The Girl from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 1) (3 page)

“Really?” He seemed duly impressed. “Who
do you work for?”

“
Now Magazine
.”

He let out an appreciative whistle.
“Very impressive.”

Okay, so if Kenzie were here, she would
toss her head and flirt. And since she was pretending to be Kenzie…

“It’ll do,” she shrugged saucily. In her
best sultry voice, she purred, “And you? What’s your story?”

His intriguing blue eyes twinkled,
picking up on the flirtatious tone. “Actually, I’m headed to the mountains for
cross country training.”

“Skiing?” She frowned in confusion. It
was late April.

“Cycling.”

“You’re a cyclist?” In her brief
imaginary synopsis, she had never imagined him as a cyclist. He had the
physique, but cycling never crossed her mind, probably because she knew nothing
about the sport.

“Not professionally,” he was quick to
say. “I’m participating in the Ride for the Hills Cancer Charity. I’m just
getting in shape.”

“Wow, that’s … impressive.” She hated to
copy him, but it was the truth. “Going all the way to New England to practice
for a charity event?” 

He shrugged his nicely developed
shoulders. “I had a week’s vacation coming, and needed to practice for the
race. Weather’s so much nicer in New England than in Texas, I decided to come
north.”

Makenna wondered if Kenzie had packed
for cooler temperatures. Surely it would have occurred to her, but with Kenzie,
you never knew. She had probably been more concerned with fashion than with
comfort. “Hmmm, you definitely have a point. It’s supposed to be in the mid
90’s by this weekend.”

“Not where we’re headed.” Again, that
fascinating twinkle, this time with a waggled brow. “In my case, it’s primarily
New Hampshire. What about you?”

“The same.” At least, she supposed so.
Kenzie had mentioned a few of her plans, but Makenna knew very little about the
actual assignment and specific elements of the trip. The more she thought about
this crazy scheme, the less it made sense.

He mentioned a few more of his plans,
day-trips he intended to take into Vermont and the western edge of Maine,
trails he had heard of in the White Mountains, places he wanted to see. Makenna
made mental notes of the locations that would be of interest to her project,
wondering if Kenzie had made an itinerary of her own. Knowing her impulsive
friend, she suspected she already knew the answer.

As the plane banked and headed north,
Makenna felt a burden lift from her shoulders. The journey had begun, and so
far, no one even suspected she wasn’t who she claimed to be. Maybe this crazy
scheme was going to work, after all.

“Please secure your personal belongings
as we prepare for descent into Manchester.”

The three-hour flight had literally
flown by. Makenna and the handsome blue eyed man spent the entire time chatting
about everything from current movies and magazines - particularly
Now
-
to tastes in music, from their home state of Texas to the undeniable lure of
New England. Makenna’s worries melted away as she laughed with her charming
companion. He was witty and sharp, and offered the perfect distraction from her
guilt-plagued conscious. By the time the flight attendant announced the current
time and temperature in New Hampshire, Makenna was feeling much more optimistic
about the upcoming week.

“Let’s exchange phone numbers,” her
companion suggested as they touched down and were allowed to turn their cells
back on. “Maybe we can touch base during the week, have lunch or something.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Makenna fiddled
with her phone, finding the right screen. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Hardin. But here, let me. It’s easier
this way.” He went to the corresponding screen on his phone and traded devices,
so they could each enter their own information. As he keyed in his number, he
glanced up at her. “So what’s your name?”

She almost goofed. She was busy putting
her friend’s name alongside her own phone number, which took a fair amount of
concentration. She started to answer automatically, “Ma - .” She quickly caught
herself. “McKenzie, but look under the ‘K’s. Everyone calls me Kenzie.”

“All right, Kenzie with a K.” He
returned her phone with a charismatic smile. “All done. Be expecting a call.”

“I will.” She gave him a cheeky little
grin before slipping her phone into her bag.

They continued a casual conversation as
they made their way down the aisle, off the plane, and toward baggage claim.
When no one came rushing toward her, demanding an explanation for posing as her
friend, Makenna breathed easier.

