Part 7 (1/2)
”Are you sure?” she asked, glancing over.
Her eyes were that warm tropical blue-green in the morning sunlight and her freckles were like gold dust on her nose and cheekbones. He nodded. Once Zack was fed, Samantha could continue on to Seattle via the b.u.t.te mall.
And Will would go home.
But he wasn't quite ready yet to tell them goodbye, and the silent admission didn't please him. The one-sided conversation he'd overheard between Samantha and Zack's birth mother had left him with a bad feeling he couldn't quite shake. He feared Samantha had gotten into more than she could handle.
AS SAM PARKED in the large lot at the rear of a cafe that served burgers twenty-four hours a day, she felt a chill on her neck. She glanced around. They were miles from where she'd seen the kidnappers go off the road yesterday, were now driving a different rig, and she hadn't seen any sign of a tail.
Still, she felt uneasy. Much different from the way Will Sheridan made her feel. And oh lordy, how he made her feel. feel.
”What about you? You up for a burger, fries and a shake?” she asked, her voice sounding a lot lighter than she felt. ”Or are you a ham and eggs and hash browns kind of guy?”
She doubted Will Sheridan had ever had a hamburger, fries and a shake at eight in the morning in his life. No more than he'd ever been handcuffed to a Firebird's dash before. Well, at least he'd never get into a strange car again. Let alone refuse to get out. Something about that made her sad because she knew he'd also be more careful about the next woman he asked out.
She hated what she'd done to him and wished there was something she could do or say to make it up to him. Dangerous thinking. Even more dangerous, she almost wished she were the woman he'd first thought she was.
She realized she had been once. A long time ago. Before Lucas and Ca.s.sie and Zack.
”I'd have a little something to eat,” Will said.
”Great.” She didn't feel the least bit hungry, but if Zack was- He seemed small for his age. She definitely didn't want him to go hungry.
As she slid into a booth with Zack, she could hear faint music coming from his CD player. He had his cap pulled low, his ears protruding, those d.a.m.n headphones like a wall between him and the outside world.
She reached over and tugged one side of the headphones down. ”Not in the restaurant,” she mouthed.
He nodded reluctantly but did as he was told.
”Put the CD player in your backpack,” she said, wondering how she would ever get close to the boy. Or if she would.
In the end, she ordered what Zack did: a cheese-burger loaded, fries and a chocolate shake. To her amazement, so did Will.
”Living dangerously?” she joked, and could have bitten her tongue when his gaze came up to meet hers.
”Definitely,” he said, his look blistering.
WILL CURSED the chemistry that arced across the worn Formica table between them. His attraction to this woman bothered him. He was much too sensible to let himself fall for the wrong woman. A woman who was a complete mystery to him. Who could turn him inside out and disrupt the world he'd made for himself. What did he really know about her, other than the fact that she kissed wonderfully, was a private investigator in b.u.t.te, and stole children?
He watched her drag her gaze away, her teeth worrying at her lower lip as she looked out the window. He'd seen her scanning the street earlier, her look searching and concerned. Was she afraid she hadn't lost the two men who'd kidnapped Zack? Or was being cautious the nature of her business?
A dense silence fell over the table even with the clatter of the cafe around them. Samantha looked uncomfortable. And he knew he was the cause. He'd come on like gangbusters, wanting to date her, romance her, refusing to get out of her car until he had her phone number. Then he'd backed off big-time.
He knew he should say something now. But he couldn't imagine what. It's been fun, It's been fun, didn't really cover it. Nor did didn't really cover it. Nor did Thanks for everything. Thanks for everything.
Not half a block down the street, he noticed, there was a sign for car rentals. He could walk to it once they'd finished eating. Wouldn't even have to get back into the Bronco with Samantha and Zack. He felt an almost desperate need to return to his old life as quickly as possible. To touch base with the guiding principles that had gotten him this far. To decide what to do next. Never before had he needed a plan more than he did right now.
Amazingly, Zack put away most of his food in record time. Samantha picked at hers, her attention seeming to wander. Will caught her watching the street again. Or maybe she was just avoiding looking at him.
”Well,” he said, when they'd all eaten as much as they were going to. ”It looks like I can get a car right up the street-” He motioned toward the car rental sign.
Her gaze followed his and she nodded, then looked at him again as if she felt the need to say something. But the moment seemed to pa.s.s. No doubt, she didn't know what to say any more than he did.
”My treat,” he said, and reached for his wallet-then stopped.
They both turned to look at Zack. This time Samantha didn't say a word, just held out her hand.
The boy shrugged sheepishly and produced Will's wallet from his backpack. Samantha's look when she handed it to Will told him he was right: she knew she needed to see what else was in there.
Maybe she'd get lucky. It was probably too much to hope that Zack had taken the kidnappers' wallets, but maybe whatever he was protecting would help her keep the boy safe. Will was distrustful of Zack's father and even more so of his ”birth” mother. It didn't appear the kid had anyone he could depend on. Except Samantha.
”We'd better get going, then,” she said to Zack, and got to her feet.
Will got up, too, and watched Zack slide out, pulling his backpack after him. Whatever it held, it wasn't much. The contents barely made the cloth bulge, even with the CD player inside.
As Will held the door of the cafe open for Samantha and Zack, he tried not to notice how tiny and defenseless the boy looked. Nor how small his protector was. Or how very female.
They stepped out into the warm suns.h.i.+ne, the cloudless sky overhead wide and clear blue. Anyone watching might have thought they were a family. Will doubted anyone could have guessed the truth.
Samantha stopped just outside the door. ”I'm...sorry,” she said, and then shrugged, reminding him of the boy. The simple gesture said it all.
”Me, too. It's been-” fun, frightening, embarra.s.sing, crazy fun, frightening, embarra.s.sing, crazy ”-interesting,” he said. ”-interesting,” he said.
She smiled a little at that. A slight breeze tugged at the golden tendrils around her face. Then she turned and walked toward the Bronco, her hand on Zack's small shoulder. Will watched her push a stray lock away from her face as she fumbled in her pocket for the key to the pa.s.senger door.
”Samantha,” he heard himself call after her.
She turned.
”Good luck,” he said lamely.
She nodded.
He s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the boy, automatically checking for his own wrist.w.a.tch and wallet. ”See ya, Just Zack.”
”Bye.” The boy dipped his head in a way that reminded Will how many times Zack must have had to say goodbye in his young life.
Before he could do anything stupid, he headed for the rental agency, fighting the urge to look back, unconsciously listening for the roar of the Bronco's altered engine.