His gaze fell on the bandage peeking out beneath the sleeve of her shirt, and his gut did another flip. Surely the shooting had been an accident, a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bullet or pellet or whatever the hell had hit her couldn’t have been purposely directed at Ainslee. After all, only the other contestants… He shook his head. No way. No how. The idea of the basketball legend taking pot shots at them from the cemetery was ludicrous. Or the stuffy banker. Or the actress in her heels and tight dresses. Freaking ridiculous.
Must have been a kid shooting at a possum.
Ainslee blinked and yawned then slowly turned her head to smile at him. “Sorry. I must have fallen asleep. How long have I been out?”
“Couple of hours.”
“What?” She straightened in her seat, and the dog let out a moan.
If Griff’s head was on her thigh, he’d moan, too. “No worries. You were obviously tired.”
“I was that.” She lifted both arms as she stretched. “I can drive if you want to get some rest.”
“We’ll trade places when we stop for gas. And food. I ate most of the donut holes, but there’re still a few left if you’re hungry.”
One side of her lip curled, much like the dog’s. “We have to start eating healthier. I’m going to get fat.”
His gaze strayed away from the road for a thorough survey. “Yeah, that seems to be a real danger.”
She rolled her eyes. “No more sugar and grease. I want a salad for lunch.”
“Your wish is my command.”
A smile lit her face. “I like the sound of that.”
“Good.” Warmth filled him. He could get used to making this woman smile.
* * * *
Ainslee stuck her feet out toward the campfire and tried not to sigh. The nighttime temperatures in southern Missouri were plenty warm, but having the fire gave the evening a cozy feel. “I’m just passing through town, Mom. I’ll only be in Cloverdale for one night.”
“But it’s been ages since you’ve been home. Christmas. I’d hoped you’d stay for a nice, long visit.”
“Maybe later in the summer after I get settled.”
“There might be an opening at the high school here in town. Old Mr. Edwards finally retired.”
“Mom, I’m not moving back to Iowa.” She glanced over at Griff, who was stowing the cooler in the back of the SUV. “I’m thinking of trying life on the west coast for a change. California.”
“California!” Her mother’s tone implied she’d mentioned something nasty. “Nothing but a bunch of radicals and drug addicts out there.”
Ainslee rolled her eyes. “A small town on the coast might be the perfect choice. No more cities for me.”
Her mother let out a gusty breath. “I just want you to be happy, but close to home would be preferable. Nothing good came from all those years in New York. Twenty-nine years old and still single. Why in my day—”
“Uh, about tomorrow,” Ainslee broke in. “I have a friend with me. And a dog.”
“Which friend? Devin? I haven’t seen that girl in way too long. Did she get a pet?”
“No, not Devin. She’s still in Washington, DC working for Congressman Hinsdale. I should call her. Our last conversation was interrupted. Anyway, this friend isn’t someone you know.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and prayed for strength. “His name’s Griff, and the dog is mine.”
“He? Honey, you should have told your father and me you have a new boyfriend. Is it serious? Must be if you’re bringing him home to meet your family. How long have you been dating? Oh, my, I’d better make up the bed in the spare room.”
Ainslee gritted her teeth and waited for her mother to run out of breath. “We just met a few days ago.” Her gaze locked with Griff’s as he returned to the fire and took a seat beside her. “We aren’t dating, exactly. He’s part of the scavenger hunt I mentioned.”
“I don’t understand.” Her mother’s voice rose. “Are you traveling with a stranger?”
“Mom, don’t stress out. He’s a really nice guy, and we’re sort of connected through our relatives. I’ll tell you all about it when we get into town, but right now I need to go.”
“Humph.” Her mother’s teeth clicked, a sure sign of aggravation. “Fine. We’ll see you for dinner tomorrow night. Wait, did you say you have a dog?”
“Rocky. He’s adorable. Don’t plan to have dinner too early since I’m not sure how long the drive will take, and we have a few errands to run before we get there. Bye, Mom.”
