Chapter 14 #2
“Shush.” She gently pressed her fingers to his lips and looked up.
She didn’t want promises he couldn’t make.
His eyes met hers, then his gaze dropped to her mouth.
They were inches apart, the air between them compressing until it was dense and charged.
Almost of their own volition, her fingers fluttered over his jaw and ever-so-softly down his neck to rest on his shoulder as her own gaze fixated on his mouth.
His breath hitched, and for one suspended moment, she thought he might kiss her. She’d let him if he did.
She also thought she’d be the one to take the first step. Make the first move.
Then a truck horn blared.
Thomas exhaled and his arms fell to his sides. “We should get moving,” he said quietly, not quite meeting her eyes.
She nodded, her pulse hammering, and, without another word, they both got back in the car and returned to the highway, the lingering energy of what almost happened between them settling in the backseat like a third passenger.
She still wasn’t sure if Thomas knew where he was taking them or what they’d do next.
And it wasn’t until they stopped at Walmart to replenish their clothes and supplies and a change of direction that took them northbound, that Nadia realized Thomas did have a plan.
He knew where they were going, he just wasn’t telling her.
She didn’t like functioning in the dark.
“When do you plan on looping me in on where we’re headed?”
Thomas sighed. “I’m not keeping you out of the loop.
I only just decided.” She arched her brows and he relented with a long, drawn-out sigh.
He was exhausted, mentally and physically.
Nadia hadn’t realized how much so, but she should have known.
He hadn’t slept at all since they’d escaped his house.
“I know someone. I think she can help. I didn’t want to—”
“Get her involved?” she prompted when his voice dropped off.
“Expose her to danger. But yeah.” He nodded. They could very well be bringing danger to her doorstep. “She has connections we could use.”
He left unspoken that they were in way above their heads and couldn’t do this on their own. It was time to think outside the box. Whatever that ended up being, left Nadia on edge.
Their route hugged the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada range, the peaks forming a jagged silhouette against the early morning sky.
They drove northbound on the 395 until they reached Big Pine, one of those towns easily missed if one blinked.
It was nothing but a cluster of buildings—a general store, a post office, a diner—nestled between towering mountain ranges.
Thomas turned onto a side road that quickly bled from pavement to gravel. The small car wasn’t made for off-roading, and it rattled over the washboard surface as they left the tiny grid of civilization behind.
“Where are you taking us?” she asked when the landscape opened dramatically. Patches of sagebrush dotted the terrain. The scent of dust and juniper filled the cab through the air vents.
“It’s up here.” He pointed a finger with the hand gripping the top of the steering wheel. “Almost there.”
About a mile in, an unassuming ranch nestled against the foothills appeared.
A faded sign reading Windswept Valley Ranch hung above them as they drove through the arched iron gate.
Two horses lifted their heads from grazing, ears pricked forward, as they watched their approach up the long, narrow drive.
A small ranch house stood weathered but well-kept with a wraparound porch.
Beside it was a decrepit barn along with a large green stable that looked much newer than the house.
A woman appeared in the barn’s doorway, eyes narrowed under a wide-brimmed hat, her head cocked to the side as she yanked off leather gloves.
“Who’s that?” Nadia asked.
Thomas cut the engine. “Cammy. She’s a good friend.” He exited the car and lifted a hand.
The woman’s eyes widened before she slapped the gloves against her thigh and busted out a smile. “I don’t remember ordering any city slickers today,” she called out as she crossed the yard over to them.
Thomas grinned. It was the most natural, infectious smile Nadia had seen on him in a long, long time.
“Thought I’d spare you the trouble of ordering and deliver myself. Special one-time offer.” Arms spread wide, he walked over to her, meeting her halfway. He gathered her up in a massive bear hug, lifting her off her feet.
“Careful there, Tommy. I don’t bend like I used to.”
“Tommy?” Nadia spoke out loud to herself. Who was this woman? Curious, she scrambled to get out of the car and the woman peeked around Thomas to get a look at Nadia when he set her back on the ground.
“Well, I’ll be. Who’s this gorgeous thing? Looks like you brought some extra baggage with you, Tom.” Cammy playfully nudged Thomas aside to get to Nadia. “Hope she packed light because we only have room for one diva around here.” She winked at Nadia to show she was only teasing.
Thomas just smirked and shook his head at the woman, not at all seeming to care he was the butt of her jokes.
“Man, I’ve missed your sharp tongue, Cam.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve missed you too.” She waved behind her, effectively dismissing Thomas as she gave her full attention, and her hand, to Nadia. “Hello, dear, I’m Camilla.”
“Nadia Jacobs.”
Her eyes flared with recognition. “We aren’t formal around here.
I should have started by telling you to just call me Cam like Mr. McDreamy over there.
” She thrust a thumb in Thomas’s direction.
“I answer to Cammy too. So, what’s got you two visiting an old gal like me?
Ah, who am I kidding? I’ve watched the news.
” She turned back to Thomas. “Got yourself into a pickle, kiddo, haven’t you? ”
“We need your help.”
“Figured. Let’s go inside. We can talk over tea and biscuits.”