“You need a file,” I drawl. “From the sheriff’s office? And you want both of us to go get it?”
He nods with a straight face, as if this isn’t the most absurd excuse to get me and Adam out of his and Eliza’s hair.
“If you want some alone time with your fiancée, just say so. You don’t have to send us on a wild goose chase.”
Behind me, Adam cackles over the laptop balanced on his knees. “Carter’s never been one for subtleties.”
“Walker is too busy to bring it himself,” Carter insists with a hint of humor in his voice. “Go enjoy Silver Lake Falls for a couple of hours…or more.”
In simpler terms:get out of my house. Even though Idolove nothing more than to annoy my big brother, I’ll let him have this one without a fight. And without pointing out that he’s the one who dragged me here.
Besides, it might be the perfect chance to get back behind the wheel. The road is quiet here. Shouldn’t be so hard.
“I’ll drive,” I let Adam know brightly, shooting him a smile.
His throat bobs as he stands, features strained. He’s about to push back, then reins himself in. What comes out is a forced, flat, “Sure.”
“Come on, I don’t drive that badly.”
Adam falters, rubbing his jaw. “I wasn’t suggesting that…”
I fold my arms, ready to stand my ground. “Come on. Say it.”
“Fine.” He sighs, fists planted on his hips. “Every time I’ve been in a car with you, I’ve seen my entire life flash before my eyes.”
I scoff and give him a look. “Dramatic.”
“Whenever I pass by 9th Street, I can still feel my stomach in my throat from when you clipped the curb and drove several feet with two wheels in the air.”
My shoulders drop despite myself. Maybe he’s right. I never had it in me.
Adam must see the shift in my confidence because he quickly adds, “Maybe you’ve got better at it. Let’s give it a try.”
I seize the opening. I’m not going to tell him I haven’t driven in over five years. “Can you guys take the other car?” I tell my security team with a grin. “Just in case.”
Adam mutters, “Glad you don’t have a problem havingmyblood on your hands.”
By the time we’re on the road, the unwilling passenger on my right is so tense, it’s almost funny. He doesn’t look like he’s breathing.
Watching the road intently, he doesn’t even complain about the snail’s pace as I crawl us out of the forest, the trees thinning as we ease onto the coastal highway. Finally, we drift onto Main Street, and the sheriff’s station comes into view.
Silver Lake Falls is bustling with tourists, every storefront bursting with color and chatter. The season is in full swing, and I didn’t even realize. Maybe Carter was on to something.
The relieved exhale Adam lets out when I pull into the station parking lot is borderline offensive. I’d be insulted if it weren’t for how hard he clearly triednotto burst my bubble. Which, to be honest, was kind of adorable.
Inside, a couple of sunburnt tourists crowd one of the deputies’ desks, complaining about the price of the lobster they had earlier. The poor man in uniform rubs his temples, fighting to keep his professionalism while explaining he can’t go and arrest the owner of the restaurant for “daylight robbery”.
“Miss Rawlings,” a deep voice calls from the office in the back of the room. “Is something the matter?”
We leave the lobster drama behind and cross the bullpen toward a very confused Sheriff Walker. Adam’s hand presses on my lower back, and my thoughts scatter like dandelion fluff.
Two minutes later, we’re back on the busy sidewalk, squinting under the blistering sun, empty-handed. My brother issogoing to pay for this.
JACKIE:Mysteriously, the sheriff doesn’t have any new intel for you.
CARTER:Must’ve misunderstood his message.
JACKIE:How odd. ??
