揟his looks like a place you抎 go to dump a body. If that抯 your plan, I told people about this trip so you won抰 get away with it.?
揧es, I figured you would,?he says. 揑 guess I抣l have to bide my time.?
I pick up my phone to text Drew.
Me: You don抰 happen to know where Ben is taking me, do you? I know he probably swore you to secrecy, but I have legitimate reason to think he might be planning to kill me.
Drew: He wouldn抰 take a whole weekend off to kill you. He抯 way too busy for that.
I laugh.
Me: So you don抰 know anything?
Drew: I don抰 know a thing. But make sure Keeley comes to Tali抯 party next weekend. My brother-in-law wants to meet her.
I turn to Ben. 揌ow much do you know about Josh抯 brother??
In true lawyer fashion, rather than just answering the question, he raises a brow. 揥hy??
揌e抯 interested in Keeley, apparently,?I reply. 揌e抯 in a band, right? You know Keeley would eat that up, so I抦 assessing the situation first.?
He shrugs, failing to answer once again. 揧ou know, Graham asked about her too,?he says. The admission is reluctant, as he is staunchly against getting involved in his brothers?personal lives.
I bark a laugh. 揧our brother? Never.?
He glares at me before his gaze returns to the road. 揥hat抯 wrong with Graham? I抳e already heard plenty about how attractive you find the men in my family.?
I laugh again. He heard me tell Keeley once that his brothers were hot and he抯 been quietly bitter about it ever since. 揟hey are so, so hot. All of them.?
揧ou can stop now,?he mutters.
I smile. 揘othing is wrong with Graham. But can you imagine him with Keeley? Mr. Responsibility with Miss 慙ucky Charms is a health food and retirement planning is for dorks? His head would explode.?
He shrugs and then frowns. 揝hit,?he says under his breath, pulling the car over to the shoulder and coming to a stop.
揇id you finally realize we抳e been driving the wrong way for two hours??
He gives me a dirty look as he pops the hood and climbs out. 揘o, but thanks for letting me know how you feel, again. The car抯 making a noise.?
I sigh loudly. Even if he does hear a noise and even if he knew, inexplicably, how to fix it, what抯 he going to do梒arve a new part out of wood? There抯 nothing but trees for miles.
揑 think it抯 the alternator,?he announces, climbing back in the car.
揟he alternator? How would you possibly know that??
揑 didn抰 always work in an office,?he says.
I抦 pretty sure he did always work in an office. I picture him being born in a tiny suit and tie, immediately demanding a higher quality formula than the one offered by the hospital.
He examines the map. 揥e抎 better get someone to take a look. I wouldn抰 want you stuck in the middle of fucking nowhere, as you so charmingly referred to it.?
It all seems really unnecessary. His BMW is barely two years old梩he odds that something is seriously wrong are slim.
He drives us a few miles away, to a tiny town that barely appeared on the map.
揑s the name of this place actually Hickory Hills??I ask, as we pass a carved wooden sign on its outskirts.
He抯 on his phone, looking for the service station. 揑 guess. Why??
揃ecause it抯 so匟allmark. I mean, it even looks like a town in a Hallmark movie.?I抦 practically hanging out the window to get a better look. We are on Main Street, now, which also seems to be their only street. There抯 a cute little coffee shop, an ancient drugstore and a retro diner but little else.
Ben抯 ignoring me, frowning at his phone. 揑抦 gonna drive down to the gas station and get them to take a look,?he says, stopping beside a small cafe. 揧ou want to run in and grab us some coffee? I抣l walk back and meet you in a few.?
揝ure,?I reply, kissing him on the cheek. 揑t抣l all be fine.?I really hate surprises, and nothing about this experience is proving that wrong so far, but I imagine he抯 a lot more stressed than I am. He抯 wanted this weekend away for a while.
My heels catch in the divots in the cute brick sidewalk. I guess I should have changed before we left the office, but I had no idea he was going to be depositing me in Backwoods, USA.
I enter the coffee shop and a tiny bell over the door announces my arrival. A cat lounges in the window seat, which I assume is a health code violation. 揥ell,?says the woman behind the counter, 揑 can tell you抮e not from these parts.?She nods at my outfit.
I force a smile. 揘o,?I reply. 揅an I get棓
揕os Angeles, I抦 guessing??she asks.
揜ight,?I tell her. 揑 guess the suit gave it away. Could I get棓
揗y sister used to live in LA. Silverlake. You ever go there??
揢m卻ometimes??
揟here抯 a cute little Thai place there,?she says. 揑f you go, tell them Amy said hi.?