Better figure that out, and soon.
Instead of answering her, he said, “I make a killer breakfast. You hungry?”
Wren laughed. “Did my stomach rumble?” She patted her belly.
“Not that I heard. But, I did promise you one. If you want.”
Wren nodded slowly. “I do because I actually am starving. Breakfast would be terrific. And this time, I promise I won’t disappear.” She shrugged. “Well, not right away.”
“Not right away?”
“I did have to work early this morning up in the hills. A real estate shoot. The agent I’m working with said there was a property nearby that might want drone footage. I was thinking I’d knock on their door later today.” She chuckled. “Maybe I should take you along as a bodyguard.”
Elias immediately went on alert. “What does that mean?”
She waved him off. “I’m kidding. Kinda. Chase said he’d stopped by there to let them know he’d be using a drone so please don’t shoot it down, and the guy was pretty gruff with him. But his wife indicated she might want drone footage.”
“Good move on the agent’s part. People living in the mountains often prefer their privacy, I’ll say that. Sometimes they’re just weirdos. Can I ask the name? Maybe I can tell you if it’s a waste of time.”
“Um, sure.” She pulled out her wallet, took out a business card, and handed it to him. “This couple.”
Elias laughed so suddenly and so hard when he read the names that Wren jumped.
“Yeah, I’d better come with you on this one.” He looked at her. “New plan. Let’s grab a couple of excellent breakfast burritos here, head up to talk to them, and then I’ll make you dinner instead. You’ll have earned it.”
SEVEN
Wren fidgeted with the crumpled up ball of foil from her breakfast burrito. Every now and then she shot a look at Elias as he drove them back into the mountains. The cocky jerk smiled back every single time.
And every single time she asked, “Still not gonna tell me what I’m in for?”
“Nope.”
“Payback for stealing the scrubs?”
“Yup.”
She shook her head, pretending to be more annoyed than she was. By all rights, her anxiety should have been screaming at her to jump out the truck’s window at the next hairpin curve, damn the steep drop down the side of a mountain if she did. And yet, she knew Elias wouldn’t put her in any danger.
Now, puttingmyselfinto danger when it comes to my heart—that’s another story.
They’d left her car at Riversong after transferring her equipment to the truck. Elias promised he’d make her dinner and bring her back down later, but that it was, in his words ‘safer and easier’ to just take his truck, which they would recognize. Normally, that would send up a ton of red flags. And yet…shefelt more like they were on a playful little adventure. Elias was obviously having fun with her, and when he ducked into the men’s room before they left Riversong, April assured Wren she was in good hands.
So instead of being worried about where she was physically going at the moment, she worried more about where her heart was going.
Wren avoided serious relationships like the plague. She’d seen too many of her friends get close to someone only to break their hearts during cruel fights and arguments. And if there was something Wren truly hated, it was arguing. So, as soon as a relationship showed any signs of exiting the honeymoon phase and getting serious, Wren was outta there. Barbie’s words came back to her.
Your style is to carefully observe. And then observe some more. Preferably through a telescopic lens. And then as soon as someone comes in for a closeup, you pack away your camera and go home.
Wrenscrunched up the ball of foil even tighter.Shit. Barbie’s right about me. Well, not about my cootchie being a camera.
Another thought bubbled up without warning.
Overexposure.
“Did you just snort?” Elias asked.
“Nope,” Wren squeaked through clenched teeth.
