Brent stood and held out his hand. “Hi, Mr. Kincaid. Yes, please, to call for a tow.”
The old man’s grip was surprisingly strong as he returned the handshake. “You can use my cell, but it isn’t a fancy one with internet. It just makes calls.”
Not good for contacting Rick, but now Brent wouldn’t have to lie and say they couldn’t get any help on a Sunday in such a small town.
Brent frowned as if thinking. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to call the police for help. That is, unless you’d happen to know the number of someone nearby who could help us out?”
“Nope. We’re from California. Going to Texas to visit the kids.” Will pinned Brent with a steady gaze. As if measuring Brent up. “Your girlfriend’s back at your vehicle?” Esther quietly slipped beside her husband.
Brent nodded. “Taking a nap. She drove the last few hours.”
“And where was it you told Esther you were headed?”
It was an interrogation all of a sudden. “Sun City. Eloise’s dad had to be rushed to the hospital.” Brent glanced up and spotted a satellite antenna on top of the RV’s roof. They had to have posted his and Sara’s pictures on the news. Did this guy suspect it was Brent?
Will crossed his big arms and angled his head. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Esther said, “He’s an ex-cop. He can’t help himself.” She held out the phone. “Go ahead. Make your call.”
An ex-cop? Crap. If he’d seen his and Sara’s pictures on TV, they might be screwed.
Chapter 10
Loud banging on the car’s window woke Sara from a deep sleep in the backseat. Had Miller or the police found her? Her eyes flew open, and she spotted Brent. Relief slowed her pounding heart.
She sat up and opened the door for him. “You scared the crap out of me. Again.”
Brent handed her the cat and then started packing up their things. “I got us a ride. Your name is Eloise, and mine is Randal. You’re my girlfriend, and your father was taken to the hospital last night with chest pains. Your parents live in Sun City. Will and Esther will be here to pick us up with their RV any second.”
Sara blinked at Brent. “Have you hit your head or something? Why would you even talk to anyone?”
Brent stopped his gathering and rubbed the back of his neck. “Because we have two flat tires. I noticed they were low when we left, but now they’re flat.”
What? She hadn’t noticed that.
She got out to see for herself. How had two tires on the same side gone so flat while she’d slept? “So, your new friends are taking us where?”
He grabbed Mittens’ bowl and tossed it into the grocery bag. “To the next town. For a tow truck.”
That was going to slow them down. “What if they recognize me? Should I stay here?”
“They’re older. I doubt they’d know who you are. Will is a retired cop. We need to look like we’re in a relationship. Don’t forget to call me Randal.”
Brent had gone back into robot mode. And the tire thing wasn’t adding up. The car had driven just fine. “What aren’t you telling me? Because getting a ride from an ex-cop seems just plain stupid, and that’s something you’re not.”
Brent frowned as he slapped the car door closed. “I didn’t know he was a cop. That was just bad luck. You need to trust me.”
She crossed her arms. “I don’t think I can trust a person who would let the air out of our tires when bad guys and the cops are chasing us!”
“Pipe down.” He stuffed the map into the bag with their travel kits. “I did that so Esther and Will would believe us. And so you’d go along with my new plan. I don’t think you’re going to like it.”
“What’s not to like?” She lifted her chin, upset and a little hurt that he’d made plans without her. It was her life in danger too.
A big RV blasted its horn as it pulled up nearby. Moments later, the door swung open and a big man waved them inside.
Brent said, “Follow my lead. Pretend to like Randal and be concerned for your dad.”
Sara mumbled under her breath, “I like Randal a whole lot better than Brent at the moment.” But she plastered on a smile and followed Brent to the big RV all decked out for Christmas with tinsel and garland strewn everywhere. As they stepped inside, Brent did the introductions and then nudged her and Mittens onto a couch. Brent said, “Thanks again for the ride, guys.”
Esther turned in her big copilot seat and smiled. “You’re welcome. Where do you two live, Eloise?”
Sara returned the older woman’s smile. “Malibu.”
