Page 7 of Their Little Christmas Bounty
“There.”Austin points.“That one looks like hers.”
“Do we talk to the front desk, or go back and surprise her?”I ask.
“Surprise.”He sets his mouth in a grim line.He hasn’t shaved in a while and it makes him look meaner.I hope he doesn’t scare off Ariel.
Something tells me she doesn’t scare easily.
My phone buzzes.I pull it from my pocket to see a text from Ariel.Have you found me yet?
Trust me, I type back,you’ll know when we’ve found you.
Which will hopefully be in about five seconds.But I don’t add that part, because I think our chances are fifty-fifty that she’s still here.
I go to the front of the cottage.Austin goes around to the back.When I peer in the window, all I can see is an empty living room and adjoining kitchen.There don’t seem to be any personal effects—no purse, laptop, clothes.Nothing.Just a generic couch and empty counters and dining table.
Are you at the beach?is her next message.
No sense playing around about it.Yes.
Aw, you just missed me!She adds a single tear emoji.
Well, can’t say I’m surprised.Disappointed?Yes.But not surprised.
She sends another message.I left the back door open if you need to hang out and rest for a bit.The place is paid for another night.Check-out is at eleven.Maybe you’ll come up with a new place to search for me by then.
Fuck, do I need to rest.Even a short nap would do me wonders.I spent most of the ride here drooling over her pics on Kynkworld instead of sleeping.
I walk around to the deck, where I find Austin glowering through one of the back windows.Going past him, I try the door handle and find it unlocked, just as Ariel said.
“What are you doing?”Austin calls after me.“We aren’t allowed to break into places?—”
“It isn’t breaking in.”I hold up my phone to show him Ariel’s text thread.“She said we can stay here tonight.She probably left us another clue.”
Austin’s dark eyes get even darker.He’s pissed.“We leave at seven sharp.”
“Sure, of course.”I jog back to the car and get our duffels.No way is he going to get up before eight.He’s more tired than I am.
When I get back into the cottage, he holds up his phone.“She posted more photos.”
He says it nonchalantly, like he couldn’t care less.But from the avid way his eyes eat up the phone screen while he scrolls them?He cares a whole helluva lot.
* * *
Austin
I oversleep.
I shouldn’t be surprised.Lyle sure fucking isn’t.He laughs when I roll over on our shared bed—because of course there’s only one bed.At least it’s a king-size—I don’t need his grubby ass cuddling with me at night.Wouldn’t be the first time—when you like to share women with your buddy, everyone gets very close, very fast.
Someone’s knocking.Fuck, did I sleep so long that we missed check-out?A quick look at my phone tells me no, it’s only eight.
Lyle gets up to answer the door.He returns later, a bemused expression on his face.
“What is it?”I ask.
“Breakfast delivery.”
“I didn’t realize this was a B&B.”
