Page 108 of To Catch a Latte Thick as Thieves

“Am not,” he said.

“Hey, isn’t that what’s their names?” Cat pointed out the window over Jared’s shoulder. “The Bickersons?”

Jared turned just as the RV was pulling away in the far lane, which seemed to be the only lane moving.

“I couldn’t tell,” he said.

“I’m sure it was them,” Cat said. “Those sparkly clothes of hers were pretty blinding.”

Jared checked the traffic on his phone. The stretch of highway they were on was colored bright red on the map. “I think there’s been an accident.”

As if to confirm his theory, an ambulance’s siren alerted them that one was on the way. As they watched, it made its way past the traffic using the breakdown lane.

“Oh, I hope no one is injured.” Cat chewed her lower lip and gazed down the road in front of them.

“The ambulance has a clear path and should get there quickly.”

Jared glanced at the concern in her eyes and could have kicked himself. Knowing Cat, she’d worry and fret about the accident the entire time they were stuck in traffic. He couldn’t watch her worry; it would drive him crazy.

Switching off the engine, he rolled down his window and motioned for her to do the same. A warm breeze drifted through the cab, ruffling Lucy’s ears where she slept on the back seat.

“So what do you want to do to pass the time?” he asked.

Cat turned in her seat and dug two sodas out of the cooler behind her. She handed one to Jared, considering him while popping the top on her own.

“How about that talk we were going to have?” she suggested.

“Are you sure you want to be lectured?” he asked.

“Me, lectured? I thought this was going to be your apology,” she said.

“Apology?” Jared opened his can of soda. “After you scared the bejeezes out of me and called me an immature adolescent? I don’t think so, honey. If anyone is going to apologize, it’s going to be you.”

“You’re right. How can I make it up to you?” she asked, gazing at him from her beneath her lashes. Her lashes didn’t quite hide the teasing glint in her eyes, but it didn’t matter that she was teasing. Jared felt the sweat pop out on his brow. She leaned forward, giving him and unrestricted view of her cleavage. Rearing back from her, he slammed his back against the door and tried not to yelp when the door handle dug in beneath his vertebrae.

“Forget it,” he ordered.

“All right.” She grinned and shrugged. “How about you tell me another story?”

“About what?”

“Oh, I don’t know, about you maybe.”

Jared kept his gaze firmly planted on hers, fearing that it might stray to the blue stretchy material that fit her like a second skin. Think sister, he told himself.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” he offered. “I’ll tell you about myself, if you tell me about Matthew Gerard.”

“Matthew? How did you hear about the big dumb jerk?”

“Big dumb jerk, eh?” He laughed. “How do you think? Cameron.”

“Oh, of course. All right, I’ll take your deal, but I don’t want to hear ‘something’ about you. I want to know your life story. You already know mine.”

“I only know about your family,” Jared argued. “You’ve been mum about your personal life.”

“Why are you interested in my personal life?” she challenged.

“I’m not,” he lied, in a voice more harsh than he’d intended. “It’s just that it’s the only thing you’ve left out.”