Page 230 of Ride a Cowboy

Mark jumped up. “We have to get you out of here.”

“That’s what I was trying to do,” Rodney said. “I checked out the prices of bus tickets, car rentals, everything I could think of, kitten. Fact is, we don’t have enough money to leave.”

“So don’t leave,” Matt said. “Come stay at the James Ranch. You can hide there.”

Rodney shook his head. “It’s too close to this inn. If the hit man manages to track us to this place, you can be sure he’ll be checking out the neighboring houses as well when he doesn’t find us.”

“The cabin,” Mark said, looking at Matt. “We’ll take her up to the cabin.”

Matt nodded. “That could work. It’s definitely secluded. We haven’t been up there in a couple of years. Hell, it’s so hidden that half the time I miss the turnoff to the driveway.”

“Cabin?” Rodney asked. “This isn’t one listed on a realtor’s site for rent, is it?”

Mark shook his head. “No, those cabins are on the other side of the mountain from ours. Trust me, this is a family-owned property and I’ll bet money ninety-nine percent of Saratoga doesn’t even know it’s there. It’s perfect.”

“Fine. That’s where we’ll go.” Rodney looked at Bridget. Though his body was still tense, coiled and ready for action, she spotted the first bit of hope in his face since he’d come to find her this morning.

Despite their generous offer, Bridget felt compelled to make sure things were okay. “Are you sure you don’t mind helping me? I mean, I haven’t been exactly truthful.”

Mark cupped her cheek with his hand. “I have a feeling we haven’t scratched the surface of your secrets yet, but I figure we’ll have plenty of time for you to come clean while we’re hiding out at the cabin. I don’t dare stay here any longer.”

“Hiding out at the cabin?” Rodney asked. “I think it would be best if it was just Bridget and I staying there.”

Matt shook his head. “No deal. You can stay there, but we’re going to be there too.”

Rodney looked like he wanted to argue the point, but Mark didn’t give him the chance. He picked up Bridget’s bag. “Is this all your stuff?”

She nodded. Hastily, the four of them grabbed their things and walked downstairs. Mark pulled Steven and Todd aside, quickly explaining the situation. Bridget could see from the scowl on Rodney’s face he wasn’t happy to have their secret identities exposed to so many people, but she could see the sense behind Mark’s actions. Todd and Steven were their friends, and they needed to be protected as well.

Todd came over as Steven and Mark disappeared into the kitchen. “You poor girl. Don’t you worry about a thing. Your secret is safe with us. Steven’s gone to pack up some food for you to take with you. And here.” Todd walked over to a locked desk. Taking out the key, he opened the top drawer and pulled out some money. “This is the money you paid for the room. It sounds to me like you need it more than we do.”

Bridget shook her head, tears springing to her eyes at Todd’s generosity. “No, we couldn’t take that back. We put you in terrible danger by staying here.” Her heart ached to realize how badly things could have—could still—turn out if the hit man showed up here.

“Hush,” Todd said, shoving the money into her hands. “It’s yours. I won’t discuss it further.”

Mark and Steven came out of the kitchen loaded down with grocery bags. Matt took Steven’s load.

“Meet us out back,” Mark said as they walked toward the front door. “I’ll pull the truck around there, by the kitchen door.”

Rodney grabbed a baseball cap from one of the tables. “Mind if we borrow this?”

Todd shook his head.

Rodney donned the cap, then unwrapped the scarf from around Bridget’s neck, replacing it around her head. “We better try to hide this blonde hair of yours. Keep your face down and walk fast.”

Within moments, the four of them were crammed into the front of Mark’s Ford truck. After a brief trip to the James Ranch for more supplies, clothes for the twins and an explanation to Jacob, they were on their way. The trip to the cabin took over an hour on a path that was too rocky and bumpy to even be called a road.

Bridget nearly fell to her knees and kissed the solid ground when they finally arrived. She feared the ride had jarred most of her teeth as well as her brain loose.

Mark opened the door and the four of them took several trips between the truck and cabin, unloading their supplies. After several hours of unpacking and cleaning up to make the cabin habitable, they finally settled down around the table for a dinner of cold-cut sandwiches.

Matt had managed to get the generator up and running so they had power, but none of them had the energy to cook a meal.

Mark took a sip from his water bottle. “Guess we need to hear the rest of your story. Figure out a game plan from here.”

Rodney put his sandwich down. “Bridget needs to be back in New York in two weeks to testify at the judge’s trial. We need to lay low for about a week and a half without being spotted. Then I’m going to call my partner, tell him where we are, and ask him to secure us transportation back to the city.”

“Thought you said someone was dirty in the department. How do you know you can trust your partner?”

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