Mystery Bride Part 7

"Are you sure?" she asked, glancing over.

Her eyes were that warm tropical blue-green in the morning sunlight and her freckles were like gold dust on her nose and cheekbones. He nodded. Once Zack was fed, Samantha could continue on to Seattle via the b.u.t.te mall.

And Will would go home.

But he wasn't quite ready yet to tell them goodbye, and the silent admission didn't please him. The one-sided conversation he'd overheard between Samantha and Zack's birth mother had left him with a bad feeling he couldn't quite shake. He feared Samantha had gotten into more than she could handle.

AS SAM PARKED in the large lot at the rear of a cafe that served burgers twenty-four hours a day, she felt a chill on her neck. She glanced around. They were miles from where she'd seen the kidnappers go off the road yesterday, were now driving a different rig, and she hadn't seen any sign of a tail.

Still, she felt uneasy. Much different from the way Will Sheridan made her feel. And oh lordy, how he made her feel. feel.

"What about you? You up for a burger, fries and a shake?" she asked, her voice sounding a lot lighter than she felt. "Or are you a ham and eggs and hash browns kind of guy?"

She doubted Will Sheridan had ever had a hamburger, fries and a shake at eight in the morning in his life. No more than he'd ever been handcuffed to a Firebird's dash before. Well, at least he'd never get into a strange car again. Let alone refuse to get out. Something about that made her sad because she knew he'd also be more careful about the next woman he asked out.

She hated what she'd done to him and wished there was something she could do or say to make it up to him. Dangerous thinking. Even more dangerous, she almost wished she were the woman he'd first thought she was.

She realized she had been once. A long time ago. Before Lucas and Ca.s.sie and Zack.

"I'd have a little something to eat," Will said.

"Great." She didn't feel the least bit hungry, but if Zack was- He seemed small for his age. She definitely didn't want him to go hungry.

As she slid into a booth with Zack, she could hear faint music coming from his CD player. He had his cap pulled low, his ears protruding, those d.a.m.n headphones like a wall between him and the outside world.

She reached over and tugged one side of the headphones down. "Not in the restaurant," she mouthed.

He nodded reluctantly but did as he was told.

"Put the CD player in your backpack," she said, wondering how she would ever get close to the boy. Or if she would.

In the end, she ordered what Zack did: a cheese-burger loaded, fries and a chocolate shake. To her amazement, so did Will.

"Living dangerously?" she joked, and could have bitten her tongue when his gaze came up to meet hers.

"Definitely," he said, his look blistering.

WILL CURSED the chemistry that arced across the worn Formica table between them. His attraction to this woman bothered him. He was much too sensible to let himself fall for the wrong woman. A woman who was a complete mystery to him. Who could turn him inside out and disrupt the world he'd made for himself. What did he really know about her, other than the fact that she kissed wonderfully, was a private investigator in b.u.t.te, and stole children?

He watched her drag her gaze away, her teeth worrying at her lower lip as she looked out the window. He'd seen her scanning the street earlier, her look searching and concerned. Was she afraid she hadn't lost the two men who'd kidnapped Zack? Or was being cautious the nature of her business?

A dense silence fell over the table even with the clatter of the cafe around them. Samantha looked uncomfortable. And he knew he was the cause. He'd come on like gangbusters, wanting to date her, romance her, refusing to get out of her car until he had her phone number. Then he'd backed off big-time.

He knew he should say something now. But he couldn't imagine what. It's been fun, It's been fun, didn't really cover it. Nor did didn't really cover it. Nor did Thanks for everything. Thanks for everything.

Not half a block down the street, he noticed, there was a sign for car rentals. He could walk to it once they'd finished eating. Wouldn't even have to get back into the Bronco with Samantha and Zack. He felt an almost desperate need to return to his old life as quickly as possible. To touch base with the guiding principles that had gotten him this far. To decide what to do next. Never before had he needed a plan more than he did right now.

Amazingly, Zack put away most of his food in record time. Samantha picked at hers, her attention seeming to wander. Will caught her watching the street again. Or maybe she was just avoiding looking at him.

