“Yeah. It might be hard to pinpoint when the kidnapping starts.”
“I’m not kidnapping you.” I shake my head. “The last thing I need tonight is a captive. I don’t have the energy for something like that.”
There’s a beat of silence and then she laughs.
And the sound punches me in the gut. It’s so pretty. Light. Happy. Addictive. I feel myself smiling as I look over at her.
“So I shouldn’t worry about my safety with you because you’re tired?”
I nod. “It’s been a long damned day.”
“But on a normal day, when you’re well rested and in a good mood, you’re a likely kidnapper?”
I actually huff out a soft laugh. “Nah. That really seems like a lot of work even on the best day.”
She settles back in her seat, smiling. “Well, it remains that you’re taking me somewhere without my consent.”
“If there wasn’t a fucking tornado approaching, I would have let you use my phone,” I tell her. And it’s true. Having her with me while worrying about sheltering through a storm is not ideal. It’s another person to be responsible for and I’m good at that…in very small increments of time.
Like long enough to say, “You need to put out those campfires and clean up this site, so you don’t start a wildfire. You have thirty minutes” or “I’m giving you this citation because of the reckless way you were driving that snowmobile. You could have really hurt somebody. I don’t want to ever see you doing that again, got it?”
I hand her my phone now. “Call someone and tell them where you are. You’re going to shelter with me, but I can take you to town after the storm passes.”
She doesn’t take the phone. “No, that’s okay.”
I frown. “You wanted to use my phone a few minutes ago. Call someone.”
“I’m fine. I mean…now I’m fine. Now that I’m with you.”
I look over at her again, but it’s too dark to see a damned thing. I wish I could see her face. She’s okay now that she’s with me? What the hell? Who is she? Why is she out here? Okay, getting animal prints, but why all by herself?
“You should call someone. Surely they’re worried.”
She sighs heavily. “Fine.” She takes my phone and a second later, I hear, “Hey, it’s me.” She pauses. “I know. My phone died.” Another pause. “I know. I told you I ordered one.” Pause. “Anyway, I’m fine.” Pause. “It’s…David Bennett’s phone. I got a flat and he stopped and is giving me a ride.” Pause. “Yes, David.” Pause. She sighs. “Yes.” Pause. “Okay, I will. Love you too. Bye.”
She hands me the phone back.
“Everything good? “I ask, taking it.
“Yep. My sister now knows and she’ll tell everyone I’m fine and…it’s all good.”
“Great.”
I pull into a driveway two minutes later. The house is dark, but I know the back door will be unlocked.
“Is this your house?” she asks as I park and turn the truck off.
“No. I live about eight miles from here. Too far with this tornado coming. Let’s go.”
Yeah, I live far from town. On purpose. And I could show her a ton of animal prints on my land. Including mountain lion. The damned thing walked into the trap I set on my property, not Bill’s.
But I’m not risking driving further right now.
I push the door open and round the truck to get her. She’s already out and I instinctively grab her hand as I start for the back of Tim’s house. We run but are soaked by the time we step onto the back porch.
“This isn’t your house but we’re just going inside?” she asks as I let us into the kitchen.
“Yep.”
