Page 106 of The Love Shack

Another knock, more firm, and Chad called out, “Berkley? I know you’re in there. I can see your shadow moving around.”

She wouldn’t let him see her upset, but she refused to be alone with him, so instead she said loudly “Just a moment!” and hopefully, not a single hint of fear could be detected in her tone.

What to do? When her phone buzzed with an incoming call, she nearly jumped out of her skin. One look at the screen and she saw it wasn’t Chad.

It was the strongest person she knew. Betty Cemetery.

She answered on the second ring, saying in a whisper, “Betty—”

“Good morning,” sang Betty’s chipper voice. “I’ll be leaving here in about an hour, and I have a craving for coffee cake. Do you think you’d have time to sit for a bit and share a—”

“I’m so sorry,” Berkley said, cutting her off. “I can’t talk right now. I have a problem.”

Going alert, with even an edge of danger in her tone, Betty asked, “What can I do?”

Emotion flooded through Berkley, a great wave of it, bringing relief and strength. “No animal is hurt,” she thought to say, because Betty had proven to have a great love of all animals. “It’s just that Chad has showed up and I don’t know what to do.” Ignoring him meant also ignoring the animals who needed her care. She didn’t want to let him in. And telling him to leave probably wouldn’t work.

Movement sounded through the phone, along with Betty’s huffing. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

In that moment, she loved Betty even more. For everything. “I don’t want you rushing around.” At Betty’s age, too much haste wasn’t a good thing. “Thank you, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“I’m on my way out the door right now.”

Darn it, now that scared her. “Listen to me, Betty.” She forgot to whisper, and it prompted more banging from Chad, and that meant more barking from Hero. Loudly, speaking over the noise, Berkley said, “I want you to take your time, drive slowly, be careful—”

“Yes, yes, of course. Love you, too.”

As the call disconnected, Berkley blinked at the phone.Love you, too.Despite the current chaos, she felt a smile coming on.

This time, Chad’s hammering rattled her door frame. “I can hear you, Berkley! Talk to me. You owe me that.”

Owe him?Owe him!Indignation stiffened her shoulders, as well as her spine. Muttering to herself, she leashed Hero, admonished him to behave and opened the door a fraction to say, “I don’t owe you a single thing.” Her plan was to tell him to get lost, but her normally sweet-tempered dog wasn’t having it. He strained against her, no doubt picking up on her mood, until he got his head past her.

“Hero,” she said. “That’s enough.” She struggled to pull him back so she could close the door.

The second she moved away, Chad stepped in.

“Get out!”

He frowned at the dog. “What the hell, Berkley?” Quickly, Chad stepped partially behind the door to use it as a shield.

“Don’t curse in front of my dog,” she snapped. Really, Hero was laying it on a bit thick. “Down, Hero.”

Because she rarely had reason to use that tone with him, he shot her a worried look, and marginally subsided by parking himself directly in front of her while continuing a low rumbling warning.

“Can’t you put him in another room?”

“Not on your life.” The nerve of the man, to even ask such a stupid question. “You, however, can get out of my house.”

“We need to talk.”

“I didn’t want to talk to you on the phone.” Determined to show him her strength, she managed to keep the incredulous screech from her tone. “What makes you think I’d talk to you in person?”

“Berkley.” He visibly softened, saying her name with familiarity. “Look at how you’ve changed. All grown up and with this...” His hand gestured at her face, and his gaze dipped down her body. “You look so different.”

“It’s been years. Did you expect me to stay a gullible girl who’d believe anything you said?” There, that sounded blunt and controlled.

“You can believe that I’ve missed you.”

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