Chapter 45

Nodding, she turned and moved back to stand by Rayne before they changed their minds. Grabbing the keys off the rack, she motioned for Rayne to follow her out the door.

After their showers, they sat at the table staring into their tea. Kelsey looked at the door. “I don’t do house arrest very well.”

Rayne grinned. “Me either.” She glanced at the door. “Think we’ll get grounded if we sit on the porch?”

Biting her lip, Kelsey debated. It was the porch, five feet from the door with the lock. She sighed. “I don’t see it being a big problem; we can see the drive from it and most of the treed area.”

Nodding, Rayne picked up her cup. “Agreed.” She turned to head out the door. “I don’t do walls very well anymore either.” With a laugh, she held the door open for Kelsey, “which is weird considering I lived in a posh, heavy on the security apartment, until I ran from Aiden.”

Setting her phone on the table, Kelsey leaned back and put her feet up. “I almost went stir crazy my last year at school.” She grinned into her cup. “My roommate thought I was nuts when I’d go out for a long walk every night, no matter what weather.” Sighing she shook her head. “It all makes sense now.” Kelsey’s phone rang. Leaning forward she glanced at the screen and then rolled her eyes at Rayne as she answered it. Blair, she mouthed. “Hey.” She nodded and rolled her eyes again. “We’re just sitting here. I’m sure we’ll be fine for five more minutes, Blair.” Nodding again she hung it up and gave Rayne a stiff smile. “He’s freaking out, thinks Gage is going to kill him for leaving us alone for half an hour.”

Rayne laughed and then froze, the sound of tires on the gravel driveway reached them.

Kelsey set her cup down, grabbed her phone and stood up. Maybe Gage was back already. When a large, dusty truck came through the trees, she glanced quickly at Rayne. She sat there, her back stiff. “They’re probably looking for the shop.” She shrugged. “It happens all the time.”

Rayne stepped beside her, Kelsey could feel the anxiety rolling off her in waves. The truck came to a stop and the two men inside sat talking, one was shaking his head as the other continued speaking. Kelsey tried to hear what they were saying, but the engine and the music hid all of their words.

The driver’s door opened and a tall man with a rough beard climbed out. He leaned back inside, grabbed something and then straightened up. Kelsey’s eyed what he was holding, relieved to see it was a map.

“They’re lost.” She glanced at Rayne and turned to the steps. “Happens all the time when there’s only one main road and a lot of back roads that are not on most maps.”

Rayne visibly relaxed and hovered at the top of the steps for a second before following her.

The man tipped his head at them. “Sorry to bother you ladies,” he glanced back at his friend in the truck. “But we are hopelessly lost.” He gave them a bashful grin.

Kelsey wanted to laugh, that was something you didn’t see men admit often. “Not a problem, it happens all the time around here.” She glanced at the man in the truck to see his head down like he was looking at something. “Where are you trying to be?”

Looking over his shoulder again, he turned back and started unfolding the map. “I don’t think it has an actual name, I can show you.” Turning, he flattened the map on the hood, running his finger down it trying to locate the place. “I don’t think half the roads we’ve been on are even on this damn thing,” he said, more to himself, as he squinted at the map. With a sigh, he looked up to the man in the cab and motioned with his head to join him. “I can’t even find it, I’ll let my not so skilled navigator show you.”

Kelsey stood back with Rayne at her shoulder, they both watched the shorter man get out of the truck. He was quite a bit younger than then his friend, and looked like he wasn’t happy about any of it. Shaking his head, he walked around the truck and practically tore the map out of the other man’s hand.

“I keep telling him there’s not a direct route,” he shook his head and ran his hand down over the map, going from side to side. “but what do I know…”

Rayne felt sorry for him when she sensed the frustration coming from him. “Unless you’re born here, there’s no way to know.” She shrugged and gave the tall one an understanding look. “I think they just randomly clear roads where ever they want.” Stepping up beside the man frowning at the map, she looked over his shoulder and then pointed to where they stood. “You’re here right now.”

The younger man glanced at the map, then looked over his shoulder at her before giving the other man a look she didn’t understand.

Stepping back, she moved closer to Rayne. When she glanced at her, Rayne’s eyes had darkened and she was inhaling slowly. Glancing at the phone in her hand as a distraction, Kelsey took a quick breath through her nose. Before she had time to assess what she could smell, her cat rolled over her skin and sent a wave of panic through her.