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She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t help it. I hope you don’t kid about the surgery like that with patients and family, Beck.”
“Nope. I put on my responsible doctor mask.”
“I’ll bet that explanation is still too graphic for me.” She winced. “I feel sick.”
“If you’re going to toss your tea, let me know. I’ll hold your hair back,” Hammer offered.
She huffed at him. “You’ll pull my hair, you mean.”
“Every chance I get,” Hammer growled softly in her ear.
“Hold off on barfing all over the backseat,” Beck quipped. “I’m stopping in a couple of miles for gas.”
“Good. I need to hit the restroom.” Raine crossed her legs. The tea had gone right through her.
Seth jerked awake and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Huh?”
“We’re stopping,” Beck explained again.
A few minutes later, the doctor whipped into the parking lot of a convenience store. After pulling alongside a gas pump, Beck killed the engine.
“Can you let me out?” she asked Hammer.
Before he could reply, Liam’s cell phone buzzed. Beside her, he tensed as he dug the device out of his pocket and scanned the screen. A terrible anger crossed his face.
Suddenly, Macen scrambled out of the car and tugged on Raine’s arm.
“Hang on,” she insisted. “You don’t have to yank me out.”
Hammer didn’t let up. “You said you had to go.”
As soon as she stepped out of the car, Raine snatched her arm back with a scowl. Liam wasn’t the only one acting weird today. “I’m not a toddler. I can hold it until I get inside. Geez…”
Hammer darted a glance behind her. Raine peeked over her shoulder to see Liam climb out the other side of the vehicle, cell phone pressed to his ear as he marched away in agitation. Raine frowned.
“I’m just trying to be helpful.” Hammer took her arm once more. “I’ll walk you to the bathroom.”
Walk her? “I can find it by myself. The place isn’t that big.”
Hammer narrowed his eyes and he hauled her toward the mini-mart. “Then get your sexy little ass inside and take care of business.”
Raine turned to leave. She totally understood the urgency of Beck’s situation. But Hammer furiously watching whatever tense exchange Liam had? That worried the hell out of her.
“Who is Liam talking to?” she asked.
Hammer tugged his wallet from his back pocket. “I don’t know. When you’re done in the restroom, grab some bottles of water for us.”
“I hate it when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Ignore my questions. Obviously, something is upsetting Liam.”
“If there was something you needed to know, I’d tell you.”
“Would you?” Raine bristled. “I don’t think you’re giving me the whole story. Wasn’t it just…oh, last night that you two promised me honesty and communication?”
“Tuck your insecurities away, precious.” He pushed the twenty-dollar bill into her hand. “Go to the bathroom. Get the water. I’ll meet you at the car. Everything is fine.”
Everything wasn’t fine. Something had upset Liam, and Hammer didn’t want her to know what. They’d sworn that if they all communicated their thoughts and feelings, the three of them could have a great future. What they meant was, if she opened up and ripped her guts out for them, they would appreciate that, but they didn’t see the need to reciprocate.
Hurt scalded her. Supposedly, she was important enough for them to share what was in their hearts. Why wasn’t she important enough for the truth?
Without another word, Raine hurried into the store. Just inside, she paused behind a rack of greeting cards and spied out the large plate glass window. Beck filled the gas tank. Seth stood outside the passenger side of the car, stretching his arms high above his head as he yawned. And Liam… He still had the phone pressed to his ear as he paced the parking lot with long, deliberate strides, back ramrod straight.
“Sure. Everything is just peachy,” she muttered. “Assholes.”
Liam had been this sort of distant before he’d uncollared her. Though the situations weren’t the same, for whatever reason, Liam wasn’t letting her in. Even worse, she suspected everyone in the car knew why…except her.
Her faith and trust began to slip.
Raine nearly knee-jerked and considered packing a bag as soon as she reached Shadows. But they’d been through too much these past few days, worked through so many issues—at least she’d thought so. They’d told her they loved her. God knew she loved them.
Through so many of her half truths and uncertainties, they’d stuck it out and kept chipping away at her walls until they’d uncovered her heart. Didn’t she owe them the same? Maybe they were being secretive for a good reason.
Outside, Hammer tossed a glance over his shoulder, looking toward the store. Raine slouched lower, ignoring the confused clerk’s stare from behind the counter.
A moment later, Macen jogged over to Liam, who ended his call. They exchanged words.
She couldn’t read lips and would never be able to hear anything from inside. Damn it, she really did need to use the bathroom.
