“Cady, it’s five miles to the house,” Anthony protested.

“This, Anthony, is where the rubber really and truly meets the road. Let her go,” Lola replied in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

* * *

Cady walked along, barely noticing when the huge Bentley passed her by. She felt so sick to her stomach she wondered if she was going to have to dive into the bushes to puke her guts out. She swallowed hard, willing the tomato juice and coffee she’d consumed earlier to stay down.

She trudged. Cars blew their horns. She ignored them as she walked along. She needed to go someplace quiet so she could think. Maybe the Drop Zone and her new best friend, the bartender with the slithering serpent on his arm. She could probably sit there all day and even eat if she wanted some of the pickled eggs in the greasy-looking jar sitting on the counter. Her stomach heaved with the thought.

She looked over her shoulder as she heard a light tap of a horn behind her. She moved farther to the side of the road. When the car came to a complete stop, she looked up and groaned. Pete Danson was behind the wheel with Boomer Ward in the seat next to him.

“What? Are you going to tell me it’s illegal to walk on the side of the road? So mail me a ticket!”

“Get in the car, Cady,” Boomer said.

“Don’t tell me what to do. Don’t ever tell me what to do,” she shot back.

“Sorry. Will you please get your ass in this car. If you don’t, I’ll have to get out and arrest you. What’s it going to be?”

“What’s it going to be?” Cady said, mimicking him. “What do you think it’s going to be?”

Boomer opened the door and stepped out. He swept Cady up in his arms and deposited her in the backseat. “Now, it’s two tickets. You were at the pond again. We set up cameras.”

“Liar. Both of you are liars. I consider this a case of kidnapping, so you can just kiss my ass, Boomer Ward. Let me off at the Drop Zone.”

Pete raised his eyebrows and did his best to stifle the laughter that was bubbling in his throat. He risked a glance at his passenger. Boomer looked out of his depth. Pete felt pleased for some reason.

“You are the most ornery, cantankerous, snippy female I have ever come across. What were you doing at the pond?”

“Not that it’s any of your damn business, but I rode the zip line. And, Boomer Ward and Pete Danson, I remembered everything. Everything.”

“Everything?” Boomer said.

Pete’s shoulders sagged.

“In addition to your other faults, you obviously have a hearing problem, too. I said everything. Everything means everything. There’s the Drop Zone. Stop the car. I have friends there. I can even run a tab now that I have such good credit. Another thing, it would have not only been nice but the decent thing to do to tell me about Amy’s turn for the worse. I had to call the hospital myself.”