by Marlow Kelly
She paid for their items, not forgetting to add their coffees, shrugged into her black backpack, and then stuffed everything into the new purple bag.
David waited by the entrance to the diner. There was no way he could be described as handsome, but there was something about him, an intensity, that drew her. He was powerful, strong, hard, and serious. He made her feel on edge and yet safe at the same time. It would be a lot simpler if she weren’t attracted to him. When he stood too close, her body came alive as every molecule and nerve ending vibrated, and tremors tingled down her spine, making it impossible to focus.
He scrutinized her as she walked toward him. Using her free hand, she tucked her hair behind her ear, hoping she looked presentable. She could probably make herself more attractive if she tried. She could do her hair, learn how to apply makeup, and she could stand to lose a few extra pounds.
Get a grip. She was a scientist who analyzed data and drew conclusions. Obsessing about her looks and her physical reaction to him must be her mind’s way of distracting her from the reality of their situation. It was a protective response so she didn’t become overwhelmed with the stress. She’d allowed herself to be sidetracked instead of dealing with the reality. Dangerous men were chasing them. She needed to concentrate and work through the variables, and then she could find a resolution.
“Let’s hope that worked.” David grabbed the purple backpack from her and headed into the diner. Red, plastic tabletops with chrome trim gave the restaurant a retro sixties feel. Windows ran along the front and side so customers could sit in the booths and look out at the parking lot and gas pumps. A counter in the center acted as a waitress station and extra seating for customers.
He didn’t wait to be seated. He grabbed some menus from the cash register near the lobby and headed to a booth by the window.
A waitress, sporting a nametag that read Hildy, threw silverware, napkins, and two cups in front of them. Without asking, she filled the mugs from a steaming carafe of coffee.
“You two look cold. Are you ready to order?” She placed her glass coffee jug on the table and reached into her apron pocket for a notepad and pen.
“Yes, our car burned down on the highway. We lost everything.” David shook his head.
Marie’s jaw dropped. He’d just changed their story.
“Oh my.” Hildy put a hand to her chest and shook her gray head. “You poor dears.”
“We’ll be fine.” He gave the waitress a dazzling smile that softened his features. It gave the impression of a charming, attractive man and was a side to him she hadn’t seen before. “I’m just glad no one was hurt. The insurance should pay for the damage. We just need to get where we’re going, then we can get started on the paperwork. Do you know anyone heading northwest toward Libby?”
“Is Libby home?” She stuffed her pen and notepad into the pocket of her apron.
“No. Not yet anyway. I’ve got a job waiting there.”
“What will you be doing?”
Marie cut in. “He’s been hired with the sheriff’s department.”
David blinked and then said, “My first shift starts tomorrow.”
Hildy narrowed her eyes. “You’re going to need a shave and a haircut.”
“Yes ma’am. I was planning to shave my beard tonight. He glanced at the menu. We’ll both have eggs, bacon, and toast.”
Marie bit her lip. She wanted to tell the waitress to change her order to a waffle with syrup and butter, but he was supposed to be her husband, and a husband would know what kind of food his wife ate. Not that she had much experience when it came to relationships. She only had one former boyfriend, Daniel. He had been middle-aged, flabby, and distant. She had adored him until the moment he stole her research. Then he had smeared her name in the mud, destroying her reputation as a scientist. But more importantly, he had broken her heart, and with it, her ability to trust. It had taken her years to recover.
Her scientific colleagues tended to be pale, anemic types, and her father’s friends were odious businessmen who thought nothing of backing their friend’s underage daughter into a corner and slobbering all over her. David Quinn was unlike any man she’d ever met.
“I’ll talk to some of the regulars, see if anyone’s going your way,” Hildy said, bringing Marie back to the present.
Once their waitress was out of earshot, David leaned across the table and whispered, “Sheriff’s department?”
“You have this whole dangerous thing going on. No one’s going to believe you work in a store, or behind a desk for that matter. Besides, you changed the story first, and I went along with that.”
He shrugged and stood.
“Where are you going?”
He pointed to a beat-up payphone that hung on the wall by the entrance. “I need to call Finn and tell him what’s happened. This won’t take long.”
She noted his long legs, the powerful way he moved—tense and contained—as if he’d harnessed raw energy and controlled it with sheer willpower.
Don’t just stare at him. She made herself watch the vehicles, looking for anyone suspicious, as travelers filled their cars with gas. Most were pickup trucks and SUVs, but there was one small red car. It had spots of rust along the bottom and was stuffed full of household belongings: pillows, blankets, a percolator, and boxes.
David slammed the receiver onto the phone and marched back to their table.
“I left a message,” he said as he slid back into the booth. His light green eyes flickered to the window. His shaggy hair curled around his collar. Strands of blond blended with brown, giving him what appeared to be natural highlights.
Needing a diversion, she unfolded her napkin. She’d been staring at him, drinking him in, when she should be watching for the men who’d tried to snatch her.
****
“Now explain why a solar panel is worth killing for.” David pinned her with what, he hoped, was a cold, piercing gaze.
