by Ellie Danes
"Damn, those last meals smell good," Nathan said. He peeled out of the parking lot as soon as I jumped in the old sedan.
"What'd you want me to order? Liver and onions? They had it on the menu," I said.
Nathan took a hairpin curve just a little too fast. "It's just a shame to waste it."
I yanked the bag of food out of his reach. "We need the food to sell it. They'll find the food and trace us back to that grill."
"Just one bite," Nathan pleaded. "I at least get a last bite, right?"
"Stop. It's not like we're really dying." I popped my mouth shut and bit my lip.
Nathan's smile disappeared. "This is your last out, you know," he told me. "You can still get back to your old life."
"You can't do this alone. We're in this together, remember?"
He took his eyes off the dangerously curvy road and pleaded with me. "I'm flattered that you're willing to go through this for me, but you don't have to. I'm not that good of man. Christ, Bree, think about what we found in that safety deposit box. Cocaine, cash, and a gun. I'm not worth it."
I turned to face him despite the dips and curves the car had to make. "That's where you're wrong, Nathan."
"Be smart, Bree. Please," he said.
"You're worth it," I said. It took everything I had to censor myself and change the subject. "Besides, you don't know me. I've screwed up my life in ways you can't imagine. My own sister never wants to see me again."
"That doesn't mean she wants you dead, Bree."
We took another corner just a little too fast, and I had to hang on to the dashboard. "I was all alone, working in a truck stop diner in Topeka. I messed up every good chance I was ever given."
Nathan shook his head. "There's still time. Maybe you need to get back to your old life and fix things. That's a chance you don't want to miss. You won't get it if you come with me the rest of the way."
"I have to come," I said.
"I know it's scary. You'll have thousands of questions to answer, but it will blow over eventually. It won't for me. So, I'm begging you, Bree, take this chance before it's too late." Nathan started to slow the car and aim for the next pull-out.
I clung to my seat. "No. Keep going. I said we were in this together, and I meant it. Please don't let this be another thing that I screw up."
Nathan pulled the car over and stopped. "This is as good a place as any. Bree, are you sure?"
I nodded and scrambled to get out of the car before I told Nathan the real reason. Now was not the time to tell him I loved him.
Nathan got out, too, and took one last, longing look at the bag of fried chicken. "Such a shame," he said.
We moved to the back of the car and put our hands on the bumper. Then Nathan stood up and backed off.
"What? What is it now?" I asked.
"It's a long walk back to that grill," Nathan said.
I shook my head. "We're going to hike down, stay off the road as much as possible. It'll be hard but we can do it."
"Bree, this really is your last chance," Nathan said.
I started to push and the rusted old sedan rolled forward. It was hard and I strained but then Nathan was beside me. We pushed hard and the car picked up speed. Then Nathan caught my arm and we skidded to a stop.
The car rolled faster down the shoulder of the steep road and then careened over the sharp edge. It crashed and flipped over, landing in a burst of dust and debris on the switchback below us. Thank god it continued across and caught in the trees on the other side of the road. No one would get hurt crashing into it as they drove around the hairpin turn.
Then the old sedan caught on fire. Now there was no way anyone would miss our crashed car.
Nathan handed me a windbreaker from our bag and got ready for the steep hike ahead.
I stood at the edge of the road and looked down on the wreckage. The saddest part about my supposed death was that I had no family to mourn me. I wondered what my sister would think when she heard the news but anything I imagined was too painful.
I dove into the underbrush behind Nathan, glad to leave my old wreck of a life behind.
Chapter Thirty-One
Nathan
The view from our next motel was amazing, I made sure of that. Then I rented the honeymoon suite complete with champagne and roses.
"Nathan, you shouldn't have. We don't have that much cash left," she told me.
I shrugged and poured her a glass of champagne. "Doesn't matter. I can get a job now. I wasn't lying when I said I could fix the air conditioning in our car. Maybe I can land some work at a mechanics shop."
