Chapter 2
Chapter Two
“Why do I smell smoke?” Sophie waited for Ben to kiss her before adding, “What’s going on?”
“Don’t worry.” He sat and took some fries. After eating, he wiped his hands on his napkin and went for the ketchup.
She grabbed it first and held it away from him. “Tell me.”
He sat back and sighed. “Wildfires in the mountains.”
She handed him the ketchup. That explained the smoke. “How close are they?”
“Miles away.” He dumped ketchup on his plate. “I’m not worried.”
She watched him eat ferociously. He was either being vague because he wasn’t stressed or because he didn’t want her to panic.
He’d been holding info back from her lately.
As the sheriff of their small town, he often dealt with things he couldn’t talk about.
While she understood why, it sometimes bothered her.
“You should eat.” He motioned to her lunch. “I want to leave ASAP.”
“I thought you’re not worried?”
“I’m not. I’m just being cautious.”
Their waitress returned with to-go boxes and the check. “We’re closing early because of the fires. A few of us live in The Plains, and the police are already closing off roads.”
The Plains was a picturesque village south of Middelburg, nestled in the foothills of the mountains. But the roads going in and out were notoriously narrow and treacherous, even in the best weather.
“Thank you.” Sophie took the boxes and packed her sandwich and chips. “I hope you get home safely.”
Ben found his wallet and took out cash for lunch and a tip. “Take Route 15 toward Route 601. If you hit a barricade, the police will direct you to the best detour.”
The waitress pocketed the cash with shaky hands. “Thanks.”
Sophie reached for his plate only to discover he’d eaten everything. Because the man she loved devoured food like a shop vac.
A few minutes later, she hopped into the truck and stowed her leftover lunch on the floor on the front passenger side. But she’d noticed bags filled with granola bars, protein shakes, and bottled water on the floor behind her seat. He’d shopped while she’d been trying on her wedding gown?
Ben stood outside, leaning against the truck’s door, phone against his ear again. His eye squint told her he was stressed. When he finally got into the driver’s seat, he didn’t mention the phone call and she didn’t ask.
But she did point to the back seat. “You bought water and snacks?”
“In case we need them at the reception.”
His tone told her that wasn’t the entire truth.
Not to mention the fact that no one ate granola bars or drank protein shakes at formal wedding receptions.
She just wished he’d open up more. He kept things to himself because he either wasn’t allowed to talk about them or he didn’t want her to worry.
What he didn’t understand was that sometimes his lack of communication made her even more anxious.
Just as he turned on the ignition, his phone rang. He placed it in the phone holder on the dashboard, and the caller ID said it was his brother Kane.
The moment Ben answered, Kane’s powerful voice came through. “Where are you two?”
“Middleburg.” Ben fastened his seatbelt. “We’re leaving now.”
“I’m tracking these fires—”
“We’ll be fine. We should have no trouble getting home for the rehearsal.”
Kane cussed softly. “I’m not sure about.”
“Now you sound like Sophie.”
She punched Ben’s heavily muscled arm, and he had the audacity to wink at her.
“Just drive safely,” Kane said. “Do you have a SAT phone in your car?”
“Yes. I’ll keep in touch.”
After hanging up, Ben pulled onto the road. He drove west, toward the Shenandoah Mountains in the distance.
She snapped her seatbelt. “You told the waitress to head east. Why are we driving west?”
He stopped at the only red light in town. “I want to check in at Mt. Weather.”
“That super-secret government military bunker covered in antennas that everyone knows about but pretends doesn’t exist?”
Pretending not to notice military/government activity was a thing in this part of Virginia since Washington, D.C. was less than fifty miles away.
“Yes.” He stepped on the gas and relaxed his grip on the wheel. “The State Police set up a station there.” He nodded to the clock that registered three-thirty. “We’ll still get home before the rehearsal.”
“Okay.” She studied his clenched jaw. “You need to stop grinding your teeth when you’re upset. Tomorrow is our wedding day. We’re supposed to be happy. And I’d like you to have some teeth left for the photos.”
He chuckled. “I’ll try.”
Once Main Street turned into a narrow highway, he glanced in the rear-view mirror.
There were no other vehicles on the road, but he pulled off to the side of the road and stopped.
A few moments later, the roar of engines drowned out all other sounds.
On their left side, a dozen motorcycles raced by.
Even though they were going twice the legal speed limit, she identified their leather cuts.
The top rocker said Devil’s Renegades, and the logo showed a skeletal death head surrounded by angel’s wings.
They belonged to the Devil’s Renegades Motorcycle Club, Virginia, Ravensburg Chapter.
Once the bikes disappeared around a sharp turn, Ben sent a text. Then he started driving again.
He didn’t say anything. They both had a difficult history with outlaw motorcycle clubs. He’d once been a member of the Devil’s Renegades while she’d dated a member the Black Jacks, a rival MC from Massachusetts.
She cleared her throat. “You’re not going to pull them over?”
“No. I’m off duty, but I notified my colleagues.” He stepped on the gas again, and they sped down the silent country road.
A moment later, she asked, “You’re armed. Right?”
He blew her a kiss, obviously trying to lighten the mood. “I’m always armed.” It was the way he spoke, with a sexy—maybe even dirty—undertone that made her laugh with relief.
“Alright, Mr. Sexy. Let’s see the secret government facility so we can get home in time for the rehearsal. We have less than nine hours left.”
“Left before what?”
“Before I have to hide from you.” She settled into her seat, determined not to fret, and watched the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains fly by.
In the summer, the foothills were such an intense green they didn’t always look real.
But now a gray haze dimmed the area’s beauty.
“It’s bad luck for a groom to see a bride before the wedding. ”
“I promise to get you home before midnight.”
“Before six is better.” She checked her watch again and compared it to the truck’s clock.
He shook his head, muttering about his chill bride.
She ignored him and studied the sky. Was it getting darker?
A few minutes later, a text popped up on his phone. Because he’d tilted the phone in his direction, she couldn’t see it. But he gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Then he made a sharp right turn onto a barely paved road.
"Ben?”
“Don’t worry. I know where I’m going. I grew up in these mountains, remember?”
She didn’t care where they were headed. Only that they didn’t seem to be driving home. “What’s wrong?”
“We may miss the rehearsal.”
She frowned. “Why?”
He glanced at her, and his eyes appeared darker than she’d ever seen. “We’re trapped by wildfires.”