AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Inside the cottage, he led her to a chair at the table and opened the picnic basket. He pulled out a bottle of wine, two stemless wine glasses, and an opener. He laid cheese, sliced and arranged prettily on a plate on the table. A loaf of French bread, sliced and repackaged, a container with cold cuts arranged in a circle, and a container with lettuce and small jars of mustard, mayonnaise, and ranch dressing followed. Finally, a container with fresh vegetables. He set the basket aside and began opening the wine while she arranged the rest of the food on the table.
“Wow, when you ask Helissa for a picnic, she delivers,” she exclaimed.
“She is a great addition to our group. She’s dependable, she doesn’t ask questions, and she does a great job keeping us full and clean.”
She laughed. “That she does.”
Spencer poured them each a glass of wine and sat across the table from her. It was a small round wooden table, so they were still very close. He held up his glass of wine. “Here’s to us, Kenna. And to you and all the decisions you have to make.”
She smiled. “Here’s to us.” The other would come. Hopefully.
They tapped their glasses together and sipped their wine. Spencer’s stomach growled again, and she giggled.
“Eat. Hurry before your stomach revolts.”
He laughed but began building a sandwich. She did the same.
“What are your parents like?” she asked.
His grin was lopsided, as he had food in his mouth. He swallowed, then responded, “They’re great. My dad has been an operative for over thirty years now. My mom stayed home with me when I was younger and she helped homeschool my teammates and me. We all grew up together and the moms and dads took part in our education.”
“So you didn’t go to public school?”
“No, they considered it too dangerous. Some missions our parents went on brought criminals too close for comfort. My half-sister, Dani, was kidnapped once when Maya and Myles’ mom was guarding her. My mom and dad were just beginning their relationship and my mom let herself be kidnapped so she could find Dani. From all accounts, my dad was a raging bull to get them back. So, to answer your question, they take safety seriously. They love us all, meaning my teammates and also Dani and me, without exception. They are supportive and their love is what I’ve always dreamed of finding for myself.”
Hmm. She watched his face as he bit into his sandwich, but she kept replaying his comments in her head. “...their love is what I’ve always dreamed of finding for myself.” His mom was brave and so was his dad. His teammates were too. They put themselves in danger to save others every day. Spencer didn’t hesitate to help her. He didn’t wait to be asked, he just did. If she was to be the kind of partner he’d always dreamed of, she’d need to be the kind of woman his mom was. Brave.
She swallowed another bite of her sandwich and sipped her wine.
She received a text and her stomach nearly turned over as she read it.
“Have a nice time.”
And the picture was of this cottage.
She swallowed the food in her mouth and took a deep breath. Turning her phone so Spencer could see it, she waited for his response.
He jumped up and looked out the windows, then he turned to her. “Lock the doors behind me. I’m going out to see if I can find him.”
She jumped up and locked the doors, watching from window to window to see if she could see anyone lurking. She picked up her phone and looked at the picture again and determined the direction to be on the other side of the pond.
When she looked out the front windows, she saw Spencer heading in that direction, and she decided to help him find Colt. That’s what Spencer’s mom would do.
She took a deep breath and unlocked the front door. She stepped off the porch and followed Spencer’s footsteps. Perhaps Colt would see her and react, which would ferret out his location. One could hope.
Her phone buzzed again, and she pulled up the picture that was attached to it. She whipped her head around to see if Colt was on the front porch, because that’s definitely where the picture had been taken from. She headed toward the cottage to check if he had made his way inside. She listened closely for any movement or sound, but could only hear frogs and birds chirping and the buzz of bugs as she kicked them up from the grass.
The sun glinted off something on the north side of the cottage and she changed her direction. Her heart raced, and her palms dampened as she neared the area. She struggled to breathe evenly. She neared the north corner to the cottage and peered around the side to see if anyone was there.
She found herself pulled backwards, and a hand pressed over her mouth, muffling her screams. She wriggled and floundered, trying to pull away. Her heels struggled to dig in as she was dragged back toward a vehicle, and panic flooded her body that she’d be taken away from here without Spencer knowing.
41
He struggled to keep them upright. Damn, she was a fighter.
“Stop,” he hissed near her ear.
He loosened his hold on her body but kept his hand tight over her mouth. “Kenna. It’s me, Spencer. Stop fighting.”