"Did you tell the clerk we were married?" Bree asked.
I smiled. "We are Mr. and Mrs. Cramer for right now. We never talked about new names. You have any ideas?"
Bree's eyes drifted out of our motel room and over the Rocky Mountains. "I need to pick out a new name."
She hadn't thought all the way through our crazy plan. Not only would our friends and family hear that we were dead, but we needed to create whole new lives for ourselves from scratch. And that meant changing our names and never looking back.
"It'll be fun," I said. "We can try the names out and see what you like the best. I think we should start with something sexy. How about Veronica?"
Bree made a face. "You think the name Veronica is sexy?"
I was glad to see her smile again even if it was accompanied by a rueful rolling of the eyes at my jokes. "You're right," I said. "We should start with Mildred."
Bree glanced out at the stunning view again. "At least you got us a decent room this time. Though I don't recall our wedding."
I shook my head gravely. "Mr. and Mrs. Cramer did not have good taste. I think there was an Elvis impersonator involved but Mr. Cramer was too drunk to remember much."
She groaned and answered my teasing with tickling. "Why don't you make yourself useful, Mr. Cramer, and turn on the hot tub?"
"Yes, ma'am." I tipped an imaginary hat at Bree and turned to flip on the heart-shaped tub.
Steam started to cover the front window of our motel room before Bree tore herself away. She slipped off her robe and joined me in the bubbling water with a faraway look.
"Maybe we can take a hike tomorrow or something," Bree said. "People won't ask too many questions if we're just walking along in the woods, would they?"
I knew how she felt. Despite the good view and comfortable room, we had been cooped up in the car for too long. Part of it was for our safety; we needed to make sure our hoax went over before we ventured out together. Mostly it was because neither of us had any idea what our next move should be. That question hung over us heavier than the honeymoon suite's plastic chandelier.
"Remember that rib-eye steak we had one town over?" My mouth watered just thinking about the delicious meal.
Bree's forehead furrowed. "We can't go back. They'd notice us then."
"I know." I sighed and sunk lower in the bubbling water. "Though I could pick up two dinners to go. No one would think twice about that."
"You should get another bottle of wine, too." Bree finished her glass of champagne and poured another.
"Planning on getting drunk?" I asked. Bree's quiet and pale face worried me.
She nodded. "I think Mrs. Cramer might drink. It helps her forget."
I tried not to worry too much about Bree's comment. Instead, I pulled myself out of the hot tub and found the name of the steakhouse in the motel directory.
"I'll be back in twenty minutes at the longest," I said. "It's an easy drive."
I moved the champagne bottle far from the hot tub and locked the motel room behind me. It was a short drive but I sped down the mountain road, worrying about Bree. I felt elation, freedom. There was an anchor of guilt, too, but I was ignoring that for as long as I could.
All I knew was that Bree and I were safe for now. Something told me we needed to rest up and enjoy ourselves while we could.
The steakhouse was jammed packed, and I didn't see the state patrol
car until I was already up the front steps. The door swung open but the two women coming out only looked at me to flirt.
"Ladies," I said.
They giggled and smiled then went their way as if there was nothing wrong with me. I started to warm to the idea of good old Mr. Cramer.
The steaks were ready and packed but I still left a regular tip to avoid being remembered. I started to rush back to the motel when I saw the trailhead. I pulled the car over and walked a few hundred yards up the trail. When no one could see me from the road, I plucked a quick bouquet of wildflowers.
Now armed with a bouquet and news of a nearby hike, I rushed back to the motel and Bree.
She was out of the hot tub and perched at the end of the motel room's king-sized bed. The volume was down low but she jumped when I shut the door behind me.
"Oh, Nathan. I was just flipping through the channels," Bree said.
I ignored the television as Bree scrambled to turn it off. "Honey, I'm home! And these are for the lovely Mrs. Cramer."
Bree bounced off the bed, almost losing her towel, when she saw the bouquet of wildflowers. "Oh, Nathan, thank you! They're beautiful."
