Cowboy Cavalry. Alice SharpeЧитать онлайн книгу.

       Chapter Three

      As the luxury car ate up the miles, Kate didn’t have the slightest idea what to say to the man behind the wheel. He’d offered her his untouched coffee but she’d declined—she didn’t drink coffee anymore. The nerves that had taken up residence when this situation began made almost everything taste like dirty dishwater and sit uncomfortably in her stomach.

      He seemed as willing to let the miles pass in silence as she was but probably not for the same reasons. Yesterday, sitting outside with the breeze ruffling their hair and the sound of seagulls mingling with the chatter of other diners, Frankie’s energy and charisma had been hard enough to handle but not as over-the-top scary as now.

      She took a deep breath that didn’t help as the subtle scent of his aftershave wafted into her nose. She was aware of his hands on the wheel, his long fingers almost graceful. Her hands looked more like work hands than his did and she squashed the urge to sit on them.

      “You’re very quiet,” he said, glancing at her. His dark lashes coupled with his grayish eyes made his gaze so intense her cheeks felt hot. That’s what a guilty conscience could do to a person.

      “Just tired,” she said and that was the truth. After deciding to scrap this adventure, she’d tackled that stack of bills and reality had settled once again on her shoulders. She needed money and quite a bit of it if she was to keep Gram safe. She couldn’t afford to allow fear to rule her decisions. Premonitions were notoriously overrated. She’d be back in two days, tops.

      She’d had to leave so early this morning to catch the bus to the airport that she hadn’t been able to say goodbye to Gram. Rose would take care of her and goodbyes never lasted in Gram’s memory for more than a few seconds anyway, but it added to the unease churning Kate’s gut. She turned her face toward the window where her pal, Mr. Sun, warmed the glass. Her eyes drifted closed.

      She woke with a start, heart racing. Where was Gram? Had she gotten through the door again? Full consciousness returned with a sucker punch and she took a deep breath as she scanned her surroundings. Frankie Hastings stared at her. He’d pulled up in front of a diner and Kate’s stomach growled.

      “We’ve been on the road for four hours,” he said. “We’re almost at Dave Dalton’s place. He’s the guy I told you about who’s descended from the lawyer who left town after the robbery. I’m kind of hungry and it looks like we could get a sandwich here if that’s okay with you. It isn’t fancy, but it’s convenient.”

      She sat up straight. Her mouth felt like it was stuffed with old socks. She blinked a couple of times. Her wallet held about forty dollars and that had to get her back home. What she needed most and could actually afford was a free glass of water.

      “I meant to remind you,” he added. “LOGO, that’s the name of Gary Dodge’s production company, intends to cover your expenses for this trip. That included the rental car that you didn’t use but is still an option when you want to return to Seattle.” He smiled at her and added, “And no, we’re not trying to buy you. I don’t imagine you come cheap.”

      She raised her eyebrows.

      “I didn’t mean it that way,” he said, and for once, he looked ill at ease, which strangely made her feel better.

      “I am thirsty,” she said.

      “Good. Let’s give this place a try.”

      The diner turned out to be a far cry from the waterfront bistro of the day before. Kate ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and it actually seemed to sit okay in her stomach for once. Toward the end of the meal, Frankie took out his cell phone and studied it. “I’m reminding myself how to get to Dave Dalton’s place,” he explained.

      “Do you know what it is he wants to show you?”

      “Not a clue. I’m curious, of course,”

      “Is he expecting me to be there, too? If it’s awkward, I can sit outside in the sun or something.”

      “I doubt your being there will be an issue but no, he’s not expecting you. I arranged this meeting about a week ago, before I knew you’d be...with me.”

      “Before I made trouble,” she said.

      “Yeah. Listen, as long as I have my phone out, why don’t you give me your email and cell number? Phones don’t always work out at the ranch, but—”

      “I don’t have email or a cell phone,” she said.

      He stared at her a second as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard her say.

      “I moved here from Arizona over a year ago,” she added. She had to give him some explanation so she went with the truth. “My grandparents didn’t have internet or the...inclination...to install it. When my tablet died, I just, well, people lived for generations without computers, right?”

      “You sound like my father’s kind of girl,” he said. “He’s not big into them, either.”

      She did not want to be compared to his father. “I loved my computer. I mean, you can’t get through college nowadays without...well, those days are long over. Now there are other things to keep me busy.”

      “Like what?” he said.

      She looked down at her hands and shrugged. “You know, work.”

      “What kind of work do you do?”

      She should have anticipated these questions. They were the kind almost everyone asked, she was just woefully out of practice fielding idle curiosity. Not sure why she felt the need to take the sting out of her words, she smiled. “Remember that whole I like my privacy thing?”

      “Yes,” he said. “Sorry.”

      She pushed herself away from the table and they both stood up. “Thank you for the sandwich and the tea,” she added. “I’m going to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back, I know you’re anxious to get going.”

      “I’ll wait for you in the car,” he said as he stood. As she watched him walk to the cash register, the strangest pang of longing came over her.

      Now what was that all about?

      * * *

      DAVE DALTON LIVED down a tree-lined lane a mile or so outside Spokane, Washington. The road was rutted with parallel tracks. Kate had gripped the edges of her seat as Frankie did his best to stay in the ruts, but inevitably the tires found all the uneven spots. Dalton needed to grade his long, bumpy driveway.

      Frankie’s gut feeling that Kate was hiding something just wouldn’t go away. Sure, she was touchy, but it had to be more than that. Touchy was understandable. She’d accepted an invitation from a virtual stranger who openly questioned her convictions. He was a little wary of her, too. But it was something more, like the way she avoided direct answers to simple questions, hiding behind the privacy thing. Still every once in a while, he caught an unguarded comment or look and it made him smile inside.

      When had he last been serious about a woman? Almost a year, he realized with a start. She’d been a nurse at the urgent care center, pretty and fun-loving, full of hopes and dreams. He’d broken it off with her when she got too clingy and talk of her dreams