Page 19 of Small Town Hunter

I show him the ring, but to my surprise it’s my watch that catches his eye, not the sparkly four-carat diamond.

“That’s a Royal Oak, if I’m not mistaken,” he says, circling my wrist with his big, muscular hand. I feel a shock of something gothrough there, just like it did when he looked at me.

“Um, please let go of me.”

He lets go right away but keeps looking at me funny. “That’s a whole mortgage you’re wearing like it’s nothing.”

“It’s a fake,” I lie.

“A damned good one,” he says dryly.

Lord.I pull away, not sure what he’ll do next.

“Rich girl,” he mutters, looking even more disturbed. “Just my luck.”

“Can you turn on the air conditioning? It’s a furnace in here.”

Crash doesn’t move a muscle. His eyes bore into mine. “You can’t get on a bus or a train with an expired ID. With most good hotels you need a credit card. The rest aren’t safe for a female alone. Anyway, there isn’t a bus station for miles. This isn’t the place a girl like you ought to be hitchhiking.”

“I know it’s crazy.”

“Yes,” he says. “It is crazy.”

I take a deep breath. “I’ll pay you to take me to California, Mister Crash. I have money and my grandmother has even more money.” I nod to the cross hanging from his rearview, even though I think it’s the wrong kind. “I’m asking you as a Christian. Would you please help me?”

He blinks at me in wonder. Crash has long dark eyelashes.

“I believe you were chosen by God to help me,” I add helpfully.

“Missy, besides driving you a thousand miles in the opposite direction from where I’m headed, is there anythingelseI can do for you?”

The dress feels like it’s burning my skin. Like the longer I wear it, the better the chance of the Reverend coming out of nowhere and dragging me into the church.

But I know one thing. If I came this far, then it can’t end here. I can go as far as I have to.

Are you really gonna do this, Trina?

I tell myself it’s better to live with my bad decisions than to live as Reverend Wilson’s wife.

“Is there…Is there somewhere we can go, Mister Crash? I’m so tired.”

Heat floods to his face. He turns, literally, bright red. He grinds his jaw before finally speaking. “I just have one question for you, before I answer that.”

“What question?”

“Are you– are you with them?”

“With who?”

“Those girls back there.”

“What girls?”

“Jada and them. You know what? Nevermind.” He scowls. “You’re no calico queen, I can tell that much.”

“What on earth is acalico queen?”

“Are you running from something? Did you do something wrong?”

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