No, I’m not okay! she wanted to cry. Instead she nodded, trying to ignore the chill seeping into her bones and the sharp sting of salt water burning into her rope-burned ankles. Keep going, McGrady, Jennie ordered. You can’t give up now. Jennie concentrated on getting her feet to move and started climbing again.
She didn’t see the cave until Ryan wedged himself between two tall boulders and disappeared. “Come on.” He snaked his arm out and pulled her in.
“I can’t see a thing,” she whispered, tightening her grip on his hand.
“Yeah. And I don’t have a flashlight … or matches.” Ryan drew her forward a few feet, then turned her around. “You can sit here. There’s a rocky ledge behind you—makes a kind of chair. It’s dry.”
“I’m not.” Jennie sat on the ledge and wrung the excess water out of her jeans. Somehow the climb and the safety of the cave had lessened the chill, but she shivered anyway. A narrow haze of moonlight filtered into the cave’s entrance. Enough light to take the edge off the darkness, but not enough to really see.
“How did you find me?” Jennie asked as Ryan settled beside her.
“I was coming to pick you up when this black Cadillac tore out of the side street where I was supposed to meet you. I pulled into the lot. When you didn’t show up I got worried. I went to the bookstore, and Mrs. Stone told me you’d been there and left.”
“And I was waiting for you when I heard a car pull up behind me. I thought it was you. Talk about stupid! I just stood there and let them kidnap me. I should have run.” Jennie shivered again.
Ryan put his arm around her. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You couldn’t have known. Anyway, I doubt you’d have gotten far.”
“I suppose … but … what did you do when you realized I wasn’t coming?”
“I was pretty sure they’d gotten you, but by then the car was gone. I called Sheriff Taylor.” Ryan sighed. “He was no help at all. Said I couldn’t file a missing person’s report for twenty-four hours. Then he laughed and told me he’d seen you running down the street earlier and that I’d probably just been stood up.”
“The creep. You don’t think he’s involved in this do you?”
“I doubt it. He’s getting ready to retire. My dad says he’s just getting old and lazy. Anyway, with him looking for Gram, I didn’t want to tell him too much, so I decided I’d try to find you on my own. I must have driven down every street in and out of town. Late this afternoon, I was about ready to give up and talk to the sheriff again when I saw the car pull out of the gas station. I followed it.”
“Where were they hiding me?”
“It’s the old Wakefield house. It’s only a couple blocks from Gram’s and has been empty for about five years. I went home and took the back way here through the trees. Tried to figure out how to get to you. When the big guy brought you out, I saw my chance.”
“So you tripped him and rescued me. That was so brave.”
“Well, actually, I didn’t trip him. I went around and came in from the beach side and was waiting for a chance to distract him when he fell. Ah … actually, I think someone … that is … I could have sworn I saw a shadow in the trees just before he went down. But … it was probably just my imagination.”
“Well, thanks anyway,” Jennie said, wondering if the shadow might have been Joe. She dismissed the thought as wishful thinking. Dan had probably just stumbled over a root. Jennie leaned her head against Ryan’s shoulder. “You saved my life. He was going to kill me.”
“I figured that, but why?”
“I can identify them.” She told Ryan about them kidnapping her to get Gram to tell them where she’d hidden the diamonds.
“What a mess. It’s hard to believe Adams would be involved in something like this. He’s supposed to take over when Sheriff Taylor retires.”
Jennie nodded, then realized Ryan couldn’t see her. “I know, but facts are facts. Joe is involved, all right. I got the feeling he didn’t want me to get hurt, but still … from the way he acted when the sheriff came by, I have no doubt. I wish I knew what to do next.”
“Me too.”
“Do you think it’s safe to go back to Gram’s?” Jennie asked.
“No. Those guys aren’t going to give up easily. They’re probably watching her house.”
“We can’t stay here.”
“I don’t know … maybe we should.” Jennie felt Ryan move away.
“Where are you going?” She jumped up and grabbed for him, but got only a handful of air. “Ryan?” she yelped, not even trying to hide the panic in her voice.
Ryan pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Jennie leaned her head against his chest. She seemed to be operating on two tracks. Ryan felt warm and comforting. But inside, fear raged, sending jolts of panic through her. “I wish I could see something. I’ve always hated the dark.”
“Then you won’t like my next suggestion.”
“What?”
“I want you to stay here while I sneak back to my house for food, matches, and blankets. We need supplies, and you need dry clothes.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“It’s too dangerous. Besides, they’re looking for you, not me. Even if they spot me, they probably won’t do anything. They’re used to seeing me around.” Ryan tightened his grip. “You’ll be safe here. I’ll only be gone ten, fifteen minutes max.”
“No, don’t …”
He kissed her. The warm feel of his lips over hers had just begun to spread through her like melted butter when he disappeared through the cave opening. Jennie hurried after him and stopped at the entrance, then watched him scamper over the rocks as if he knew them all by heart. He probably did. When he was gone she sat just outside the cave and gazed into the starry night. A smile curled her lips.
