Phoebe stared at her in amazement. "Wow" she said. "You look like someone who just got out of jail. Relax a little bit, will you?"
Kimberly stared at her and smiled. "I'm happy" she said. "I need this. After everything I have been through, I need this. And I definitely don't need anyone watching my every move while I'm at it"
"Alright" Phoebe said as she smiled back at her. Even if she wasn't entirely sure of what they were doing, she loved this fun part of Kimberly. "Whatever you need to to get this out of your system. Just be careful"
Kimberly nodded. The cab was toasty warm from the pickup’s excellent heater and they were on their way somewhere with cowboys and country western music. Kimberly turned on the radio. Wouldn’t you know it was set to a country station?
A duet. A man and a woman singing about the hot and dangerous love they once had and how they wanted that again. Kimberly tu
But he was too proud. And too ambitious. And he was drawn to her. And he didn’t want her hurt, either—at least, no more than she had already been hurt by those damn kidnappers.So he hadn’t spoken up. He hadn't insisted on another team member handling the job. And he hadn't taken a different assignment. And now he had left her to turn to her impetuous friend to find a way to escape him.The town vanished behind him. The dark highway lay ahead, growing darker as clouds crept across the face of the moon and obscured the thick wash of bright stars. He pressed the gas harder, adjusted the Bluetooth device in his ear and kept going.-------------------------------On the radio, a lonely cowboy begged his girl to come over. By then, Kimberly had it turned to full volume.Phoebe turned to her. "Can you cool it a little bit" she said. But she laughed too.Kimberly turned to her
Kimberly climbed onto her stool, drained the last of her beer and waited for Clara to glance her way.She sensed a manly presence behind her. Smiling, she turned to face the cowboy she knew would be standing there, planning to tell him she would be happy to dance with him as soon as she’d made a phone call.Her heart jumped into her throat and got stuck there, cutting off her air, when she saw that it wasn’t a cowboy at all.It was Asher Adams.----------------------------------He was wearing jeans and rawhide boots, a dark sweatshirt and a heavy canvas jacket. He smelled of the cold mountain air outside and he looked more dangerous and exciting and wonderful than any of the handsome cowboys she’d danced with so far. His expression, however, was even bleaker than usual.“Time to go, Kimberly” He said. His voice sent the usual infuriating warm shivers cascading through her.
His face remained carved in stone while his eyes burned with dark fury. He glared at her for a slow count of five and she became a little concerned that he would actually touch her, that he would manacle her arm with that big hand of his and drag her bodily from the premises. Sparks chased themselves beneath her skin at the very idea.But he had iron control obviously, because in the end, he only turned sharply on his heel and went where she’d told him to go.------------------------Asher watched her.It was all he was allowed to do, all she had permitted him to do.Watch.As she danced with another cowboy. And another after that. Frustration built. He wanted to grab her and throw her over his shoulder and carry her out of there bodily. But he could never do any such thing. She was his boss daughter and he was there to protect her. And that meant, when it came right down to his wil
“The minute I saw you, I knew you were special,” he whispered in her ear, his breath reeking of stale beer. “All ladylike on the outside, hotter than a bottle rocket underneath, just begging for the right man to set you off.” Gary David said.It was too much.“That’s enough. Release me, now.” she said.Past Gary David's shoulder, Asher appeared. She saw nothing but stillness and calm intent in his eyes. He was no more than a foot away.Gary David seemed to have no clue that Asher was there.“Aw, now, sweetheart, don’t go getting riled,” he whispered. He nuzzled her hair. “You and me got chemistry.”Asher reached out.“So you might as well—” Asher touched Gary David's shoulder and Gary stopped talking. The cowboy’s mouth formed a round O and his eyes went flat. He let go of her, his arms dropping boneless to his sides as his knees crumpled and he collapse
“No.” She said. She spoke softly. Without animosity, but with what seemed to him a deep and infinite sadness. “Please. Can we just go to the apartment? I couldn’t bear to go back in there now.”He considered suggesting that they take rooms at the motel behind the roadhouse to wait out the storm. But she was in no condition to spend the night in some cheap motor lodge.He stared at her. “You’re certain you want to risk the highway in this weather?” he asked one more time.She nodded, still staring straight ahead. “Please. Let’s just go.” She said.So off they went.--------------------------The snow came down harder. And the wind blew the thick whiteness horizontally, straight at the windshield. He drove slowly, with care.But it was bad and getting worse. Almost immediately, visibility went from poor to practically nothing. He started thinking about suggestin
The windshield and windows were still intact. The front end looked pretty bad, though, all crooked and crumpled.Asher reached around his deflated air bag and started the car.Or he tried to. All he raised was a click, after which the headlights went dark.The whites of his eyes gleamed at her through the shadows. “Don’t worry. I’ll try again.” He said. He did. Another click. And again. More clicking, but not even a hint of a response from the engine.“Uh-oh,” she said softly. And she thought of that poor old man again. “Asher. We have to get out of this vehicle and get back up to the road. We have to make sure that man is all right.” She said.He regarded her steadily through the gloom. “You’re shivering.” he said softly.The engine wasn’t working—and that meant neither was the heater. She wrapped her arms around herself and ordered her teeth not to chatter. “It’s nothing. I
He considered. “Fair enough." he said. "Then I will decide. And I think it’s best if I try to get up to the road, at least. I’ll set some flares.” He held them up. “And I’ll see if that brown pickup is anywhere nearby—and if it is, I’ll see if there’s anything I can do for the driver.”She knew he was right in what he planned to do, even though she longed to beg him not to do it. “You won’t go far?” she said, not understanding where this sudden care for him was coming from.“No."he replied." I won't. My main responsibility is you, to keep you safe and well. You’re the priority.”She was so grateful to hear him say that—at the same time as she felt deeply ashamed to have gotten them into this awful situation. She had behaved badly on any number of levels and her evening of adventure had somehow gotten completely out of control.She sent a little prayer to heaven that God would be merciful and protect the
“You’re freezing,” she said softly.“I’ll warm up, don’t worry.” he said, dismissing his well being like it didn't matter once again.“Oh, please. It’s almost as cold in here as it is out there.” She said.Cold and getting colder. Her nose felt like a small slab of ice. She gathered her feet underneath her and wrapped the blankets tighter. It had been a little chilly, even that morning, so she’d worn lacy tights, though she’d been tempted to go without them. Now, she was very grateful for at least that one good choice she’d made in a day and evening of really bad ones.He tried his phone again. “Nothing,” he told her after a minute.“What time is it? Do you know?”He pulled back the sleeves of the jacket and sweatshirt to reveal his watch.“Twelve-forty.” he said.She shivered a little. “Already tomorrow...” she said.