Page 61 of The Scenic Route
Biting back an honest laugh, Felicity walked toward the sheriff’s car.
Before they got far, one of the CSU techs intercepted Summers. The sheriff waved Felicity on. “Go ahead and wait in the car. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Hoping for a quick word with Bennett, Felicity hurried to where Chris was talking to him, appearing more aggravated than she’d ever seen the laid-back deputy look before. Unable to contain her amusement, she laughed out loud.
“Poor deputy,” she commiserated, joining their small circle of two. Bennett immediately moved close to her side and rested one of his hands on the small of her back. The heat soaked in, relaxing her more than any massage could, even while it ramped up her heart rate. She gave him a smile before turning back to Chris. “Getting one-word answers, are you?”
“If that.”
Taking pity on him, she asked, “What are you missing from his statement? Can I fill in the holes?”
“Sure. His birth date?”
Tsking at Bennett, Felicity scolded, “You didn’t even tell him that? Why not? We like Chris.”
Bennett twitched his shoulders in an irritated shrug. “He already has it. Why does he need to hear it again?”
Rolling her eyes at the stupid male posturing, she opened her mouth to answer the deputy’s question but then closed it again when she realized she didn’t know. “What’s your birth date?” Her tone was more curious than anything.
Before he could answer, Chris barked a laugh. “You don’t know? I thought you were married.”
Unbothered, Felicity just shook her head, still waiting forBennett’s answer. “We’re still learning all the interesting things about each other. We haven’t bothered with the boring details yet.”
A slow smile dented Bennett’s cheeks in a way that made her want to kiss him. “Exactly. And it’s January third.”
“Mine’s a third too!” She wanted to roll her eyes at her sappiness, but she couldn’t help the glee in her voice at the silly little coincidence. “The third of August.”
The way he gazed at her, as if she was the most interesting person in the universe, made her forget the deputy was even there.
Chris reminded them of his presence. “Year?”
Before Bennett could answer—if he evenwouldanswer—the sheriff was there. “Let’s go,” she said, charging for the driver’s door of her squad car.
“We’ll finish later,” Felicity promised, hurrying around to the passenger side door. She wasn’t sure why she was rushing. If the sheriff left without her, that was fine with Felicity. She’d prefer to ride with Bennett anyway.
The sheriff had other ideas though. Through her open window, she ordered, “Chris, you and Mr. Green ride in the CSU van so we limit the number of vehicles going up. No reason to attract the attention of anyone at the compound.”
“Um…pretty sure that cow’s already escaped the barn,” Felicity said. “Deputy D—ah…Litchfield arrived on scene with sirens at full blast.” She had to watch that she didn’t call him one of her and Bennett’s pet names.
Sheriff Summers’s head dropped back against her seat as she muttered to the ceiling, “Sweet baby Jesus, give me strength.”
Felicity was fairly sure that the strength the sheriff was asking for was to resist killing Deputy Donkey-Face.
“We’re still just taking the two vehicles,” Summers said once she’d sucked in a long breath. “Donaldson, follow us.” The last part was directed to the tech she’d been talking to, and the tall, middle-aged Black man gave a wave and got in the driver’s seat of the van.
With a frown, Bennett headed that way as well, although when he glanced toward Felicity’s car, she could almost read his mind. The two of them could be driving away from this whole mess right now rather than genially being held hostage by local law enforcement as they tromped all over the militia’s territory looking for human remains.
The sheriff’s amused snort brought Felicity’s attention back to the woman next to her. “The two of you are newlyweds, that’s for sure.”
Fully aware that her googly eyes were bordering on ridiculous where Bennett was concerned, she just smiled. “Only two days ago.”
Summers’s grunt sounded unimpressed. “Where are we going?” the sheriff asked.
“Up the hill.” Felicity gestured at the logging road. “There aren’t any turnoffs. Just follow the two-track until it dead-ends in a cluster of trees.”
With a short nod of acknowledgment, the sheriff followed her directions, and they rode silently until they arrived at what Felicity had been mentally calling the lookout. Summers turned the squad car around with some difficulty until she was facingback down the hill, and the CSU van did the same, although it took them a few extra points on their turn.
Bennett was out of the van and opening Felicity’s car door almost before the van came to a complete stop.
