by Cat Johnson
The facts listed about her said Bonnie was a teacher.
A teacher, just like Phoenix.
She looked at the current picture posted on the alumni site. It was like looking at a picture of herself, twenty or so years in the future. This was where she’d gotten her own blue eyes, and she had Bonnie’s blond hair.
It was as if she’d found a missing piece of herself.
But it wasn’t enough. She wanted to know more. Was Bonnie hopelessly disorganized? Did she like to read? Was she clumsy, or funny?
Phoenix had to know.
That settled it. She was meeting this woman, come hell or high water. She wasn’t leaving Arizona until she did. And no one and nothing was going to stand in her way. Not Mr. Oklahoma Sex on Wheels. Not one faulty German-engineered Volkswagen engine. Not even her mother, whose call she’d already dodged.
Too excited not to tell someone, Phoenix spun, searching for her cell phone on the bed. She grabbed it and scrolled through the contacts to find Kim.
She stood, too antsy to sit, and paced the small room while listening to the phone ring in her ear. Finally Kim picked up.
“Phoenix, you know I can’t talk right now. I’m in the middle of the fancy dinner party I’m throwing for all my colleagues from school. Remember?”
“Ha, ha. Very funny. Listen, I found something and it’s pretty amazing.”
“What did you find? Tell me.”
“Bonnie’s father—I guess that makes him my grandfather—lived in Oklahoma.”
“Then how did she end up in Arizona?”
“She went to Arizona State, and you won’t believe this—she’s a teacher just like me. And she’s got blond hair and blue eyes. I have to meet her.”
“So go meet her.”
“I’m going to. At least I’m going to try. She wasn’t at the house today, but I’m going back tomorrow. First thing in the morning.”
And nobody was getting in her way this time. She didn’t care how big the cowboy or his truck, she was determined this time.
Chapter Thirteen
Justin carried another box to the truck. He had to put it down on the floor of the trailer just inside the door, then hop up inside. Things were getting tight. Each box he brought out was like one more puzzle piece he had to place just right. The good news was that he was down to the final room of cardboard boxes. Most importantly, all the big stuff had gone in first. The mattresses, the dressers, and the sofa.
Now he just had to fit the remainder of the boxes in the empty spaces between the big things.
Fortunately, the neighbor had been in good shape. He was probably Rohn’s age, but he was strong and healthy and had no problem helping Justin with the heavy stuff. The guy had gone above and beyond last night.
Apparently, Bonnie and her mother were well liked in this neighborhood. The cookies and pies they said Tammy baked and brought over to her neighbors had gone a long way to win her goodwill.
The neighbor’s wife had even tried to feed Justin, which he’d said wasn’t necessary. But he had accepted the cold beer they offered him, all while feeling guilty because he was the one who should be buying them a cold one for the help.
He looked around the dark interior of the stock trailer. Rohn had been right that the smaller trailer would work—the big stock trailer would have been overkill, and hauling it would have made the drive even more miserable than it already had been—but this one was going to be packed to the ceiling.
He bent to pick up the box from the floor and turned with it in his hands. Where to put this one? It was like a game. A giant game with oversize pieces that weighed close to fifty pounds each.
What the hell was in this one? He grunted as he heaved it into a space over his head. He spotted the letters written in black marker on the cardboard that spelled out Books. That explained it.
Books were heavy shit.
Next time he offered to move someone, he’d make sure the person was less of an intellectual. More fluff between the ears would mean lighter boxes to haul, he figured.
Though he remembered helping an old girlfriend of his move. She’d had what had to be close to two dozen boxes filled just with shoes and boots. At least they’d weighed less than this library of books Bonnie owned. She was a teacher. Books came with the territory, he guessed.
Satisfied that the box was secure in its perch on top of the end table that was on top of the sofa, Justin turned toward the doorway. He bent and then hopped down to the ground.
He stopped dead when he saw the flash of yellow in his peripheral vision.
There was only one thing that particular color yellow and it had him smiling. The Volkswagen’s engine went silent and he waited for the driver’s side door to open.
Was he irresistible? Or was it the need to see Bonnie that drove this girl to come back again? He could only hope he was the lure, though he shouldn’t be hoping anything of the kind, for all the same reasons he’d come up with the night before.
Even so, a man could be curious, and he was enjoying the distraction she provided. That seemed safe enough.
He ambled down the driveway toward the curb where she’d parked. Finally, the door opened and she stepped out, shading her eyes against the glare of the morning sun.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Considering I’ve got an invite to be here and I’m pretty sure you don’t, you sure do ask a lot of questions and demand a lot of answers.”
“How do I know you have an invite? And how do you know I don’t have one?”
He could respond to her challenge easily enough. “For one, I have the keys. For the answer to the second part, I made a phone call last night, and it seems Bonnie doesn’t know why anyone from California would be looking for her. So . . .”
He let that fact hang in the air and watched her react to it. She sputtered for a few seconds. “Just because she didn’t know I was coming doesn’t mean she doesn’t know me.”
