Page 36 of Found By You

“I told you to go,” Alison says. “I’ve got it covered here. We’re slow this morning. Call Butch and have him come pick you up.”

I stare at the rustic chalkboard menu on the wall behind her. “Do you have anything with peppermint in it?” I ask.

Alison points. “We’ve got peppermint tea, hot or cold. And a hot peppermint mocha, with or without coffee.”

I smile and glance at Cassidy. “Peppermint helps with nausea,” I tell her, and she perks up ever so slightly. “I’ll take a peppermint mocha frappe. Extra whipped cream and two blueberry muffins.”

“You got it, preggers,” Alison laughs.

“I’ll get the drink, Al,” Cassidy says. “I’m making two. I need to try this. ‘Cause if it works, Butch is buying stock in peppermint.”

I pay, then take the seat by the window to settle in and pop open my laptop.

Cassidy arrives a few minutes later with my muffins and drink, setting it beside me. She plops down across from me with her matching, steaming mug held close. “How are you feeling this morning?” she asks, taking a tentative sip.

“Tired. Nauseous. Hungry,” I say, blowing on the cup and watching the whipped cream melt for a moment before taking a small sip. “The usual.”

She holds her mug with both hands. “Were you okay after last night? I wanted to call you, but Butch said Duke had it covered.”

Oh, he had me covered, all right. “I was a little…caught off guard.”

“Totally understandable,” she says, “but don’t let that cloud your judgment on Duke. He’s an absolute sweetheart. Or Butch. He can be a bit intimidating meeting new people, and it didn’t help he was in a mood last night. Duke and him have been…strained this last week. Butch isn’t handling it well.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Cassidy waves me off, smiling. “Don’t be. You made last night so much better. Definitely lightened the tension between them.”

I take a bite of my muffin; not wanting to be rude, but also too hungry to care.

“So, how long are you in town for?” she asks.

“Wait. You’re traveling alone?” Alison adds, eagerly bouncing to the table to be a part of the conversation. “Where are you going?”

They stare at me with matching eager expressions. “Um, Alaska.”

Alison whistles lowly. “That’s a hell of a drive to be making by yourself. Oklahoma to Alaska? Sounds exhausting.”

I snort. It is—or was?

“What’s in Alaska?” Cassidy asks, leaning forward.

I try to wave them off with a shake of my head. “It’s a long story. I don’t want to bore you with it.” Truthfully, I don’t think I want them to know. Or anyone, for that matter. Well, maybe one person…

They whine in unison. “Please,” Cassidy begs. “I’ve been dying over here for hours. I need the distraction. One pregnant lady to another.”

It’s the third time she’s used that against me. I laugh and take another big bite of my muffin when my phone rings. It’s Duke. I hold a finger up to the nosey bodies watching me and swallow before answering, “Hey.”

“Where are you?” he bites out.

My smile fades at his tone. “I came down to the coffee shop for breakfast. Why?”

“Fuck,” he grunts. His voice fades and I hear him speak to someone. A loud, heavy slam of a door follows. “I told you to text me.”

“Sorry, I got—”

“You scared the fuck out of me, Maci,” he grits. “I’m at the motel now, been banging on the goddamn door worried something was wrong when you didn’t answer. Christ. You could’ve at least texted me you were leaving the room.”

“I—”

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