Page 23 of Chasing Sunsets

“Yes.” A bit uncomfortable at Kelly’s reaction, and not understanding why her job would matter to the woman, Sadie changed the subject. “What do you do?”

“I’m a contractor,” Brett answered, but his eyes were on his wife. “Kelly manages a boutique.”

Kelly finally blinked, although she still gazed at Sadie with a surprised expression.

“We need everyone outside,” Jessie beckoned from the entryway.

They headed out of the hotel with the other contestants and were met by gloomy clouds blocking much of the sun, giving a respite from the heat. Crew members busily shuffled around helping with microphones. Moments later, Gemini arrived in a limousine.

When filming started, the host lifted the gold whistle from a chain around her neck and blew three short blasts. “Day two begins! Each of you will find your next destination programmed on the GPS in your vehicle.”

Sadie bolted toward the car, and Zack stayed in step with her. Riding in the back seat was not an option for her with this headache and nausea. And she felt too anxious to drive. “You drive.”

Truman filmed them from the passenger side of their SUV.

“We need to switch places today,” Sadie called. “I get carsick in the back sometimes.”

Their cameraman didn’t argue and slid inside the back seat of the vehicle, still recording. She closed her door just as Zack punched the button to start the engine. The GPS flickered on with the words,Houston Downtown Aquarium.

Zack grinned. “I got this.”

Their home in Katy was thirty miles from the aquarium, and they’d been a few times.

The screen showed a map of downtown Houston.

“Do you need help getting out of Dallas?” she asked.

“Nah.” He backed out of their space before the others. “Relax.”

Relax.Impossible.

The headache, muscle aches, and constant shaking were rattling her every nerve. She’d have to rethink her options. A smidgen of liquor might be a better choice than suffering this misery.

“When was the last time you guys saw each other before yesterday?” their cameraman asked.

No intention of answering him, Sadie spun around and spied two coolers. One had Truman written on the front and the other had a brown sack with their names. “Please hand me our cooler and the sack.”

Truman placed the camera in his lap and passed her the items.

She checked the cooler, handed it back to Truman, then looked in the sack. “Along with sandwiches, apples, and protein bars, there’s fifty bucks. It’s tagged gasoline money.”

Next, she set the money in the console, pressed the on button for the radio, and found an instrumental channel. “When we stop for gas, I’ll drive.”

Zack checked the fuel gauge. “We have plenty for a while.”

Traffic moved slow-as-snails again this morning. Her impatience caused her head to pound harder. She tapped her foot in count with the music, doing anything so the men didn’t see her discomfort. Her anxiety eased once they headed south on Interstate 45.

To calm herself more, she leaned her seat back and closed her eyes.

~

Zack knew better thanto ask Sadie what was wrong with their microphones on, but she did not look well. The circles under her eyes were worse, and she couldn’t seem to sit still when they’d set out earlier. She fell asleep an hour out of Dallas and had been peaceful ever since.

He could relate to her exhaustion. Muscles he’d never known he had until using them for the first time yesterday didn’t want to move when he woke this morning. At least, he’d gotten a good night’s rest and hadn’t awakened repeatedly, which had been a pattern for him the last few months.

Bing.

“You better stop for gas,” Truman’s quiet warning came from the back seat for the second time. He’d said the same after the first bing.

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