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Why wasn’t she surprised?
Phae lowered the hood then crept by the sleeping man, gently shutting the door as she passed. She briefly reached into the truck bed before running toward Kent.
She shoved a beer bottle into one of the many pouches on her belt as she approached him.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said softly before jogging away.
Kent reacted slowly to her command. Certain facts begun combining into a startling conclusion: somehow, and he had no idea how, Phae had been aware that he’d been trailing her. There was no other explanation which could explain her reaction to his discovery. She was a cool-headed type, but she couldn’t be that cool.
How the hell had she known? And why was she heading away from town? To continue with this absurd outing?
He’d had enough of Captain Nice Guy for one night.
He raced after her, quickly overtaking her. Grabbing her around the waist and lifting her, he slung her over his shoulder and began tromping toward the woods.
It was time to go home and let the question and answer session begin.
“Put me down!” Phae hissed.
He ignored her. He was in charge now.
“I can make you put me down, you know,” Phae said calmly.
“I know you’ve got a black belt, but I don’t care. If you want to get away, you’ll have to hurt me. And I’m willing to bet that a woman who leaves cutesy notes on kids’ bikes won’t want to maim me.”
She sighed. “I don’t have a black belt. Do you have any idea how long it takes to get one of those? If it’s legit, anyway. But I don’t study that kind. And what makes you think you can carry me all the way back to town, assuming that’s where we’re headed?” Her tone was laced with sugary sweetness and she wrapped her arms around his torso.
He bristled. She had no right to be so infuriatingly chipper. He grunted his reply.
Phae plucked at his damp shirt. “I’ve got a small canteen in my belt. If you put me down, I’ll let you have a drink. Doesn’t that sound good?”
He lowered his head and continued his march through the forest.
“You know, Kent, you might get a hernia. Think about it. You’d be laid up for days, weeks maybe. Miss Eugenia would be so thrilled, she’d have a happy fit. You wouldn’t want to give your aunt a fit.”
Kent refused to react to her taunts.
“Just put me down,” she continued. “We’ll go get my car and drive home with air conditioning. Then we’ll talk about this whole thing in comfort. Come on. Let’s get my car.”
“Your car is out here?”
“Of course. That’s where I was heading when you snatched me up like Bigfoot.”
Kent told himself not to be stubborn. He had nothing to prove, and besides, the way he felt at that moment, the sooner he got back to Phae’s apartment, the better. He turned around and headed for the road.
“I’m glad you’re being reasonable,” she said. “But could you slow down a little? All this bouncing is making me nauseous.”
Kent clenched his jaw and slowed his pace. Phae remained mercifully silent until they reached the roadside and he shoved her off his shoulder.
She landed with a muffled thump on her butt. She stood and brushed herself off. “Thanks a lot, buddy. You’re a real tough guy, you know that?”
She stalked down the road like a cat that had been sprayed with a water hose.
Kent shrugged and followed her. He hadn’t meant to dump her like that, but damned if he’d apologize.
True to her word, her car was about two hundred yards down the road in a dilapidated, deserted barn. The car was covered in a pile of moldering hay, leaves and branches. He helped her pull the mess onto the barn floor.
When they finished, Kent demanded that Phae give him the keys. She sighed then reached into a pocket on her belt and handed them over.
He cranked up the a/c then slowly drove them out onto the road, fearing that the barn might collapse around them before they could get out. They soon passed Trapper’s Tavern, Leon still sleeping soundly in the parking lot.
Kent attempted to sound calm when he asked, “How long did you know I was following you?”
Phae turned her head away and looked out the passenger window. “If I tell you, you’re going to yell at me.”
“I’ll risk it.”
She turned toward him. “Before I say anything else, let me say that you did a good job for your first try. I’m certain I didn’t do half as well when I started.”
“Are you placating me? Don’t.”
“Fine. Since you asked, I knew almost immediately. I’d gone about a block or so when I realized someone was following me. I circled around and snuck up behind you. When I saw it was you, I didn’t know what to do. And then you went and got that dog all worked up. You sure did shoot out of there and race down the street.”
He heard amusement in her tone and had to suppress his annoyance. “Don’t push it.”
“Sorry. The same thing has happened to me more than once. Hey, slow down.” She leaned forward and pointed at the road ahead. “Is that a dog up there in the ditch?”
Kent slowed the car and looked. Sure enough, a small brown dog was digging around in the underbrush.
“I know that dog. Stop,” Phae said as they neared the animal.
“No more good deeds tonight, Phae. We’re going to your apartment.”
“If you don’t stop this car immediately, I’ll jump out.” She opened the door.
He slammed on the brakes, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward him. “Are you crazy? You could get yourself killed!”
Phae yanked her arm away and leaped out of the car. She turned around and leaned down to where Kent could see her hard, camouflaged features in the glow of the dome light.
Her voice was low and harsh. “Never touch me like that again. It hurt and I won’t allow it to happen again. Do you understand me?”
He flinched. Damn. He hadn’t realized he’d grabbed her too hard. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was upset. You could have fallen under the wheels of the car.”
The harsh lines of her face didn’t soften much. “Just don’t do it again.”
She turned and called to the dog in the ditch.
Kent realized he needed to calm the hell down. His frustration had been growing steadily all night. He breathed deeply as he listened to Phae cajole the reticent animal.
She picked up the dog and got back into the car. “It won’t take but a few moments to drop her off at her house, I promise.”
He eyed the little brown, furry dog. It yapped loudly and struggled in Phae’s arms.
“Shh, Frisky. It’s only Kent and he won’t hurt you,” she crooned. “Pet her, would you? She’ll calm down if you make friends.”
Kent stretched a hand toward the small animal, letting her sniff before patting her head. In no time, Frisky squirmed out of Phae’s grasp and lay between them, her head resting on Kent’s lap.
Phae smiled. “You have a way with her that I didn’t expect. Especially after the way you set off practically every dog in Zeke’s Bend tonight.”
Kent gave Frisky a final pat before continuing the drive home. “I didn’t notice much barking after that first house.”
“I’m just glad it was a full moon. Most pet owners know that dogs tend to bark more than normal when the moon is full. That’s the only thing that saved us. Well, that and my pouch full of dog treats.”
“Precisely what are you saying, Phae?”
“I’m saying that while you checked out my good deeds, or whenever you lagged behind, I calmed down all the dogs you’d excited.”
He frowned. “I didn’t lag behind. I was always right behind you.”
In his peripheral vision, he saw Phae shaking her head.
“No you weren’t,” she said. “You were only able to keep up because I let you. I could have lost you in a second. I only let you follow me because I wanted you to—”
“That’s enough,” he
interrupted, his anger reawakening. “Let’s stop talking until we get to your apartment.” That will give me time to get myself together again, he thought.
He assumed her silence was assent.
In a few minutes, Phae gave Kent terse directions to Frisky’s house, then said nothing else. Kent mutely found his way to the street and stopped the car.
Phae opened her door and picked up Frisky. “I’ll be back in a second. Turn off the headlights, would you? It’s a big gamble, being out in my own car this time of night.”
He complied with her wishes then watched her trot behind a house to his left. It looked familiar, but that didn’t surprise him. He’d seen nearly every house in town that night.
Phae jogged back to the car and hopped into the passenger seat. “Hit it, Clyde,” she said as she fastened her seat belt.
Kent looked once more at the house where she’d left Frisky. Then he remembered and groaned. “Oh no.”