“I suppose I’ll have to hear about your new dog later, too. Bye, Ainslee. Be careful.”
“I will.” She broke the connection and slumped against the table. “Geez, you’d think I was still a teenager the way she acts. Until I’m married with kids, I’ll be forever sixteen in my mother’s eyes.”
Griff flashed a grin. “Am I going to be grilled about my intentions toward you?”
“Probably. Right now it’s a toss-up as to whether you’re my boyfriend” —she pressed her fingers to her temples— “or a serial killer I picked up on the highway.”
“Terrific. Who’ll do the grilling, your mom or your dad?”
“My mom. Dad’s the strong, silent type, which is a good thing since Mom does enough talking for both of them.”
“That’s a relief. I can charm your mom. Older women adore me.”
A smile slipped out. “What about younger women?”
“They adore my youngest brother, Tripp. The girls fall at his feet when he walks by. Sawyer and I both have to work for the attention. It’s irritating as hell since we all kind of look alike.”
She pressed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. “Do I get to meet your youngest brother if Victor sends us to Wyoming?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” His brows came down, and his lips flattened. “Anyway, he’s probably in South America or Antarctica or someplace else equally snowy this time of year.”
“Too bad. What about Sawyer?”
“It’s June. He’ll be out on some river in Idaho or California. Eden will be around, though.”
“Great. Anyone who works with horses has to be interesting. You’ll probably meet both my brothers tomorrow since they still live in Cloverdale. I’d be shocked if my mom doesn’t invite the whole family to dinner.”
He eyed her the way he probably looked at rattlesnakes coiled up ready to strike. “Whole family?”
“Well, not aunts and uncles and cousins. My dad has eight siblings, and most of them live in Iowa.”
“Good Lord.”
She grinned. “I meant my immediate family. My parents, Ron and Barbara, my older brother, Peyton, and his wife, Janet, and their kids, Damon and Mallory, and my younger brother, Gage. He’s not married.” She gave him a poke. “Think you can remember all those names?”
He snorted. “Not even a challenge. My memory is excellent.”
“Good for you. Oh, Grandma Nell will be there, too. She’d kill my mom if I showed up in town, and she didn’t get to see me. I’m her favorite.”
“Your grandma likes odd ducks?”
A giggle erupted. “Swan, Griff. I told you before I’m the swan in our family pond.”
He stretched one arm out to pull her close against his side. “I’m not buying it because there’s no way you were ever an ugly duckling. With those curls” —he gave one a tug— “you were probably the cutest kid ever.”
“Possibly true when I was really young, but I had several awkward years later on that were not pretty. Scrawny with braces, and to make matters worse, I begged and begged to get my hair cut. Mom finally caved in. Big mistake. I looked like a poodle—or Shirley Temple’s ugly twin.”
His laugh echoed through the campground. “That’s nothing. Sawyer and I made this stupid bet when I was around ten. We had a pair of pet turtles, and I was positive mine was faster. Turned out it wasn’t.”
“What was the bet?”
“I had to shave my head. Talk about ugly… My mom nearly killed us both. It was right before school pictures.”
Ainslee doubled over, snorting and choking with laughter. Rocky danced in circles at her feet and barked. After a moment, she wiped her eyes.
“It wasn’t that funny.”
“Oh, God, remind me never to have little boys.”
“My mom threatened to put all three of us up for adoption on more than one occasion.”
“I bet. My younger brother was pretty awful, too. He brought home creepy, crawly things. Snakes, lizards, weird bugs with lots of legs…” She shuddered.
Griff slid his arm around her again and tightened his grip. “Hanging out with you is like spending time with my buddies.”
She pulled away slightly to study his face in the light from the dancing flames. “You hug all your guy friends—or just a couple of the special ones?”
Amusement flickered in his eyes, and a smile tugged at his lips. “That’s what I’m talking about. You make me laugh. And you’re a hell of a lot prettier than Joe.”
