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Eve hunched her shoulders against the rising wind and headed in the direction of the caves, all the while alert for any sign of Nola or Nick or the man from the library.
Eve heard the rumble of a car behind her but forced herself to ignore it and not let every little sound scare her. She expected the car to speed past her but it continued its slow trek behind her and it was all she could do not to take off running. Instead, she whipped around ready to tell Nick to get lost but the words died on her lips. It was Shaun O’Keefe in his junky pickup truck. He pulled up next to her and leaned over to roll down the passenger side window.
“Any luck?” Shaun asked.
“No,” Eve said. “I’m checking one more spot then I’m going home.”
“Hop in, I’ll drive you,” Shaun said.
Eve was tempted. From here, the walk to the caves would take forever. “You don’t have to,” Eve said. “I’m sure you probably have better things to do.”
“Not really. If I go home now I’ll have to help load Christmas trees onto people’s cars. I’d much rather look with you.” Shaun gave Eve a lopsided smile. “Come on, I bet you’re freezing.”
“I am,” Eve admitted and against her better judgment opened the door and stepped up into the truck and slid in next to Shaun.
“Where do you want to go next?” he asked.
What Eve wanted was for Shaun to put his truck into gear and drive her far away from Grotto. Somewhere warm and sunny and miles away from her mother and Nola and Nick. But she knew that wasn’t going to happen so instead she said, “I think we should go to the caves. The ones on Ransom Road.”
Shaun looked at Eve quizzically. “Really? Why would she go there?”
Eve shrugged. “Nola goes there sometimes.”
“Okay.” Shaun revved the engine. “Let’s go.”
The cab of the truck was warm and smelled like pine needles. Eve’s muscles, tight from the cold, began to relax. Her eyes grew heavy and she had to fight to stay awake. She told herself that she’d only close them for a moment and leaned her head against the window.
As she dozed, Eve was vaguely aware that they had been driving for too long. They should be at Ransom Road by now. She opened her eyes with a start and scanned her surroundings. Eve had no idea where they were. A surge of panic ran through her.
“Shaun,” Eve said, grabbing onto the dashboard. They were out in the country on some rural road she didn’t recognize. They sped past bare, lonely-looking farm fields and Eve searched for some familiar landmarks but found none. “Where are we? Where are we going?” Eve demanded.
“I thought you said Ransom Caves.” Shaun looked over at her, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. “That’s what you said, right?”
“This isn’t the way,” Eve said. How could she have been so dumb? Why would she get into a car with a guy she barely knew? Nola was right, Eve thought. She was stupid. “Go back. Go back!” she insisted.
“Whoa,” Shaun said taking one hand off the steering wheel and reaching out for Eve. She scooted out of his reach and pressed herself against the door. “We’re almost there,” he said. “I’m taking a back road. It takes longer to get to but we won’t have to walk as far. Look.”
Eve followed Shaun’s gaze as he slowed the truck and took a left on a gravel road lined with towering pine trees. “I still don’t know where we are,” Eve said. “I told you Ransom Caves, right below my house.”
“I know, I know.” Shaun laughed. “Calm down. That’s where we are. This is an old service road. It will take us pretty close to the caves and we won’t have to cross the creek or climb over any rocks.”
They bumped down the winding gravel road that ended in a wall of trees. Shaun stopped the truck and put it into Park. “The caves are just through there. You still want to go look?” He asked.
Eve didn’t know what to do. No one knew where she was. No one knew who she was with.
“We can leave if you want,” Shaun said. “Just tell me and I can take you home.”
Eve reminded herself that not every guy was Nick or the jerks from the bus stop or Cam Harper. This was Shaun, a person she’d spent an hour with nearly every single day that school year. In study hall he was a good guy, Eve thought. She was being an idiot.
“No, I’m okay,” Eve finally said. “I just never knew there was another way in.”
“Yeah, not too many people do,” Shaun said, throwing open the truck door and stepping out onto the gravel.
Eve hesitated, not wanting to leave the warmth and safety of the truck. Shaun started walking toward the caves and then stopped when he realized she wasn’t following him. Eve knew she was being ridiculous. Shaun had never given any hint that he was interested in her. He could be doing a million different things this afternoon, but he was just being nice, a friend.
Eve opened her door and walked to Shaun’s side. Before them was a grove of tall, spindly pine trees. Their footsteps were soundless beneath the soft rug of fallen pine needles as they began to move forward. It smelled like Christmas.
They were walking for only a minute when Eve saw the back of Nola’s coat. A dingy purple hand-me-down. A double hand-me-down, Nola called it. Eve had picked it from a secondhand store a few years ago and when she was done with it, Nola claimed it as her own. Nola never cared what she looked like. Clothes kept her warm, kept her covered. That was enough. Eve and Shaun ducked behind a copse of trees.