You’re a nut case, McGrady, she said to herself. Totally insane. You’ve been kidnapped, bound and gagged, held at gunpoint, threatened with death, and nearly drowned. Your jeans are soaked and your legs half-frozen, and you’re grinning over a silly little kiss.
A rustling noise in the trees above sobered her fast. She backed quietly into the cave. Footsteps thundered overhead, then stopped.
“I could have sworn I saw someone sitting out here.”
“Give it up, Dan. We’ve lost her.”
Great. They were still after her. As a deputy, Joe probably knew this area. What if he knew about the cave?
“The boss isn’t gonna like this,” Dan said.
“Maybe not, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference.”
“What if the kid goes to the cops?”
“That’s not going to get her very far, is it?” Joe answered. “Who’s going to believe her? We’ve set up an airtight case against the McGrady woman. By the time anyone figures it out, we’ll be out of the country.”
Unfortunately, he was right. Sheriff Taylor would never believe her, especially since she was the granddaughter of a fugitive. And with the diamonds in Gram’s house, going to the authorities now would make things worse for Gram.
“Let’s go,” Joe said. “We’d better report in.”
“You do that,” Dan said. “I’ll double back to the McGrady house and see if the kid went back there.”
The voices and footsteps faded. Jennie’s knees buckled. She leaned against the wall to hold herself up. Had they really gone? Or was it just a trick? Her jeans were only wet to her thighs, but the cold had seeped into her entire body. A shiver shook through her. Jennie stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. Her hand connected with the gun.
Jennie had never held a real gun before. The closest she’d ever come to shooting anyone was with a squirt gun. She cradled the cool metal and slipped her finger around the trigger. A real gun with real bullets. Her mother hated guns. Dad sometimes wore one under his jacket. She shud
dered, remembering the hardness of it when he’d hugged her that last time. She tried to imagine what Dad and Gram would do. She wasn’t certain. The only thing she did know was that she would die before letting them kidnap her again. Jennie swallowed hard and made a decision. If they came back she’d be ready.
A few minutes later Jennie heard footsteps again. A shadow blocked out the sliver of moonlight. Jennie backed against the cave wall, lifted the gun from her pocket, and took aim.
14
“Jennie?” Ryan’s voice exploded in the darkness.
Jennie let out the breath she’d been holding and dropped the gun back in her pocket. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that had risen to her throat. Jennie felt relieved and at the same time horrified by what she might have done. The first chance she got she intended to throw the thing in the ocean.
Ryan flipped on a flashlight and directed it at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Never been better.” She pushed away from the wall that had been holding her up. “I enjoy being scared out of my mind every few minutes. I thrive on the adrenalin rush a hefty dose of fear gives me. Of course, the biggest thrill I’ve had all day was coming this close to shooting you.”
Ryan frowned but didn’t reply. He turned the flashlight beam on the stuff he’d brought and started unpacking. Nice going, McGrady. What an idiot. It was your idea to use the gun for protection, and now you’re blaming him. Ryan was the last person she should have been mad at.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Jennie wove her fingers through her hair. “I … I was scared. Joe and Dan were here. They were standing so close I could hear every word they said. I was afraid they’d come back. The gun … I couldn’t let them …”Jennie’s words sounded as fragmented as she felt.
“I know. They were here when I came back. I couldn’t see them very well. I …” He cleared his throat. “I was afraid they’d found you.”
Tension stretched between them, like an overinflated balloon. Jennie wanted him to drop everything and take her in his arms—to tell her everything would be all right. But he didn’t.
“Here.” Ryan handed Jennie his flashlight. “Hold this while I unpack.”
Somehow having something to do helped pull Jennie’s scattered thoughts and fears into a more manageable form. While Ryan pulled out food, clothes, and whatever else he had in his backpack, Jennie examined the cave. Except for a deep jagged crevice on one side, the cave had the shape of a small dome—about ten feet in diameter. Since Ryan could stand without slouching, Jennie figured the uneven ceiling to be around six feet—seven in some places.
Ryan spread out two sleeping bags in the center of the cave, one on either side of the supplies. Watching him work sent all the butterflies in her stomach flying again. “Ah … maybe staying here isn’t such a good idea.”
Ryan straightened. “Why not? Oh … I see. You’re worried that I might want to …”
“No,” Jennie interrupted and turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the flush in her cheeks. “Well, maybe. I mean … things aren’t like they used to be between us. We’re not just friends anymore and it’s … more complicated.”
“I probably shouldn’t have kissed you. Jennie, you don’t have to worry about me. It won’t happen again.”
“No. I mean … I’m glad you kissed me. And I’m not worried … not exactly.” Jennie started chewing on the end of her hair then spit it out. Yuk. She hadn’t done that since the sixth grade. “This is so embarrassing,” she said, twisting back to face him. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you.”
“Me either.” Ryan stuffed his hands in his pockets and grinned. “Ah … look, I don’t know about you, but these wet jeans are about to drive me nuts.” He knelt beside a pile of clothes and extracted two pairs of jeans. “These are for you. They’re mine. Might be a little big, but they’re dry. You can change in here. I’ll go outside.”
Funny how a dry pair of Levi’s can change your whole outlook on life. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t just the jeans. Jennie had also picked the moss and tree limbs out of her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail.
