Masculine hands palmed her ass and gave a firm shove…and lingered until she wiggled inside and dropped to the floor.
The RV boasted the comforts of home: a three-burner stove, a fair-sized refrigerator she didn’t dare open until the next millennium, a three-quarter bath, a love-seat-sized sofa, and, in the rear, two single beds separated by a nightstand. If it wasn’t 2,000 degrees inside after being closed up, the motor home would have been a good place to spend the night.
She poked her head out the window. “Come around to the other side—I’ll open the door.”
“Should I bring Kevin?”
“It’s too hot. Leave him in the trailer, but bring the bike around so he can see where we are.” He was such a good little dog, obedient and affectionate. Whoever had owned him had taken excellent care of him.
She let Rok in. “This is a house!” he exclaimed.
“That’s why we call it a motor home. Some people vacationed in them. Others lived in them year-round. It has everything you need, even though it’s small.”
The compact space had gotten smaller since he’d entered. Her skin tingled with sensitivity, and the imprint of his hands on her ass remained palpable. “You check back here, I’m going up front. Maybe openall the windows,” she suggested. The temperature would drop at night. If they could get fresh air inside and cool down the RV, they might be able to stay. “Don’t open the cabinet door there.” She pointed.
“Why not?”
“That’s the refrigerator—where they would store meat. There’s no telling when the battery or propane ran out. You think meat smells bad? Wait ’til you’ve smelled rotten meat and eggs.”
He recoiled. “I won’t open it.”
She squeezed by to the cab and immediately spied several maps and a road atlas sticking out of the passenger door pocket. She leaped into the seat and grabbed the lot. Oklahoma…Missouri…Springfield!Score!
On the city map, she found their location, scanned the area, and checked the points-of-interest index. No mention of Gillioz.I need an address!
Her foot nudged something on the floor, and she looked down to see a purse. A woman wouldn’t have left her handbag inside and gone into the hospital, so she must have been in the RV when she got vaporized. She probably hadn’t been alone. In that case…
There! On the floor of the driver’s side was a set of keys.
If the RV hadn’t been running, the battery might still have a charge. The RV would have gas.We could run the AC!The fuel wouldn’t last for more than several hours, but they could cool off the motor home.We could spend the night here!The idea appealed much more than trying to break into a house.
She climbed into the driver’s seat, retrieved the keys, and, taking a breath, inserted the key into the ignition and turned it. The RV purred like a kitten.
“What’s happening?” Rok appeared.
She turned and grinned. “The RV is operational. How do you feel about sleeping here tonight? It will be comfortable and cool.”
“Fine.”
She slipped by him and found the thermostat on the wall by the sofa. She turned it on and began closing the windows she’d had Rok open. “By the way, we have a map!” She retrieved it from the passenger seat and waved it.
He held up a417 Magazine. “And I think I found what we’re looking for!”
A magazine? “How does this help us?”
He flipped it open and pointed to a photo. “Isn’t this where we want to go?”
“It’s an ad for the Gillioz. It’s a theater!” With an address! “How did you find it?”
“I saw the booklet. It looked interesting—the pictures of your world. I recognized the word Gillioz—the only word I recognized,” he added wryly.
“Let’s bring Kevin in and plot our route for tomorrow,” she said.
Chapter Seventeen
Moonbeams danced through an open skylight. Chloe slept on the adjacent bunk close enough to touch, with Kevin curled up at the foot of her bed, emitting growling noises. Progg dreamed; he hadn’t realized Earthlings did, too.
Equal parts excitement and nerves impeded his slumber. Tomorrow, he would reconnect with Grav! They had a time and place, and, after studying the map, Chloe had figured out how to get there.