"Well," he said, when they'd all eaten as much as they were going to. "It looks like I can get a car right up the street-" He motioned toward the car rental sign.

Her gaze followed his and she nodded, then looked at him again as if she felt the need to say something. But the moment seemed to pa.s.s. No doubt, she didn't know what to say any more than he did.

"My treat," he said, and reached for his wallet-then stopped.

They both turned to look at Zack. This time Samantha didn't say a word, just held out her hand.

The boy shrugged sheepishly and produced Will's wallet from his backpack. Samantha's look when she handed it to Will told him he was right: she knew she needed to see what else was in there.

Maybe she'd get lucky. It was probably too much to hope that Zack had taken the kidnappers' wallets, but maybe whatever he was protecting would help her keep the boy safe. Will was distrustful of Zack's father and even more so of his "birth" mother. It didn't appear the kid had anyone he could depend on. Except Samantha.

"We'd better get going, then," she said to Zack, and got to her feet.

Will got up, too, and watched Zack slide out, pulling his backpack after him. Whatever it held, it wasn't much. The contents barely made the cloth bulge, even with the CD player inside.

As Will held the door of the cafe open for Samantha and Zack, he tried not to notice how tiny and defenseless the boy looked. Nor how small his protector was. Or how very female.

They stepped out into the warm sunshine, the cloudless sky overhead wide and clear blue. Anyone watching might have thought they were a family. Will doubted anyone could have guessed the truth.

Samantha stopped just outside the door. "I'm...sorry," she said, and then shrugged, reminding him of the boy. The simple gesture said it all.

"Me, too. It's been-" fun, frightening, embarra.s.sing, crazy fun, frightening, embarra.s.sing, crazy "-interesting," he said. "-interesting," he said.

She smiled a little at that. A slight breeze tugged at the golden tendrils around her face. Then she turned and walked toward the Bronco, her hand on Zack's small shoulder. Will watched her push a stray lock away from her face as she fumbled in her pocket for the key to the pa.s.senger door.

"Samantha," he heard himself call after her.

She turned.

"Good luck," he said lamely.

She nodded.

He shifted his gaze to the boy, automatically checking for his own wrist.w.a.tch and wallet. "See ya, Just Zack."

"Bye." The boy dipped his head in a way that reminded Will how many times Zack must have had to say goodbye in his young life.

Before he could do anything stupid, he headed for the rental agency, fighting the urge to look back, unconsciously listening for the roar of the Bronco's altered engine.

AS SAMANTHA UNLOCKED the car door, she watched Will Sheridan's long legs walk away. She hadn't expected him to look back. Still she was disappointed when he didn't. Predictable. Just as she'd first thought. But not unimaginative, she amended, remembering his kiss last night.

She opened Zack's door, anxious to get going. Although there hadn't been any sign of the kidnappers, she knew they'd probably be driving something different-just as she was-especially after the Buick's "accident" yesterday.

Zack seemed reluctant to get into the car. She watched him slide the strap of his backpack off one shoulder and glance after Will. "I liked him," the boy said wistfully.

"Yeah, me, too," she grudgingly admitted as she dropped her hand to Zack's dark head. "Come on, let's get moving, okay?"

STILL NO SOUND of the Bronco's engine. Will swore under his breath. What was the point of a souped-up Bronco, anyway, if it couldn't zoom her out of his life as quickly as possible?

He slowed his steps, arguing with himself and losing. "Ah, h.e.l.l," he groaned as he stopped walking.

As he turned, he heard an engine roar. For a fleeting moment, he thought it was the Bronco's.

From out of a side street, a dark green Oldsmobile came flying around the corner behind the cafe, and roared into the parking lot, headed for the Bronco.

Time jumped into overdrive. Will saw it all happening too fast. The Olds skidding up beside the Bronco. Samantha and Zack still next to the Bronco's open door, Zack just moments from being safe inside.

Two men. The one Zack had called Al sitting behind the wheel of the Olds. The larger Ralph leaping out to grab Zack. Getting a handful of backpack and T-shirt. Dragging the boy toward the waiting car.

Chapter Six.

Will was running before he even realized he was moving. His legs pumped hard, but his movements seemed slow and futile. All he could do was watch as Samantha flew at Ralph.

