Chapter 10
Elle dashes to her room to grab an outfit.
I wash up quickly and try not to overthink what to wear.
Instead of grabbing my trusty classic-cut khaki skirt, I go for a pair of cute white jean cutoffs and a pale pink tank top that matches my toenail polish, and practically douse myself in my lilac-and-vanilla-scented body spray.
I empty my tote and grab two accessories, which I stash in my crossbody purse before rushing to Elle’s room.
My sister’s bed is piled with clothes. I nod, acknowledging her decision to wear orange athletic shorts and a matching crop top. She tilts her head as she appraises my outfit. “Dressing up for someone, are we?”
I toss a throw pillow at her head as my response. She laughs and launches it back at me, but I swipe it away. “Focus! Let’s go.”
“Go where?” Elle asks, but her voice trails off as I climb onto her window bench and unlock the window. She gasps. “Abby? What are you doing?”
I cock an eyebrow at her. “We’re getting out of here, kid.”
“But we’re on the second floor. Abby, you’ve fallen out of chairs.”
I say under my breath, “That was one time, and it was a little kid’s chair. I didn’t know it was that flimsy.”
I slide a leg over the sill and make a show of tapping the roof beneath it. “Honestly, you should be grateful to see how much I care about you.” Outside, I confirm the wraparound porch’s roof is right under our window. And there’s a tree nearby we can climb down.
I don’t stick around to hear her response. The faster I do this, the less time I have to talk myself out of it. As my feet land on the porch’s roof, it occurs to me that I have no idea how sturdy this structure is, but it’s too late now. Elle follows right behind me.
If I wasn’t in a rush, I might even enjoy the view better on the porch roof. The purple-and-blue mountains surrounding the inn are even more majestic, if that’s possible, and the breeze up here is nice and soothing and smells like leafy woods and fresh grass.
I reach for Elle’s hand and lead her toward the large tree near the inn. Elle pulls back. “Why such a rush?” It’s not anger but fear and uncertainty in her voice.
I do my best to emulate Dad’s confident smile. “We’re good to go.” I nod back at the hotel. “Right now, Shaw doesn’t have a view of us, but when he and Nessa switch places, there’s a chance Nessa will see us outside the hall window.”
Elle glances back and understands what I mean about the direction of the windows. But she doesn’t look completely convinced. “Yeah? And once we reach the ground, how are we going to leave the property?”
I look at my watch. “Because in two minutes Gabriel is going to stop at the back of the house with his truck to drop off supplies.”
Elle shakes off her hesitation with a sly smirk. “Paying attention to Gabe’s schedule now?”
I give her a tight smile. “He’s been doing the same thing every day since we’ve been here. Not exactly a mystery.”
She responds with a smug mm-hmm.
Now for the hard part. I lower myself to a seated position and scoot toward the tree branches near the porch roof. I beckon Elle to do the same. “We’re about nine feet off the ground and if we grab the lowest branch and shimmy toward the tree trunk it’ll be a lower drop from there. Easy.”
Easy? Who am I kidding. I haven’t played on a jungle gym since the fifth grade. But I am athletic. Daily yoga and dodging reporters count, right? I can do this.
A low roar rumbles from the distance. Gabriel’s green truck approaches. I see his silhouette in the driver’s seat. He pulls almost directly below us and parks the car. Perfect. Just as I had planned it.
I nod at Elle. “Let’s go,” I mouth.
I reach for the closest tree branch and am a little startled by how much give I feel. I frantically study another branch a little farther away. I can reach it, but not sure about Elle.
“I’d go with the first option,” says a low, familiar voice from the ground. I inhale deeply, peering over the edge of the roof where Gabriel is standing, an amused smile on his lips and both hands in his pockets, looking extra fit in his Levi’s and white T-shirt.
The blood drains from my face. “Can you please be quiet,” I hiss. I look around to see if any agents are swarming out the door as we speak.
Gabriel smirks as he mimes zipping his lips. He looks from side to side and then holds up both hands, signaling me to wait.
He rounds the corner of the house and disappears out of sight.
“What is he doing?” Elle asks me.
I shrug in response. As if I know what’s going on in that gorgeous head of his?
We don’t have to wait long until Gabriel approaches with a ladder and leans it near us.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“How about a ladder, Rapunzel?” he says, gesturing at it.
My face betrays me as it breaks into a grin. “Fine. I will accept your help on behalf of my sister.”
I motion for Elle to go first. She steps down quickly, clearly enjoying herself.