“I don’t know. My prototype is different, revolutionary even, but it isn’t threatening in any way. It’s a very efficient solar panel, but at the end of the day, it’s just that—a solar panel.” She shrugged.
“Tell me about it.”
She straightened her cutlery. “It’s small, portable, and is made of recycled plastic.”
“How small?”
“About a yard square. You’ve seen it—”
“Son of a bitch. It’s that gold plastic sheet, isn’t it? Brad had it in his hands, and he didn’t know. What an idiot.” He sipped his coffee. “I guess he should’ve done his homework. Do you still have it?”
She unsnapped her backpack and peeked inside. “Yes.” Then she angled the bag and held it open to reveal a flash of gold.
“I still don’t understand why anyone would want to kill over it.” She closed her pack and then picked up her napkin, unfolded it, and flattened it out with her palm.
“All I know is what I heard. Portman told Harper that he wanted you, the prototype, and the plans destroyed. You’d think you were working on a bioweapon the way he talked.” His gut twisted as he remembered his friend’s treachery. “Are there any military applications?”
“Oh yes, it’s a source of mobile power. I thought it could be used to power hospitals, command centers, and that sort of thing. You said you were a soldier. What would you use a small, portable solar panel for?”
“Everything. In fact, we already have small, mobile units we use in the field. I think Portman has lost touch with reality.”
“Is there any way to convince him that he’s gone insane?” She refolded her napkin in crisp, precise creases.
There was probably some psychological reason behind the folding, but he’d be damned if he knew what it was.
“I don’t know. We stayed in touch, but haven’t been close for almost twenty years.” Once again, he remembered the phone calls. Portman had begged for his help. David should’ve seen his duplicity. There was no way the president of a power company needed the help of a washed-up
ex-soldier.
“How do you know Portman?” she asked. “How are you involved in all this, and don’t tell me first day on the job again—”
“It was my first day on the job. At least I thought it was a job. Turns out it was something else.” He took another sip of his coffee, not ready to share his past with her.
“I need to know why you were there last night.” She pressed her lips together as she thumbed another crease into her napkin. She probably needed to know what kind of a man she was dealing with. He couldn’t blame her. If it were the other way around, he’d have asked the same question.
“Fair enough. Like I said, it was a job. About a month ago, I came into the city—”
“Why?”
“I had a doctor’s appointment at the VA hospital to check on this.” He pointed to the scar.
Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in, assessing what he knew to be a deep, misshapen gouge carved into his cheek. He waited for her to recoil, to shudder and turn away, but she just studied his face and then nodded. “Go on.”
“We chatted for a bit. I told him I had some land near Missoula. I think I mentioned I needed to get some money together. To be honest, I can’t remember all the details of the conversation. Anyway, last week Marshall called me and told me someone had stolen the plans to a project he’d sponsored. He asked for my help getting them back. He gave me the impression that some criminal element was involved.”
“And that’s what you do for a living, retrieve stolen items?”
“No. I had a good chunk of money saved when I got out of the army. I purchased a ten-acre parcel of land west of Missoula and five beehives. I cleared a spot near a stream and put an old camper on it. I don’t need much. I can hunt for my meat and cook over an open fire. I’m used to roughing it, and I have some money put by for incidentals. I’m in good shape.”
“How did you end up at my cabin?”
“As I said, Portman contacted me. He said he needed my help. I told him I wasn’t up for the job and I don’t carry weapons anymore, but he kept insisting. He offered to pay me enough so I could build a cabin and invest in more hives.” The coffee burned his gut. He’d been lured into a trap by a sense of obligation to an old friend and the promise of a few thousand dollars.
“And that’s how he convinced you?”
He shrugged. “That, and I owed him.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“He saved my life.”
He could see by the way she tilted her head she wanted to ask more, but they’d been sitting here long enough. The question and answer portion of their conversation was over. They needed to concentrate on their survival. “We have to keep a low profile, no smiling at strangers, no small talk, don’t make eye contact, just keep your head down and try to be invisible.”
“You make it sound as if everyone is after us.”
“When you make a connection with people, even a small one, they are more likely to remember you.”
“And you think just because they remember us, they’ll run to PDE and tell them where we are?”
“Don’t forget about the police. It’s a risk we can’t take.”
“Well, I think you’re wrong. People are basically good, and someone will help us.”
“You’re talking about a fantasy. I deal in reality.” Portman had helped him, saved him, and in the end, he’d come to collect.
“That’s not reality. It’s distrust and skepticism. Look at you. You could have turned your back, but you stayed and helped me.”
“Yes, and it was a mistake. We are not in this together. I do not fight other people’s battles anymore. I do not carry weapons, and I’m not going to prison for you. As soon as I can arrange for Finn to clear up this mess, we will part ways, and I will go back to my land and my bees.” He pictured his camper parked by the small creek that ran through his property. He imagined the silence and the peace.
