The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,70

her. “I think your mother just lost something.”

She grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’ve suspected for years that she wore a headpiece. This disaster was worth the proof.”

He couldn’t help but laugh.

“The ladder’s over there. We better get out of here while we can,” she said.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, swimming to the ladder on the other side. She picked up his shoes and walked around the edge of the pool, meeting him as he climbed out.

“I mean, Knickers is about to go ballistic, and we need to be as far away from ground zero as possible. Trust me. I know this from firsthand experience.”

“I thought she was already there.”

“You’re cute.” She grabbed his hand, her fingers curling around his. “Let’s run upstairs and get you changed first.”

“What about Noah?” he asked, looking for his brother.

“I think Libby has him covered.”

She swung wide of her mother, who was giving the animal control officer an earful. They snuck in the back door and headed for the stairs, leaving a trail of water from Josh’s dripping clothes. “We have to hurry and leave before she notices we’re gone, or we’ll be stuck.”

“Okay.” She pushed him into the room and shut the door, standing back as he rummaged in his bag and pulled out a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He went into the bathroom to change.

“We don’t have a car,” he said through the door, unbuttoning his top button and tugging his wet shirt over his head. “How are we going to leave?”

“My dad kept my old Explorer. I’m going to sneak down to the kitchen. Come downstairs to meet me when you’re done. But whatever you do, don’t let Knickers see you.”

“Okay.” His jeans stuck to his skin, and he struggled to get them off. His cell phone was in his pocket, and he tried to turn it on, not surprised to find it dead. He considered leaving his soaking-wet wallet but worried someone would find it and discover his real identity. He kept it in his hand as he crept down the stairs, making sure Megan’s mother was nowhere to be seen.

Megan stood in the open doorway to the garage, motioning him to follow her. She skirted around the two cars and out a side door, Josh close on her heels. A dark blue Ford Explorer was parked on the gravel next to the house.

“This was your car? Why didn’t I notice it before?” Josh asked.

“It was a hand-me-down from my dad. When you’re sixteen, you’ll take whatever you can get.” She pointed to a tarp next to the house, shooting him a grin. “Mom won’t let it in the garage, and Dad can’t stand the thought of leaving it to the elements. He keeps it covered.” She opened the driver’s door. “Get in.”

He climbed into the passenger seat, setting his damp wallet on the console. “How are you going to get out? There are cars parked in the driveway.”

She grinned, the Cheshire cat grin that told him she was up to no good. “Desperate times, Josh. Desperate times.” Shoving the car into reverse, she put her hand on the back of his seat and looked over her shoulder. “Knickers is going to have a fit over her lawn.” She backed up, driving through the grass, then angled the Explorer over the bottom half of the driveway and into the street.

Josh shook his head. “Good job.” He laughed as he looked back at the yard. “And you’re right. Your mother is going to have a fit over those tire ruts as soon as she finishes having a fit about the backyard.”

“All the more reason to never come back.” She rolled her window down and turned up the radio, driving through town and out into the farmland surrounding Blue Springs. Her hair blew around her face, and she looked almost as peaceful as she did when sleeping.

“Do you have a destination in mind?”

She leaned her head toward him, grinning. “Yes, and you’ll love it.”

He leaned back in his seat, watching her. “I trust you.”

Her face turned serious. “Thank you.”

She made several turns, and then she was on a back road, driving by a small lake. He almost asked her where they were going, but he’d told her he trusted her. He could ask her about it after they got there.

She drove for several more minutes, then turned down a gravel road and parked. “This is it.”

He opened the door and realized they were at an empty