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“Nothing I’d rather be doing.”
Lainie placed a hand on the woman’s forearm. “Be careful,” she said. “I know this guy isn’t Adam, but he wants me to think he is. And if he’s capable of behaving like Adam, then he’s dangerous.”
“I got this, I promise. This is what I do on a daily basis, so please don’t worry about me.”
Lainie nodded, still not completely convinced, but feeling slightly better about the whole thing. “Oh, wait. Our scrubs are different. Allison spoke to me when I walked in. If I—you—walk out in different clothes, she’ll wonder.”
“Good point. Let’s trade.”
Once they were done, Lainie rubbed her arms and gulped down her anxiety. “All right, then, out you go while I get myself all fixed up with the rest of this.”
Savannah shot her a reassuring smile that did nothing of the sort for Lainie’s nerves, turned on her heel, and walked out the door.
Over the next ten minutes, Lainie transformed herself into a completely different person. She slipped a surgical mask over her nose and chin for good measure and headed for the back exit where James should be waiting.
And he was. She slid into the passenger seat of the 4Runner, and he grinned. “Wow. You don’t look like you.”
She removed the mask and rolled her eyes. “I think that was the point.”
“Well, you did a good job.”
“Savannah did too.” She fisted her hands on her thighs. “I really hope this works, James.”
“As soon as they catch him, we’ll head to the station so you can hear what he has to say.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“And, I’ll share a little secret with you. We’ve got cameras set up in your house. Kind of like sophisticated baby monitors. Savannah’s in communication with her backup, and I can talk to her through the app on my phone.”
Lainie wilted onto the seat. “Okay, you’ve convinced me.”
He shot her a lopsided grin. “Good. We’ll get my Jeep, and then I guess it’s time for me to pull on my big-boy britches and go say hello to my family.”
FOR THE NEXTFORTY-FIVE MINUTES,James took his time navigating the twists and turns that finally led them to the road to Lake City Lake, set high up in the mountains. Dumbest name for a lake that ever was, but he’d grown up on its shores and spent time there whenever possible, and he had to admit, he loved the place.
The fact that Lainie was going to be with him this time made him glad in ways that almost made him laugh. Lainie had been a regular at the lake house from the time they were kids. Granted, she’d been there as Steph’s friend, not his, so why would this time be any different?
Because he was different.
Lainie was different.
Everythingwas different.
But ...whywas it different?
He shot a glance at the silent woman beside him. Because of an attraction that hadn’t been there before. She’d always been Steph’s friend. A cute friend, but that had been it. Now ... now? Yeah, now, she was still Steph’s friend, but...
Unfortunately, there was thatbut.
And there shouldn’t be one.
Butthere was.
So what was he going to do about it?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “You have a weird look on your face.”
