Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,41

tangled around my legs. “How can it be three thirty already?”

“Well, time has this curious tendency to pass even if you’re asleep,” Rich notes. “I assume that’s what happened here.”

I make a face at him. “You know what I mean. And you’re awfully cheerful this morning. What gives?”

“This afternoon,” Rich corrects. “What’s wrong with being cheery? I wake up to find you still here, the key to my truck on the counter, and a bag of bandages and antiseptic beside me.” He makes a grand show of lifting up his leg and bending it back and forth in the air. “I showered, wrapped it up, and now it feels as good as new. Also, to my great surprise, I’m not the least bit hung-over.”

“That’s amazing,” I mumble, still wishing I was asleep. “What else?”

“I cooked us breakfast.”

“You did?” I note the scent of eggs and bacon in the air. “I didn’t expect you to know how to cook.”

“Actually, you’re right,” he admits. “I brought the food up from the buffet while you were sleeping. It’s not laced with anything this time, I promise.”

I tilt my head at him.

“What, don’t you trust me?” Rich grins. “I’ll even take the first bite.”

***

Half an hour later, after a long, hot shower, I find myself sitting across from Rich at the little round table. I have a towel wrapped around my head because the motel did not provide a functioning blow dryer.

The microwave beeps, and Rich darts up. He carries back two plates of steaming scrambled eggs with bits of bacon on top. He sets one down in front of me, the other in front of him.

Then, he laughs, shakes his head, and switches our plates. He looks confused for a moment. He mutters something under his breath, looks at me, says, “No, that’s not right,” and swaps the plates again.

I watch the proceedings with a blank expression on my face. “If you’re quite done…?”

Rich’s eyebrows shoot up, as if he just remembered something. He runs to the kitchen again. He comes back carrying two cups of a dark liquid.

“Let’s see then,” he says, “that’s a cool, refreshing Pepsi for you, and a hot, black coffee for me, hmm?” Before I can start to groan, he takes a sip from both cups, then pops a bit of scrambled egg from each plate into his mouth. “Just to prove it’s safe,” he winks.

“I know it’s safe, stupid,” I tell him as he settles down across the table from me. “I don’t think you’d be dumb enough to drug me twice.”

“And I don’t think you’d be dumb enough to still be here,” he teases. “You can see where that line of thinking has gotten me.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” I note dryly. Rich’s smile does not leave his face. “Geez, I’ve never seen you this happy. Like, ever. What’s going on?”

“A few things, actually.” Rich sticks one finger in the air. “One, you’re still here. That alone is enough to make me happy.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I say. I bring the mug to my lips to hide my smile. “I’m here for my own reasons. Not for you.”

My comment doesn’t throw Rich off. He continues as if I hadn’t spoken. “Two—” he raises a second finger, “—all the things I told you when you were waking up. But, perhaps most important of all—” a third finger joins the troupe, “—I figured out exactly what we have to do next.”

“Oh?” I look up at him. “And what’s that?”

“We’re going to continue on the same way we were going before. Before the…” he clears his throat, “…gas station incident.”

“You mean to your friend’s place? He’s real?” After what Rich had told me last night, I assumed that driving to his “friend’s” place had just been an excuse to get me out of town.

“Yes,” Rich nods. “And it’s a she.”

My eyebrows come up. “A woman?”

“Right. I haven’t seen her for a few years, but she’s always been reliable. Tam and Victor won’t know to look for us there.”

“Okay. How far away does she live?”

“Maybe another two hour’s drive. I told you the truth before. She lives somewhere pretty remote. There’s not a straight road that leads to town.” He leans back in his chair. “We have a ways to go, but it’s not that far. That’s why I let you sleep in today. We have enough time to get there by nightfall.” Something changes in his eyes for a hundredth of a second. A flash of deep intensity. “The rest did you