Mountain Secrets Elizabeth Goddard (life changing books to read .txt) 📖

and took in a deep breath to clear her head. One of the other cars on the street must be the FBI guy.

Once she checked in with Mary and got her marching orders for the day, she stepped outside, where Nick waited for her.

He offered her a crooked grin with lots of teeth in it. “Thought I’d tag along while you did your work.”

Nick drove her while she picked up groceries and flowers and got two houses ready. All day long, she sensed that they were being followed and watched. Though when she glanced around or checked her rearview mirror, she could never spot the tail. She just had to trust what Michael had promised. Toward evening, Nick suggested they have dinner together. He hadn’t said anything about the buyer pickup all day.

The restaurant was one of the more expensive in town with soft lighting and a hushed atmosphere.

“Go ahead—order the most expensive thing on the menu,” Nick said.

Her stomach was so tied in knots she doubted she could swallow a pea. “Think I’ll just get a salad.”

He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes at her. “I said order the most expensive thing on the menu.”

She wasn’t sure how much more of his controlling behavior she could take. She glanced around the restaurant, wondering which of the patrons was her protection. She noticed Larry, the man with the graying temples who had picked Jason and her up after they got away from the Wilson house.

A man two tables over lowered his menu. Jason winked at her and put the menu back up to cover his face. The exchange sent a spark of light through her.

She turned her attention back toward Nick. “Okay, I’ll get something besides salad.”

“Now, that’s my Isabel. Thank you for dropping the bad attitude,” Nick said. His phone rang. He checked the number and a shadow seemed to fall over his face. “I have to take this.” He got up and stepped toward the men’s restroom, speaking in low tones.

Jason dropped his menu again and made a face at Isabel.

She wanted to laugh out loud.

The waiter was approaching their table just as Nick burst into the dining room, clearly agitated. “Come on—we’re going.”

She looked at the waiter. Jason covered his face with the menu again. “But we haven’t ordered yet.”

Nick squeezed her arm so tight it hurt. “I said we’re going.”

She got up as Nick pulled her through the restaurant. Jason was no longer at the table where he’d been watching.

A light snow twirled out of the sky as Nick dragged her through the parking lot, yanked the door open and pushed her toward his truck.

“What’s going on?” Her heart was beating a mile a minute.

“We’re going to the buyer pickup.” Nick glanced from side to side, surveying the parking lot. “Get in the truck.”

She climbed in. Nick got behind the wheel and sped out of the parking lot. She didn’t dare look around to see if her protection was there and give herself away. She had to trust that they would be. Seeing Jason, knowing that he was close, eased her fear.

The streets of Silver Strike were bustling with activity. The winter music festival had brought additional tourists and weekenders.

A light turned red before Nick could get through. He cursed at the traffic and slammed his hand on the steering wheel.

His agitation made her stomach churn. Maybe a buyer pickup made him nervous, but this felt over the top. His mood had changed after the phone call. Traffic remained heavy even once they got out on the highway.

She glanced up at the rearview mirror without moving her head. Several cars were behind them. She struggled to take a deep breath.

He took the exit that led to the venue for the music festival.

“Why here?”

The parking lot for the festival was filled with people.

“Public places are best.” He adjusted his hands on the wheel and stared straight ahead.

Nick found a parking space after cursing out several other drivers. He was out of the truck and on Isabel’s side of the truck just as she pushed the door open. He grabbed her sleeve and pulled her toward the venue, which was at the base of the ski hill. Inside, a band was just taking the stage. The venue had a large open floor with high-top tables around the edges and a bar and grill at the far end of the concert hall.

Nick manacled his hand around her wrist and pulled her through the thick crowd. How was he going to find a buyer among all these people? She glanced around at the concertgoers. For a moment, she thought she had spotted Jason, but then the face disappeared in the crowd.

The band struck up an intense blues number that pummeled her ears. People pressed on her from all sides as they squeezed through the bodies. Nick held her wrist so tight it hurt. She wanted to pull free and run.

But she needed to stick with the plan, play her part and meet this buyer. He got to a wall and led her up some stairs into a private box for viewing the concert. The room had several leather couches.

Nick closed the window, muffling the noise of the concert.

“This is where we’re meeting the buyer?”

“Yeah.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and didn’t make eye contact. “You ask too many questions. Stop.”

He paced the floor, stopping to stare out a window that looked out on the ski hill. He checked his phone.

She stared down at the clusters of people. Her heart leaped when she saw Jason. He was turning in a half circle, searching the crowd.

Look this way.

A moment later, he glanced up. She pressed her hand on the glass. Could he see her?

“Get away from there.”

She stepped back. Jason was eaten up by the crowd again. There had to be agents out there too. Michael said there would be.

Again, Nick checked the window that offered a view to the outside. She walked over to where he was staring.