When Elle is on the ground it’s my turn.
With one last look over my shoulder to make sure none of the agents have caught on to our scheme, I climb onto the ladder and quickly descend, doing my best to focus on affirmations.
I’m not clumsy. I’m an astronaut’s daughter.
I laugh in the face of danger. After an eternity—or really thirty seconds—my foot touches solid ground.
I turn to find myself face to face with Gabriel, who nods with approval. “Not bad, Pineapple Princess. I had 911 on speed dial waiting for you.” I don’t dignify him with a response.
Next, we busy ourselves with retrieving the ladder, but he stops me from going with him to return it. “Cameras at the back door, remember.” He quickly returns the ladder around the back of the house and emerges again.
“Well, that was fun,” Gabriel says. “Didn’t think you girls had it in you.” He turns to leave.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“Errands.”
“Great.” I grab Elle and head for his truck. “We’re coming.”
He hesitates. “We didn’t agree to that. Besides, aren’t you grounded?”
I point behind me. “You just helped us climb off a roof.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t want anyone breaking a leg. We don’t have any money to lawyer up if we go to court.”
I don’t have time to explain to him about liability.
“Please. We’d obviously settle before it ever went to trial.
” I reach for the passenger door, but he beats me to it.
My body flushes as his arm brushes mine.
I curse. Is he really blocking the door?
“You’ve already helped us climb down. Leave us here and we’ll let our agents know you’re involved. ”
His gaze locks with mine, and I’m rewarded with a crooked smile, dimples and all.
“I was just going to say the handle sticks. Gotta jiggle it,” he explains.
He opens the door with a grand gesture. I quickly slide into the truck’s cabin, hopeful he didn’t see the color on my cheeks. Elle follows behind me.
His truck’s cabin has a single row bench, meaning the three of us will need to cram onto the worn tan seat. It smells surprisingly comforting, like leather and fresh pine trees.
Gabriel slams the door and turns to the house. “Where are you going?” I call from his passenger window.
“Still have errands,” he calls over his shoulder.
I curse as I push Elle and myself down so we’re not visible from the cabin window.
The expression on my little sister’s face reminds me of the time she played a prank on a particularly snobbish White House aide.
She took a screenshot of his desktop and set it as his wallpaper.
She could barely contain herself watching the aide clicking like wild, unable to open anything.
“I’m glad you’re finally enjoying yourself,” I say to her.
She grins in response.
I shift my leg, which has bumped into something hard inside a canvas bag that has to be Gabe’s camera. It’s no surprise he carries one around with him, although this is much larger than the one he brought to the White House.
We hear two thunks in the cab before Gabriel opens the driver’s side and smoothly hops in. I hold my breath as the truck drives away from the inn. Elle is doing the same. You’d think we just pulled off some great heist like robbing a casino or something.
Gabriel reaches for his radio—it’s an old-school one with a dial and meter for the stations. A mix of guitars, drums, and strings blasts over his speakers. I recognize it’s from the ’90s. Figures he’d be retro.
Several minutes pass before I can’t stand the crick developing in my leg. I do my best to avoid the camera bag on the floor. “Is the coast clear?” I ask.
Elle doesn’t wait for an answer as she struggles onto her elbows. “I don’t care. Your big head is making my back hurt,” she complains, pushing me aside.
“My head isn’t big,” I protest.
“I don’t know about that. If you sit up, Shaw could probably spot your head all the way from the house,” she cracks.
“Haha,” I deadpan, and lift my body up to take a seat.
“Seat belts,” Gabriel chides.
We oblige and settle into our bench. We’re silent as the music changes into a poppy rock sound. “I like this,” I say.
Gabriel laughs. “Of course you do, this is the All-American Rejects.”
“How fitting,” I say sarcastically. “After Pineapplegate and losing my dream vacation that’s exactly how I feel. Like a reject.”
He arches a brow. “And now, here I am helping you and your kid sister escape your prison. I mean, the inn.”
Elle folds her arms across her chest. “I’m an innocent bystander in this whole mess.”
Gabriel scoffs. “More like collateral damage.”
We’re driving down a simple two-lane street lined with trees and brush.
The entrance we would’ve come in if Tita Karra hadn’t decided to offer us a wagon ride.
Since I’m in the middle seat, I lean over Elle to roll down the window and breathe in the fresh summer air.
I lift my face toward the blue sky to soak in the sunrays poking through the trees. “Freedom,” I sigh to myself.