Will sat behind the wheel and started up the behemoth vehicle with a loud rumble. His eyes found hers in the mirror above his head, and he squinted. “Randal said you’d come from Lake Havasu.”
Crap! She cut her eyes Brent’s way and hoped he could save them.
Brent slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his hard body. “Eloise has been going to school at Pepperdine. She’s getting her master’s in counseling come spring. We’ve just come from my parents’ house in Havasu. We were staying with them over Sara’s winter school break. But we live in Malibu.”
Phew. He’d saved that one. It was stressful lying to a cop. Damn Brent for making her do that!
Esther nodded. “Lake Havasu is very nice. What do you do, Randal?” Will continued to look suspicious in the front seat. Or maybe it was her imagination.
“I’m an accountant.” Brent stroked the cat in Sara’s lap, looking fresh as a cucumber, while sweat dripped between her breasts.
Will called out, “So what’s going on with the RV and second-home tax laws?”
Sara held her breath. It had to be a test. Was he onto them? Was he taking them to the police?
Brent gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and then spouted off a bunch of mumbo-jumbo tax stuff that had Will nodding. Thank goodness Brent really was an accountant. And a bodyguard? Were her parents working together to protect her?
Grateful that Brent seemed to have things under control, Sara laid her head on his shoulder to make it look like they were a couple and closed her eyes. It’d be easier not to speak if they thought she was asleep.
After the men finished up their conversation, Will said, “Hope you don’t mind if I switch this on. Helps us avoid traffic problems.”
It wasn’t a traffic report that came through the speakers. It was police scanner news, with all sorts of squawks and numbers that made no sense. Brent tensed ever so slightly beside her, causing her to open her eyes to gauge how worried he seemed.
He mouthed, Kiss me?
What? Kiss him?
While she stared into his earnest eyes, it dawned on her why he’d ask. They might report about Brent kidnapping her. She needed to initiate the kiss while eagle-eyed Will watched.
She said loud enough for Will and Esther to hear, “Thank you for coming along to visit my parents. I would’ve been stranded alone without you, babe.”
Brent nodded his head ever so slightly with approval.
Strangely nervous about a fake kiss, she laid her lips on his. And boom. All thoughts about cops, Miller, and their broken car flew out of her mind. Replaced by pheromones or hormones or whatever the things were that made her entire body ignite, eager for more.
He slowly slid his large hand around the back of her neck, pulled her closer, then added his tongue to their kiss. Heat flew straight to all the right places, making her moan a little. Or he did. She couldn’t be sure. Didn’t matter, though. She’d never been kissed like that.
Brent leaned away first, his face lit with one of his rare, huge grins. No longer was he the robot, he was the guy who teased her but also promised he’d never ditch her. Ever. It sent a jolt straight to her heavily guarded heart.
Will cleared his throat and ended her and Brent’s stupid-smiles-on-their-faces staring match. “Looks like they’re having random roadblock checks around Phoenix. Luckily, you’re not too far from your parents’ house, Eloise, so it shouldn’t bother you two too much.”
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She tore her gaze from Brent’s. “That’s good news. My mom sounded upset when she’d called. My dad’s health has been declining the past few years.”
Will nodded as he navigated the RV as big as a Greyhound bus around a corner. “Would you like us to take you all the way to Sun City? It’s not too far out of our way.”
Brent and Sara both said “No!” at the same time.
“But thanks.” Brent’s face lit with a fake smile. “That’s nice of you to offer, but we might need the car to run back and forth to the hospital. Eloise’s mom doesn’t drive anymore.”
Esther nodded. “That must be hard for your mom, Eloise. We’ll drop you at the nearest police station, then.”
Police station?
Panic made her heart pound again. She tried to keep her face impassive while she freaked out a little inside. Brent slowly ran his hand up and down her arm, probably to keep her from losing it. How could he seem so damn calm?
She glanced out the window. Little houses alongside the road started appearing. Mailboxes wrapped like Christmas presents and little trees with ornaments lined the road. Must be close to the town they headed toward. What would they do if Will insisted he go inside the station with them? Put in a good word, one ex-cop to another brother in blue? There was no way they’d get out of town if the cops asked for Brent’s ID.
