So there’s the question I don’t want to ask. Pick’s the original bossy lumberjack. Take charge. I’d like to think I could hold my own, but I’m supposed to be flying under the radar in this camp, and there’s no way I take him on quietly. Fighting with him would be fun. And taming the alpha male? Sign me up for that safari, please. It’s just that I shouldn’t. Not today, not tomorrow, not until I’ve somehow magically resolved this business with Thad. My hooha and my heart are officially closed for business.
None of which explains why my stupid head goes rebel and jerks around for a better look at Pick and is promptly rewarded for its foolishness. Pick is definitely worth looking at. His hair is damp from a recent shower, and a clean T-shirt clings to his powerful chest. No fancy words or logos for him. Just plain white cotton and blue jeans paired with practical steel-toes. Strong, tanned forearms cross over his chest as he watches me, his eyes narrowed. Play it off.
This would be more successful if my traitorous head doesn’t swing back and forth between Pick’s pretty face and the parking lot like a Wimbledon spectator.
“There’s really no problem?” I have to give him credit. He sounds like he’s at least trying to believe me. I promptly feel all warm and tingly inside because my stupid, stupid head is suggesting that we’ve just found ourselves a white knight and we should take full advantage. You know, ride off with him into the sunset of happiness, or at least ride him. Lady’s choice, right?
“No,” I repeat, a little more loudly than is strictly necessary. “I’m absolutely fine. My life is one big dream.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
For Pick, those certain southern parts of me point out.
Nightmare alert, my head screams because it’s hard to ignore the police when you’re on the run, no matter how hot the local scenery is.
The patrol car makes that small pinging sound of a vehicle that’s been driven long, far, and fast. Funny how such a little sound still sounds like the trumpets announcing the start of the apocalypse. I can practically hear God going told you so. I’m such a bad country song. The po-po shows up, lights flashing, and I can’t stop myself from flinching. Thank that laughing God that I don’t play poker.
“Seems like it to me.” Pick’s right behind me now. “You’re real tense.”
Okay, Captain Obvious. Also, FYI? I’m revoking his credit for pretending to believe me when I said I was okay. Still, he wins some points back for his next move. A big hand walks down my spine, pressing out the knots. Bliss. Leaning into that hand would be too easy.
“Figment of your imagination.” I pull away because I’m still wearing my big girl panties (despite the panty-melting qualities of my companion), tracking the car with my eyes. Will the door ever open? Why on earth is he just sitting there? Admittedly, even the non-penis-owning scenery up here is impressive, and lots of people like to ooh and ah over big, tall trees and the mountains, but still. He should get out. Move on. Do whatever it is that police officers get paid to do that does not involve arresting my butt.
Pick’s hand comes back, landing on my shoulder. I do my best not to flinch. Just because I kissed him yesterday doesn’t mean he has touching privileges now.
I’ll use my words if I have to.
Of course, I also talked and talked that last time I visited the police station. I filled out forms and told them what I knew. Thad paid me a little visit that same night. He’d pulled up alongside me in his patrol car and snapped out an order to get in. At least he’d pointed toward the passenger side and not the back, in the Plexiglas cube where he locked up criminals. After I got in—and I should have started running right then—he threatened me. If I kept talking, he’d talk, too, and share his side of things. The whole time, his fingers clenched my arm, squeezing the bones of my forearm together. It hurt. It was like being in a bad movie, except we weren’t at the happy ending right before the credits start rolling, when our heroine has overcome all the nasty shit life’s dumped on her and hooked up with the hero. I was stuck in the part where she’s lost all hope. I promptly panicked and ran as soon as he let me out.