Mystery Bride Part 3

She didn't answer.

He turned back the cardboard flaps on the box. At first it looked like a box full of children's jacks, the kind his sister used to play with. Only these jacks were huge. But as he looked closer he saw that the box was packed with sixteen-penny nails welded together and ends sharpened to make large, ugly-looking multi-sided spikes.

He looked at her askance. He was in the construction business but had no idea where anyone would buy something like this, or let alone have it made. Or why anyone would want to.

As she took a curve to the left, she rolled down her side window, grabbed the box from him and hefted it out the window.

Stunned, he swung around just in time to see the box explode as it hit the blacktop. Spikes pelted the Buick's windshield. An instant later, the Buick's front tire blew and the car began to rock, then swerve. The Buick hit the ditch in a cloud of dust, burrowing into a small dirt hillside.

"Wow," the kid said. He'd unbuckled his seat belt and now stood looking back as the dust settled over the Buick. "Awesome."

Will pulled Just Zack down and got him buckled in again as Samantha slowed. She smiled down at the boy and gave him a high-five. The kid was grinning from ear to ear. This woman was not not a good role model. a good role model.

"I'm Samantha but most people just call me 'Sam."'

Just Zack turned shy.

"And this is-" her gaze shifted to Will "-Will, an acquaintance of mine."

Pa.s.sing acquaintance, he thought. What was going on? Why had she grabbed this kid? And who were those men? And more to the point, who was this woman? acquaintance, he thought. What was going on? Why had she grabbed this kid? And who were those men? And more to the point, who was this woman?

He realized he was getting a headache just trying to figure it all out. And what was the point? Obviously, she was all wrong for him.

Absently, he considered what he might be doing right now if he'd listened to his sister's advice. He glanced down at his left wrist to check the time. His watch was gone! How was that possible? He'd just had it.

"My watch-"

"Give it back, Zack," Samantha ordered, not even looking at the boy.

Zack let out a long-suffering sigh, reached into his jacket pocket and extracted the watch.

Samantha s.n.a.t.c.hed it from the kid and handed it to Will. "Sorry. I should have warned you."

Will stared down at the boy, then at Samantha. They both looked so...innocent.

Samantha turned off the highway onto a dirt road.

"There is a good explanation for all of this, right?" he asked, sounding pathetically hopeful. He glanced over at her when she didn't answer.

She no longer had the gun resting on her thighs. The late-afternoon sun slanted into the car, turning the wisps of hair around her face golden as she slowed the Firebird to an almost legal speed and glanced over to meet his gaze.

"There is always an explanation. I'm just not sure it's one you're going to like."

Chapter Three.

A fork in the road loomed ahead. Left would take her to the nearest town where she could get rid of Will. Right would put some distance between her and the kidnappers and take her to someplace safe for the night.

Relatively safe, she amended. Being around Will made her feel anything but. He reminded her too much of her girlhood dreams of love, marriage, babies and happily ever after. All the things she didn't want to be reminded of, especially right now. That's why she'd like nothing better than to take Will into town and be done with him.

"Just out of curiosity, how many men have you handcuffed to your dash?" he asked, jerking her from her dilemma.

"Not that many," she said, sounding defensive even to herself. Most males gave her a wide berth. Her mother said it was because she intimidated men. "Act helpless," "Act helpless," her mother advised. her mother advised. "Men like that. Look at your cousin Sh.e.l.ly. Men just flock to help her. Have you ever met a more helpless woman?" "Men like that. Look at your cousin Sh.e.l.ly. Men just flock to help her. Have you ever met a more helpless woman?"

The truth was, she was no Sh.e.l.ly. She didn't even think she could act act that helpless. that helpless.

As she slowed for the fork in the road ahead, she felt Will studying her like a bug in a mason jar.

You should never have kissed him!

Oh? What would you suggest I should have done? Get us both killed?

You could have told him the truth after the kiss.

Oh, come on, give me a break. I thought I was never going to see him again. And anyway, I liked liked the kiss- the kiss- "h.e.l.lo?"

She blinked and glanced over at him. He was looking at her oddly. She stared out over the hood and saw that she'd stopped in the middle of the road at the fork.