“Joe?”
“We met in nursery school. Now he’s my right hand man on the Wilde Lady, my salvage vessel.”
“I have a friend like that. Devin. Even though her family moved away from Cloverdale when we were in middle school, we’ve always stayed in touch. I can tell her anything.”
“If I told Joe my secrets, they’d wind up on the six o’clock news.” He grinned. “My buddy has a big mouth.” His gaze zeroed in on her lips. “Your mouth, on the other hand, I’d describe as kissable.”
“Uh, what’re you doing?”
His lips grazed the side of her neck. “What do you think?”
“Are we going to…” Putting coherent words together became a challenge as the hand on her waist moved upward.
“I sure hope so.”
“Griff.” She forced out the word, doing her best to ignore his other hand, which had come to rest on her thigh—high up on her thigh.
“What?” The word was a whisper in her ear. His teeth nipped the lobe.
“Maybe we need to define our relationship. This is fun and all, but…”
“Does it have to be more than that? Fun is good.”
She pulled back. “That’s it? Fun? You aren’t interested in anything else?”
The hand on her thigh fell away. “I didn’t say that. After we find Victor’s treasure, there’s no reason we can’t still see each other now and then. Once I settle on a wreck site to salvage and you find a new job…” He lifted one shoulder. “We could get together for a weekend or something.”
A stray gust of cool air sent a shiver through her. “I was thinking about giving California a try. Maybe someplace on the coast.”
“Hey, that would be convenient since I…oh.” He scooted over, leaving a foot of space between them.
She brought her heels up to rest on the edge of the bench then wrapped her arms around her knees. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No.” His voice gathered strength. “No, why would I?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe you should tell me.”
“I really do want to keep seeing you. If you find a place you like, and it isn’t far from where I’m located, that’ll make getting together easier. At least for a few months. Until I move on to the next job.”
Ainslee’s heart squeezed tight. “Right. I fully understand. You don’t have to hit me over the head with the facts.” She stood. “I think I’ll go to bed.”
He rose to face her. “Are you okay? Your voice sounds funny?”
Probably because I’m gritting my teeth so hard my molars ache.
“I’m just peachy.” Back stiff, she stalked toward the SUV.
“I thought you wanted to go to bed.”
“I do.” She retrieved the keys from her pocket and clicked the remote to unlock the doors. With a jerk, she lifted the back hatch.
“Then what are you—”
“Can’t sleep without a tent.” She yanked the nylon sack off the top of the pile, slammed the door and relocked the car. Turning, she rammed into his chest.
His hands settled on her shoulders. “You’re angry.”
“You’re right.”
He tightened his grip. “Why?”
“Why? Because I feel like some cheap hook-up, that’s why. Good enough for a vacation fling, but—”
He gave her a shake. “Stop. Just stop. I certainly never said—”
“You said plenty, and right now I’m not in the mood to hear anything more. I thought…never mind. I thought wrong.” She jerked out of his grasp. “Good night, Griff. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She assembled her tent in record time, fully conscious of the man standing near the fire, watching her every move. With a muttered oath, she stumbled over the uneven ground to his larger tent, wrenched open the zipper and grabbed her sleeping bag, pad and suitcase full of clothes. Turning, she carried the load back to her tent and tossed everything inside.
“Ainslee.”
She stiffened, fighting back a wave of emotion as his voice broke. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. Maybe tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry. Whatever I said to upset you, I’m sorry.”
With a short nod of acknowledgement, she pushed Rocky into the tent then followed the dog inside. Once she’d zipped the door closed, she finally allowed herself to dissolve into tears.
Chapter 10
“Thanks, Bud. I appreciate the lift.” Griff stepped down from the semi’s cab and slammed the door.
“Hey, no problem. Sorry I’m not going further in your direction. Good luck.”
