He didn’t let her finish. “No.”
“You’ve got a better idea?”
His expression turned grim. “No.”
As he pulled out of the parking lot, Jake took evasive action, driving down a few side streets, then checked his rearview mirror to make sure he had no tail before heading toward the highway.
He passed a couple of large motel chains, then pointed toward a sign that said “Cabins.”
“Probably not as nice as that fancy place, but we need some privacy.”
She nodded.
They drove a short distance up a gravel road hemmed in by cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss where they found a rustic building with an Office sign out front.
Jake parked under a tree with low-hanging branches.
Without being told what to do, Rachel scrunched down in her seat and waited while Jake went in.
Inside he found an old guy wearing a pair of faded overalls.
“Help you?”
Jake affected a thick drawl. “My honey and I need a room for the night.”
“Sure.”
He paid in cash and gave a false license plate number on the registration form.
When the guy reached for a key, Jake asked, “You got a real private cabin?”
“They’re all off by theirselves.”
“Appreciate the privacy.”
“Okay. Number four, then. You go up to the end of the road till you can’t drive no further.”
“Thanks.”
Jake returned to the car and drove down the road, deeper into what looked like a wilderness area.
He could see some cabins through the foliage, but kept going until he reached the end of the road where he found a small shingled building with a parking area in front. Behind it he could see a slow-moving bayou.
After he pulled up in front, they both got out and looked around.
“I guess this is as private as we can expect,” Rachel said, and he heard the quaver in her voice. “It looks like the setting for a slasher movie.”
Jake reached for her hand and knit his fingers with hers.
“We don’t have to stay here,” he said. “We don’t even have to stay in town.”
“I want to.”
He knew she wasn’t exactly telling the truth, but he didn’t challenge her as he crossed the porch and opened the door to the modest unit.
When they stepped inside the cabin, he looked around at the rustic furnishings.
“Early pioneer.”