"Well?" he asked, looking worried.

She glanced down at Zack. He looked worried, as well. She smiled at him and winked as if to say, No problem here. No problem here. But even as she hit the gas, she wasn't sure she was making the right decision. That alone scared her. But even as she hit the gas, she wasn't sure she was making the right decision. That alone scared her.

She took the fork to the right, heading for the hills. Will Sheridan be d.a.m.ned. She had to hide out for a while until the dust settled. Until she figured out what was going on. There was little doubt in her mind that something was wrong with this case.

And as for Will-well, he'd just have to cool his heels, too. She still couldn't believe he'd tracked her down- Let alone tracked her down to ask her for a date! Her luck with men definitely wasn't improving.

When he'd first gotten into the Firebird, she'd been so sure it was about her busting the commissioner at his sister's party. Obviously he still didn't realize what she'd been doing there. But when he did- She glanced over at him. What would would he do? She'd thought she had him all figured out. Until he climbed into her car and refused to get out. From what she'd learned about the man, he do? She'd thought she had him all figured out. Until he climbed into her car and refused to get out. From what she'd learned about the man, that that was so far out of character that it wasn't even in his solar system anymore. was so far out of character that it wasn't even in his solar system anymore.

She eyed him, wondering what had caused such impetuous behavior.

h.e.l.lo? Remember the way you kissed him at the party?

Come on, one little kiss?

She narrowed her gaze at him. Did she have reason to be concerned about what he'd do next? No, she didn't think she could expect any more surprises out of him. What you saw was what you got: a successful businessman in control of his normal everyday life and happy about it. Except, he didn't look all that happy right now.

She grimaced at the thought, as the Firebird left the pavement and barreled up the narrow dirt road toward the mountains. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Will's brow shoot up. She ignored his pointed look.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not taking me to the next town where I can get out?"

"We can't go there just yet," she said. "But trust me, I'm as anxious to let you out of this car as you are to get out."

"I highly doubt that."

She groaned inwardly, wishing they could have met under other circ.u.mstances- Who was she kidding? It wouldn't have made any difference. Eventually he'd find out the truth about her, and a man like Will Sheridan wasn't going to take that well.

No reason to think about might-have-beens. She had to deal with now, and that was going to be challenging enough.

WILL LOOKED UP the empty road, at the sun setting behind distant low mountains, the day fading into the horizon. This was all his fault. What kind of fool spotted a woman at a party and followed her out to the patio with two full gla.s.ses of champagne, thinking to himself, This is the woman I'm going to marry? This is the woman I'm going to marry?

He didn't even want to consider what kind of fool would get into her car and refuse to get out.

Just a fool who knew what he wanted and went after it, the consequences be d.a.m.ned. He'd planned his life since before kindergarten, from when to become skilled at the alphabet to what point he should move on to the multiplication tables.

In high school he'd decided he wanted to construct buildings and eventually start his own construction company. He wasn't like his college friends who changed majors four times. Or who, unbelievably, started college not even knowing what they wanted to be.

He couldn't imagine letting life toss him around like a fallen leaf, blowing wherever the breeze took him. He had a plan-from the clothing he wore to the food he ate to the woman he wanted to marry.

So what was he doing handcuffed to the dash of this woman's Firebird? This had definitely not not been in his plan. been in his plan.

Worse yet, he'd never been so aware of a woman. Or less happy about it: the faint smell of her perfume, the soft sound of each breath, the warm pulsing air around her.

Not that she was making it easy to ignore her. Especially the way she was dressed. What little her spa.r.s.e clothing did leave to the imagination, he had no trouble supplying.

But she was all wrong for his bride. That much was obvious. He wanted a woman with a career that at least complemented his. A woman who wanted to bear his children. Not steal someone else's. A woman who didn't carry a gun. Or beat up strange men in broad daylight in front of rest homes. Was he asking too much?

G.o.d, I'll bet she hasn't even started a 401K, he thought miserably. he thought miserably.

He watched as she drove up a narrow dirt road as if she knew where she was going. He didn't doubt she did.

The road ended high on a mountainside at the bottom of a rock cliff. Through a stand of dark green ponderosa pines, he spotted a house set back against the cliff.