“Well, thanks for making the flight less
stressful,” she said, piling her bags together after retrieving them all from
the carousel. His still had not arrived. “It definitely kept my mind occupied.”

“No problem. I’m glad I sat on your
row,” he grinned. “Oops. That’s mine.” He nodded at the black bag tumbling onto
the conveyor belt.

“Well, have a great vacation.” She was
reluctant to part with the handsome man, but his luggage was moving
closer. 

“Hey, I’ll call you,” he promised. He
was obviously torn between lingering beside her and retrieving his bag now,
without waiting for it to cycle again. He reached out to touch her hand, their
fingers trailing through the air as he stepped away.

“You do that.” Makenna would have
offered her best smile, but he had already turned his back toward her. Puffing
a breath of air from her cheeks, Makenna made her way toward Ground
Transportation.

Her adventure was now underway.

Thirty minutes later, Makenna pulled out
of the rental car lot in a shiny red convertible. As predicted, Kenzie pre-paid
for the ultimate driving experience. The car had every gadget imaginable, most
of which Makenna had no clue on how to operate. But it had a full tank of gas
and a navigation system, the only two things she really needed to make it to
her destination. The hotel where she was booked was over an hour away, and the
late afternoon sun was already setting low in the sky, casting long shadows on
a day almost over.

Setting her cruise control a mile above
the posted speed limit, Makenna headed toward the mountains in the distance.
She stopped once for a snack and a restroom break, then jumped back on the
interstate. It wasn’t until after the break that she became aware of the green
sedan, traveling in the same direction she was. Amused, she realized they were
playing a game of road tag, switching positions with one another as they
gobbled up mileage. First she would be in the lead, then they would go around
her. Before long, their lane of traffic would slow down and she would go
sailing past. She never got a good look at the driver, but she knew it was a
male traveling alone.

Signs along the highway informed Makenna
her exit was only a few miles ahead. Knowing she was near her destination
brought a smile to her lips. She looked in the rearview mirror to check what
was left of her make-up. Movement caught her eye as the green sedan approached
at an alarming speed. Glancing into her side mirror, Makenna moved over into
the empty lane on her left. The green sedan moved behind her, its speed still
too fast. It was practically on her bumper.

Trying not to panic, Makenna moved back
into the right lane, belatedly noting there were no other cars in sight. When
had that happened? She was so busy thinking about this impromptu trip and
watching the scenery that she failed to notice the now-deserted highway.

Deserted, that is, except for the green
sedan.

The sedan came alongside her, and she
breathed a sigh of relief. They were simply trying to pass. When they suddenly
swerved into her lane, she knew she was in trouble. The car was trying to run
her off the road!

Makenna had no choice but to floor the
gas pedal. She shot past the other car, but it kept pace with the convertible.
Faster and faster, they raced down the road, Makenna only slightly ahead of the
vehicle chasing her.

Seeing an exit up ahead, Makenna debated
on taking it. Surely, the crazy driver would not follow her. She kept her speed
steady until just before the exit. Without using a blinker, she whipped onto
the shoulder, planning to jerk onto the exit ramp and make her escape.

But where was she escaping to? She had
no idea where she was or where the road led. At the last moment, just before
the green sedan could slam into her, she shot from the shoulder into the left
lane, her foot to the floor. The green car followed, trying to force her off
the road as it crowded into the lane with her. With two wheels on the uneven
pavement of the left shoulder, Makenna struggled to maintain control of the
speeding sports car. With a guardrail approaching, she knew she had to do
something quickly to avoid sideswiping it. She doubted her insurance - or
should it be Kenzie’s? - would be very forgiving.

Makenna finally saw taillights in front
of them, but she knew the other vehicles were too far ahead to notice what was
happening. If she could catch up with them, perhaps she could put enough
traffic between herself and the green sedan that she could get away. Praying
the little sports car had the motor for it, Makenna stomped her foot on the gas
and never let up.

