Dana Mentink - Escape from the Badlands

But Todd was letting his faith slip away under the weight of his unjust incarceration. How could he save the brother who had saved him so many times? Cold water seeped into his already sodden pants.

He noticed a sheaf of papers stuck under the visor, miraculously dry. Thinking they might be important to Kelly, he took them, noticing a card clipped to the top.

Devin Ackerman, Desert Quest Publicity Coordinator.

There was a phone number below, and a scrawled message: Kelly, looking forward to having you aboard. D

The papers crumpled as his grip tightened. Ackerman had hired Kelly? Why? She was a newly minted nurse. Surely there were many people far more qualified for the job than she. But Kelly, with her dark eyes and gentle smile, would have appealed to him for other reasons.

His stomach tightened and his breathing grew shallow.

Even though Ackerman was engaged, he knew the man was unable to resist a beautiful girl. What’s more, he’d heard that the race coordinator was not above pursuing women, married or otherwise. If Ellen Brown hadn’t given him an alibi for the night of Olivia’s murder… He ground his teeth, stowed the papers inside his jacket and unhooked the car seat from the back. Then he took the keys from the ignition and made his way to the trunk. He unlocked it and retrieved a small duffel bag, swallowing against the lump in his throat.

It was the same bag she’d lugged along on their river rafting adventure. He jerked it free and grabbed a smaller blue backpack with a train emblazoned on the front. He closed the trunk again and made his way clumsily back to the top in time to see Gleeson pull up in the van.

“See you got your bags packed,” Gleeson joked.

Shane didn’t respond as he got in. They drove for several miles in silence.

“I guess we’ve got our new medic now,” Gleeson said, giving him a quick glance.

“So it seems.” Shane fumed. “How did Ackerman find Kelly?”

Gleeson tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Through me, actually. He met her when he took me to the clinic after I sprained my knee. She was real competent and looking for a job because her gig there was almost up.” He grinned. “She’s not bad to look at, either, so I think that already put her ahead of the previous medic.”

Biting back a fiery remark, Shane forced himself to stare out the window. “What happened to the other medic?”

“Quit suddenly. Didn’t give a reason that I’m aware of. Why you so interested?” Gleeson asked. “You know her?”

Shane wondered what Kelly had told him. Was Gleeson testing him?

He went for flippant. “I’ve met a lot of pretty girls. Who remembers?”

Gleeson chuckled.

Who remembers? Shane did—every moment of their time together was indelibly engraved on his mind. The smallest things remained there: the way her smile was higher on one side than the other, the curl of her hair right after she washed it, her laughter that always made him forget everything else. Her failed attempts at learning to cook, and all the truly awful food he’d eaten with a smile firmly plastered on his face.

“Anyway,” Gleeson continued, “she’s saddled with a kid. Don’t know why anyone would sign on to hook up with that.”

A kid. The comment circled in his mind, stabbing and biting like an angry beast. Is that what Kelly thought? That he’d left because he didn’t want to be saddled with a kid? How could he ever tell her the truth?

He leaned his head back and let the miles go by, uncertain why the situation had taken such a strange turn. There was only one thing he knew for sure—Kelly had to leave. Immediately. The thought carried him back to the campground where he parted with Gleeson, shouldering the bags to take to Kelly’s trailer, the one with the Team Medic placard displayed in the kitchen window.

The curtains were drawn and his hands felt clammy, heart hammering erratically.

Convince her to leave. That’s all you have to do.

In an effort not to wake Charlie if the child was sleeping, Shane knocked softly.

Kelly answered, dressed in a pair of sweatpants that were too big and an oversized T-shirt. Her hair was still wet, but pulled up into a high ponytail. Even in clothes that didn’t fit, after a harrowing near-death experience, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and for a moment he couldn’t speak.

Kelly eyed the bags in his hands. “You didn’t have to bring those.”

Shane shrugged. “Concierge service included with your luxury accommodations. Car will need to be towed, but I figured you might be able to use some of these things after they dry out.” He hesitated. “Can I come in?”

She gave him a long look before she opened the door. “Just for a minute. Charlie is sleeping. I…we’ve been looking for his mother but no luck so he’s got to settle for me. Guess I didn’t do so well tonight.”

He saw a little bundle in the full-size bed. “Is he okay?”

“Yes.” She took a breath. “Thank you again. I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t come along.”

He could see in her face the effort it took to say those words to him, the man she despised. “Forget it.” He shot another glance at the boy, only the top of his head visible from under the blankets. He looked so small in the bed. “Any word on your sister?”

Kelly’s face shimmered with pain. “My uncle has a lead, but so far nothing concrete.”

“I hope she turns up safe.”

“Me, too.” She hugged herself. “I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s late. I’ve got to start work tomorrow so I think I’d better get some sleep.”

“I need to talk to you about that.”

Kelly cocked her head at him. “I think I know what you’re going to say. I’m sorry that it’s going to be a little awkward, Shane, but I had no idea you’d be here. We’ll stay away from each other. One week and the whole thing will be over. You can stand it for that long, can’t you?”

He winced. “That’s not what I meant.”

She frowned, the dim kitchen light reflecting in the dark pools of her eyes. “What, then? Does this have something to do with the fictitious name you’re using?”

“Yes. Did you tell Gleeson we…know each other?”

“No. I’m not sure why, but I didn’t. That was almost two years ago. Old history. What’s going on?”

Their time together, though only a year, would never be old history in his mind. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Because it might put you in danger.”

Anger flickered to life in her face. “You know, I’ve become pretty good at taking care of myself and Charlie.”

He felt his cheeks flush, and he looked at his wet boots.

She waited a moment. “Fine, don’t tell me, I’m not sure I want to know anyway. Say what you need to say. I’ve got to get some sleep.”

He took a deep breath. “Kelly, you need to leave Desert Quest.”

Kelly felt as if she must be dreaming. All the long evenings she’d sat in the secondhand rocking chair, comforting a wailing Charlie. Half the time during those endless nights, she found herself wishing Shane would walk back into her life, and the rest wishing she’d never met him in the first place. Now that he stood there, blond hair dark with moisture, full lips drawn tightly together and the fire in his blue eyes as strong as ever, her feelings flared into the same confused mess she’d experienced those earlier days. She was not sure whether to be furious or concerned.

“You can’t just walk in here and tell me to leave my job. Working for Desert Quest is an incredible opportunity, and it’s going to help me and Charlie buy a place closer to the city where I can find a job to support us both until my sister comes back.”