When Ryan came back in, they sat on the stone chair and ate the tuna sandwiches and nacho chips he’d brought.
“This is really good, Ryan. I’m starved. Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me, thank Mom.”
“She knows we’re spending the night out here?” Jennie nearly choked. She, Ryan, Lisa, and Kirk had often camped out on the beach during their stays with Gram. She’d never thought anything about it before, but things were different now.
“Relax. She knows I’m camping out. I decided not to tell her about you. And not for the reason you think. I just didn’t want her to be able to tell Joe where you were.”
That makes sense—the less she knows the better, Jennie decided. “I just wish we knew more. I still can’t understand what part Gram is playing in all this.”
“Maybe if we knew who they were working with we’d be able to put it all together.”
Jennie swallowed a bite of sandwich and reached in the bag for a handful of chips. “You know what’s so weird about this?”
“What?”
“The way nothing makes sense. I mean … Gram isn’t a thief, but she’s got both the crooks and the law after her. And there’s Joe. I still can’t picture him as one of the bad guys. He seemed so sincere. It really bugs me to think I could be so wrong about someone.”
Ryan shrugged. “You were wrong about me.”
“What do you mean?”
Jennie brushed the cheesy powder from the chips off her hands.
“Well, all these years you’ve thought of me as being your good old buddy, Ryan. The innocent next-door neighbor.”
“You’re not?”
He shook his head and raised his arm to cover his nose and mouth. “I’ve had you fooled, haven’t I?” Ryan’s voice dropped to a low, husky growl. “Never once did you suspect that under all these good looks lurks an alien being. Once a month when the moon is full I come to this cave and turn into …” Ryan dropped his arm to reveal a mouthful of fangs. He lunged at Jennie. “A werewolf!”
Jennie wasn’t sure why she found him so funny. Could have been the tension … all she’d been through in the last forty-eight hours. She squealed and collapsed in a heap of giggles.
Ryan hauled her off the floor and onto the ledge beside him. “I wasn’t that funny.”
“No,” she hiccupped, holding her side. “You were awful.” She gave his arm a playful punch. The tension between them had evaporated and they were acting like comfortable old friends again. Well, not just friends.
“Thanks,” she said, leaning against him.
“For what?”
“For making me see that, except for liking each other a little more, things haven’t changed that much between us. Hic …”
“Does that mean I can kiss you again?”
“No way … hic … not with those fangs in your mouth. Besides, I can’t stop hiccupping.”
Ryan pulled out his Dracula dentures and stuffed them back in his pack. “Hmm … I think I’ve read somewhere that kissing cures hiccups.”
“Nice try. I think I’ll stick to drinking upside down and holding my breath.”
“Upside down … you’re kidding, right?”
“No. Seriously. Gram showed me. Hic … Got any water?”
Ryan retrieved a canteen from his gear and handed it to her. “This I’ve got to see.”
Jennie placed her lips on the opposite side of the canteen, bent over at the waist, held her breath and drank until she thought she would explode. She straightened and handed back the canteen. “There.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “I’m cured.”
Ryan chuckled. “Well, so much for my theory.” Ryan put his arm around her shoulders, and Jennie rested
her head against his shoulder.
She didn’t want to think about anything except Ryan. Unfortunately, Jennie’s mind was determined to move onto other more pressing matters.
She thought about Gram and this complex mystery they had stumbled into. There were so many questions whirling around in her head and so few answers. “Are we ever going to figure out what’s happened to Gram?” she asked.
“Let’s not think about it now. It’s late. We should get some sleep.”
“You’re right. I’m bushed.” Jennie yawned and stretched. They took turns going outside to brush their teeth and wash up. After they’d crawled into their sleeping bags, Ryan switched off the flashlight.
Jennie lay there for a long time listening to his deep, steady breathing. Her mind ran through all the things that had happened in the last two weeks. She thought about Mom and Michael, Nick—and about Dad … and Gram.
Jennie was desperate to find Gram. Not so much because she wanted her to help find Dad, she realized, but because Jennie couldn’t imagine life without her. She still wanted to look for Dad, of course, but the most important thing now was for Gram to survive.
Jennie realized something else too. She wasn’t mad at Mom or Michael anymore. She wasn’t certain when that change had happened. Maybe it had something to do with Michael telling her she could set their wedding date. Or maybe it was being with Ryan and discovering how good it felt to be held and kissed and feel loved. Maybe Mom needed someone like Michael in her life. “Oh, Dad,” Jennie whispered. “Why couldn’t you have come home before she met him?”
“Did you say something?” Ryan mumbled.
“I was just thinking about my Dad.”
“Hmmm.”
“Everybody thinks I’ve got some kind of emotional hang-up.” Remembering what the counselor had said, she added, “That I’m in denial.”
“Hmmm.”
“I’m not. I mean … it’s like there’s a door open between Dad and me. Not like when Grandpa McGrady died. That was hard too, but different. Gram and I have talked about it. She feels the same way. She says with Dad it’s like a book without an ending. Neither one of us is ready to put it down until it’s finished. I’m going to ask her to help me look for him this summer. Did I tell you that?”
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