reaction. She badly wanted to explore the searing attraction. Her eyes widened, her lips parting, and he made a small sound of response.
    She knew he felt the same sting of arousal, yet neither wanted to make the first move. Neither wanted to be the one who broke the unspoken decree to keep things platonic. Both knew the temptation should be ignored. Keri reminded herself they only had a few days together. He’d be going back to the city soon, and she didn’t need more regrets in her life.
    “Smells like the pies are cooking nicely,” she whispered, breaking the spell. She drew in a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of spicy apples. Her next words sounded more natural. “I’d better check on them so the crusts don’t burn.”
    Lamanto nodded, his voice gruff. “Better check the mirror first. You have cobwebs in your hair.”
    That brought a smile back to her face. “You too,” she teased, turning toward the bathroom.
    “You’re Catholic?” she asked an hour later as they sat down for lunch.
    “You have a problem with that?”
    She shook her head. “Why would I?”
    “Some people dislike anything they don’t understand.”
    “Well, I’m not one of them.”
    He gave her a smile. “I’m not a very good Catholic,” he admitted. “I don’t practice the faith, but our parents raised us in the religion, and I agree with most of the teachings.”
    “I was raised Baptist because that’s the norm for Thornsbury, but I’ve always been fascinated with the study of different faiths.”
    They discussed various religions while they ate and then Keri cut them each a piece of warm apple pie. She waited for his