you. I just can’t imagine living in such a small world.”
“I like life here.” She sounded defensive, but then she shifted in the passenger seat and gave a breathy sound of amusement, or disgust. “Well, I like it except when I hate it. Then I want to run away to a place no one remembers the time I set my mother’s living room curtains on fire.”
“You did? Tell me that story. I could use a little distraction at the moment.”
“Nuh-uh. You’re maybe the one person in the world who doesn’t remember it. No way I’m going to ruin that. You see me as an adult, right? Let’s keep it that way.”
“Yeah, I see you as an adult, all right.” Thinking of all her adult parts was a more interesting distraction than any stories of her past.
She made another, breathier little sound that told him she’d understood his implication. She squirmed on the seat, leaning toward the window. Away from him. “Nick, seriously. The fact is these bad guys from New York will track you down at the house soon.”
Back to live action in the real world. “How can they manage that now? Who’re they going to ask once Arnesdale closes down for the evening?”
“True. That’s a point. I guess we have until tomorrow sometime. The Back Porch closes soon for the night, and I suppose the kids who work at the fast-food joint at the edge of town probably won’t know about you. They couldn’t care less about grown-up business.”
He was just imagining what they could do with the rest of the night—he wanted to see if he could make her moan again—when her stomach gurgled.
“Speaking of fast food,” he said. “Let’s detour to a drive-through. What do you want?”
“I couldn’t care less. Food.”
They went to the drive-in restaurant where an actual roller-skating kid served them. They wolfed the food in the car, looking out over the nighttime parking lot inhabited by groups of teens perched on car hoods under the tall lights or skateboarding around the darker spaces.
Nick had been living on fast food for weeks. He rubbed a french fry in ketchup and wished he could take Ames to the Afghan restaurant near his apartment. They’d sit on the big pillows and eat with their fingers. “Have you been to New York before?” he asked.
“No. I kept meaning to visit Elliot, but life around here…” She took a bite of the burger and stared out the window. “Take away ten years and that’s me out there. I haven’t come very far. Fifteen feet or so from my high school days. ”
He wiped his fingers with a napkin and shoved it and the last couple of bites back into the bag. “This is temporary. As soon as we figure out how to handle Bert and his father, we’ll head to the city.”
“We?” She put down her burger—more than half of it remained. Either Ames was a slow eater, or she was still nervous.
He started the car and backed out of the spot. “Why not? I’ll take you on a tour of my town, and you can spend hours with your head tilted back saying, ‘Wow, the buildings are so tall’, and I’ll laugh at you. Sound like a plan?”
She lost her distracted frown. “You bet. Thank you. I’d love to take you up on it. Thank you.”
“Why thank me twice?”
“You’re trying to make me feel better. I appreciate that. And you’re helping me find my brother.”
“I’m trying to find him for my own reasons. But okay, you’re welcome.” He risked resting a hand on her thigh for a moment. “I hope he’s all right.” And that he hasn’t spent all the damn money.
If Elliot had spent it, his ass was grass, though perhaps they’d allow him to live—maimed of course as an illustration. The Espositos didn’t torture to get information, but they did occasionally make examples of people. And because Bert’s dad had a penchant for that sort of activity.
Nick stopped the car at the beginning of the narrow drive leading to the farmhouse. “Wait here. I’ll hike in and see what’s going on. No need to announce our arrival if someone’s visiting.”
“How about we drive in with the lights off. That way, if someone’s there, we can make a quick escape.”
He thumped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Yeah, okay.”
She gave a small gasp.
His heart sped, and he glanced around, but the too-dark night seemed peaceful. He wished there were streetlights out here. “What is it?”
She shrugged. “Nothing.