Page 20 of Wild in the Woods
Because you didn’t want her to leave, dumbass.
Harsh wind blew through the open windows as he sped down the road leading to town. Lulu tried to wrangle her hair with one hand into a ponytail, but it kept breaking free and whipping around her face. The window creaked as she pressed the button to raise it. Suddenly, her arms shot out and she went dead still.
Giving her a brief glance, he noticed her face had gone pale.
“Get it off me.” She whispered as if there was an axe murderer in the house and she was trying to hide. “Get it off, get it off,getitoffrightnow.”
He didn’t dare take his eyes off the road long enough to see what she was freaking out about. “What’s the matter?”
“There’s something in my hair!”
Still frozen in place, she didn’t react as a gust of wind from his window pushed her hair into her face. Behind the silky curtain came a terrified shriek. “It’s on my face!”
Breaths pumped out of her like she was in labor. If she was trying to calm herself down, she was doing it wrong.
“You’re going to hyperventilate.”
“Too. Late.”
With a squeal, she pushed her hair back and he glimpsed a small black beetle clinging to her cheek. A chuckle bubbled in his throat as he reached out and gently slapped it away.
“Where’d it go? Oh my God!”
“It flew out my window.”
She put a hand over her heart. “Really? Are you sure?”
“No. It’s probably on the floor somewhere by your feet.”
She pulled her feet onto the seat so dramatically; he couldn’t help but laugh. Digging in her pants pocket, she produced a hair tie and tamed her hair into a low ponytail. He closed his window to deter more bugs.
“Pretty sure I’ve never seen anyone overreact over a beetle like that before.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have distracted you like that.”
“Bugs are terrifying. I get it. Just wait until you have to bite into one.”
Covering her mouth with a hand, Lulu looked out the side window, silent.
He sped into the parking lot. His brain went into immediate work mode, and as he got out of the truck and trotted to the door, he momentarily forgot that Lulu was there. Cell phone in hand, she caught up to him. Osprey pitched a fit having been left in the truck. He was about to go back and let her out when Ryker pulled in and did him the favor.
Lulu followed him inside and stepped to the side to let Ryker pass. A moment later, two more men hurried in, and the sound of gravel being disturbed outside said a few more had shown up, too. Fox went to the fax machine in his office and grabbed the information sheet dispatch had sent over. It gave a description of the missing person and their last known location, along with other information that would be helpful in the search.
“What’s this?”
Lulu leaned into him to peer at the paper. The impact of her closeness rocked him.
“It’s a CAD, computer aided dispatch. It contains information we need for the search.”
“Who’s this Cap? Your date to Desi’s wedding?”
Greg Richards walked by and clapped Fox on the back with a long glance at Lulu. Eyes narrowed; Fox had the striking instinct to growl at the man.
“No, she’s a reporter on a ride along.”
Greg reached a hand to Lulu. “Nice to meet you.”
“Lulu Orlando. Same. How long have you worked search and rescue?”
