As soon as she was out of sight, he typed out a text message to his mother.
I’M BRINGING A FIVE-YEAR-OLD BOY TO THE PICNIC. HE LOVES FIRE ENGINES. I’M GOING TO MARRY HIS MOTHER. R.
Seventeen
When Travis drove
into the pretty, wooded area that had been set up for the picnic, he was hoping to see Russell’s Jeep, but it wasn’t there. Instead, he saw a brilliant red fire engine and what looked to be an entire fire department of men and women in full uniform. They were standing around talking, laughing, and helping themselves to what looked to be a lavish spread of food and drink.
“What’s this about?” Kim asked.
“I have no idea, but then for all I know, Dad’s planning a bonfire.”
She looked at the idyllic setting and let out her breath. It wasn’t what she now realized she’d been dreading. She thought maybe there would be white-gloved waiters serving champagne in crystal glasses, and there’d be a hundred people there.
Instead there was just a red-and-white-checked cloth spread on the ground under a huge black walnut tree, with half a dozen red coolers to the side. There wasn’t even a sign of a waiter.
The only oddity was the local fire department to the side.
“It’s not what I expected,” Kim said.
“Me neither,” Travis answered. As he spoke, Penny drove up, quickly got out of her rental car, and ran to them. “Is Russell here?” she asked through Travis’s open window.
“I haven’t seen him. What’s the—” He cut himself off as Penny hurried away toward the fire engines.
“Do you think something’s wrong?” Kim asked.
Travis was looking in his side-view mirror at Penny as she quickly moved from one person to another. “I’ve never seen her lose her cool before,” he said in wonder. “One time we had two sworn enemies in the office at the same time. Dad and I were worried there’d be gunplay, but Penny deftly moved the men in and around and they never saw each other. She saved a multi-million-dollar deal.”
Kim was looking out the back windshield. “Whatever is going on has upset her. She looks frantic.”
“Interesting,” Travis said as he turned back and smiled at Kim. “Are you ready to go to this thing? I’m sure Dad—Holy crap!”
Kim looked up to see another car pulling off the road and into the little parking area. “It’s . . .”
“Right. That is Joe Layton and my mother,” Travis said and his voice lowered. “Speaking of sworn enemies . . .”
“Your mother and Mrs. Pendergast,” Kim said as she collapsed back against the seat. “I have a suggestion. Just a little one, but I think you should consider it. How about if we leave here right now and go straight back to Edilean? Mrs. Pendergast can send our clothes to us. Or we can shop for new ones. What do you think?”
“I like the way you deal with a situation,” Travis said as he started the engine.
But Joe Layton put his big body in front of the car.
“How about some race driving techniques?” Kim asked. “You could go around him.”
“He’s too big; he’d hurt the car. Let’s get out on your side and make a run through the forest. Maybe we can escape.”
Joe was too fast for them. He was standing by Travis’s door, and his hand snaked inside to remove the keys from the ignition. “Come on, you two cowards. Get out and join the party.” He opened Travis’s door.
Travis squeezed Kim’s hand and rolled his eyes skyward. “Give me strength.”
Kim got out of her side of the car and stood back to look at Lucy, the pretty little woman who came to stand behind Joe. He was so big that she could disappear behind him.
Kim was curious to see this woman who’d so successfully hidden from her for four years. As Lucy came forward to stand on tiptoe to hug her son, Kim knew she would have done just that. Every minute of those weeks she’d spent with Travis when they were children was so burned in her mind that Lucy’s face was there also. If Kim had seen her in Edilean, she would have done what Lucy feared and told everyone she knew. Lucy was the connection to Travis, the way to find him, and Kim would have thought only of that, not of any consequences.
Lucy’s eyes met Kim’s and there was apology there—from both women.
“Kim,” Lucy began as she stood before her. “I never meant—”