Page 43 of Booked for Kidnapping

Unable to help myself, I burst into laughter. “Bradley! You didn’t. Where did you find a set of triplets in bikinis?”

“The library,” he groused.

While all sorts showed up at the library, I’d never met a set of triplets in bikinis at work. “Why were they in bikinis at the library?”

“They wore skirts at the library. They were half an inch from showing off their panties if they leaned forward,” he complained.

I stared at him, blinking. “Were they pretty triplets?”

“No.”

Mr. Hampton snickered. “They were pretty, but they aren’t his type. You’re his type, and he was not at all interested in having a set of triplets cure him of his loneliness.”

Bradley bowed his head. “Yet you and Mom invited them in.”

“Well, they’d come a long way from home just for a chance to heal you. It seemed rude to leave them on the doorstep, and they were already dressed to use the pool.”

“He ran and hid in his room, didn’t he?” I guessed.

“No. He ran and hid in your room with your cat. We couldn’t get him to come out for several days. He would just say the triplets would get him. I thought we were going to have to drag him out from under your bed at one point.”

“Were the triplets too much for you?” I grinned at Bradley. “Do you need me to buy a bikini to make up for it?”

“Yes. Yes, I definitely need you to buy a bikini to make up for being hounded by scantily clad triplets. While our apartment doesn’t have a pool, I happen to have a pair of parents who have a pool and probably wouldn’t mind me bringing you home to them.”

“I certainly wouldn’t have flown across the country if I minded you bringing her home, Bradley. Don’t mind him, Janette. Onto the serious question. Are you ready to try to talk to your parents? They’ve been pretty upset lately.”

“Can I push it off until after I’ve had some sleep?” I whispered.

“Absolutely. We’ll be at the hotel in ten minutes, and as soon as you’re settled, I’ll call them and let them know you rescued yourself and got a hold of Bradley to handle what you couldn’t. That should leave your pride intact.”

“Thank you.”

After some sleep, I would begin putting the scattered pieces of my life together, beginning with my parents.

ELEVEN

Uh oh. My mother had gone formal on Bradley’s father.

I made it to the hotel room, crossed to the bed, and flopped. I’d forgotten how comfortable beds could be, and murmuring my contentment, I crawled to the middle, snagged every pillow I could get my hands on, and curled up. Someone sat on the edge of the bed, pulled off my sneakers, and after a few tugs, freed the blanket from beneath me.

“I guess we’re not going to have to find somewhere to feed her right away,” Bradley whispered, and he covered me with the blanket before tucking it around me. “She went from coherent to gone in five seconds flat.”

Well, I wasn’t quite gone yet, but I saw no need to be bothered with opening my eyes or notifying them I clung to consciousness. I appreciated he’d pulled my shoes off, though. It spared me from mustering the energy to do it myself.

“To be expected. I thought she was going to fall asleep on her feet before you came back off the beach. I’ll call her parents. They should be awake by now, and I’ll take the blame for them not being able to talk to her. I’ll put the call on speaker so you can contribute. I doubt Janette will wake up, so try not to fret. We’ll just make sure we’re nearby so we can reassure her when she wakes up.”

I doubted I would need reassurance, although I expected to be confused upon realizing I wasn’t still chained in some empty room with books for company.

The bed bounced again, and I assumed Bradley’s father had opted to use the bed as a chair as well. A moment later, a phone began to ring.

“Hello, Mr. Hampton,” my mother answered. “What can I do for you?”

Uh oh. My mother had gone formal on Bradley’s father. I hoped he would survive the call—and that Bradley wouldn’t get caught in the blast radius.

“You could call me by my name, Tanya,” Mr. Hampton replied in an exasperated tone.

“I could, but that was before I found out that you’re actually also a Bradley and went by your middle name to distinguish yourself from your son, who is also a Bradley. If I call you Bradley, everyone will get confused.”