The Outsider's Redemption. Joanna Wayne

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СКАЧАТЬ crowd. Hot pink outfit, tote bag. It had to be her, so why was she ignoring him? He stood his ground. “You are Mrs. Rand, aren’t you?”

      Her brows furrowed. “Why do you ask?”

      “I was sent to pick you up.”

      She smiled slightly. “You’re not what I expected,” she whispered, turning to glance over her shoulder.

      “You don’t have to whisper,” Cody said. “We’re just a couple of friends meeting in the airport. Try to appear that way.”

      “Okay.” She took a deep breath, but didn’t relax. “I know I’m supposed to act cool, but ever since I caught the plane in D.C. I’ve been a nervous wreck. The man sitting next to me kept trying to talk to me and I finally told him I had a migraine just so he’d back off. I thought about telling him I was married to a very jealous husband but I don’t wear a ring. I mean I’m pregnant and all but…”

      “Okay, let’s take it easy here. I’m a cowboy. We talk and listen nice and slow.”

      “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been so worried. I mean this is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. I’m usually very calm, in perfect control. Well, maybe not calm, but better than this.” Her eyes darted from one side of the terminal to the other. “I’m not afraid or anything. Well, actually, I am a little scared, but it’s just because this is, well, you know, like stepping into a James Bond movie. Not that I think I’m a femme fatale. I didn’t mean that.”

      He shook his head to clear it. If she talked this fast all the time, he’d grow dizzy trying to follow her. “Actually, it probably would be better if we saved the talk for later. Do you have the diskette?”

      Her manner changed, grew suspicious. She tilted her head to one side. “I have it.”

      He took the handle to her luggage. “Is it in here?”

      “Wait a minute. Mr. Aus…, I mean my associate told me that I’m to give the disk to no one but him. I follow orders.”

      “I didn’t ask you to give it to me. I only asked where it was. But don’t get all riled up. I was just trying to make sure we kept it safe. Is it in that tote bag you’re carrying?”

      Her chin jutted out and her lips curled into a defiant pout. “I don’t like your attitude. I’ve a good mind not to go with you at all.”

      Cody shrugged and nudged his tan Stetson back on his head. She was a spunky little thing. He guessed it took that to be the kind of woman who’d sell out to the enemy. “If you don’t go with me, you might not get paid. And your associate would be very upset with both of us. Besides, I have no intention of letting you leave here without me.”

      “Okay, but don’t try to boss me around. You’re supposed to protect me and take me to…”

      He threw up his hands to stop her babbling. “I’m Cody Gannon and I’m to take you to meet your associate, who we both know is Dan Austin. So let’s just get the show on the road.”

      She took off down the corridor, and he followed, pulling her bag behind him. He slowed to dodge a man with a white cane who was walking against the flow of pedestrian traffic. “My truck is just outside,” he said, catching up with her easily.

      “I have to stop at baggage claim to get the rest of my luggage. I wasn’t sure where I was going so I had to bring sweaters and jackets and everything.”

      “It’s September, Mrs. Rand. You’d have to go a long way to need a suitcase full of sweaters and coats in Texas in September.”

      “Well, it’s late September. Anyway, I’m not a Mrs. I was about to tell you that earlier, but you didn’t give me a chance to finish.” She looked down at her stomach. “The baby’s due in late December. I hope it’s born for Christmas. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s a girl, but I don’t want to know until she’s born.”

      She took a deep breath and looked up. It was the first time they’d made real eye contact, and the sudden intimacy of it bothered him. He looked away and walked all the faster.

      “I’m sorry,” she said, obviously taking his action for disapproval. “When I get nervous, I just can’t seem to stop talking. Todd says it’s my insecurity. I guess he’s probably right.”

      “Who’s Todd?”

      “It doesn’t matter.” She stopped talking and stared straight ahead as they made their way toward the baggage area.

      From babbling on and on to complete silence. He hoped she wasn’t going to be one of those moody types. One thing for sure, when he agreed to Dan’s offer, he hadn’t expected that he’d be leading a pregnant woman into a trap that would get her arrested and sent to prison.

      Strange, he was supposed to be one of the good guys, but he felt a lot like a rat. He walked beside Sarah to claim her baggage, wishing every second that Dan Austin would call. The sooner he made the delivery and walked away from this, the better he would like it.

      “I need to stop at the ladies’ room,” Sarah said. “Why don’t you go on to the baggage area, and I’ll meet you there?”

      “No way. I was told to stick to you like flies to a Fudgsicle.”

      “I don’t know why. I came this far. I’m not running out now.”

      “I’m just following orders.” He took her arm and guided her to a spot by the wall where he would be out of the line of traffic but could still see the restroom door. “When you finish, meet me right here.”

      “If you’re going to wait on me anyway, you can hold this.” She thrust the tote bag in his direction.

      He grimaced. “No way. If you want me to hold your bags, you need to buy some that won’t get me laughed at.”

      “A real cowboy wouldn’t let that bother him.” She set it down at his feet and walked away.

      He watched her depart, her hips swaying seductively. Seductively? What in the world was he thinking? You couldn’t think words like seductive in reference to a pregnant woman. It was…

      He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t plan to let it happen again. He touched a finger to the pager at his waist, checking to make sure it was on. All he wanted to do was get this woman and her disk to Daniel Austin.

      The disk. Surely it wasn’t in the tote bag she’d carelessly deposited at his feet. He yanked it up and started digging through it. A couple of James Bond videos, some books, a portable radio with headphones, an opened package of trail mix, a bottle of vitamins.

      Nothing that even resembled a floppy disk or a CD. He looked up to find a couple of cowboys snickering at his bag. “Don’t worry,” he quipped. “You’re not my type.” Before he had time to give it another thought, the pager at his waist vibrated.

      He checked the number and then turned to try and locate a pay phone. There was one about thirty yards down the corridor, but he’d have to wait for Sarah before he made the call. Shifting from one foot to the other, he wondered what in the hell was taking her so long.

      SOMETHING WAS WRONG. Sarah had known СКАЧАТЬ