“Leave it alone.”
Her involuntary gasp of pain gentled his hold and she jerked free. Rubbing the sting from her red skin, she pressed against the door and glared at him. “What are you doing, Randy?”
“I just want to talk.”
“We can talk at the ranch. Or at Billy’s. We could grab dinner.”
His laugh sent a chill down her spine. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”
No, of course not. They rounded the second curve past the ranch, and she watched it disappear in his side view mirror. Her heart raced as she battled rising panic. Every second took her farther away from safety. From Joel.
She flinched away when Randy extended his hand and demanded, “Give me your phone. I don’t want you trying to call anyone.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Don’t lie to me, Britt.”
The expression on his face terrified her. He braked and swerved to the side of the road so fast she felt like a
ragdoll being tossed back and forth. Her head bounced off the passenger side window, startling a cry of pain. Holding a hand to her stitches, she blinked away tears. “I swear, I don’t have it. I—I lost it in the fire.”
That lie convinced him to believe her. And maybe the tears. For a brief moment, she thought she glimpsed concern in his eyes, but before she could be sure, he checked his mirror to pull back out onto the road.
How long before Joel arrived at the ranch? Had Casey noticed which way Randy had turned out of the resort driveway?
“Why him?”
Randy’s unexpected question caught her off guard. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Why not me? We’ve known each other since that first summer.”
“Yes, when we decided to be friends.”
“You decided,” he accused. “I was going to ask you out again.”
What? He was upset about that one date they’d had? A date so long ago, so seemingly insignificant, she hadn’t even thought to mention it to Joel. “I…I don’t know what to say. You never said anything.”
He was checking his mirrors much the same as Joel had the other night. She looked too, wishing to God someone was following this time. But it was too early. The digital clock on the dashboard read four-forty-eight. Joel wouldn’t discover her missing for ten to fifteen minutes yet. Even then, how would he ever find her?
“I thought I had more time.”
Randy’s murmur snagged in her whirling thoughts. More time? She fought to keep her own breathing under control as his words sunk in. Phrases from the note echoed in her mind. So disappointed in you. I expected more from you—hoped for more. Oh, God.
“It’s been six summers,” she said. “And I wasn’t even supposed to be here for this one.”
“But you came back.” He smiled. It abruptly disappeared as his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. “You came back and hooked up with him. I can’t believe you’ve become like every other slut around here.”
“It wasn’t like that. You know me better than that.”
“I thought I did.” He slammed the heel of his hand against the steering wheel. “Damn it, Britt, it should’ve been me.”
She flinched at the violence in his outburst, clinging to the door handle as the truck swerved. He brought it back under control and sucked in an audible breath. Somehow, she had to keep him calm and rational until she could figure out how to get away from him.
“I killed the first one for you, you know.”
The first one? Did he mean the bighorn sheep?
“After you left last year, I—”