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carried. Without much thought Kort leaned out the door and called to her. “Hey, get in!”
    Barely hesitating she veered toward the passenger door and leaped in. She was already soaked from just the short distance she had run. Rainwater began to puddle around her feet and she bit her lip in embarrassment.
    “I’m making such a mess.” She perched on the edge of the seat as though she could somehow keep it dry if she didn’t sit back.
    “It’s okay. It will dry.” Kort looked behind the seat hoping he would find a towel or rag to give her to dry off. He wasn’t really surprised there was nothing there. His mother would never allow anything in the truck that did not absolutely belong there. “I’m sorry I don’t have a towel or anything.”
    “I should be apologizing.” Grace set the bag on the floor at her feet. Then she pushed the hood back from her face, and pulled the front of the sweatshirt up to blot the rain on her face. She looked through the windshield. “If it would let up just a little I could make it across the road.” Smiling at Kort she asked, “Does it usually pass quickly or will I be dodging animals heading for an ark on my way?”
    Kort glanced back at the road and tried to remember what fall storms had been like before he went to Eastern State. He had never really paid attention. It had rained the day after Desiree had disappeared. The rain had poured down in sheets making it impossible for the searchers to cover much ground. The sound of the rain pounding on the roof of the truck pulled him back to the present. He turned to answer Grace and found her staring at him.
    “Are you okay?” Her voice was steady but her eyes betrayed her nervousness. She had watched Kort’s face change as he looked out at the rain. The easy smile had faded into a grimace. And something about the expression made her stomach tighten and her nerves kick into high gear.
    Kort felt her tension and immediately felt bad. “I was just remembering…” He stopped. There was no way to explain his history in a few minutes to someone he might never see again. “It does rain pretty heavily sometimes.” He glanced back out the window. “I can take you across the road.”
    Grace hesitated. Her eyes flicked over Kort taking in his height and build. He was a big guy. She didn’t know anything about him. She wanted to hit herself in the head. She had gotten into a truck with a man she knew nothing about. No one knew where she was. Heck no one really knew who she was in this town. If she disappeared she would just be some drifter who couldn’t afford to have her car repaired and didn’t show up for a job.
    Kort could read the look on her face. “But it will probably let up soon.”
    Grace blushed. He had sensed her reticence. She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
    He cut her off. “Don’t be sorry. You should be more careful. On the other hand, if you would like a lift across the road I am happy to take you.” He allowed a grin to touch his lips. “I promise not to kidnap you.”
    Brushing aside her discomfort Grace returned the grin. “In that case I would appreciate a lift across the road.”She pulled on the seatbelt and set the bag containing her dinner gingerly on her lap.
    Nodding, Kort started the truck and pulled up to the parking lot exit. The odor of a hamburger and fries filled the cab of the truck. “I see you decided to get your food to go,” he observed as he watched the traffic for an opening.
    “It seemed like the most practical thing to do when I saw how dark it was getting.” Grace’s stomach rumbled softly and she glanced quickly at Kort to see if he noticed. But it seemed he hadn’t as he continued to gauge the flow of cars, waiting for an opening to pull out.
    Traffic finally thinned and several cars stopped to let Kort out. With a slight wave he drove across the road and up to the entrance of the inn. “Safe and sound.”
    “Thank you very much. Thank you for the ride and for the