Ill Take Forever

again on the map: Jenny trying to pinpoint where people lived, where the National Forest land began. She wished he would tell her more.
    The next morning, after breakfast, Kyle disappeared into his room for a while, and then reappeared, asking, 'Can I borrow your jeep?'
    'Can't I drive you where you want to go?'
    'Don't you trust me with your car?'
    'I don't know, are you a good driver?' She looked at him, amazed she was teasing.
    He answered her smile, his warm brown eyes alight with amusement as he loomed over her.
    'I'm a very good driver, never had a ticket. Do you want me to provide references?' he replied lazily.
    Jenny wasn't prepared for the way his smile caused a meltdown within. She found it difficult to breathe. Did he have any idea the effect he was having on her?
    'I suppose that if you wreck it, the DEA will reimburse me.'
    'I won't wreck it.'
    Jenny turned from the sink, dried her hands. 'If you want to go somewhere, I'll take you. Not because I think you'll wreck my car, but just to let you see where things are. Wouldn't that suit you?' She was still concerned about his physical stamina. His arm was in the sling, he still rested in the afternoons. Was he up to driving the stick shift jeep? Silly, she chided herself, those were all the right reasons, the real reason was that she wanted to spend time with him, see him in action.
    'Fine. Get me up to speed on the roads, then I can go out on my own and not worry about getting lost.'
    Jenny called for Shasta and the three of them were off.
    As they drove towards town, Jenny pointed out driveways, unmarked roads they’d seen on the maps, houses visible from the highway, and connected names with the ones they had reviewed over the last week.
    'I've been here before,' Kyle murmured, slanting an amused glance at Jenny. 'But it looked different after dark in the snow.'
    'What were you doing here last winter? Surely you didn't expect to find any plants growing beneath the snow?'
    Kyle was silent so long that Jenny turned to glance at him. He never answered many of her questions.
    'I operate under the need-to-know principle,' he said slowly. 'I've found that's the safest way for me.'
    'And I don't need to know, is that it?' Jenny said quickly. 'Darn it, I'm providing a cover for you. I'd think the least you could do is share some of information with me.'
    'Do you? Why?'
    'To satisfy my raging curiosity!' she snapped.
    Her anger was perhaps a little unreasonable, but it was a culmination of the frustration of the last few days. He'd question her for hours, yet if she asked one question all she got was an evasive response, or one designed to match the cover story.
    His chuckle surprised her. She threw him a dark look and turned back to her driving. He found it funny, did he?
    The light brush of his fingers against her cheek caused her breath to catch. She looked over to him again, eyes widening in question.
    'Just like a woman,' he murmured mockingly. 'Ever curious.'
    That response did nothing to assuage her anger. They drove in silence, reaching the edge of town before Jenny spoke again.
    'How did you get up here last winter?'
    'I was dropped off. Thought I’d meet my ride long before I found your house. Didn’t work out. He thought I was dead until I called from Strawberry.'
    Jenny remembered their first encounter. The parting in Strawberry. She was glad he’d found refuge from the storm and hadn’t perished.
    Once in Palmer, they cruised up and down the cross streets, with Jenny again pointing out the families that lived in the homes, a brief sketch of the various stores and shops.
    Kyle listened attentively, nodding, asking questions.
    'There's the Sheriffs office.' She slowed down as they passed, looking over to Kyle questioningly. 'Do you want to stop in? Have you already checked in with him?'
    He shook his head. 'Until and unless I have more to go on, I'm strictly on my own.'
    'Don't you co-operate with each other?'
    'When it gets down to it, of course. Sometimes, however,' he hesitated, glanced out the window, 'the local law’s in on the take. Until we know for sure, we don't blow the deal.'
    'Bob Marshall is as honest as the day is long! The thought of him being on the take is preposterous!' Jenny protested. Didn't he trust anyone? What kind of way was that to live?
    'I hope if I ever need you that you'll come as quickly to my defense. I didn't say he was on the take, only that sometimes the local law is. Standard operating procedures dictate that