Page 7 of Road Trip With the Ghost Hunter
”It’s alright.” But I could tell it wasn’t.
That had to be who she lost. It was the only thing that made sense with how she reacted. It must be recent, too, but if it was, why wasn’t she with her family? Shouldn’t she be helping herparents or her siblings? Someone? Anyone? Why was she here with me?Unless there was no one else.
Well, damn. Double damn.
Was she all alone? If so, why the hell would she get in a car with a stranger? If she watched all those shows, she should know better than to trust someone to take her hundreds of miles to Colorado on the word of some mechanic.
I mean, I was trustworthy, and I would get her there, but what happens after I drop her off? Is she just going to trust the next stranger who offers to help her? If she didn’t have anyone, who was going to look out for her?
I turned to see her still facing the window. She looked so fragile, curled up with her legs on the seat and her arm wrapped around them. She wasn’t wrong. Anyone could carry her off somewhere, and she would never be heard from again. Especially if there was no one to raise suspicion. A sudden need to make sure she was taken care of pulled at my chest.
She’s not my responsibility. I have enough problems of my own, and taking care of some random woman was not what this trip was supposed to be about.
Yet, when I glanced over again, I couldn’t help the responsibility that I felt. I needed to know more about her to make sure there was someone she was meeting in this new town. For all I knew, maybe she already had someone to look out for her. Maybe I was wrong and her grandmother wasn’t gone. Maybe her parents were just distant but still available. I mean, it wasn’t as if I knew anything about her.
”So, you and your grandmother watched these crime shows together?”
“Yes,” she answered, but didn’t turn.
”Tell me about her?” That seemed like a good way to break the ice and find out more about her family.
She turned then. “My grandmother?”
”Yes.” I gave her the best smile I had. “We have at least three more hours before our first scheduled break. Tell me about your grandmother and about you. We’re in this car together, so we might as well get to know one another.”
She took a deep breath and held it. I saw a lone tear fall. Just when I was sure she wouldn’t say anything, she turned to face me with a sad smile.
”My grandmother was the most amazing woman.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Li
“The sour gummies,” he murmured.
I chuckled. “The sour gummies,” I confirmed. “What do you have against sour gummies?”
I thought the mere mention of her would be like piercing my chest with a hot iron rod, but unexpectedly, the moment I started retelling my favorite childhood memories to Lucas, a lightness settled, making it easier to breathe. He was a good listener.For a potential serial killer.
He didn’t interrupt much, other than when he had genuine follow-up questions. When I got to lao lao’s and my road trip traditions, the corner of his mouth softly lifted in such a subtle way that if I weren’t studying his profile as he drove, I’d have missed it.
He glanced over, then shrugged. “I’m not some health nut,” he started, catching my skeptical raised brow. He released a soft, deep chuckle that came more from his chest than his mouth. “I indulge,” he defended. “I’ve learned what works for my body. What’ll give it energy? And if I’m traveling on the road for days on end, I like to be conscious of what I’m putting in my body since I’m sitting the whole time.”
“Ok. Fair.” I brought my feet up to rest on the dashboard and braced, wondering if that would drive him crazy. His eyes shifted to my legs, but he continued driving without a word. “And though my lao lao’s road trip foods couldn’t all be classifiedas healthy,” I emphasized with quotations, “Since it was home-cooked food, she considered it to be healthier.”
“Agreed,” he said.
“But, I can’t help it. The contrast of sour and sweet plus the gummy texture is my kryptonite.” I popped two different flavored sour gummies in my mouth, then I picked out my favorite, the blue and red gummy, and held it out to Lucas’s mouth.
“Absolutely not.”
“Oh, come on,” I cajoled. “Have you ever even tried one?”
“I don’t need to.”
Gaping at him, I sat frozen, then instantly shifted to bring my legs up and crossed them under me to face him. “Uh uh. No. Tell me you’re not one of those?”
“One of those?” he questioned, still focusing on the road.