She swallowed hard as she stared out of the window. He’d hurt her feelings. He really was a bastard, but he wouldn’t sugarcoat the truth. He simply wasn’t in a position to help her. Plus, she was in deep-shit, the kind of crap that required help from law enforcement. It didn’t matter how he felt. Sooner or later, he needed to take a step back and allow the authorities to do their job. Until that time, he would keep her close and protect her. “Is there anyone in your life you can trust? And don’t say your father because he’s an idiot.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He thought this was some kind of trick to get money. Maybe I’m wrong, but you don’t seem the type to commit extortion.”
“I’m not. That’s just how he thinks.”
“Back to my question—who can you count on?”
She stared out the window. “My friend Ella and her husband, Nick. We all met at university. She’s blunt to a fault and tells me the truth, even if it’s not what I want to hear, but I trust her.” Her hand went to the neck of her shirt. “Nick’s cool, too. They have a baby, Matt. He’s a cute, little drool machine.”.
There was something about her body language and the way she averted her gaze that told him there was more to this friend than she wanted him to know. He could press her, insist she tell him everything, but in all fairness, he didn’t want to explain every facet of his life to her either, so he let it go. Given her mannerisms, he had to conclude she was on her own, and there was no one who cared about her.
“Jake, this is the young couple I was telling you about.” Hildy hustled to their table with a baby-faced man in tow. “Jake, here, is going to Spokane and will give you a ride in his semi.”
“Hi, I’m David, pleased to meet you. This is Marie. We’re grateful for any help you can give us.” David had no doubt about his ability to overpower Jake if necessary. The trucker was young, tall, slim, and not overly muscular. He wore a fleece-lined check shirt, jeans, and work boots. Strands of short dark hair poked out from his red baseball cap. His shirt fit tight and left no room to conceal a weapon.
Jake nodded hello to Marie. “If you want that ride, we have to get going. I want to get across the state line before the blizzard hits.”
David stepped out of the booth. “There’s a blizzard warning?”
“Yep, the storm’s supposed to roll in from the west. The radio said it would reach Granite City by three this afternoon.” Jake’s gaze didn’t meet David’s, but instead he stared at David’s chest. David buried his suspicions, not because he thought Jake was harmless, but because he experienced this reaction on a regular basis. Most people avoided looking directly at his ravaged face. He was learning to acclimatize, but there were times, like now, when he faltered before recognizing the response for what it was, an attempt to avoid looking at his scar.
Hildy dumped two brown bags on the table in front of them. “I figured I’d package your food to go. Jake’s in a hurry.” She placed the bill on the table.
“I’ll get that.” Marie reached into her pocket and found some bills.
He’d used the last of his money to pay for their supplies. The lack of cash could be a problem in the short term. Once everything was sorted out, he would have access to his account. Then he could go back to his life. He grabbed the brown bags and the purple backpack and gave Hildy a bright smile.
The waitress’s cheeks reddened as she smiled back. It was good to know he still had the ability to make a woman blush.
Marie frowned at him, her eyes hard. She was angry with him. He had no idea why. One minute they were getting along fine, the next he was a lower form of life. There was no way a smile would work on her. He followed Jake, wondering what it would take to melt Marie’s defenses and make her blush.
Chapter Eleven
Marie held David’s hand as they followed Jake to a big red semi attached to a long, gray trailer. As much as she hated to admit it, being close to him comforted her on a very basic level, reminding her she wasn’t in this alone, which was a strange notion now that she thought about it. She’d been alone since her mother’s suicid
e when she was five years old. It was all she’d ever known. She’d had various nannies who had tended her, but they were distant, going through the motions of caring without any feeling behind their actions. That was probably why she had fallen so hard for a jerk like Daniel. Her loneliness was a protection and a liability.
She’d always been different from the other children in her class. While they were learning their letters, she was reading books on Albert Einstein. It wasn’t unusual for her to bear the brunt of hurtful taunts. No matter how old she’d gotten, she’d never learned to deal with nasty remarks. They always hurt. Isolating herself and becoming self-reliant provided her with a buffer from the outside world, but it also caused problems. She wasn’t worldly and didn’t understand the nuances that were plain to others. She suspected her isolation also made her more likely to become overly involved. That was why she had lost herself with Daniel. When she fell, she fell hard. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to love again, but surviving the humiliation and hurt that came with it was another matter. And unfortunately, she was especially susceptible to attractive, scarred ex-soldiers.
“I’m empty so it’ll be a bumpy ride.” The trucker smiled, unlocking the doors.
“We’re just grateful you can take us,” David said.
Jake stepped out of the way. “You guys get comfortable. You’ll have to share a seat, but I figure that won’t be a problem. I’ll just be a minute. I have to check the airbrakes before we leave.”
David grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up into the cab.
She swatted at his hands. “Stop that, and what’s with all the smiling?”
“What? He followed her into the small, cramped interior. There were two captain’s chairs in the cab. The dashboard curved around the driver’s seat with a gearshift in the middle. Most of the space was taken by the bunk, which was concealed behind heavy red curtains. A photo of two young boys peeked out from the visor.
Marie perched sideways on the edge of the chair with her legs around the gearshift. She looked over her shoulder at David. “If I’m not allowed to smile at people, then you aren’t either.”