Page 24 of Tide and Seek

“Now, that sounds fair,” Royce said in an agreeable tone.“What do you think, Max?”

I eyed the big red Hummer.“We’ll probably have spent a thousand dollars in gas by then.”

Reggie gave a nervous giggle.“Nah, not that much.Probably no more than three hundred.”

“Gee, what a bargain,” I said, tempted to throw the keys at Reggie and just Uber everywhere.

“I think we can make this work for now, don’t you, Max?”Royce squeezed my tense shoulders.“We just won’t do a lot of driving until we can switch out the car.It’ll be okay.I mean, it’s just a car, right?”

“That’s not a car,” I grumbled.“It’s a 747.”

Royce chuckled.“Come on, Max.Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I didn’t want an adventure.I just wanted a car.”

“I know, but it’s just for a day or so.”Royce’s voice was coaxing.“In the scheme of things, this is a small problem.Plus, Reggie here is going to fix the issue for us before you know it.We won’t even have time to get used to the Hummer before it’ll be nothing but a memory.”

“Fine,” I relented, staring down my nose at Reggie.“We’ll wait and swap out this monstrosity for a BMW the day after tomorrow.”

“Thank you both for being so understanding.”Looking relieved, Reggie stepped forward with an iPad for my signature.“Like I said, you just let me handle everything.Before you know it, you’ll be driving that BMW, Mr.Thornton.”

“I guess we’ll see,” I murmured.

Once he had my signature, Reggie tucked the iPad under his arm, gave me a sort of salute, and said brightly, “Again, my name is Reggie, and it’s been a pleasure giving you Tippity Top service, Mr.Thornton.”

I had to stifle my groan.

“Thank you, Reggie,” Royce said politely.

Reggie all but bolted for the pickup truck, and they tore out of the beach community, tires screeching.

“Tippity Top service, my ass,” I groused.

“Let’s go get some lunch.Maybe it’ll improve our mood.”Royce gently worked the keys free from my tight fingers.“I’ll drive, Max.”

I met his gaze.“Don’t tell me you want to drive that thing.”

He laughed.“Hell no, but I’ve driven a Hummer before, a few years ago.Something tells me you never have.”

“No.I’ve also never flown the Goodyear blimp.”

Grinning, Royce kissed me.“How about you lock up the house and we’ll go eat.”

I sighed, grateful Royce wasn’t fazed by my bad mood.I was once more thankful that he was with me on this trip.“Okay, but I might need a cocktail or six.So far, this day has been atrocious.”

“Then it can only get better, right?”

“Now you’ve done it.”I winced.“You’ve tempted fate to show us how much worse the day can be.”

Royce simply chuckled good-naturedly and headed toward the Hummer.

Chapter Six

Royce

The Hummer lumbered along the winding stretch of PCH just outside Malibu, tires humming low against the uneven pavement.The ocean flanked us on one side, blue and endless, while the other side was all scrubby hillside and cliffs, blanketed in dry coastal sage, brittle chaparral, and tough-leaved manzanita.Spindly eucalyptus trees leaned toward the road at odd angles, their long, pale green leaves fluttering in the breeze.

The salt air mixed with warm asphalt and the rubbery bite of the tires.Sunlight bounced off the hood in sharp bursts that forced me to squint.Unfortunately, I’d forgotten my sunglasses back at the house.Max hadn’t spoken for a while.He sat with his arms crossed, watching the scenery roll past.He looked self-conscious, and any time a driver in the next lane glanced over, he shrank lower in his seat, like he could disappear into the upholstery.