years ago next month.”
The man was as alone as she was. She had Jake, and she had Annie and Nikkie Jean and now their families.
“Get some chocolate, Jacobson. We both know we need chocolate. Nut, dairy, soy, and egg-free, please.”
“I’ll do that. If it exists.”
Izzie lifted one of the blinds and looked around the parking lot.
“I…there’s a secondhand shop next to the craft store. I can grab some clothes there. We can meet back here in an hour or so?”
He hesitated. “I don’t want you on camera anywhere. It’s too dangerous.”
“I’ll wear that ball cap and the sweatshirt. I’ll be careful. But…I’m not going to hide away while you protect me.” On that, she was one hundred percent adamant. “I appreciate you helping me right now—I really do, even if I haven’t said it yet—but I need an equal say and an equal part. We plan this out a bit more. I need that. Equal say. The sooner we get the things we’ll need for this adventure, the sooner we get further away from Finley Creek.”
His fingers cupped the side of her head. Then, swift as a damned leopard, he swooped down and kissed her. Hot and quick. Right on her lips. Izzie almost squawked. He pulled back and shot her a look filled with heat.
“Get me some things.” He listed his sizes quickly. “Keep that phone close. I programmed mine into speed dial.”
“Let’s do this, then. If we’re going to do this, we might as well do it right.”
“Deal. Be careful. Keep the hat on. Be careful of your cast.”
“I’ll do that. You do the same.”
He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. “These were Linda’s keys. Get what you are getting, then get back inside and lock the doors. We’ll leave as soon as we get back.”
She nodded.
He left first.
She waited a few minutes until the parking lot was a little less populated—a tour bus was leaving the restaurant they were next to—and spent that time poking around the RV, making a mental list.
For some reason, leaving without him felt weird. Wrong, somehow. Because of her fear. Allen was fast becoming her security blanket. He’d been there every single time she’d woke yesterday. It had taken her almost the full day just to sleep off the headache. He’d been there, ready to get her anything she needed.
This really did have to be a dream. One with a slightly erotic undertone.
That was something she wasn’t even going to think about. Even though she still had the taste of him on her lips.
Damn it. Whoever had written this little adventure novel she and Allen were now in needed a swift kick in the ass for this. There had better be a massive pay-off in the end.
Too bad this wasn’t fiction. With fiction, she could control the happy ending. One reason she liked writing books when no one was around.
With Jake gone so much, she’d had a lot of time to develop that habit.
She liked being in control of her characters.
Now…now, she didn’t feel in control of anything at all.
Especially her own life.
64
It was a small but well-organized secondhand shop. Izzie had shopped at places like this since she’d been a teenager. The smells and sights were more comforting than she would have expected.
She felt like she had some autonomy again.
She and Annie had spent many, many hours in secondhand stores, looking for clothes for themselves, for Annie’s sister Josey, and even for Jake. Most of Jake’s current wardrobe probably consisted of things Izzie had bought him secondhand. In recent years, they’d shopped for play clothes for Annie’s three sons—especially when money would get tight for Annie for whatever reason. Daycare for three children could get very expensive.
That wasn’t going to be an issue for her friend now.
It was a different world that men like Turner Barratt inhabited. Like Allen Jacobson inhabited, too. She had to keep that in mind.
The man probably had never worn secondhand clothing in his life. Any more than Turner Barratt had, for that matter.
The racks were divided into men’s/women’s and by size. She hit his size first. Jake was only an inch shorter, and the two men wore the same sizes. That would make it easier. She’d just tell herself she was shopping for Jake.
Jake was exactly who he appeared to be—a hardworking man who was more comfortable in jeans and T-shirts than expensive button downs and tailored slacks.
The exact opposite of the wealthy doctor playboy she was stuck with for the time being.