Page 73 of Her Reluctant Hero
“We don’t know how long we have to make our money last,” he reminded her. “Besides, when I talked to Lionel, he wanted me to check on some traps. I want to do it before it gets dark.”
She made a face. “He poaches?”
“Yeah, probably, but he’s doing us a big favor. Do you want to turn him in?”
“If I was going to turn him in, it would be for the condition of that cabin,” she muttered, glancing down at the newspaper and trying to convince her mouth canned chili was something to look forward to.
They rode back to the trailer in silence. Isabella found she couldn’t read in the truck that bounced along the unpaved roads, so she tucked it beneath her and ate a candy bar, aware of Alex’s disapproval.
“I’ll make lunch, then go check the traps,” he said when he parked. “You can eat your junk and read while I’m out.”
“I’m feeling pretty worthless,” she murmured. “I can make lunch. All I have to do is open a couple of cans, right?”
“Sure.”
Once they entered the cabin, though, they were silent again as she found the cans and pots and rinsed them out. She couldn’t stop thinking about the morning, how he’d made love to her, then turned away so abruptly. Something had changed.
Something that kept him quiet as he made his way down the narrow hall to the bedroom.
Lunch was ready quickly. They ate standing up since the table was still crowded with their supplies from Walmart. She opened a can of peaches too and savored the sweetness of the fruit packed in syrup. She glanced over to see him looking at her oddly.
He set his paper plate on the counter, dusted off his hands and opened the door. “I’m going to go check those traps.”
“Be careful. Alligators.”
He nodded. “And snakes. I’ve got my gun.” He patted his hip, under his shirt. “You stay inside.”
Had he been armed when they stopped for gas? Maybe that was why he hadn’t wanted to stop for food. Surely he didn’t think they were in danger out here.
She washed up in the kitchen, feeling very domestic. She’d never had a home of her own, with responsibilities. That had been her mother’s life, the life she’d been escaping. But now, for some reason, she found it satisfying. When she was done, she folded the washcloth over the sink, then took the paper and one of her novels, along with the remainder of her Diet Coke, and went back to the bedroom, the only place to sit in the cabin.
She hadn’t realized she’d drifted off while reading until she woke when gravel crunched beneath tires on the road in front of the cabin. She didn’t think Alex had taken the truck.
Her heart pounded at the thought of intruders. She had seen a few guns just inside the screened porch, but even if they were loaded, she didn’t know how to use them. Would she be able to get to them in time, and without being seen?
She eased to the window and pushed aside the curtain a mere centimeter. Relief exploded in her. Lionel Danes. Thank God. But what was he doing out here? Maybe he had news and wasn’t able to reach them by phone. Excited by the possibility, she tucked her feet in her shoes and hurried to the door, pushing the screen open in welcome.
“Mr. Danes,” she greeted, heart pounding in anticipation. Maybe he’d found something to lead them to Hector. Maybe he’d found Hector already. “Alex isn’t here—he went to go check your traps.”
The old man nodded as if it was what he expected. “He can meet us. But we need to go back to the city.”
As he approached, every nerve went on alert. His face was grim, not bearing the news she’d hoped. He wanted her to go without Alex. She didn’t want to leave him behind. She didn’t want to be alone with this man. “Go back? Why? I thought it was too dangerous.”
“They found out where you are.” He came forward in two strides and took her arm. “They traced Alex’s phone call.”
Pulse tripping, she looked down at his grip, which squeezed her arm tighter than necessary. She tried to pull free, to go back in the cabin. She didn’t want him to see her panic, and this close, he wouldn’t miss it. Maybe once inside, she could act casual and stall him until Alex returned. “I’ll just get my things.”
Danes shook his head, jaw set stubbornly. “No time. No telling how far they are behind me.”
“Alex—”
“He can take care of himself.”
“He won’t know where I’ve gone.”
“We’ll call him.”
“His phone doesn’t work out here. Please, just let me leave him a note and get my purse.”
