Page 80 of How We Fooled

“Yeah, Natalie and Dalton are behind us in his truck too. You know he can’t keep up though, so Eli had to send him our location because I dusted his ass.”

She laughs again. “How did they know what was going on?” Maya asks.

Ben lets out a sharp laugh. “They don’t. They don’t have a clue where we’re going. They just saw me running from the barn and followed, knowing it had something to do with you.” He turns to me. “Why don’t you text them, saying she’s okay but to continue following us? I think we have some business to attend to.”

I pick up my phone and text Dalton.

When I’m done, Ben hands me his. “Put her exact location in my map, so I can follow on my screen up here.” He points to the dashboard.

I do as he asked, and within seconds, her exact location is on the screen, saying we’ll be there in eight minutes.

“I’m almost there, okay?” he says, trying to reassure her.

“Okay,” she says, obviously still afraid, judging by the way her voice shakes. “Hurry. I’m so cold.”

We drive in silence until Ben says, “Hey, remember when I taught you what to do if you ever saw a bear?”

“What?”

“Remember when we all went camping together a few years ago, and I had you practice what you should do if you ever saw a bear?”

“Oh jeez,” she says, making Ben laugh out loud. “I’m not Timon!” she argues.

“You totally were. All I needed to do was put a grass skirt on you, and you’d play that part of the movie perfectly.”

She laughs again.

“Why don’t you practice that right now, so if an animal does try to sneak up on you, you’re prepared?” Ben says.

“No way in hell,” she says through her own giggles.

“Oh, come on. Eli needs to hear you growl.”

She chuckles, then sighs, and we sit in silence for a few beats.

“Thanks, Ben.”

“For what?”

“For just being you.”

“You know there’s no one else I’d rather be.”

He grins at me, making me shake my head and roll my eyes. He’s always been one cocky son of a bitch.

“It’s telling me to turn in a mile, so I’m getting closer.”

The way she says, “Okay,” shows us she’s calming down, and the fear in her voice is softening.

“Do you see my truck?” Ben asks when we finally get close to her.

“Not yet.”

“It says we’re right next to you.” We turn a corner.

“Yes!” she screams with joy.

I look out and see her waving and jumping up and down.

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