She kicked out at the kidnapper and wrenched the boy free, the backpack falling to the ground as she tried to get Zack to the safety of the Bronco.

Zack was yelling something Will couldn't understand, fighting her as he strained to reach for his pack.

Ralph s.n.a.t.c.hed up the fallen backpack from the ground, grabbed Samantha's shoulder and spun her around, breaking her grip on Zack. The kidnapper backhanded her. She fell against the Bronco, as the kidnapper lunged again for the boy.

But Will got there first. Already in motion, he hit Ralph full force with a body block. The kidnapper slammed into the side of the Olds with a loud thunk, thunk, dropping the backpack. Ralph spun and came at him, head down, charging blindly. dropping the backpack. Ralph spun and came at him, head down, charging blindly.

Will dodged Ralph's charge, catching the large man in the side with an elbow and a jab to the jaw.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Al start to get out of the Olds, as Samantha forced Zack to the open door of the Bronco.

"What the h.e.l.l's going on?" a coa.r.s.e male voice boomed from the back of the cafe.

Al slammed the car door, grinding a few gears as he fought to get the car into reverse. A limping Ralph scrambled around to the pa.s.senger side and barely got in before Al tromped on the gas and, gravel flying, sped away. Heading east. The same direction Samantha and Zack would be going.

He stared after the kidnappers, his heart thundering. He couldn't remember a time he'd been more afraid. They'd come after Zack. Again.

"Is everything all right?"

He turned at the sound of the voice. A burly cook stood in the cafe doorway with a meat cleaver in his beefy hand.

"Fine," he called.

The man nodded, then turned, shaking his head, and went back into the kitchen. Across the narrow street, several people eyed them from the back of a sporting goods store.

Will bent to scoop Zack's backpack from the dirt, still shaken. How many kidnappers tried to grab a little kid in broad daylight? Especially when they knew the second time what they were dealing with: Samantha.

When he straightened, he saw that Samantha had the boy in her arms, crushing him to her, her expression a mixture of fear and anger and relief. She looked up at Will, determination burning in her eyes, revealing a strength of will that might have surpa.s.sed his own.

The moment she released Zack, he ran straight for Will, hand outstretched, face pale.

He handed the boy the backpack. Zack hugged it to his thin chest. Tears welled in the large dark eyes. What was in that d.a.m.n backpack, anyway?

Will shifted his gaze to Samantha. But she wasn't looking at the backpack or the boy's reaction to it. She was staring at Will.

"Are you all right?" Her voice sounded close to tears, and she looked scared. With surprise, he realized her fear now was for him.

He felt a bubble of pleasure, was touched by her concern. "I'm fine," he a.s.sured her with a smile. Then he noticed the bruise darkening her cheek where Ralph had hit her. His gut clenched.

"We'd better get going," she said, putting an arm around Zack's shoulders, her gaze coming up to meet Will's. "Thanks."

He shrugged, desperately trying to come up with a good reason why he couldn't go to Seattle. Of course, she wouldn't want him along. She'd feel she had to protect him as well as Zack. But he liked that about her.

"No, I mean it," she said. "Thank you."

"You had it covered," he a.s.sured her as he stepped over to the Bronco to open the pa.s.senger door for Zack.

She seemed to hesitate before she went around to the driver's side, as if she thought she should say something more.

"Goodbye. Again." She opened her door.

He just nodded and leaned into the car. "Get in the back," he whispered to the kid.

Zack was fast on his feet, both physically and mentally. He grinned, then hopped in the back seat and buckled up, as Will straightened to look over the roof of the Bronco at Samantha.

"What are you doing?" Her tone made it clear she not only knew, but was dead set against it.

"Going to Seattle. Unless I can talk you into taking Zack to the police and letting them handle this."

"I can't do that, Will."

He nodded, not in the least surprised. Hadn't he known there was a lot more to this? Common sense warned him to walk away. Who knew what he was letting himself in for? And he could be pretty sure Samantha wasn't going to tell him. On top of that, he'd lay odds that she still didn't have a plan. That in itself should have sent him packing.