Page 116 of To Catch a Latte Thick as Thieves

Jared’s mouth popped open as if he would protest, but then it slammed shut. Cat smiled.

A half hour later they were merging back onto the highway. Glancing at her side mirror, Cat saw an RV cross two lanes of heavy traffic to pull in behind them. She frowned. People were such reckless drivers. Then she noticed that the man driving looked familiar. He was wearing a fishing hat covered with lures.

“Jared, what color was the Bickersons’ RV?”

“Um, white with a dark blue stripe,” he said. “Why?”

“Because I swear that’s them behind us, but they’re in a different RV. This one is tan and green.”

Jared looked at his side mirror. “The angle is bad. I can’t see.”

“I’m sure it’s them. How odd. I thought Mabel said they were going to Florida. This isn’t the way to Florida.”

Jared rolled down his window and stuck his head out. The RV dropped back out of sight. “It must be someone who looks like them,” he said.

“I guess,” Cat said, unconvinced.

Trying to make up for lost time, they pressed on through the evening until they landed at a motel in Joplin, Missouri.

After they hauled their luggage and Lucy into the motel room, they each collapsed onto a bed.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired in my entire life,” Cat observed with closed eyes. “Even with my eyes shut, all I see is the road in front of me, mile after mile of dotted white lines.”

“I know what you mean,” Jared’s deep voice growled in agreement. “Fast food for dinner?”

“Definitely.” Cat turned to glance at him.

“Do you realize we’re only halfway there?” Jared asked, his forearm resting on his forehead as if to ward off a headache.

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“Oh, God,” Cat groaned and Lucy leapt up onto the bed and licked her hand in sympathy.

“Don’t worry,” Jared said. “We’ll be there before you know it.”

Cat studied the room around her. It was decorated in deep shades of blue and green. Everything matched from the prints on the wall to the carpeting on the floor. Even the curtains and bedspreads matched. It screamed motel room.

But it was her motel room, and she shared it with the most attractive man she’d ever known. And she was sitting somewhere in the middle of the United States having a fabulous adventure. Life didn’t get much better.

“We need to call Cameron,” Jared said.

The adventure took an abrupt downward turn.

“Why?”

“Because I promised him I would check in with him,” he said. “To keep him from worrying.”

Cat narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Call him. I’m going to take a shower.”

She began to unzip her suitcase, and Jared jumped off his bed, pulled his bedspread free, and began to drape it between them. Although she knew it was childish, Cat was annoyed. He was just tucking the end of the bedspread behind a painting when she whipped off her tank top. She sent it sailing past his head. He glanced back to see her standing in her bra and shorts and his eyes bugged. She smiled.

Jared blinked and all but ran to attach the other end of the blanket to the mirror on the opposite wall. She heard him sigh once it was fastened. So, he thought he was safe now, did he? She began to hum, something slow and sexy as she rifled through her suitcase, looking for fresh clothes.

“I’m going to call Cam now,” Jared yelled and sat on his bead on his side of the curtain Catwhile he waited for Cam to answer. Cat ignored him and hummed louder.

Finally, Cam answered,