Forever Wild. Allyson Charles

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СКАЧАТЬ in seven hours and it was a six-hour drive. His stomach slid uneasily. He fed the dogs and loaded them into the van, hoping she would get back by the time he finished. Not that he owed her the ride. She was a stowaway. He could leave whenever he wanted. He rubbed his chest. But it didn’t feel right just ditching her.

      He went to her room again, looking for clues. A slew of tourist brochures were spread out on the desk. He fingered through them and picked up the one that had been separated from the stack. He frowned at the glossy postcard.

      Graceland. The address was circled in ink. Christ, he had a life-altering meeting to get to and Lissa was getting her Elvis on. He tapped the brochure against his jeans. She couldn’t really expect him to wait for her. No one would blame him if he left. The dogs were his responsibility, not some crazy artist running away from New Orleans.

      One with a backpack full of cash she was too naive not to flash around.

      He debated his options and grabbed his keys. He was definitely going to head home. He couldn’t miss this meeting. Climbing into the van, he stuck the key in the ignition and cranked it to life. The entrance to the highway was only a couple of blocks down the road. He could be on his way in minutes.

      He tensed his fingers around the steering wheel, but his hands refused to turn left to the highway on-ramp. The back of his neck flushed hot, and Dax swore. Plugging the address for Graceland into his phone, he turned right on the street and drove as fast as he could toward his annoying little stowaway without jostling the dogs in back.

      It was a cool morning, but he still circled the large parking lot of Graceland looking for a spot under some shade. He slid open all the back windows and made sure the dogs had water before buying a ticket and entering the mecca for thousands of sequin-clad Americans.

      Heading for the welcome desk, he found a map of the building and determined the best search pattern. He jogged through the rooms, avoiding tour groups and wannabe impersonators. Finally, he found her in a gallery, her backpack slung over one shoulder and a gift bag in her hand, staring up at a multimedia picture of the King in a furry white suit.

      “There you are!” Dax jerked to a halt as two octogenarians in gold lamé jumpsuits toddled in front of him.

      Lissa turned, a smile lighting up her face. She was a beautiful woman no doubt, but when she smiled, beautiful didn’t even come close. The curve of her lips matched the way the corners of her eyes crinkled and arched up. She looked radiant. Illuminated from within.

      His breath rushed out of him like he’d been punched to the gut. His heart thudded. Was that smile for him? A man could get used to having that directed at him every day. He could—

      She walked up to the grandmas and fingered a sequined scarf knotted around one of the woman’s throats. “Great outfits,” Lissa said.

      The blue hair cocked a bony hip and said, “Thank you. Thank you very much,” in a deep baritone.

      Lissa laughed and waved goodbye before bounding up to Dax. “You found me! Isn’t this place great?”

      “No, it’s tacky and my own personal version of hell.” He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. He was an idiot. Of course that smile wasn’t for him. They barely knew each other. “Can we go now?”

      “You’re awfully grumpy this morning. Well, grumpier than yesterday.” Lissa narrowed her eyes. “Did that motel burn the biscuits? I told the manager the biscuits and gravy were overcooked. But it was a free meal, so what can you do?” She shrugged.

      “I haven’t eaten breakfast.” His stomach chose that moment to make itself heard. Biscuits and gravy, even overcooked, sounded pretty good.

      “Well, there’s the problem. No wonder you’re grumpy.”

      “I’m not—” Closing his eyes, Dax pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Is there any place around here I can grab something quick?”

      Lissa threaded her arm through his and started walking. “Is there a place to eat?” she scoffed and shook her head. “How does a peanut butter and banana sandwich sound to you?”

      “Slightly odd, but I guess the elements are right for a solid breakfast.” He let her lead him into a small café with some grab-and-go options. She picked out a sandwich and juice for each of them and strolled to the cashier.

      She waved him away when he drew out his wallet. “This is on me. After you let me hitch a ride, you should have let me pay for your motel room, too.”

      “Forever Friends is paying for my motel.” Not that he’d let her pay for him anyway. He might be a twenty-first-century man in a lot of ways, but he still didn’t let women pay for him. His dad would kick his ass if he did. Dax’s throat went thick thinking of his father. He pulled a bill from his wallet.

      “Seriously.” Lissa placed a hand on her hip. “It’s a sandwich. I’m paying.” She handed the cashier some money and shoved the change in her back pocket. Her paisley top, the same one she’d worn yesterday, caught in the waistband of her jeans and revealed a triangle of smooth-looking skin.

      Dax jerked his gaze upward.

      After she grabbed their tray, Dax snuck his bill in the glass tip jar next to the cashier and trotted after her. He glanced at his watch and his shoulders sagged. Well, that was that. He was going to have to apologize for missing the meeting and ask for another. People had to reschedule appointments all the time, he knew. But it didn’t look great when he needed to appear responsible. If the loan officer was already on the fence about giving him money …

      Lissa arranged his plate and juice, pulled a napkin from the dispenser on their table, and laid it next to his plate. She flashed him a warm smile as he sat across from her, and some of his tension eased. It had been the right call, not ditching her in Memphis. Lissa was sweet and needed looking after. At least until she could bank her money.

      “So what else do you want to see in Memphis?” Lissa unscrewed her bottle of orange juice and watched him as she took a swallow. A stray bead of juice clung to her bottom lip and she flicked out her tongue to swipe it up.

      Dax stared at his sandwich. He picked it up and tore out a bite. No ogling the crazy artist. After swallowing, he said, “I didn’t want to see this in the first place. But I couldn’t just leave you. You should have left a note.”

      “You found me anyway.” She tilted her head. “You’re not a fan of the King?”

      “I grew up on grunge. I don’t even think my parents listened to Elvis.”

      Her face screwed up in an adorable expression of disgust. “Grunge?” she tsked. “I can see I was placed in your life for a reason, Dax Cannon. On the rest of this trip, I’ll take control of the radio. When do we have to get back on the road again?”

      “Two hours ago.”

      A tiny divot creased her forehead. “What?”

      He sighed and tossed a bit of crust onto the plate. “Nothing. I had a meeting at four this afternoon, but I’ll have to reschedule it. So, I guess we’re not in a time crunch.”

      She reached over the table and grabbed his wrist. She twisted it and her head to check the time. “What are we doing sitting around here? Come on.” Jumping to her feet, she grabbed her bags and СКАЧАТЬ