“Ah.” Justin nodded, intrigued.
The cute frown he’d grown to enjoy appeared again across her brow. “I still don’t have any proof you are who you say you are or that you’re supposed to be here.”
“A’ight. That’s easy enough.” He dug his cell phone out of his pocket, scrolled through the contacts, and found Rohn’s house number. He hit Dial and handed it to her. “Here you go.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“Calling Bonnie. You can ask her yourself.”
She didn’t take the phone. In fact, she took a step back from him as he held it out toward her.
He cocked a brow. “You’d better take it. It’s ringing.”
“Hang up.” She looked panicked and he became even more interested—and suspicious.
He heard the muted sound of Rohn answering the phone and brought it to his ear. “Hey. Good morning.”
“Good morning. How’re things going there?”
“Good.” Justin kept his eye on Phoenix as he talked, planning to grab her if she made a run for it. There was no way he was letting her go before he got some answers.
“You get everything loaded?”
“Almost done. The neighbor helped with the big stuff. I’m just getting the last of the boxes loaded, then I’ll be hitting the road.”
“That’s great.”
“Yup. It’s a little later in the day than I’d like, but I figure I can make it back tonight.”
“Justin, just get a damn hotel room.”
“I shouldn’t—”
“Justin, listen to me. You’re hauling a full trailer. You did a thirteen-plus-hour drive in one shot just yesterday. Don’t try to do it again today. Put some miles in today and then stop for the night. Get yourself a good dinner and a decent night’s sleep and finish up the drive in the morning.”
“But that means I won’t be at work tomorrow.”
“Ty and Colt and I can handle it just fine. I’ll pay you for the time. Just take the second day. I don’t want to have to scoop you
and all of Bonnie and Tammy’s stuff off the side of the interstate when you wreck.”
“I’ve never gotten in a wreck.”
“Let’s keep it that way.”
Justin sighed. “Fine. I won’t drive straight through.”
“Good. And thank you.”
“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow. Before lunch.”
“Whenever you get here you get here.”
“A’ight. ’Bye.”
“’Bye.” Justin disconnected the call and raised his eyes to Phoenix. He shoved the cell into his pocket and crossed his arms. “Now back to you. Talk.”
“Why should I?”
“Because you’re hiding something.”
“Even if I was, it’s not for you to know.”
“It is if you want my help.”
“Your help?”
“It’s obvious you’re hot to speak with Bonnie. You tell me why, and if I think it’s a good reason, I can make that happen.”
She shook her head.
Justin let out a sigh. “A’ight. Suit yourself.”
He turned toward the house. He had to finish up. Even if he did plan to get a room tonight and take two days getting home, he still didn’t want to get too late a start.
Besides, he had a feeling she wasn’t going anywhere. He hadn’t missed the way she kept looking at the stuff in the trailer. She was interested in what was happening and he had a feeling she wasn’t the type to leave without getting answers any more than he was.
They were a lot alike. He hated a mystery himself.
Correction—he enjoyed solving a good mystery. It was the unsolved ones that drove him batty.
This one he hoped would resolve itself shortly. Right now, his plan was not to give her anything until she gave something up in return.
He went into the house and eyeballed the last stack of boxes. Reading the writing on them, he saw two out of the four remaining were marked Books. Then the final two were marked Fragile.
He’d stack the heavy boxes of books first and then maybe put the two fragile ones in the cab of the truck with him if he had to.
He wondered how fragile they were. And how careful a job Bonnie’s mother had done wrapping the stuff in them. He’d have to wedge them real good so they didn’t move but be sure not to crush them in the process.
This moving stuff was tricky on a good day. It was even trickier when he had an audience. He saw her watching him when he came out the front door, one box in his hands. The damn things were too heavy to carry two at once, though he had considered trying.
“You still here?” He slid the box onto the floor of the trailer and hopped up inside.
He chose a spot for the heavy box, grunting as he picked it up and heaved it into place. Wiping a forearm across his forehead to catch the bead of sweat there, he turned his attention back to her. “No answer, huh? No more questions for me either?”
“Would you answer if I asked?”
“Maybe I would. Give it a try.” He grabbed the bottle of water sitting on the floor inside the doorway, cracked off the cap, and took a long swallow. “Go on, shoot.”
“Where are you taking all this stuff?”
“Oklahoma.”
“Who does it belong to?”
“The homeowner.”
“And who is that?”
“I thought we already determined that yesterday.”
“Bonnie Martin.”
“I guess, though I’m not sure if it’s hers or her mother’s.”
“Why are you answering my questions now when you wouldn’t before?”
“Because I figure it’s either give you a few harmless tidbits of information you’d be able to find out on your own anyway or have you follow me all the way to Oklahoma.” He shrugged. “If you weren’t lying yesterday and your car really is acting up, I don’t need you breaking down while you’re tailing me. Then I’d probably feel bad and help you, and I really don’t have time for that right now.”
