“Nothing. I’m just tucking in my top—”
She didn’t even get the last word out before he was on her, turning her around and seizing her wrist. He pried open her fist. In it lay the bar of soap.
“I wanted to keep it,” she said meekly. “You may have fewer of these than bandanas.”
Her heart didn’t stop thudding until he finally released her from an incisive stare. “I’m gonna eat,” he said. “You can or not.”
He let go of her hand and moved away. She trailed him, but her mind was on the weapon she’d had to leave wedged between the planks in the wall. In order to relocate it in the darkness, all she had to do was look for the empty water bottle she’d left at eye level on the makeshift ledge.
Her problem was going to be getting to it at all.
Jordie was up to something.
If Shaw hadn’t discerned that the second she came toward him with that chipper smile and babbling monologue, the way she was wolfing down the beanie wienies would have been a dead giveaway. Her conversation was still lively.
“My skin was gritty with dried sweat. Didn’t washing off make you feel better?”
“Nothing like cleanliness.”
“And now this fine cuisine.” She shot him a smile that was almost flirtatious.
Yeah, something was behind her change in mood and batting eyelashes.
She emptied the small can and licked the bowl of her spoon clean. “Want something else?” he asked.
“No thank you.”
He took the can from her, tossing it and his own empty into the trunk before lowering the lid. When he did, the light went out, and so did Jordie’s fake smile.
She looked around with worry. “What happens when we lose all daylight?”
“It’ll get dark.”
“But…we…we can open a car door so we’ll have the dome light. Or keep the trunk open.”
He shook his head. “Too much drain on the battery.”
“I saw one of those big square flashlights in the trunk.”
“For emergency use only.”
“You could—”
“A light can be seen for miles, Jordie.”
“From as far away as the main road? How far is it from here?”
“No light.”
“So we’ll just sit here in the dark all night?”
“You scared of the dark?” When she didn’t answer, he said, “It’s always dark when your eyes are closed.”
“I slept too long today. I won’t be sleepy for hours.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to think up something we can do in the dark. For hours.” He walked to where she sat on the upended crate. “Oh, sorry. Did that sound like another lewd innuendo? Didn’t mean for it to.”
She shot him a sour look.