When they turned a corner, a small main street lay before them. Then she saw it. A diner. With a neon sign with three cactuses lit. Just like the one her sister had seen in her dreams. “Hey, Will? Can you drop us off at that café ahead?”
Will looked up in his mirror and frowned. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go to the station? It’s a few miles from here yet.”
Sara stared into Brent’s eyes. “We’ve eaten there before.” She suddenly couldn’t remember what Brent’s name was supposed to be. “Remember, babe? The lady who ran it was really nice. I’m sure she’d help us.” She pleaded with her eyes. It was where they were supposed to go, but she had no idea how to explain it if asked. She whispered, “Trust me. Please?”
Brent’s eyes cut toward the diner, then back to Will’s. “Eloise is right. We can grab a bite and then get a tow. A two-for-one deal. We’ll even buy you guys breakfast for the help if you’d like.”
What the heck was Brent thinking? Inviting them to have breakfast?
She gave him a sharp jab with her elbow. “I’m sure Will and Esther are eager to see their grandkids, honey.”
Esther’s face lit with a grin. “We are. Haven’t seen them in almost a year. Besides, we just ate before we left, but thank you for the kind offer, Randal.”
Randal. Right. That was his name. She repeated it in her mind a few times to make it stick this time. Her nerves and all the lies were giving her a headache.
Will pulled the big rig to the curb and cut the engine. Then he slowly turned around and stood. Sara’s heart beat triple time, making it hard to draw a deep breath. This was it. If he’d recognized them, he’d pull out his cell to call the police.
Will stuck out his big palm. “Good luck, you two.”
Relief whooshed through her as Brent stood and shook Will’s hand. “Thanks for the ride. We appreciate it.”
Will slapped Brent on the back. “No worries. Good luck with the car.” He held out his hand to her too. “And best wishes for your father, Eloise.”
She wiped her palm, damp with nerves, on her yoga pants before returning the shake. “You guys are the best. Safe travels.” She waved to Esther, hugged Mittens closer, and then high-tailed it to the door. She opened it, and the steps slowly lowered so they could make their escape. Brent grabbed their bags then wrapped a hand around her arm and tugged to slow her down. Her rush might make them look guilty, but she couldn’t get out of the RV fast enough.
Once on the curb, Brent whispered, “Smile and wave goodbye, Eloise.”
All her instincts screamed for them to run, but she stood beside Brent and fake smiled, waving as they drove away. When they were out of sight, she said, “Why did you ask them to have breakfast with us? Are you crazy?”
He laid his free hand on her lower back and led her across the street and toward the diner. “Makes us look less guilty. I knew they weren’t going to accept. I saw her packing up their breakfast stuff earlier.”
“Yeah, well. Will looked like he could eat anytime. That was a big risk, buddy.”
His jaw clenched. “As big a risk as asking him to pull over in the middle of town where everyone can see us? Will told me the station was on the other edge of town. Much safer than here for two strangers walking down the main street with a cat. So, what’s your plan?”
She didn’t have a plan, just knew they were supposed to go to the diner. How to explain that escaped her. “What were you going to do if he dragged you into the police station? We’d have been busted and sent back to Miller for sure.”
“I had a plan.” He stopped walking. “Tell me I didn’t make a mistake by trusting you.”
She quickly ran through her clues again. Maybe the pay phone was inside the diner? “You also said I wasn’t going to like your plan, but before you could tell me why, the RV drove up. So, what wasn’t I going to like?”
“The part where we steal a car.”
She opened her mouth to object, and he held up a hand to stop her and said, “We’ll return it. But for now, we needed to ditch your mom’s car and find another way to get to Albuquerque.”
That was it. She needed to find that pay phone. She wasn’t going to take some innocent person’s car. She drew the line at stealing. She’d call her ex-brother-in-law. No one would be monitoring him, hopefully, and he’d know what to do. “Let me go inside and see if they have a pay phone. Do you have any change?”