She pouted at his scenario. “I wasn’t lying. It overheated.”
“Then why aren’t you at the service station getting it fixed?”
“Because I wanted to see Bonnie Martin.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I can’t tell you.”
He nodded and eased off the edge of the truck he’d been leaning against. “Then it seems we’re done here.” He turned back toward the house.
“Wait.”
He paused and turned to look at her. “Yes?”
“Can’t you tell me where she is?”
“I could.”
“Will you? Please?”
Justin folded his arms. “You first.”
She looked miserable. So much so, he started to think she might actually have a good reason to see Bonnie. He waited. He figured if he stood there long enough, eventually she’d have to say something. Finally, she drew in a big breath.
“I have good reason.”
“I’m sure you do. What is it?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Rolling his eyes, Justin shook his head. “Nice meeting you, Phoenix.”
“Wait.” At that single word from her, Justin halted one more time. Finally, she said, “I’m afraid it’s a secret.”
That was interesting. He met her gaze. “You’re not sure?”
“I know it was supposed to be kept a secret, but it got exposed by accident, so now I know, but I don’t know if anyone else does.”
“All righty.” That wasn’t too confusing. When she didn’t continue, he said, “I’m still not giving you anything more on Bonnie until I know what you’re up to.”
“That’s the problem. We want the same thing.”
“How’s that?” he asked, not getting what she was hinting at.
“You’re keeping Bonnie’s whereabouts from me to protect her and I’m trying to protect her by keeping her secret from you.”
“The secret you accidentally found out.”
“Yes.” She seemed relieved he’d finally gotten it, when in reality he didn’t understand shit.
“So if this secret is between you and Bonnie, why didn’t you take the phone and just talk to her?”
“Because you were right when you said she doesn’t know who I am. I mean, she knows me, but she doesn’t know me as Phoenix Montagno. Well, she doesn’t know me now, but we’re connected, I swear to you. At least, if my guess is right we are. Then again, I could be wrong.”
“I’ve been with a lot of confusing women in my life, but I have to say you are by far the worst.”
“I’m not trying to be.” The glassy shine of tears in her eyes told Justin she was speaking the truth.
When one big fat tear spilled down her cheek, he couldn’t smother a cuss. “Shit. Don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry.” She swiped away the wetness with one hand. “It’s just been a very emotional week.”
He let out a snort. “Yeah. I can understand that.” He watched her for a few seconds as she tried to control the tears that kept coming anyway.
“What do you want from me here?” he asked.
“I want to know where Bonnie is.”
He sighed and gave in. “Oklahoma.”
“Is she coming back?”
“I don’t think so. The house is going up for sale. I’m moving out the last of their stuff and bringing it to her and her mother.”
“How far a drive is Oklahoma?”
“Fourteen hours, give or take.” He glanced at her car. “With you stopping every time you overheat, that’ll only take you like a month or so.”
Phoenix bit her lip as her face crumpled with the look of a woman about to have a breakdown.
“Look, there’s nothing to get upset about. You don’t have to drive to Oklahoma. I told you I’d let you talk to her on my phone.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know if she wants to talk to me.” The tears began to flow again.
“Christ.” Justin
sighed. Tears were his weakness. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to meet her. Get to know her. But I don’t want her to know who I am.”
“Okay, now you really do sound a little like a crazy stalker. You do see that, right?”
“I’m not a stalker.” She looked up at him. “I swear. I just need to see her.”
For some reason he believed her. “A’ight. I get that. So how about this? You get your car fixed, then when it’s running good, you take a trip to Oklahoma. Or fly there. You’re not moving a house full of shit the way I am. You can take a plane.”
“I guess.” She raised her eyes to him. “Or I could go with you.”
His eyes widened at that suggestion. “Excuse me?”
“You’re driving there already.”
“Yeah. So?”
“I could leave my car at the service station here. While they fix it, I drive to Oklahoma with you. You introduce me to Bonnie as a friend of yours. Once I meet her and spend a little time with her, I can rent a car and drive back here to get mine at the service station. I could get a flight, but they’re pretty expensive last minute, so driving would probably be cheaper.”
He could see by the glazed look in her eyes that she was deep into her plans. Plans that included him not only driving her but lying to Rohn and Bonnie when he got there by saying she was his friend, all so she could, for some undisclosed reason, get to know Bonnie, even though Bonnie didn’t know her.
“No.” He shook his head.
“What?”
“No. I’m not driving you or introducing you as my friend.”
“Why not?”
“Well, first of all, I already told them you were here looking for Bonnie.”
“Oh.” That seemed to stump her. “What did they say when you told them that?”
“That Bonnie didn’t know anyone from California. And that maybe you were an old student of hers.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s perfect. I could pretend to be an old student.”
“Again, you’re missing the point. I’m not lying to Bonnie and my boss.”
“Your boss?”
“Bonnie’s fiancé is my boss.”