The Perfect Cover (The Perfect Stranger #2) - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,32

that were popular in the 90s.

I glance over at Tyler who looks just as dumbfounded and surprised as I do.

“What do we do?” I whisper under my breath as we continue to take steps closer and closer to them.

“I’m not sure,” he says.

“Hey, guys.” Mac waves. “This is Maggie. She’s coming with us.”

I blink once, then a second time and a third.

No, he can’t be serious.

Again, I look over at Tyler who looks as surprised as I feel. He extends his hand, nevertheless.

“I know that this is super last minute, but Mac invited me and, actually, he insisted,” Maggie rattles off in her bubbly sort of way.

There’s an easy-going feeling to her that reminds me of Mac. I can see why the two of them got together.

It’s almost as if neither of them have a worry in the world.

“I don’t think this is a great idea,” Tyler says after a long pause.

I’m relieved that he’s the one to say it and not me.

It’s on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t want to be the one who is always saying no.

The smile immediately vanishes off of Maggie’s face.

“Yes, of course, I totally understand,” she says, throwing her hands up.

Mac narrows his eyes and pulls Tyler sternly to the side. As Maggie and I wait, I give her a slight smile and nod but don’t introduce myself.

My hope is that Tyler can talk some sense into him and we can get on our way. My other hope is that she doesn’t recognize their faces as the most wanted men in America.

“Okay, Maggie, why don’t you get in the back with me?” Mac says, opening the door.

My mouth drops open as I glare at Tyler.

He shrugs his shoulders and rolls his eyes.

“What’s going on?” I ask while we are both outside the car, after Mac climbs in the back with Maggie.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Tyler says.

I get into the car disenchanted. Instead of getting rid of Mac, we now have another traveler with us.

I don’t know her and she knows less than nothing about me. I don’t know how much she knows about Mac and Tyler, but she’s bound to find out.

Then what?

Mac and Maggie laugh and giggle in the back seat. She sounds fun, outgoing, and bouncy.

I try to give them some privacy, but it’s a small car and as the hours get long, I continue to listen in.

At first, Maggie doesn’t go too much into it, just mentioning that she had some issues with her boyfriend and he left her in Oklahoma.

I overhear this fact when she relays it to Mac while they talk about something else. I want to ask what happened, yet I also don’t want to get too friendly however, after spending hours in the car together, it starts to feel almost rude not being more welcoming.

Besides, I’m curious.

I ask her about herself. She tells me that she grew up in Nebraska and left home when she was twenty-two. She graduated from the University of Nebraska, left her dorm, and never went back.

She mentions that she does not have any relationship with her parents but when I ask her more about that, she just waves her hand and says that she’ll need some drinks in her before she can talk about it.

“I know what you mean,” I say, giving her a knowing nod. “Maybe we can talk some more tonight,” I propose.

She says that she would love that.

Afterward, Tyler and I exchange looks.

He tilts his head a little bit, as if to ask why I’m being so friendly.

I shrug my shoulders and give him a little smile.

I figure that I might as well know something about her if we’re going be spending all this time together.

We stop for gas a few hours later around two in the afternoon and get some lunch as well. Afterward, Maggie and I sit together in the back and the boys take the front.

“So, why are you going to California?” I ask.

“Isn’t that where everyone goes when you want to run away and start a new life?”

“Yeah, I guess. Some people go to Hawaii.” I laugh.

“Hey, there’s an idea!”

I ask her again about why she’s going to California, but again she makes a small joke and doesn’t delve into it.

I appreciate the honesty.

Actually, it comes as somewhat of a relief to me because now I feel like I don’t have to tell her too much about who I am and she won’t take it personally.

Instead of talking about us,