River Road(2)
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz

“What are you getting at?”

“Did you have anything to drink before I got there?”

“Just some bottled water that I brought with me. And I don’t owe you any explanations, by the way.”

“You didn’t have any of whatever was in those unlabeled bottles that were in the ice chest?”

“It was some kind of energy drink, Jillian said. She told me that Brinker makes sure it’s at all of the ranch parties. She said there’s something special in it.”

“But you didn’t have any?”

“I didn’t feel like getting drunk or high, okay?”

She had no intention of admitting that the idea of consuming the oddly colored beverage had scared the living daylights out of her. The sad truth was that she had realized long before Mason had arrived that the night was destined to be a failure. She was just not cut out to live on the edge or push the envelope or take a walk on the wild side. Everyone said she was levelheaded and responsible—not the sort to get into trouble. But those were just other ways of saying that she was boring and way too cautious. She was starting to think that she was doomed to remain on the outside of an invisible glass house forever, looking in at people who dared to take a few risks and really live their lives.

“Why go to one of Brinker’s parties if you didn’t want to get drunk or high?” Mason asked.

She scrunched lower into the seat. “I just wanted to dance. Have some fun. So sue me.”

“But you weren’t dancing when I got there.”

She sighed. “Because no one asked me to dance. I finally got invited to one of Brinker’s parties and it turned out no one wanted to be with me. You were right, I was out of my depth, hanging with the wrong crowd, blah, blah, blah, and it sure was lucky you came along when you did. There. Satisfied?”

Mason did not answer the question, possibly because he was turning the truck into the long, narrow lane that cut through the old apple orchard to Sara’s cozy house. The lights were on inside the little bungalow. An aging van emblazoned with Summer River Antiques was parked in its usual place in the drive.

“Looks like your aunt is home,” Mason said. He brought the truck to a halt.

“She’s early.” Lucy unfastened her seat belt and popped open the door. “She and Mary usually don’t get back from their buying trips until after midnight.”

Mason studied the front door. “That’s good.”

Lucy paused halfway out of the front seat. “What’s good?”

“You won’t be here alone tonight.”

“Geez, Mason. I don’t need a babysitter. As a matter of fact, I babysit other people’s kids. I’m very popular as a babysitter because I’m so levelheaded and responsible and all.”

“I know,” he said. “Sorry.”

“Oh, stop apologizing. It’s not your thing.”

She jumped out of the truck and made to close the door.

“Sorry about tonight, too,” he added, voice roughening. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“Uh-huh.” She looked back at him through the open cab door. “You know what? A few years from now when I’m all grown up you can remind me to thank you for your totally unnecessary rescue tonight. Maybe when I’m thirty or forty I’ll be able to appreciate your noble intentions. Or not. You know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that.”

What the hell. She might as well tell him the rest.

“For what it’s worth, you wasted your time tonight,” she said. “When you arrived, I was getting ready to walk home.”

“Not a good plan. It’s a long walk.”

“I would have been okay. I had my cell phone. Besides, this is Summer River, not the big city. My aunt says there hasn’t been a murder here in forever.”

“Bad things happen in small towns just like they do everywhere else,” Mason said.

“Crap. Now I’m going to get a lecture on walking home alone after dark?”

She held her breath because the expression on Mason’s face indicated that was exactly what was going to happen. She smiled.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” she said. “Born to protect and serve. Maybe you should consider a career in law enforcement.”

“I hear there’s more money to be made in real estate,” he said without missing a beat.

“I’m serious.”

He ignored that. “Why were you going to walk home?”

“Because Jillian was getting drunk, if you want to know the truth. I knew she didn’t want to leave. She thinks Brinker is hot. All the girls do, and some of the guys, too. Anyway, I was afraid to let her drive me home. There you have it, the whole story of my wild night out. You were right. I shouldn’t have gone to the ranch, even though half the kids in town are there. You did your good deed. Get over it.”

The front door of the house opened. Sara appeared. The porch light glowed on her graying brown hair. Like the other women in the Sheridan family line she was no Amazon, but her five-foot-three-and-three-quarters stature and petite frame were deceptive. Decades of yoga and hauling wood for the massive fireplace in the old house had endowed her with very straight shoulders and a strong, compact body.

She moved to the railing and waved.

“Hi, Mason,” she said. “Thanks for bringing Lucy home. I was about to call her cell to see if she needed a ride.”

“No problem, ma’am,” Mason said. “It was on my way.”

Lucy sniffed. “On your way, my ass.” She started to close the truck door, but something made her hesitate. “About this guardian-angel thing you’ve got going.”

“I told you, I’m no guardian angel.”

For the first time there was a hint of emotion in his tone. He sounded irritated.

“Aunt Sara is big on the karma stuff,” Lucy said. “You know, what goes around comes around.”

“I know what karma is,” Mason said. His voice was a little too even.

She realized that she had managed to insult him by implying that he didn’t know the meaning of the word. In spite of how he had embarrassed her by dragging her out of the party, she felt bad. Everyone knew that Mason had been working since leaving high school. It wasn’t like he’d had a lot of educational opportunities. Aunt Sara said that it was his brother, Aaron, who was destined for college. She said that Aaron had just been accepted into a very prestigious, very expensive university. She also said that Mason and his uncle were doing everything in their power to make sure Aaron didn’t graduate with a load of debt.