Hefting his duffle bag over one shoulder, Griff backed away from the truck as the driver took the onramp to the interstate going west. Studying the barren stretch of highway, he let out a sigh and headed for the only patch of shade beneath a scraggly tree. Dropping his bag, he ran a hand through his hair and resettled his ball cap. He’d sit for a minute to regroup and decide what the hell he wanted to do next.
Another sigh slipped out as a hint of breeze stirred the air of what promised to be a scorching day. Mid-morning and he was already sweating. Sitting on a rock beneath a tree he couldn’t identify in the middle of freaking Missouri without a vehicle in sight wasn’t exactly improving his mood. Leaving the campsite at dawn with the intention of hitchhiking his way to Iowa had seemed like the right thing to do. The noble choice. Ainslee was angry and upset. Better to take the initiative than wait for her to tell him to go to hell. As far as he was concerned, he was already there.
What he should have done was ask the trucker for a ride to the nearest airport. Screw Victor and his treasure hunt. Without Ainslee, finding the next clue would be an unpleasant chore instead of an exciting adventure. For him, the game was over. He scowled down at his dusty running shoes.
He’d screwed up. Royally.
A motor home rolled by, then a low-slung muscle car with the bass booming. Neither vehicle slowed. If he wanted a ride, he’d have to get off his ass to stand by the road and stick out his thumb. The effort seemed barely worth it. What he really wanted was to take back the crap he’d said the previous evening. He wanted to glance across the center console of the SUV at Ainslee’s smiling face, touch one of those long curls and laugh at her dry humor. Hell, he even missed Rocky giving him the evil eye.
Lowering his face into his hands, he pressed fingers against closed lids. He wasn’t sure what had come over him or why he’d acted like such an ass. Hell, it had taken him several sleepless hours to figure out exactly why she’d been so pissed. Reconstructing the conversation in his mind, he’d come to the conclusion she’d had every right to be angry. In hindsight, he wondered why she hadn’t punched him in his arrogant face.
He’d had a knee-jerk reaction to a couple of her remarks. A completely unwarranted reaction. Too bad he hadn’t realized it at the time.
A red compact ca
r slowed on the highway, and a couple of teenage girls leaned out the passenger side windows. “Want a ride?” Giggles followed the question.
“No, thanks.”
With another round of giggles, the car sped away.
Just what he needed, the mindless chatter of underage girls. Or worse—one of them accusing him of God knows what.
He wiped perspiration off his brow with the back of his hand. Ainslee had accused him of treating her like a cheap hook-up. He certainly hadn’t thought of her that way. The woman was pure class with an innocent air and a go get ’em attitude. Her independent spirit was a huge turn-on. So when she’d started talking about arranging her life around his plans… Another deep sigh stirred the hot, moist air. He’d overreacted. Hell, in his mind, he’d turned a casual comment on her part into a signed proclamation of intent. If he went in for a colonoscopy right now, the only thing the doctor would find up there was his head, complete with his foot in his mouth.
Ainslee had probably happy-danced all around the campsite when she woke up and found him gone, his tent and sleeping bag neatly stacked beside her SUV. She could use them or chuck them in the nearest dumpster. He hadn’t needed the extra weight to carry. His heart was heavy enough as it was.
Rising to his feet, he hoisted his bag. He might as well go find a spot to stand on the interstate heading west. Maybe he’d hitchhike to Wyoming. He sure as hell wasn’t going to subject Ainslee to his presence while she was home in Cloverdale. He hadn’t been thinking straight when he’d gotten out of the big rig—the result of a sleepless night. For him, the scavenger hunt was over. Anyway, he had every confidence Ainslee could beat the rest of the competition without his help.
He’d only gone a few yards when a tan SUV headed his way. Blinking, he squinted against the sun. Surely it couldn’t be Ainslee. Either a lookalike vehicle, or maybe the heat had fried his brain, and he was completely delusional. The SUV slowed and pulled over beside him. The passenger window lowered. Rocky stared at him, lip curled. His gaze rose to meet Ainslee’s. Her eyes were sober, lips unsmiling.
Wilde One Page 11