Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“A hotel?”
He did a double take over at her. “Yes…?”
“We’re not staying in hotels, are we?”
Fitz coughed in disbelief. “You want to sleep on the street?”
“Not in the street, but I thought we’d be sleeping in the car.”
A laugh burst free. “Hell no.”
“I don’t have money for a hotel, Fitz. I only have some money for food.”
“What do you mean?” Panic rose in his throat. “How did you expect to get across the country?”
“Well, you threw out my sandwiches, which is definitely unfortunate because—”
“Wait.” Alarm bells sounded. Somehow, he suspected their definition of some money for food didn’t align. “How much money do you have in your bank account?”
She laughed like this was a silly question. “I don’t have a bank account.”
For several long beats he stared blankly at the dark road vanishing beneath his car. Finally, he managed, “Okay, how much cash did you bring?”
“I have about sixty dollars.”
Exasperation exploded in his chest. These were all things he should have asked before they left: Does anyone know you’re leaving, do you have enough money to take this trip, how are you getting home? Fitz had put aside enough money from his paychecks to cover his own way and maybe a little extra, but certainly not enough for two hotel rooms in every city, two meals at every stop. This was insanity. “Ren, seriously? Even if we’re frugal, you only have enough for maybe six meals, and you’re planning to be gone for a week!”
“I’ll—we’ll figure it out. I’ll make it up to you!” She widened those green eyes at him, and he looked back to the road. “I promise.” She paused and then spoke with such deep sincerity, he found himself turning to her again: “I promise, Fitz.”
Sincere or not, this was absurd. “How are you going to make it up to me? Are you planning on setting up a table selling pickling spices in the quad when we get back?”
Excited for a beat, she opened her mouth to respond and then clamped her lips shut, narrowing her eyes. He ignored the way this cute frustration sent a tiny thrill down the back of his neck.
“I think you’re teasing me,” she said.
“Of course I’m teasing you. But what else are you going to do? Get a job at Starbucks? Maybe you’ll be a cashier at Target?” He studied her in tiny glances away from the road, genuinely curious now. “Everyone knows you don’t even leave campus except when you get picked up by your parents on Fridays.”
Ren turned her face forward, expression crashing at the sneer in his tone. “I didn’t think I stood out so much.”
“Are you kidding me?” He coughed out a sharp laugh. “Sweden, did you even read the profile about you? You came in halfway through the year. You have seventeen acres of blond hair, if your eyes were any larger you’d be a lemur, and you greet every mammal on campus as you walk past. You’ve never been to school before but know more than most of the professors, you can fix a rocket engine with duct tape and a shoelace, and you fooled everyone but me into thinking you’re a gift from God. Yeah, I’d say you stick out a bit.”
A worm of regret moved through him, but he shoved it aside, seeing the opening in her insecurity about being a fish out of water. “You’ve barely been off campus but think you can handle yourself on a cross-country trip with a stranger?” He laughed. “You really are so naive.”
He felt like a jerk, but at least it worked. She didn’t say anything else for the rest of the drive to Missoula.
CHAPTER TWELVE
REN
A real dilemma landed at her feet when it was time to stop for the night: She’d resolved to keep quiet for the rest of the day’s drive, and then they pulled up in front of what had to be the most beautiful hotel she’d ever seen. The building itself was sand colored, with an entrance that was five sliding doors wide and a giant well-lit white archway. Behind them was a wide paved path bracketed by manicured grounds with flowers and grass and beautifully placed rocks.
They climbed out of the car, stretched in the waning light, and stared at their home for the night.
Ren lasted all of ten seconds before it burst out of her: “It’s so beautiful!”
Fitz followed her attention to the entrance, his gaze sweeping, unimpressed, across the sight before them, then coming back to her. “It’s a Holiday Inn.”
She exhaled, awed. “Even the name sounds magical.”
He stared at her for another beat before wordlessly walking to the back of the Mustang and retrieving their bags, slinging one around each of his broad shoulders. His was an unblemished leather duffel. Hers was an old ratty backpack. Together, they looked so funny she couldn’t help but laugh.