investing in research to secure the Anchor’s future.
That was an investment Jude badly wanted to pay back, and not, he had to admit, because he wanted Rob out of their business in a hurry. He recalled Rob’s blink of surprise after Jude had said he’d whisk him away if he could, and that memory had him opening a brand-new tab to check his bank balance. Jude murmured a prayer of thanks that Tom had paid him for a full month instead of the bare week he’d last sailed.
Before, he would have hoarded every penny to pay for flights between islands, only spending his cash on a search that had never paid off.
Now, Jude checked Rob’s research list of hotels and made a new investment.
24
“Are you kidnapping me?” Rob puffed as Jude dragged him out of the back door the next afternoon, and across the small pub garden on the way to the car park. “Because I think that only works if you’ve got a getaway car lined up.”
“I already thought of that.” Jude fished into a pocket with his free hand and held out Rob’s car keys. “Stole Betsy’s keys while you were busy schmoozing Guy Parsons over lunch.”
“I wasn’t schmoozing.” Rob held out his hand for them. “I was giving him relationship advice before he left. One older man to another.”
Jude refused to hand the keys over. Instead, he unlocked the car and held the passenger side door open. “You think you’re qualified to do that? You know… given that you’re immature on a good day?” He joked, but the afternoon sunlight revealed smudges of tiredness under Rob’s eyes that did make him look a touch older. Jude’s voice softened. “What are you? A year or two older than me, at most?”
“One year, three months and six days,” Rob said easily like Jude’s birthday was something else he’d researched. He got in and asked, “Where are you taking me?”
“Wouldn’t be much of a kidnapper if I told you, would I?” Jude rounded the car and climbed in, luxuriating all over again at the scent of leather as he fastened his seatbelt. “Pretty sure that was in the rulebook.”
“There’s a kidnapping rulebook?” Rob sounded intrigued as Jude backed out of the near-empty car park, still devoid of tourists. “What else can’t you tell me?” he asked as Jude eased the car around each tight turn between cottages and nursed her over bumpy cobbles on the steep climb out of the village.
“I’m definitely not allowed to say anything about packing a bag for you and stowing it on the backseat.”
That caught Rob’s attention. His head swung, peering over his shoulder to see a bag of his as well as Jude’s duffle. “We’re staying out tonight?” And there was the smile that had been missing, tension previously pressing Rob’s mouth into a thin line each time Guy Parsons hadn’t been looking at him. “For real?”
“I couldn’t possibly say,” Jude turned left at the coast road junction, switching gears as the road stretched out before them. “Rules are rules.”
“Huh.” Rob changed tack, prising at Jude’s one weakness as if it was a winkle he was determined to dig out of its shell. “But what about Louise?”
“Lou’s fine.” Jude rolled his shoulders and loosened his grip on the steering wheel. “Marc’s staying over.”
“Oh.” A glance showed Rob’s pleased smile. “Good.”
Jude supposed so, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
“So what if you and Marc didn’t get on at school?” Rob asked. “I bet none of us looks too good in hindsight. I’ve only ever seen him being decent.” Rob reached over, his palm a steady weight on Jude’s leg. “Marc would tell me where we’re going,” he wheedled.
“Well it’s a good thing he’s not here then. Although I can always turn around if you’d rather. Get him to take you away to a hotel instead of me?”
“We’re going to a hotel?” Hearing Rob’s surprise was fantastic, doing something to Jude that he couldn’t put a name to especially when Rob virtually squeaked, “For a whole night?” as they pulled up at a junction.
“The rulebook says that should be long enough to get you good and Stockholmed.”
Rob pulled at his seatbelt, giving himself enough slack to smack a kiss to Jude’s cheek. “Oh, you had me brainwashed back in London.” He mused aloud. “It’s the only explanation. Now tell me. Where are we—” he craned his neck to scan the nearby road sign. “Oh.”
Jude steered Betsy onto the A30 in the direction of St