quietly said, "After all this
talk, you'd better be worth it, mister."
"Money back guarantee, ma'am. I'll be doing my best down there. And
everywhere else, too, of course."
"And you won't tell a soul? Not anybody? Ever?"
"Nope. This is strictly between you and me."
Beth held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded and started them walking
back to the hotel.
"Okay, then," she said, "I'll go in first and leave the door open for you.
You'll follow me a few minutes later."
"Better synchronize our watches, huh?"
Her glance was narrow. "Just do what I tell you, okay?"
"Yes'm. You got it. Going into sneaky mode now."
She said something nasty and slapped his arm.
"Ow! Okay! Sneaky mode later, then. No pain stuff, lady."
Beth started giggling, then had to stop and lean on the wall as her giggles
turned into laughter. A cop car slowed and looked as if it would stop near them,
but Beth laughed even harder as she shook her head and waved them on.
The passenger side cop looked at Cade and asked, "Have you people been
drinkin'? What's so funny?"
"She just realized something, I think."
"What?"
"Well, I'm not exactly sure. It's business related, I think."
Nodding, the cop waved the driver on as he said, "Uh, huh. Well, it's late,
so hold the noise down, okay?"
"Sure. No problem."
Beth suffered another spate of laughter as the cops drove away. Cade went to
stand by her and waited for the laughter to abate, thinking she must have been
strung pretty tight to be so thoroughly amused by so little.
She levered herself off the wall and began walking again as she caught her
breath.
"You okay?" asked Cade.
"Fine. You were right. I realized something."
He waited as she took a breath and seemed to collect herself a bit.
"Cade, were you trying to make me laugh?"
"Nope. Not really. I was just trying to make you feel a little more
comfortable about dragging me back to your cave."
"I'm not dragging you anywhere. You conned me."
Hand over his heart, Cade said, "Never. Not me. No way. Nuh-uh."
"Bullshit."
"If I don't agree with you, will I still get laid, ma'am?"
"Of course you will. I want laid and you've got the duty."
"Ah. Well, then, okay. I conned you. Just a little, though."
"Just enough."
"Oh. Yes. Of course. Just enough, then. Yes, ma'am."
She smacked his arm and said, "Stop that."
"Yes, m