"And there is a nice five-mile hike just down the road. We can probably walk to the trailhead, too, so we don't have to worry about the car," I said.
Bree gave a happy sigh. "Thank god. I can't wait to get out of this room and stretch my legs."
"Yeah," I said. "It'll be good to get you away from the TV."
"Wow, dinner smells great. Let me set the table."
She bustled around the room, put the flowers in a cup of water, and set out the steak dinners on the small motel table. Bree was hoping I hadn't noticed her glued to the news channel or at least she was hoping I wouldn't bring up the conversation again.
I had to bring it up. "Bree, I told you not to worry. You don't have to try to catch every little headline. How long did you spend in the motel lobby checking news websites?"
"Only an hour," Bree said.
"Two at least." I opened a bottle of red wine I had stashed in my duffle bag. "You have got to stop obsessing over the car wreck. I'm sure it happens so often on that stretch of road that they don't report every incident."
"It rolled off a cliff, tore up the entire embankment, and caught on fire," Bree said. "How is that not on the news?"
I poured two large drinking glasses of red wine. "You have to let it go. If we're going to do this, we have to go all in. The past is dead. We're new people now. We could be the Cramers."
"Reminds me of a bad sitcom couple," Bree said.
I sat down at the motel table across from her. "See? You've been watching too much TV."
Bree cut a bite off her steak and savored it. Then she said, "Let's work on your name. You've always seemed like a Eugene to me."
I threw a piece of parsley at her. "Is that really the name you want to be calling out in bed?"
Bree blushed. "I do not yell out your name in bed."
"Sounds like a challenge," I countered.
"Not so fast, Eugene. I plan to enjoy a civilized dinner first," Bree said.
"Yeah, that name is not going to work for me."
She smiled. "No? Then how about Gilbert?"
"I was thinking Jackson," I said.
"Not unless you're planning to wear a cable knit sweater and hang out in ski lodges," Bree said. She chewed another delicious bite. "How about Hank? Lots of mechanics seem to be named Hank."
I polished off my steak and licked my fork. "Honey, you can call me whatever you want. In bed."
Bree threw her napkin at me. I caught it and jumped out of my seat to give her a kiss. She tasted of red wine, and I couldn't stop drinking her in. She was breathless when I pulled back.
"You just want to try to make me cry out your name," Bree said.
"Doesn't sound too bad, does it?" I pulled her up and kissed her again.
All she could do was smile as we fell together onto the honeymoon suite's king-sized bed.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Bree
I pushed Nathan back onto the bed. "No, it's my turn this time."
His eyes darkened but he nodded. I rolled over and pressed against his side, my hand sliding up his shirt to feel his taut belly. I felt him suck in a breath of air as I tickled his waistband.
Nathan's eyes were screwed tight but there was a smile on his lips.
"Does that feel good?" I brushed my fingertips along his waistband again.
"It tickles. You're teasing me," Nathan said with a tight smile.
"I like it." I leaned over and kissed his lips, letting him relax as I pressed my palm flat to his stomach.
Nathan caught my head in both hands and took over the kiss. At first, he idly tasted my lips, then he nibbled along my lower lip, and then he widened my lips with his tongue. I let him in and dragged my palm down lower to cup the growing bulge in his pants.
It was exciting to feel him grow harder against my hand. I fumbled with the button on his jeans and then slid down his zipper. When he was free, Nathan groaned and pulled me on top of him.
"Don't tease me, I'll lose control," he said.
I smiled into another kiss, then rubbed my body up and down his slowly. Nathan groaned and the sound sent shockwaves right to the sensitive apex between my legs.
I sat up, shedding my shirt over my head. Nathan's hands unclasped my bra, tossed it aside, and came back to cup my breasts. Gently at first and then tighter. As he squeezed, he brushed his thumb over my nipples, sending waves of warmth shuddering through my core.