With the green car now at least a full
car length behind her, Makenna sped her way to the beckoning taillights and
slid up beside a blue mini-van. Soon she had eased between it and a white
Lincoln, but she could see the green sedan behind the van. Dusk made it
difficult to distinguish the vehicles behind her, but she knew the shape of the
green car’s headlights. If she lived through this ordeal, she would be seeing
those same headlights in her sleep tonight.

Feeling a little more confident with
other vehicles around, Makenna eased off the accelerator. She didn’t want to
get ahead of the traffic and find herself alone with the green sedan again. She
thought back to the beginning of the trek, trying to recall if she had done
something to evoke such road rage. Had she cut the green car off? Forced him to
be caught behind a slow moving eighteen-wheeler? She couldn’t recall a thing.
Maybe he was a really sore loser, seeing their little game of road tag as an
all-out competition.

Whatever the case, the green sedan had
eased its way behind her again. There was another exit coming up, the last one
before she got off the interstate. Should she take it? Surely it would lead to
her destination, just a few miles down the road. There was a truck in front of
her, but Makenna maneuvered her way into the next lane and in front of the
truck, just in time to slide onto the exit ramp. But when she saw the green
sedan move to follow, she jerked the wheel and whipped back onto the freeway.
The truck blared its horn, and for a heart-stopping moment, all she could see
was a blur of headlights crowding down on her bumper.

Gunning the engine, Makenna zoomed down
the road, barreling away from the truck’s menacing bumper. She breathed a sigh
of relief as she eased into the left lane, snugly between the white Lincoln and
an older model pick-up truck.

Her sense of security lasted for about
two miles, when the white Lincoln was suddenly replaced by a familiar pair of
headlights. The green car was back again, and following closely.

She saw her exit just ahead, but there
was a steady lane of vehicles on the right, solidly between her and her chance
of freedom. She looked into her rear view mirror and found the green car so
close to her bumper she could hardly see its lights. There was a small gap to
her right. Was it large enough for a little red sports car?

While she debated the distance, her foot
eased off the accelerator uncertainly. Though slight, it was enough that she
felt the brush of the green sedan’s bumper clicking against hers. In a flash of
surety, Makenna knew what she had to do.

With a deep breath and a quick prayer,
she made her daring move. Whipping the wheel, she shot into the small gap
between the vehicles on her right. Amid blaring horns, she shot straight across
the lane and kept going, straight onto the exit ramp off the freeway. She knew
the green sedan was unable to follow. Too many vehicles blocked its path, and
the next exit was miles ahead.

Finally, she had escaped the green
sedan.

Makenna gripped the steering wheel with
trembling hands and slowed her speed considerably. She told herself the irate
driver would go on down the road and forget his bout of road-rage, but her body
did not seem to believe her. She was shaking uncontrollably now that the crisis
was over. She was tempted to pull over and allow herself a breakdown, but she
worried that the green car might somehow appear out of nowhere. It was best to
forge ahead, to the security of her hotel.

Full darkness had fallen, enveloping the
cozy little mountain village in muted shadows and twinkling lights. Makenna
relaxed her grip on the wheel and forced herself to appreciate the beauty
around her. The navigation device led her straight to her location, where she
pulled up in the circular drive and killed the motor.

Nice place, she noted with approval. Not
that Kenzie would be caught staying anywhere that garnered less than three
stars. Her friend wasn’t a snob, she merely had good taste.

Again, check-in went smoothly. She soon
forgot about the green sedan, as new worries about duping the receptionist
assailed her. It was amazing, however, how easy it was to pass herself off as
her friend. Granted, the two of them did look a great deal alike, but no one,
other than the TSA agent, had even questioned why her driver’s license photo
showed a head full of bouncy black curls instead of the gentle tumble of auburn
she sported. She merely had to flash her ID, present a credit card, and claim
that she was, indeed, Kenzie Reese.

She left the car where it was as she
unloaded and carried her luggage to her room. Billed as a condo-style resort,
there were no bellhops to help with the luggage, which was no problem for
Makenna. Even though her borrowed suitcases were bulging and she was a few
pounds too heavy to be called athletic, she was in good physical condition. She
opened the door to her second floor room and murmured a delighted hum of
approval.

