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She cleared her throat to hide the fact that she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she wanted to be. “I’m not comfortable traveling like this. I feel almost naked.”
A crooked smile kicked up one corner of his mouth, but she refused to let it distract her. “We have no idea how long it’s going to take to fix the van,” she went on. “We might reach Salt Lake too late for the stores to be open.”
“If you go out, you could walk right into Manuel’s arms.” The click of his mouse brought up a new screen. “But if you’re that uncomfortable, I’ll get you and Max some clothes when I finish here.”
“Rosa said Manuel thinks I left town. He’s searching elsewhere already,” she told him, knowing that otherwise he wouldn’t see the point of taking this kind of risk. “And I’m just sitting around, doing nothing. Let me shop for what I need, and…and I’ll be right back. You wouldn’t know what to buy for us, anyway.”
The smile disappeared as his eyes went to her again. “Wait a second. You’re not thinking of leaving Max here with me.”
She curled her fingernails into her palms. “We’d be too obvious if we were out together. And I’m on foot. It’ll be easier without him.”
Preston shook his head. “No way.”
“Why not? I’ll be quick.”
He scowled. “I don’t babysit.”
“It won’t be like babysitting.” She waved at her son. “See? He’s so immersed in SpongeBob SquarePants he’s not even paying attention to us.”
“He could start crying the moment he realizes you’re gone.”
“I won’t leave without telling him.”
“Where are you going, Mommy?” Max asked, joining in as if on cue.
“I have to run out and pick up some new clothes, okay, baby?”
“What about our old ones?”
“We lost those.”
“No, we didn’t. They’re in the other motel, remember?”
“Someone took them,” she said. “Will you be good for Preston if I leave you here with him?”
“No. I want to go with you,” he said, but he sounded halfhearted about it, and the cartoon he’d found so fascinating a moment earlier drew him back almost immediately.
“Okay?” she said to Preston. “He’s happy. He won’t be any trouble at all. You’ll be able to—” she motioned toward his computer “—do whatever it is you’re doing, and I’ll be back before you know it.”
She could tell Preston wasn’t pleased, but she could also sense him softening. “Come on,” she said. “I’ll take your cell phone so we can talk if necessary. I’ll be an hour at most.”
His scowl darkened, but he finally nodded. “Okay. But wear my ball cap and sunglasses.” His eyes flicked over her legs once again. “And unless you want to stop traffic, you’d better put on a pair of my sweats.”
Emma couldn’t resist feeling somewhat gratified by the compliment, but she chose to concentrate on the practical. “I’ll stand out like a sore thumb if I wear sweats in this weather. It’s nearly ninety degrees.”
“Well, put on one of my T-shirts, at least. It’ll hit you lower than what you’re wearing now,” he said, but he didn’t move to get it for her.
“Do you want me to take it out of your suitcase?”
“It’s open,” he said indifferently.
She selected a folded Nike shirt and pulled it over her swimsuit. Then she borrowed his sunglasses, twisted her hair up under his cap and collected his cell phone. “How do I look?”
He stared at her for a moment without speaking. “Keep your head down,” he said in place of an answer.
Snatching up her purse, Emma said a silent prayer that she’d be able to find what she needed and get right back. Then she slipped out.
IT WASN’T AS DIFFICULT to locate a pharmacy as Emma had thought it might be. The manager of the Starlight directed her up the street, almost to the other end of town, to Ely Drugs. She and Preston had actually passed this drugstore yesterday. But that was before Emma had needed a pharmacy, so she hadn’t really noticed. It had simply blended in with Mr. G’s, a boarded-up casino, a series of budget motels, pizza places and other businesses lining the street.
The sun reflected off the glass front of the store, making it impossible to see inside. Her shoulders ached with the anxiety she’d felt as she walked. And now that she was here, her scalp tingled with fear. This was the moment of truth. If Manuel hadn’t been fooled by what Rosa told him, he or one of his men could well be waiting for her inside.
She felt so vulnerable. She’d tested Max’s blood right before she left to make sure he’d be okay while she was gone. But that meant she only had one test strip now. For his sake, she couldn’t run and hide, much as she wanted to. She had to do this.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the door and stepped inside. Only afterward, when the short jingle she’d set off fell silent, did she breathe a sigh of relief. The store was empty except for a clerk in the gift section, the balding pharmacist in back and an older woman with white hair who was paying for a few items at the cash register.
“Will that be all, Mrs. Williams?” she heard the clerk ask.
Gripping her purse more tightly, Emma moved directly to the pharmacy counter and rang the bell, even though she knew the pharmacist had already seen her coming.
He frowned slightly at her impatience, but didn’t let her hurry him.
Come on…come on. Heart pounding, Emma fidgeted with the display of Chap Stick next to a bucket of nail clippers.
The pharmacist finished whatever he was working on, set it aside, and finally came to the counter. “Been swimming already this morning, have you?”
Her cheeks went warm. She was wearing Preston’s T-shirt as a cover-up, but she still felt embarrassed parading around town in her swimsuit. “No, not yet.”
“Doesn’t hurt to be prepared, I guess. What can I do for you?”
She ordered everything she needed, except the emergency glucagon kit. Only the glucagon required a prescription, which she didn’t have with her. Reaching Max’s endocrinologist through his receptionist and dealing with the necessary red tape would take too long, and if she had to do without something, the kit was the most expendable. It was over a year since Max had been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and she hadn’t needed it yet. Chances were good that he’d be fine without this fail-safe. In a few days, when things settled down, she’d figure out how to come by another one.