My hips began to rock against him, and Nathan hitched my skirt up to my waist. I peeled off my panties and slowly straddled him. I teased us both with circular sweeps of my hips until Nathan couldn't take anymore. He grabbed my hips and brought me down on him.
I cried out with pleasure and the shock of being so full. He throbbed inside me as I started to shift my hips back and forth. Nathan sat up, wrapped his arms around me, and met my riding strokes with deep thrusts. When his lips found my panting mouth and kissed me, I rocketed over the edge.
Nathan came right after, growling into our deep kiss, his muscles flexed like steel around my waist.
"Wow." I collapsed on the bed beside him. "I should be on top more often."
* * * * *
We made love every day, sometimes twice a day for a whole week. I got to be on top plenty but by the end of the week, I was too antsy to stay in bed long.
"Can't we just go out for lunch? The crowds are small then, mostly tourists driving through, and no one will notice us," I said.
Nathan lay back on the pillows, his hands hooked behind his head. "We could go on another hike. There's that private little glen I wouldn't mind seeing again."
I shook my head. "Those grass stains are never coming out of my jeans. I had to throw them out."
"So, you'll wear a little sundress and sit next to me in the booth?" Nathan perked up.
"Fine. Whatever you want. Let's just get out of this room," I said.
Nathan chuckled and heaved himself off the bed. "Coffee shop, it is. They have nice, private booths."
Only a few tables were taken when we got there but Nathan requested a booth anyway. Then he winked at me. I was about to tease him when his eyes drifted off over my shoulder.
"What is it? The sheriff?" I whispered.
"No. Better. Much better." Nathan ripped a flyer off the bulletin board and brought it to the booth with us.
I ordered us coffee and joined Nathan on his side of the booth. "A house? Why are you looking at houses?"
"We should buy a place out here. It's beautiful, don't you think?" Nathan asked me.
I nodded but scoffed at his idea. "Sure, but we can't buy a house. They don't really let you get a mortgage or anything when you don't have identification."
"That's why I was so glad to see this." Nathan thanked our waitress for the coffee and asked her for a few more minutes. Then he held out the flyer for me to look at. "See? He's of
fering his property, a few acres, a house, and a garage. For cash."
"Who's he?" I asked.
"I met him the other day when I drove down to the fruit stand. He told me that the house needed work and he didn't want to have to deal with prissy buyers or nosy inspectors," Nathan said.
"Sounds like a real money pit," I countered.
Nathan pushed me with his arm and grinned. "That's the fun of it. We fix it up. Together. The place is so private. We'd be safe there. Happy."
I snatched the flyer from his hands. "This says it's a lodge. The pictures are nice. Did you see that view?"
It was impossible not to feel a flutter of excitement. For the first time in a week, I could actually see the future. It was amazing to think I'd get out of dingy motel rooms and finally have a place of my own. With Nathan. My heart soared.
Then dove straight down to the linoleum floor. A sheriff walked through the coffee shop door and tipped his hat at the hostess.
"We've got no business with him. Nothing to worry about." Nathan whispered in my ear.
I shivered as his breath tickled me, so he did it again. "Stop," I giggled.
"So, you must be the honeymooners." The sheriff paused on his way past our booth. "Heard you've been here about a week but no one's seen much of you."
Nathan grinned up at him. "Perfect honeymoon, sir."
I elbowed Nathan in the ribs.
The sheriff laughed, tipped his hat to me, and kept going to the last stool at the counter. When he settled down and opened the newspaper, I relaxed a bit.
"See? He's just getting coffee. Some clichés are true." Nathan leaned close and whispered against my neck again.
"Stop." I fought off another silly giggle. "We should go."
Then the waitress headed straight for our booth. Nathan smiled at her and ordered a club sandwich with fries.
"I'll take an egg-white omelet, please," I said.
"Hash browns or home fries?"
"Home fries." The simple question had me longing to check in with my friends at the diner.
Nathan sensed my thoughts and whipped out the local newspaper to distract me. "I'm serious. I could like living here. There's got to be a place nearby that needs a mechanic."
