Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Kenny
A fter a decent, albeit short, night of sleep, I rolled into the Saint Security parking lot at ten to five. Knowing what I did about Liz, I shouldn’t have been surprised to see another car idling in a spot close to the entrance.
Of course, she ran early. It wasn’t just the military that appreciated promptness, and Liz had always given me the sense she would work twice as hard and be ten times as successful. That said, she seemed to have enough raw intelligence and drive, so she didn’t spend her time trying to prove herself. She was more interested in doing good work because she believed in it and the results—whether in her success with her job or her connections she could exploit or whatever—revealed that.
We got out of our cars at the same time, and I grabbed my bag from the passenger side while she retrieved one from the seat behind hers. We shut our doors as though we’d choreographed it and walked toward the building.
Did I match my stride to hers? Yes, I did.
Did it give me a weird thrill to be walking in sync with her?
Sure enough, it did.
“Get some sleep?” I asked, voice still a bit gruff from disuse.
“It’s almost lunchtime in my brain, despite having over forty-eight hours on ground. I’m ready for my body to switch to mountain time.”
The door to the building opened and signaled Cookie was already here. He’d likely parked near the back entrance where the fleet cars were located.
“That’s rough. I’m sure this road trip will do wonders for your circadian rhythm.” We’d be crossing into Pacific time to pick up the package, then rolling right along back here. Likely wouldn’t do anything to help her adjust.
“I’m glad for the distraction.” Her gaze cut to mine, then away.
“What—”
“Glad you made it. Let’s get your weapons signed out and you can get on the road.”
Cookie smacked my hand where I held it high for a five. It might’ve been juvenile, but I got a kick out of the fact that he would literally never leave me hanging. I’d tested it more than once and he always came through, even when the time was far from right.
Call me sentimental, but it reflected who he was pretty accurately. Cookie would be there no matter what. He wasn’t the loudest of us, or the pushiest. He wasn’t particularly grumpy, nor was he full of optimism like me. The man was solid, steady, and if you believe the ladies, too handsome to look directly in the eye.
He was a faithful, steadfast friend, and I loved him. And therefore, I forced a high five on him whenever I could.
We checked out minimal weapons for concealed carrying and gear we hoped we wouldn’t need. Cookie had already packed the car with an extensive emergency kit, AED machine, and more medical gear than we’d normally take, but for this mission, we wanted all bases covered.
“You’ve got rooms reserved at this hotel, which is a thirty to forty-five minute drive to the house where you’ll pick them up, and they’re planning on an oh-eight-hundred pick up tomorrow. You’ll stop in Vegas on the way back because the client needs to break up the drive rather than doing the full trip in one go.” Cookie tapped away on a laptop while he spoke.
We both nodded, already familiar with these details, but it was standard to give a pre-mission brief to make sure everyone was on the same page.
“Upon arriving in Silverton, you’ll take them directly to their chosen location. I’ll likely be the one to receive.”
We each nodded, the plan unchanged from when Bruce had briefed us.
“Good. Mission complete is at the listed address, ideally no later than three p.m. on Monday.” He held out the car keys between us.
I looked to Liz. “How about you drive first, and we’ll alternate, but I’ll take the last stint just in case jet lag hits?”
The eleven-hour drive would be long, but if we traded off every three-to-four hours, we’d make it quick. With it being winter, the first stretch would be most stressful as we got out of Northern Utah, and after that it was a pretty clear shot through the desert to Cali. I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be doing, and I’d get a little bonus for the weekend work despite being on salary, so all in all, there was no downside to this situation.
“Sounds good.”
She took the keys, thanked Cookie, and marched toward the rear exit, which I hadn’t thought she even knew about.
We got our bags settled. I waved obnoxiously to Cookie even though he was nowhere to be seen, and then we were off.
Liz drove carefully but not timidly. I liked it.
Thus far, I liked just about everything she did, so this was no surprise. Still, she had this confident, focused way about her, and it was more than a little attractive.
The temptation to shut my eyes would’ve dragged at me more, but the awareness that we had eleven hours alone together was as effective as a shot of espresso.
Speaking of, we navigated down Elk Street and passed both Joe and Glazed.
“Have you tried Joe or Glazed?” I asked, longing for a donut and knowing full well I wouldn’t ask her to stop. Plus, I’d packed copious road trip snacks, which were their own delicacy.
“Not yet this trip. I had some Joe last time, but otherwise, I got stuffed with bread from Rise and Shine. I’m pretty sure Jane felt it was my duty as Sadie’s step-sister-in-law to eat my bodyweight in homemade carbs.”
The small smile on her lips made me smile.
“I like Jane.” She was just one of those super likeable people, and if you lived in Silverton long enough, you got to know her. The Saints, along with the Morrisons and a few others, were practically founding families of Silver Ridge, so it made sense. “Is it weird that she’s your stepmom?”
Jane Saint had married Liz’s dad, Darcy Malcom, a few years back. They’d literally run away to Vegas and got married and they were freaking adorable. They’d found each other after loss and divorce, and the sight of them around town or at a giant table full of Jane’s kids and their spouses and grandkids and Jo and Adam… well, it made a man believe in happy endings.
At least for some people.
“I’m not proud to say I thought it would be. I was really skeptical about her. But after about twenty minutes in her presence, I could see why my dad loves her. She’s genuine and forthright. That’s not how my mom is, and I haven’t really talked to them about what went wrong, but it makes sense he likes that.”
She exhaled in a way that made me feel like maybe she hadn’t anticipated saying so much.
I wondered if she felt guilty for not visiting sooner, but I wasn’t about to ask the question. Instead, I said, “And hey, now you have a bunch of big and or little brothers and such.”
She chuckled, and I couldn’t resist peeking at her to see how the smile looked on her pretty face.
Granted, pretty was like calling the Hoover dam a watering hole. She was… beautiful.
“So true. I was never one of those kids who wanted a big family—that was always Jojo. But I’m enjoying getting to know them all.”
Jojo. Damn, it was an adorable nickname, and it gave me this tiny glimpse into what she might be like as a sister. Fiercely protective and determinedly supportive, yes. I knew this and had witnessed it firsthand during her last visit.
But Jojo gave me a hint of softness. A clue about what might be under some of her serious, focused layers .
Not to be a total romcom-loving cliché, but I loved a tough outer shell with a melty inside. Grumpy with a cinnamon roll center heroines were not really a trend from what Jo and the Romance Reader Club ladies told me, but… sign me up.
“I’m sure they feel the same.”
She didn’t respond to that, so I let it lie. No sense in pushing this early, and a Golden Retriever I may be, but I could also be a dog with a bone about things.
So I reached into my bag and pulled out the first round of road snackies. “May I offer you a Combo?”
A laugh barked out of her, startling in the early morning quiet and the lull of the road. “Um, no, thank you.”
“You have a problem with Combos?” I asked, only slightly mocking in my offense.
“I… didn’t realize they still exist.”
I scoffed. “Then you haven’t been living.”
I fished one out and held it up for her. The little cylinder filled with pizza sauce flavoring didn’t look particularly appetizing, but they were for nostalgia’s sake.
Her gaze shot to me and she shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll stick with my coffee for now.”
I shrugged, then popped a Combo in my mouth. They were insanely salty, and the flavor was more than a little artificial. Really, they were pretty bad. But they were also classic road trip food, and therefore, I persisted.
“I think it’s your turn now,” she said, drawing my attention to her lovely profile.
“My turn for what?”
“Time to tell me about your family.”
Ah. Well. There’s the downside.