Page 71 of Take a Hike
Pulling back, Kieran framed her face with his hands and just looked at her for a long moment. “It’s a little terrifying how much I love you.”
“Really?” She clutched his wrists as if to hold him in place. “I love you so much, but I’m not scared at all.”
Kieran grinned at her. “Of course you’re not.” He gave her a short, hard kiss. “Because you’re fearless.” He kissed her again, longer this time.
Charlie couldn’t stop smiling, even as she kissed him back.
Bennett groaned. “Please make it stop.”
Fifi laughed and whooped.
Charlie pulled back just enough to speak. “It’s weird having a cheering section while we kiss.”
“You’re the one who wanted to share our honeymoon suite,” Fifi reminded her, not sounding at all abashed.
Charlie couldn’t even think of a teasing comeback. She was too occupied by staring into her husband-to-be’s eyes.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Bennett did not sound sorry at all. “But could you check with Lou to make sure everything is in place on their end? Charlie? Charlie!”
“Okay, okay.” She reluctantly pulled away, although she couldn’t stop staring at Kieran and his ridiculously happy expression as she pulled out her phone. When she finally managed to peel her gaze away, she saw a text pop up on her screen.
Minor problem,Lou had written, bringing Charlie back down to earth with a metaphorical thump.Okay, fine. Slightly major problem.
“Lou says there’s a problem. She’s rating it as ‘slightly major,’” Charlie told the others, sending Lou a few question marks as a request for more information. Several new texts popped up on her screen. “Daisy’s deputy husband was called away. Apparently, there was a bomb threat at the elementary school.”
“Uh.” Fifi’s fingers tightened on the wheel as she sent Charlie a concerned glance. “How does this plan work without our deputy roadblock?”
“It doesn’t.” Charlie’s brain was already grinding away at possible new plans as she texted. “Lou wants to know how many minutes until Jane’s in Simpson.”
“Sixteen,” Bennett said, his voice even tenser than normal. “Twenty-two max,ifshe goes the speed limit, which isn’t likely.”
“Even if she’s not stopped in Simpson, she still has the GPS tracker,” Kieran said, giving Charlie’s jiggling knee a squeeze. Despite the situation, Charlie felt herself calm slightly at his touch. The man was magic, but she’d already figured that out. “We’ll just keep following her and grab her when she eventually stops.”
“No time.” Charlie watched the ellipsis on her screen with renewed tension as she waited for Lou’s return text. “Jane has to be at court in Denver by nine. She could drive for hours if she has a full gas tank, and the woman has a bladder of steel.”
“She really does,” Fifi confirmed.
New plan underway,Lou texted, and Charlie let out a breath of relief.May take time to put into place, so any extra minutes would be appreciated.
“Not sure how Lou expects us to slow Jane down, but I’ll tell her we’ll try,” Charlie grumbled as her thumbs flew over the screen. “She said they’re working on setting something else up.”
“Can you catch up to her?” Kieran asked. “Get in front of her to slow her down?”
“If she knows we’re behind her,” Fifi said, “she’ll go rogue—and she might find the GPS device. We’ve been chasing Mom unsuccessfully for weeks. If she loses us this time—now that she has the necklace—she’ll be gone forever.”
They fell into tense silence as Fifi maneuvered around the hairpin turns leading up to the pass.
“Twelves minutes out,” Bennett reported, his gaze locked on his phone screen.
Charlie texted Lou the updated arrival time.
Need more time!!!Lou responded.
“Lou’s used three exclamation points,” Charlie warned. “They’re not going to be ready in twelve minutes.”
“Eleven now.”
“B, love you like a brother, but that’s not helping.” Charlie leaned forward so she could look over his shoulder at the dotmoving too fast across his phone screen. At least, ithadbeen moving too fast. “Hang on… Did the dot just slow down?”