“Nope. Who are you going to call?”
“Jake, who used to be married to my sister. He’s an ex-cop and currently in charge of my mother’s security. He’ll know what we should do.”
Brent scratched the stubble on his chin while considering her plan. “You can trust him not to turn us over to the cops? One hundred percent?”
“Yeah. We need some help here, Brent. And I draw the line at car thievery.”
“What if we made a trade for your mom’s car for an older one without GPS?”
She laughed. “My mother would kill me. Do you know how much that car is worth?”
He shrugged. “I’m guessing a whole lot less than your life.”
That was true. Her mom had more money than she could ever spend. “Who’d do that without a title?”
Brent smiled. “The fewer details you know, the better if we get caught. I’ll take the heat. It’s probably a good idea to split up anyway. I’ll meet you in that park over there in a half hour or so?”
She glanced down the street. The park had picnic tables and a playground with a few kids playing. She could sit nearby and blend in. “Maybe I should talk to Jake before you swap the car?”
He shook his head. “Ask Jake to meet us somewhere before we hit Albuquerque. He can drive us the rest of the way in so we avoid the cameras.”
She nodded, still uneasy with the plan. She didn’t want to be any part of an illegal car swap, but then, she wanted to live.
She glanced at the diner. Her sister said it was part of her dreams, so Sara hoped there’d be a pay phone in there or at least a phone she could borrow. “Do you think I look different enough so that no one will recognize me?”
“Out of context. But can you add a slight Southern accent? That might help.”
She smiled and added some twang when she said, “Brent, darlin’, actin’ runs through these veins like beer through a honkytonk’s taps.” Occasionally listening to country music might prove to be handy.
Brent leaned down and whispered, “Slow that roll a bit, Eloise, and you’ll be perfect.” He laid a quick kiss on her lips. “But then, you were already pretty perfect. Be careful, okay?”
She was so thrown off by his kiss, she said, “Too you, Brent.”
A slow grin lit his face before he turned and walked away.
Too you?
She slapped a hand across her eyes. What an idiot. She was falling for Brent at the worst possible time in her life. She needed to pull it together and find a phone so they could get the hell out of Dodge. And stop thinking about her hot bodyguard who kissed her like he meant it.
Brent, carrying Mittens, walked across the street, resisting the urge to check on Sara one last time. He hated to leave her alone to find a phone. But it was for the best. People were looking for the two of them. Splitting up made the most sense, even though it had taken everything inside him to leave her.
He shouldn’t have kissed her like that. It just seemed like the best way to reassure her that he had her best interests in mind.
Who was he trying to fool? He’d kissed her because he cared what happened to her. More than he had any business caring, but he hadn’t ever felt the need to protect anyone as much as he wanted to protect Sara.
When she’d kissed him in the camper, it’d felt so…right. Like he’d finally found the soulmate he didn’t even realize he’d been looking for. At the same time, he might have found the one woman who could hurt him even more than his mother had. Losing Sara too when the case was over was going to hurt. Bad.
She was kind, and good, and surprisingly sweet for someone who grew up with the Hollywood brat pack. She wasn’t one of them anymore.
The real Sara was a woman who made him feel things he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Good things.
But her dad was going to be locked up for sure, and Sara might never be able to forgive the agent who put him there. Namely him.
He hoped to God that Sara wouldn’t have to see both her parents go to jail, though, because Sara’s face lit up whenever she spoke about Annalisa. Sara’s love for her mom was apparent.
An errant thought came and went. It was stupid to want Sara’s face to light up like that when she saw him too.
As he started across the park, the kids’ joyful voices as they asked to be pushed higher on the swings and their begging to go faster on the merry-go-round sent a familiar pang to his heart. He’d always hoped he’d have a kid one day but vowed he’d never be a parent like his mother had been. But then, age-old doubts always crept back in and whispered warnings that maybe bad parenting was genetic and he’d be a crappy parent too. He’d never want to ruin some poor kid’s life.
Crossing Double (A Heartbreaker Novel Book 3) Page 11
