Page 63 of An Adventure For Aster

“Zane mentioned you,” he said.

“Yeah, I’ll be out there at some point. I know you guys can run a lot of the wires, but I’ll put the new box in,” Knox said.

“Not there yet,” he said. “Almost.”

“Okay,” Trace said. “The girls are all talking shop, men, over here. I’ve got questions.”

“Sweet,” Aster said, rubbing his hands together.

“I need you all,” Trace said. “On a construction end and then always need medical advice because someone is getting murdered with a tool.”

“An hour,” Violet said. “Then we are all mingling.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Trace said, saluting his wife.

At exactly midnight, all the couples were kissing each other, while Heather, Aster, and Laurel raised their glasses and then he left a minute later.

Aster had to admit he had a good time but was out the door fast. He would have had a better night with Raine though.

When he got home a few minutes later, he walked right to his bathroom to get ready for bed.

Once he was in bed, he picked his phone up and noticed a text. It was from Raine wishing him a Happy New Year. She should be sleeping, but he replied since it was only a minute ago.

His phone rang in his hand before he could put it down.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“I’ve been sleeping all day,” she said. “My fever finally broke a few hours ago and now I can’t sleep. I watched the ball drop. Did you have fun?”

“It was a good time,” he said. “Spent some time talking with Trace. Me, Trace, Theo, and Knox.”

“Who is Knox?” she asked. She paused and coughed but then stopped once he heard her drinking.

“Do you have a sore throat or anything?”

“Listen to you being a doctor,” she said, laughing. “No. I’m all dried out from sweating out this flu. Really, this is the best I’ve felt in two days. My body doesn’t hurt, my fever is gone. I’m not hot or cold. I feel good, just weak.”

“Are you drinking a lot?”

“I’m trying,” she said. “It was hard for a few days, but now I’m chugging it since the fever broke.”

“Good,” he said. “Dehydration is the worst. I’ve felt it.”

It was one thing they stressed in the service. Keeping hydrated. A lot of people depend on you.

“It’s not great,” she said. “But as I said, I feel better. So sorry that you had to go alone, but I’m glad you went. Can I admit that I thought you’d still find an excuse not to go?”

“It might have crossed my mind,” he said. “I decided to go and just stay an hour or so, but it was a good time and I got sucked in. They played some games. Not my thing, but I thought of you the whole time. You would have enjoyed that.”

“Awwww,” she said. “I would have.”

“Maybe next year,” he said. “We didn’t play too many. Just to kill some time. Violet didn’t want the guys all huddled, but the girls were talking shop. They wanted to fill Laurel in on some things.”

“Laurel was there?” she asked.

“She was. Heather was by herself too. Luke was working. Daisy and Theo, Sage and Knox. Oh, I didn’t answer you who Knox was. That is Sage’s boyfriend. I didn’t meet him at the party last week. I don’t think I introduced you to Sage, but it’s Trace’s sister.”

“I’ve heard about her,” she said. “Ivy talks about her. She likes Sage a lot and they work together.”

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