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Right now, all I want to do is care for her, and feeding Manny would make my inner caveman beat his chest. “How are you feeling?”
“If I’m honest, not so flash. My head is sore. I was supposed to stock up on some painkillers before we left.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
She shrugs. “Doc gave me a couple of pills, but I will need some for home, and I didn’t want to take up any more of your and Shamus’s time than is necessary.”
“Don’t worry about us. We have more than enough spare hours to get back to our hotel and get ready for tonight.”Driving her to her front door is my priority.
“Would you also be able to go inside and pick me up another bottle of water and a bottle of Ibuprofen, please? Anything else you would like for yourself, and Shamus is my treat.” She holds up a wad of bills from her wallet, trying to suck me in with her innocent smile.
I ignore the offered cash. What’s Hamlet up to? I’ll have to leave her alone to prepay with money, fill up, move to a parking space, and go inside to buy her what she needs.
Shamus is pulling into a spare parking space. I‘m going to need his help.
“Put your money away. I am the reason your head slammed into the counter, so it will please me greatly to buy you whatever you need.” I have a credit card, and I can pay here to watch her.
She looks guilty, then confused, then adamant. She’s a rainbow of emotion.
Getting her address out of her will be like drawing blood from a stone.
I should have looked inside her wallet.
“Um… I think we are up now.”
“What for?”
She points at the windscreen. “Feeding Manny.”
I pull Manny into position, but before I get out of the car, I ask her, “Who is going to stay with you tonight?”
“My cousin and his wife. I’ll get looked after.”
I nod. “Okay.” I work my large body out of the car, taking Manny’s key with me.
The Little Miss Innocent act has a warning red flag flapping in my mind instead of the white surrender flag. She’s given me things to buy inside the rest stop, to delay me, and move me away from the car.
I always listen to my gut. It has saved my life on more than one occasion.
Once I’ve got Manny all gassed up, I get back in the Cooper and drive us over to a parking space in front of the rest stop window. I get out and hover by the driver’s door, waving my arm in the air.
“What are you waiting for?” Little Miss Innocent is onto me.
I bend over, leaning my elbows on the open window. “Patience, Shakespeare.” Yeah, I pulled out Shakespeare because I think this one is plotting her exit.
“But—”
“You got somewhere you need to be?” I dangle Manny’s keychain off one finger with a smug look on my face.
She folds her arms. “No.”
I stand up. “Shamus, nice to see you. Could you please keep Hamlet company while I attend to a few things?” He will put my mind at rest and give me time to go to the restroom because the red flag is still waving in my mind.
Hamlet’s conspiring against me.
Shamus rests an arm on the top of Manny’s roof and ducks his head. “Hey, Hamlet. Need some company? Okay, I’m here for ye.”
“Thank you, Shamus, but I’m perfectly adult enough to sit by myself.”
