Hopefully she wouldn’t detonate the engine or shoot herself into orbit, she thought ruefully.
She pulled on one of the black wires.
A low growl erupted from the woods.
Kaylie’s heart leaped to her throat.
“Don’t tell me. You’ve decided to take a crash course in auto mechanics,” Zane guessed, his voice so soft she barely heard him. But Franklin, lurking in the shadows, barked loudly.
She froze, dropping the wires as if they were indeed hot.
Feeling like a fool, she tilted her head so that she could see him, and took the offensive. “I think I’ve already mentioned your vile habit of sneaking up on people.” She pinned the dog with her glare. “The same goes for you.”
Franklin wagged his tail, proud of himself, and Zane threw back his head and laughed. “And you, Ms. Melville, have a vile habit of trying to run away.” He eyed the interior of the Jeep, and his mouth quirked. “So you were trying to start the Jeep without the aid of a key. Well, don’t let me stop you.” Gesturing grandly to the dash, he swallowed an amused smile. “Go right ahead.”
“And have you stop me the minute the engine turns over?”
“A risk you’ll have to take.”
Her temper started to soar. What she wouldn’t do to start this damned Jeep and take off, leaving him in a spray of gravel.
Zane leaned his hip against the fender. “And of course, you could shock yourself while you’re at it.”
“I realize that!” Sitting upright, she slid out of the car. “If you’re done belittling me—”
“And if you’re done with this teenaged prank.”
She shot him a withering glance. “Prank? After the stunt you pulled by kidnap—”
He held up a palm, and she clamped her mouth shut, determined not to break their fragile truce.
“I thought we’d gotten beyond that,” he said, his brows beetling.
“I—we—I thought we had to,” she said, knowing he didn’t believe her. “But the opportunity to leave just presented itself. You can’t blame me for—” She bit her tongue.
He grabbed her by the arm and propelled her toward the house. “Oh, no? Then who should I blame?”
“Yourself! For hauling me up here in the first place. It’s been three days, Zane! Three days of being away from the real world!”
“And it’s been great, hasn’t it?” he said, pressing his face close to hers.
“Just spiffy,” she shot back, not letting him know for even a second that he was right, that being here with him was a little touch of heaven.
He picked up her discarded basket and glanced up at the sky. “I’ll go get the firewood. It’s safer. You’d better go inside. It’s gonna rain soon.” Swinging the damned basket, he strode to the woodpile with Franklin trotting after him.
Later, once the fire was burning in yellow and orange flames, Zane left the room for a few minutes. When he returned, he was carrying a small tape player, a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“Okay, it’s time to get serious,” he said, uncorking the wine and pouring them each a glass.
“About what?”
“This.” He punched a button, and the tape of his phone call with Ted started playing.
Kaylie couldn’t take a sip.
“Does this sound like anyone you know, anyone you’ve ever met?”
“I—I don’t think so,” Kaylie replied, her skin crawling at the sound of the raspy warning.