Page 71 of Misguided
TWENTY-FIVE
Dog
Mel stretches out on the bike while I scroll through what feels like a million hits matching the type of store we’ve been given as a possible link to Hooch. Six days we’ve been riding around this fucking country, and inch-by-inch we’ve narrowed down where he might have gone.
“What area did the guy say the place was in?” I ask.
“Fulton.” She tosses an arm over her face to shield the midday sun from her eyes.
“Right.” I keep flicking the page until I find the listing I’m after.
All I need is the address of this liquor store and I’ll have a point of reference for Hooch. The last guy we spoke to remembered seeing the big idiot, but not the name of the shop he stopped off at. Lucky for us though, he’d struck up a conversation with the owner about his side business restoring car interiors, and he had a business card that at least narrowed it down to the small city just outside of Columbia.
I take a screen shot and pocket my phone as Mel swings her legs around and sits up in the seat.
“Far away?”
“Less than an hour.” I trap her against the bike, placing my legs on either side of hers. “You ready for this?”
She lifts her eyes to mine and sighs. “Yep.”
The past week since I gave Mel a shake-up in her room, she’s been so much more relaxed about everything. My constant check-ins and questions probably drive the woman nuts, but I can’t help but worry about how laid back she is. I expected her to be wrestling the keys off me in her haste to get to Hooch, but instead, I’m greeted with a calm indifference on how long it will take.
“What’s rattlin’ around in that head of yours?” I reach up and run my fingertips under her chin.
She turns her head to kiss my palm before she answers. “I was thinking how nice it’s been spending this time with you. The reason for us to be on the road? Not so great. But I’ve loved it just being the two of us, you know?”
Yeah—I do know. Because I’ve loved it too.
Stolen kisses in the morning, a cheeky slap on her ass before she gets on the bike, and the homely feel of her arms wrapped around my waist as we cut a path from clue to clue.
But I can’t deny the one thing that hangs between us—who Koen really is. Sure, I told her my real name, but she knows nothing about my family, nothing about my father, mother, or brother, and nothing about the reason I decided to reinvent myself away from their influence.
She knows only what she’s seen, and it makes me feel like a fraud.
“Tell you what, gorgeous.” She tips her head to the side, listening with a small smile tugging at her lips. “When this is over, when we have Hooch home safe and sound, how about we make a date for that hunt I promised you?”
“I’d love to …”
“But?” I tip my head the same way as hers to catch her eye.
“But, maybe it’s not the best timing. I mean, Hooch would only just be back, and what if he needs me? Maybe we should just let the idea hang for a while, yeah?”
My jaw grinds as I try to tamp down just how much that pisses me off. I get it, sure, but damn. When’s it going to be our turn? I’ve been waiting years for this woman to warm up to the idea that we’re suited for each other, and this slow burn is about ready to fuck me right up.
“Yeah, okay.” I lean down and take her lips with mine, relishing the minty taste of her gum. “Your brother better be in fine shape when we find him.”
She bumps her nose to mine. “Why’s that, Dog?”
“Because damn woman, if you make me wait to steal you away, I might just die of the worst case of blue balls Texas has ever seen.”
She giggles, hooking her heels around my calves. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
“You wanna bet?” I reach between us, taking her hand in mine, and set it on the firm rod trapped in my jeans.
Her eyes darken as she peeks out from under her lashes. “Dog …”
“Woman, it ain’t no lie. Your kisses do it to me every time.”