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“Crossword puzzle. You have to get up pretty early around here to have a shot at it,” Noah said. “What’s ‘scold harshly’? Eight letters. Second letter might be an a.”
“Lambaste,” she said without hesitation.
“Of course.” He smacked himself on the forehead. “Sorry again about insulting your intelligence last night. The more I think about it, the more I can’t believe how rude it was.”
“Did your mom put you up to apologizing?”
“No.” He chuckled. “It’s just that smartandsexy is such a rare combo.”
“Why, Noah Walsh,” Daisy said, feigning surprise. “Are you paying me a compliment?”
“There’s no denying you’re sexy,” he said matter-of-factly. “It was the smart that snuck up and surprised me.”
“Eh. You’re not the first person to see me that way.”
“Well, I’m sorry on behalf of society then,” he said, and she smiled.
“It’s all right. It’s like having a secret weapon. Plus, I’m more street-smart than book-smart. My skills aren’t really useful for making a living.”
“All the foreign languages you speak could come in handy.”
“I suppose. Maybe I’ll become a spy.”
He rolled his eyes.
Together, they finished their coffee and the crossword puzzle.
Noah’s mom came out to let them know she’d made pancakes and eggs. “You solved the whole puzzle?” she asked Noah. “That’s impressive.”
“It was Daisy,” Noah said, tipping his head to her. “I get the easy ones. She solves the hard ones.”
“Good for you, Daisy.”
After breakfast, Mrs. Walsh hugged them goodbye. “Don’t be a stranger,” she said, kissing Noah’s cheek. “You either, Daisy.”
Back in the truck, he asked where she wanted to head next.
“Let’s just drive,” she said. “I’ll get a feel for where to go once we’re on the road.”
“You’re killing me. You know that, right?”
She laughed. “I know, Mr. Must Have Everything Planned to the Minute. You’ll survive.”
“I’ll do this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants planning, but not in this hunk of junk. First stop is Lewisburg to get a reliable rental car, and I don’t want any argument.”
“I don’t want any argument,” she mocked in a deep voice. “That’s fine. I wouldn’t mind a functioning air conditioner.”
While they waited for someone to bring the rental car around, Noah called her dad but walked away so she couldn’t hear what he said. He returned with a grim look.
“Your dad’s kind of freaking out.”
“Well, if you told him about the shooting, I can see why.”
“He’s the one paying the bill. I have to keep him up to date and be honest with him. He wants you to come home and forget this whole award show.”
“Not gonna happen. I’m not letting someone scare me into hiding.”
“That’s what I said you’d say,” he said. “He agreed and told me he’d pay me extra to kidnap you and bring you back.”
