“Do you know when it’s over?”

“Pretty sure he said six, but since they had such a late start, it might be later.”

“Shit. I guess I need to get a cab. Do you think I can get one this late?”

“I’m sure you could, but hey, don’t sweat it. I can give you a ride.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. No problem. What time do you want to leave?”

“Is thirty minutes too soon?”

“Not at all. I’ll pick you up then.”

She let out a long sigh of relief. “Thanks, Jai. You’re a lifesaver.”

Twenty minutes later, she was heading downstairs. She rang the bell and explained the situation to Ethel, leaving the key with her so she wouldn’t lose it. Ethel insisted on giving her a muffin for the trip, and while she hadn’t eaten a single one since she got here, she still didn’t have it in her to turn her down.

By the time she made it outside, Jai was already there, waiting in an oversized orange pickup truck, nearly an antique. He jumped out at once to help her with her bags, giving her an arm to lean on over the now-icy ground. It took some effort to climb into the high cab, and by the time she was finally seated, she could hardly believe she was inside this hideous vehicle.

The truck did, however, seem to handle the icy roads very well. Once or twice as they drove out of town to the interstate, she spotted an icy patch, but the wheels sailed over them as if the ice wasn’t there at all.

Jai wasn’t talking, but he was humming along with the radio—classic rock. Still, it wasn’t an awkward or uncomfortable silence. The sun was nearly set now, with only the palest line of light glowing behind the mountains, their black outlines nearly fading into the horizon to their right. The traffic, luckily, was light in this direction, all the commuters on the northbound side, and they were making good time. At some point he turned onto a secondary toll road, and Ryann saw the symbol for the airport on the road sign. Her heart dropped slightly, and she fought against her own rising sense of dread. Leaving now meant returning to her old life, which was seeming less and less appealing.

“So,” he suddenly said, turning down the radio. He glanced over at her and winced a little. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I can’t help myself.”

“What?”

“Did you think to wonder how I knew you were leaving?”

“I guess I thought Stuart must have told you.”

“It wasn’t Stuart.”

“Oh.”

“Yep.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “So she must have told you—”

“She told me everything, Ryann. She and I talk every day. No secrets.”

“I see.”