Page 5 of Forsaken Trail (Runaway 4)

“About that. There’s sort of been a change of plan.”

I let her go and narrowed my eyes. “What change?”

The whirl of tires and the hum of an engine filled the air before she could answer. A shiny black Jaguar came down the driveway and my heart dropped.

No. That son of a bitch Brody Carmichael was going to ruin my vacation.

“He’s supposed to be gone.” If he dared encroach on my time with Clara, I’d sneak poison ivy into his bed.

“It’s not his fault.” Clara sighed, quick to defend her boss.

“Did his private plane not have enough spiced cashews for his liking? Surely he can afford jet fuel.”

The second-best part of this week, besides Clara and Gus, was Brody’s scheduled absence. Clara knew there was no love lost between me and her boss, so she’d suggested travel dates that coincided with his vacation.

Yet here he was, parking a car that likely cost more than all of my worldly possessions combined.

Brody parked behind the Cadillac and stepped out of his car, sliding the sunglasses off his face. He wore a navy suit tailored to perfection around his broad shoulders and long legs. In the years I’d known him, I’d never seen him in anything but a suit. Did he not own jeans?

“Brody!” August raced over, holding up a hand for a high five. “Aunt Aria is here. We’re gonna open my presents.”

“I see that.” Brody’s lips turned up in a smile. Barely.

If the man ever learned how to deliver one properly, actually show some teeth, he’d be devastating. Especially with the dark, trimmed beard he’d grown a few years ago. It gave him a sexy edge. Or it would have, if his perpetually sour mood wasn’t such a major turnoff.

He definitely, definitely didn’t turn me on. Oh no.

Broderick Carmichael was enemy number one.

One day I hoped to convince Clara to quit her job with Brody and join me in Oregon. The only flaw in my plan was that she loved her job. She loved her boss.

My beautiful, loyal sister had been duped by the devil.

“Hey.” Clara waved at Satan incarnate. “How was the flight back?”

The flight back? From where?

“Fine.” He shrugged. “Just wanted to stop by and see how you’re feeling.”

“I’m good,” she lied.

“She’s sick,” I corrected. “And she’ll be spending the weekend recuperating.”

His jaw clenched but he didn’t respond. He simply gave Clara a nod. “Call me if you need anything. See you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be ready,” she said.

Without another word, he ruffled August’s hair, then got in his car and disappeared.

I turned on my sister. “Um . . . ready for what?”

“It’s nothing. Just a work thing. And I don’t have the energy to get into it right now, so how about presents and that nap you mentioned?”

If not for her cold, I would have insisted on answers. But I’d gotten pretty good at ignoring Brody’s existence, and Clara deserved a break.

So I did exactly what I’d promised. I hauled in my things and we both cheered as August opened his gifts. With their living room littered with wrapping paper, I put her to bed and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening entertaining Gus before it was time to put him to bed.

With him tucked in bed, I did the same for my sister, who’d roused around dinner.