Page 29 of When Sky Breaks

“Blake?” I toss my pillow and rise to make myself a cup of coffee.

Foster buys the good stuff, and I’m one of the crazy ones who can drink it before bed and still get a full eight hours of good sleep.

“Blake Gardner, he’s new to the department, so he stepped up to take this over for me once he heard about my diagnosis.”

Why does that name sound familiar?

I look at Trek, and he’s staring at me with a funky expression. I mime “what” to him as Foster yawns.

“Ohh. That Blake,” is all Trek says and I’m still wracking my brain as he continues, a smirk on his face. “Sky knows him, don’t you? Remember that night at one of Connor’s parties over the summer? You were ignoring me, but definitely not ignoring Blake.”

“What?” I screech.

Foster and Trek cover their ears.

“I do not remember him at all—ohh. Crap. Yeah.” I wish I had completely blacked out from that memory.

“Yeah, what?” Foster asks, and my face turns a lovely shade of pink.

I wave my hand and busy myself with adding creamer to my mug. “It’s nothing. It was nothing. All water under the bridge now.”

“You’re too young to say that phrase. Should I be worried?”

Trek stands and slides next to me, throwing his arm over my shoulder and pulling me close despite my scowl in his direction. “Nope. All good here, pops. We got you covered.”

“Great. We’ll catch up on more details later.”

I jab Trek in the side. He releases me with a grunt and follows me down the hall away from the kitchen.

“I cannot show my face to Blake Gardner ever again,” I hiss so Foster doesn’t hear.

“Well, we can’t disappoint Dad, sooo looks like you’re going to have to suck it up, buttercup. Get it, suck.” And he makes kissy noises and faces.

I glare, ready to toss this hot coffee on him. “Knock it off. That was a long time ago. I’m sure he doesn’t even remember. I barely remember anything from that night. I was so drunk.”

“Yeah, I know. I had to carry your ass back to the car. Bet you don’t remember that either. You were still pissed at me, but I still watched out for you. No worries, though. Blake is married with a baby on the way, so he’s definitely not going to bring up one night of making out. I was just teasing you.”

This time, I punch him in the arm, and he winces. “You deserved that. I have enough to deal with having Johnny here and now August so I’d appreciate you not giving me a heart attack. Which reminds me. We’re still working on things—this relationship.” I gesture between the two of us. “Remember that, and try not to stir up any trouble on this project.”

“Me? Pffft.”

I glare at him again, and he holds up his hands, pushing open his door with his backside. He instantly sobers his expression.

“Okay, fine. I’ll play nice. I promise,” he adds once he senses I’m not entirely convinced. “But you should know something.”

“What now?” I ask, rubbing at an eye. I’m tired of all the new information that keeps popping up. Small towns were supposed to be easy and carefree.

“August is likely to be around for the project.”

My pulse leaps. “How? In what way?”

“Colonel always hired someone to take photos of the haunted house as it’s being built and he’d print pictures off for the local paper. Now that August is the big, fancy new Snaps owner, I imagine he’s going to take his swanky camera and do the work himself.”

With that, Trek closes his door, leaving me wondering how I’m going to escape this town unscathed by the former love of my life.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

sky

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