“None of your business.”
So much for civility. “Bummer for your podcast. Must have been a blow to have your contact arrested before you could record her.” He didn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice, nor did she react to it. Strange. Their rapport since Aaron’s death had been at the matches and gasoline type of reactivity level. Now he was getting nothing. “Think they’ll charge her?”
“Yep.”
Mackenzie had her nose in everything. So why would she wait around?Not your concern, Gid.He had to off-load Mackenzie before the match touched the fuel. At least he could do that much. “Where do you want me to drop you off?”
“Coffee shop, please. There.”
He eased into the nearly empty lot of The Daily Grind. Only two vehicles and a squad car were parked on theslick asphalt. The rain slackened for a few moments, but the gunmetal clouds proclaimed it was only temporary. A monster storm was coming, and soon. The dam was about to be sorely tested, along with anyone who stayed.
He idled, waiting for her to get out. When she didn’t, he fiddled with the heater and waited some more.
She turned to him. “How long are you on leave?”
“Another week.”
“Seeing your folks?”
“Yes.”
“Your mom doing okay?”
The fact was, his mom and dad were struggling to maintain their family farm.
His oldest brother Duncan was up to his earlobes with sole custody of three kids, and his other brother, the newlywed Cullen, couldn’t do everything, even though he loudly proclaimed that he could. His cousin Johnny helped out when he wasn’t deployed with the Navy. It was Gideon’s turn to step up, and he wasn’t going to let anything divert him. “They’re fine.”
She nodded, rubbing a spot of mud from the knee of her leggings.
Was she making small talk? His nerves prickled with an undercurrent of danger, though he couldn’t for the life of him decipher why. It felt like the moment before a storm touched down in a completely different place than expected. He scraped a palm over his chin. “Look. Why don’t you just tell me what’s really going on with you and why you’re sitting in my car? And don’t give me that excuse about taking my class. You know I don’t play games.”
“Oh, but I love games.” The mischievous grin enticed him in spite of himself.
Get rid of her.“I don’t want any part of whatever you’re ...”
But Mackenzie’s attention was diverted as someone exited the shop, a stocky older man holding a to-go cup as he wrestled with his hood. She watched the man.
“Who’s that?”
She didn’t answer, just continued to watch and fiddle around with something in the footwell before she got out, walked around to his side, and gestured for him to roll down his window.
“Thanks, Gideon. For the ride, I mean. I know we aren’t exactly buddies, and I appreciate it.” Before he knew what happened, she leaned in and kissed him, touching his cheek with one fingertip.
Her lips were warm and soft. He hadn’t been this surprised since his brother called to say he was trapped by an erupting volcano. There was no way he could get his brain to command his mouth to offer one single word in the wake of that kiss and the sparks it sent cascading through his nervous system.
A smile tugged the corner of her mouth. They were playing a game, but he didn’t know the rules.
“And I really am sorry I scared your student away,” she said.
She actually did sound regretful. Maybe he’d misjudged her.
“I stowed a bag in the back of your Jeep while you were swimming with the deer. Would you mind hauling it out for me?” She touched her neck. “Pulled a muscle.”
He got out and opened the rear door. Abruptly, she moved behind him. He was unprepared when she looped a foot around his ankles and toppled him stomach first to the ground.
The air whooshed out of him. Shock didn’t begin to describe it. “What are you doing?”
“Give me your wallet,” she shouted.
