Shine Not Burn(37)

“Palm Beach State College?”

“Are you asking or telling?” he said. His beard moved. I took the upward shifting of the hairy mess as a smile.

“Telling.” I turned partway back to my coffee, using my napkin to dab away at my mess. “So, what was that motto again?”

“Luceo, which means shine .. Non, which means not…and Uro, which means burn.”

“Shine not burn,” I said, almost to myself. Why was that ringing a bell? Why did I think I’d heard that somewhere before?

“Kinda cute, huh?” asked Hannah.

Sounded more sexy than cute to me, but I smiled and nodded anyway. I had to get in good with the locals if I wanted to get this mess taken care of ASAP.

“That where you’re from?” asked Hannah. She set the coffee pot down on the counter in between us. “Florida?” She was ignoring at least three people waving at her for more of the caffeinated goodness.

I nodded. “Yes, I live there. I’m just here for research.”

“Long way to come for research when you could-a just called,” she said, chewing her lip like she was trying to figure me out. It made me nervous to think that Diner Barbie was hot on my trail of lies. I was getting the distinct impression she’d be really happy to bust me.

“Yes, well, I tried to call but the MacKenzie group is hard to get in touch with that way, apparently.”

“Who’d you try to call?” she asked.

Her questions were taking on an intense mood to them that made me less inclined to share. “I can’t remember. I don’t have my notes with me.” Lies, lies, and more lies. The leather messenger bag at my feet had exactly one troll doll and everything I’d been able to find on the MacKenzies. Unfortunately, all I had for an address was a post office box in the middle of town and a phone number nobody ever answered.

“Why are you looking for Gavin?” she asked. Her tone had taken on a proprietary air, and I realized I could very possibly be looking at Gavin’s other wife, since apparently only special people called him by his given name. What are the chances that I’ve stepped right off the plane into a pile of horse shit? I looked at her slightly mutinous expression and knew the answer. Out here, probably good. Checking her finger, I saw no ring there. I let out a slow breath of relief, hoping she and the man-bear-pig still behind me wouldn’t notice now nervous this conversation was making me.

“I’m headed out to the MacKenzie place if you want to hitch a ride,” said the grizzly man.

I turned back around to face him, but not before catching a scowl move across Hannah’s face.

“Really? That would be great. I could follow you in my car.”

He looked out the front windows of the diner directly at my Smart Car.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” he said simply.

I imagined myself trapped in a vehicle with this man and decided there were certain risks I was willing to take and others I just wasn’t. “I’ll be fine. That little car has a lot of spunk … you’d be surprised.”

“Whatever floats your boat. You ready to go now?”

“But she hasn’t even finished her coffee,” said Hannah. She sounded very upset about it, too.

“I can wait,” said the man.

I stood. “No need. I put too much sugar in it anyway.” I put some money down on the counter, enough to cover the coffee and a generous tip. “Thanks, Hannah.”

She frowned at me. “How’d you know my name?”

I looked pointedly at her name tag. “Uhhh, I guessed?”

“I got my eye on you, Abbie,” she said in a threatening tone, narrowing her eyes.

“That’s Andie.”

“Let it go, Hannah Banana,” said the man-bear-pig, sighing at the end of his plea.

“Shut up, Boog! You don’t tell me what to do anymore, got it? And stop calling me that name.”

I picked up my satchel, very happy to be leaving the unhappy Hannah Banana behind. She obviously had an issue with strangers, so it was time for me to leave. Besides, if I could get lucky and find this MacKenzie place before dinner, I could very possibly be home by noon tomorrow. A grin spread across my face as I pictured myself sewing this little problem up and tucking it away in a little box no one would ever find.

“Come on, follow me. I’m in the blue truck out there. We’ve got about a thirty minute drive ahead of us.”

I stopped walking as his words sank in. “Thirty minutes?” I asked.

He didn’t answer. He just went out the door of the diner, leaving me to follow.





Chapter Seventeen





THE FIRST PART OF THE trip was a breeze. Fifteen minutes of smooth driving and beautiful weather had my windows down and my voice soaring out into the wind. Walking On Sunshine came on the radio, and I yelled the lyrics as loud as I could, rejoicing in the seratonin that was bleeding into my brain. Life is good! Life is awesome! I was on the road to traveling towards my lifeplan again! I pictured myself on the plane with my signed annulment papers in my lap and a smile on my face. There was even a cocktail on my tray in this vision of glory. Maybe I’d even upgrade to first class.

Just as my song was finishing, the man-bear-pig, a.k.a Boog turned off the two-lane paved road and onto one with only a single-lane of dirt. Calling it a road was generous, though. It was more like a path than anything else. It made me happy I was driving a clown car when I saw his big tires going off into the weeds on both sides.