Page 4 of Road Trip With the Ghost Hunter (Love Along Route 14 #10)

Lucas

I counted to three but waited for Li to open her cooler first. This girl was a whirlwind of emotions, and they all played right across her face.

From thinking I was going to take her someplace and chop her into pieces to the loss and loneliness that caused what I assume was a panic attack. It was all there.

She looked inside, and her lost girl expression was back. “On second thought, snacks aren’t that important.”

”What are you talking about? They are hugely important.” I pulled out my carrot sticks and hummus. “These will make sure that I don’t fill myself with overprocessed and unnatural sugars.”

She looked from my healthy option to my face and back three times before her lips shook. At first, I thought she was about to cry again, but when her shoulders began to move I realized she was laughing.

”What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” She actually snorted, trying to keep her giggles in. “It just hit me really hard that I’m perfectly safe with you.” Her body doubled over as she laughed so hard she had to put her cooler on the floor.

Her hand curled around her waist and her eyes were screwed shut. Her cute little mouth was wide open, letting streams of laughter pour out. For a second, I could swear I saw tears glistening on her cheeks, but she wiped them away.

”Oh, dear me.” It was like she couldn’t stop. Her whole body was one big funny bone.

“I fail to see what is funny about taking care of your body,” I scolded. Somehow, that made her laugh harder, which I wouldn’t have thought was possible. “Will you stop that?”

”Sorry.” I could see her trying to make herself stop, but it wasn’t working. Every time she swallowed down a giggle, it would explode even bigger when she couldn’t hold it in.

I dropped my food back in the cooler and reached behind her to put it back.

I checked the traffic and swerved back on the road.

I didn’t have time to sit here watching her cackle at my food choices when she probably had plenty of overprocessed, dehydrated, sugar and artificial flavored crap in her cooler. At least I was taking care of myself.

”Hey.” She wasn’t laughing now. Her small hand reached out and touched my arm. The heat of it surprised me. I jerked away and immediately felt like an ass.

“Slow down,” she yelled.

“What are you talking about? I don’t speed. I’m only going…” Shit. I was driving eighty-five miles an hour.

What the fuck?

I never sped. Yet, here I was going ten miles over the speed limit because she laughed at my fucking snacks.

”Son of a…” I eased my foot off the gas until I was back to the speed limit.

I looked over. Li had pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and was back to staring at me like a crazy person. So much for my brilliant snack idea to get her to relax.

”Will you stop that?” I almost screamed. “I am not driving all the way to Colorado with you looking at me like I’m going to dump your broken body where it can never be found again.”

That probably wasn’t the best thing to say. Especially given how big her eyes got. Eyes that I didn’t notice had small slivers of gold around the dark irises, or how expressive they were. If her face were an open book, then her eyes were the words on each page.

“Damn it.” I let out a long, loud breath that filled the car. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I said as softly as I could. I didn’t need her mood swings going back to hysteria.

”I know.” Her voice barely registered over the music. I turned it down so I could hear her better. “That’s why I was laughing.”

”What?” That made absolutely no sense.

”Anyone who’s worried enough about his body to bring hummus on a road trip wouldn’t possibly cut someone up and roast them on a fire for dinner,” she said, like those types of things happen all the time.

”This isn’t some sort of horror movie,” I scoffed.

“Dude, don’t you watch investigative television or listen to crime podcasts?”

“No,” I shook my head. “Only crazy people and wannabe killers make time for that kind of crap.”

”Watch it.” There was a bit of fire to her tone. I looked over, and she looked really offended.

”My grandmother loved those shows.” She stared right at me. “They were the only reason we had cable television, and they gave her hours of entertainment.” She turned to face the window. “It was one of the things we used to do together.” Her voice was back to a whisper.

I was really fucking this up. “I’m sorry.” I lowered my voice to match hers.

”It’s alright.” But I could tell it wasn’t.

That had to be who she lost. It was the only thing that made sense with how she reacted. It must be recent, too, but if it was, why wasn’t she with her family? Shouldn’t she be helping her parents or her siblings? Someone? Anyone? Why was she here with me? Unless there was no one else.

Well, damn. Double damn.

Was she all alone? If so, why the hell would she get in a car with a stranger? If she watched all those shows, she should know better than to trust someone to take her hundreds of miles to Colorado on the word of some mechanic.

I mean, I was trustworthy, and I would get her there, but what happens after I drop her off? Is she just going to trust the next stranger who offers to help her? If she didn’t have anyone, who was going to look out for her?

I turned to see her still facing the window.

She looked so fragile, curled up with her legs on the seat and her arm wrapped around them.

She wasn’t wrong. Anyone could carry her off somewhere, and she would never be heard from again.

Especially if there was no one to raise suspicion.

A sudden need to make sure she was taken care of pulled at my chest.

She’s not my responsibility. I have enough problems of my own, and taking care of some random woman was not what this trip was supposed to be about.

Yet, when I glanced over again, I couldn’t help the responsibility that I felt.

I needed to know more about her to make sure there was someone she was meeting in this new town.

For all I knew, maybe she already had someone to look out for her.

Maybe I was wrong and her grandmother wasn’t gone.

Maybe her parents were just distant but still available.

I mean, it wasn’t as if I knew anything about her.

”So, you and your grandmother watched these crime shows together?”

“Yes,” she answered, but didn’t turn.

”Tell me about her?” That seemed like a good way to break the ice and find out more about her family.

She turned then. “My grandmother?”

”Yes.” I gave her the best smile I had. “We have at least three more hours before our first scheduled break. Tell me about your grandmother and about you. We’re in this car together, so we might as well get to know one another.”

She took a deep breath and held it. I saw a lone tear fall. Just when I was sure she wouldn’t say anything, she turned to face me with a sad smile.

”My grandmother was the most amazing woman.”