He stared at the small wood-frame house with the two-car attached garage. The place appeared empty, the curtains drawn, no lights glowing behind them in the growing dusk.

Samantha pulled up to the garage door on the left and reached under her seat. He half expected her to come out with a weapon again. Or a crowbar to break into the place. Nothing would have surprised him at that point.

Except a garage-door opener. She hit the b.u.t.ton, and the door groaned open, the light coming on inside to reveal a single empty bay separated from the other half of the garage by a wall with a door.

"You live here?" he asked in shock.

She shook her head as she pulled the Firebird into the s.p.a.ce and shut off the engine. "It's my cousin's place." She put an arm around Zack. "I would imagine you're hungry."

The boy nodded, unhooked his seat belt and stood again to look out the rear window as if he feared they'd been followed.

"You're safe here, Zack," she said. "Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," he said.

Well, I am, Will thought. Will thought.

"Come on," she said, opening her car door. "There should be food in the house." She started to climb out.

The rattle of handcuffs seemed to stop her. Will felt her gaze finally slide to his. Her look said she didn't know what to do with him.

He jangled the cuffs and glared at her, more angry with himself than with her. He was the one who'd foolhardily gotten into her car, the one who'd been determined to get a date with her at any cost. Little had he known.

"Sorry." She dug into the glove box, came up with the key and handed it to him. Why hadn't he thought to look in there? Because he'd been too engrossed in this woman's outlandish activities. Awkwardly, he unlocked the cuffs, not looking at her.

"I hate to tell you, but we need to stay here for the night," she said. "In the morning, I'll take you to town and rent you a car. I'm afraid that's the best I can do. I have my reasons."

He was sure she did. And he didn't want to know them. Under normal circ.u.mstances, he'd have called a taxi. Or demanded she take him now to the nearest town.

But he doubted it was as simple as demanding she take him anywhere. Or calling a taxi. He wasn't even sure where they were or how far it was to the next town.

And he had had gotten himself into this. gotten himself into this.

"Fine," he said. "But I can rent my own car." He handed her the cuffs and key, and she and the boy got out. What was one night? But as she opened the Firebird's trunk and took out her overnight bag, he reminded himself to watch her more closely should she ever kiss him again.

She put an arm around the boy as she opened the door to the house and ushered him in.

Will followed, not surprised to find the house compact, the decor simple, practical and very male. The air inside was cold and a little musty, as if whoever lived here hadn't been around for a while.

"Would you mind building a fire while I change, and then I'll scare us up some food?" she asked as she headed for what appeared to be the smaller of the bedrooms. "There're split logs out back. I'm sure Zack will help you."

SAMANTHA DIDN'T WAIT for an answer, just hurried off to get into less revealing clothing. From her bag, she took out jeans and a cable-knit Irish wool sweater. She caught her reflection in the mirror on the back wall and froze. Most of her hair had come out of the ponytail and now hung around her face in curls. She pulled out the scrunchie and ran her fingers through her hair, not wanting to take the time to find a brush.

The truth was, she didn't want to look as if she'd been primping. Or that she might be interested in Will Sheridan. It was obvious he wouldn't be asking her for a date when she dropped him off at the first town in the morning. This time, she knew she wouldn't be seeing him again. Once more she couldn't help feeling disappointed-and relieved. He was all wrong for her, anyway.

She headed for the kitchen and quickly busied herself making dinner, as she listened to Zack and Will bring in wood.

Moments later, Zack appeared in the doorway. "Can I play a game on the computer?" he asked.

She glanced down at him, shocked suddenly by how small and vulnerable he looked. She wanted to take him in her arms and rea.s.sure him. But she could feel the wall the little boy had built around him, and knew that sometimes such walls were all that kept a person standing.

She knelt down and gently touched his shoulder. "Of course, you can. Do you need help?"

He shook his head.

"Zack, I knew your mom and dad in college," she said. "Your mom's the one who hired me to find you."

He nodded as if none of that mattered. "Can I play the games now?"

"Sure."

A few minutes later she heard the distinct sound of a computer game coming from the other room. She'd never been much of a computer-game person, but her cousin Charley who lived out on the West Coast could play for hours.