She had lived in apartments smaller than
this suite. A full kitchen, totally modern and stocked with the latest of every
gadget, offered an eat-in granite bar with barstools. The living room yawned
beyond, a large room with comfortable furnishings and a cozy corner fireplace.
The bedroom with its king sized bed and ample storage pieces boasted a Jacuzzi
tub in one corner and a huge bathroom larger than the one she and Kenzie now
shared.

“I could totally get used to this for
the week,” she said aloud to the empty room. She deposited her luggage and
roamed through the space opening doors and drawers, familiarizing herself with
her home-away-from-home.
Well done
,
Kenzie
, she thought.
Well
done
.

A sudden stab of guilt flashed through
her at the thought of Kenzie. Some friend she was turning out to be! She hadn’t
even thought of the dear woman, lying up in a hospital bed thousands of miles
away. She grabbed her phone and clicked to her messages, relieved to see one
from Linda.

      Out of
surgery and doing fine.

     
 Awake and flirting with cute intern.

      Will keep
you posted. Take care.

Makenna laughed, thinking that sounded
par for her best friend. Kenzie was a natural born flirt, and men were
automatically drawn to her fun, vibrant personality. While they were so alike
in some areas, in others, like their flirting prowess, they were worlds apart.
As Makenna typed the Austin hospital’s name into the search engine on her
phone, she wished she were more like her friend in that aspect. How would
Kenzie have handled meeting Hardin today on the plane? Makenna had gotten his
phone number, but Kenzie would probably have secured a definite date with the
handsome stranger.

Maybe this week, while pretending to be
her friend, Makenna could emulate some of her moves. She had certainly watched
her roommate enough, flirting and toying with men’s emotions, but somehow she
had never been brave enough to try any of those tactics for herself. This week,
however, she was pretending to be someone else, so why not act like someone
else? This might be the perfect opportunity to step out of her comfortable
little box and try to be more aggressive, more engaging. With a naughty jiggle
of her eyebrows, Makenna decided she just might make the first move in calling
the handsome blue-eyed man.

Finding the number she was looking for,
Makenna dialed the hospital and asked for her friend’s room number and to be
connected. Kenzie answered groggily on the fourth ring.

“How are you?” Makenna asked anxiously.

“Sore. Sleepy. Are you there yet?”

“Yes, all checked in to my room. It’s
gorgeous, Ken, all done in creams and browns and splashes of red.”

“Send me a picture.”

“Are you sure you’re all right? Who’s
been there with you?”

“Marci and Linda and your mom and
Robert.”

“Who’s Robert?”

“This really cute intern I met. He’s
hot.” The sleepy words lacked enthusiasm.

“Only you, my friend, would hook up with
one of your doctors while having surgery!” Makenna laughed.

“He’s seen me at my worst and still
wants my number.”

“You sound like you’re still a little
loopy. I have a ton of questions to ask you, but they can wait until morning. I
just wanted to know you were all right.”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay, then I’ll let you get back to
sleep. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

“’Kay. And Makenna?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks again. You saved my life today.”

“We’ll see about that. I haven’t pulled
this whole thing off yet.” She said goodbye, thinking of a dozen things she
wanted to ask her best friend, and at least one thing she wanted to tell her,
namely about a handsome stranger with the most amazing blue eyes.

Hardin. She smiled just thinking of him.
She scrolled down through her phone, finding his entry. Hardin Kaczmarek. Under
‘notes’, he had entered ‘Call me. I think you’re hot.’

She laughed in glee. Take that, Derek
Morton. Another man thought she was hot! And not just any man, a very handsome,
exciting man. A carpenter by trade, a cyclist by choice. It made for an
extremely fine, fit physique. Derek may have accused her of having ice in her
veins when they stepped into the bedroom, but that hadn’t been ice surging
through her during the flight. Her blood had been plenty warm while talking to
the handsome stranger, leading her to believe the problem may have been Derek,
not her.