Page 23 of Big Filthy Cowboy

My breathing grows shallow. I try to think, to remember what I was doing before it all went dark. My phone. I was on the phone before I dropped it, which means it must be near to me. Carefully, I feel around, trying to avoid the shards that are littering the floor.

When my fingers finally close around the familiar rectangle, I grab at it desperately, needing this lifeline. The first person I think of is Barrett. I know it’s late, but I need to hear his voice again. Need to remember that I’m not alone in this, just like he promised.

“Hey, sweet girl. What’s going on?”

“There’s a storm, and there’s glass, and it’s dark in here!” My voice comes out as a wail on the last part. Outside, the storm has already stilled. Now there’s only an eery silence that could almost make me think I imagined the last moments if it weren’t for the fact that it’s so dark in my apartment.

Barrett’s voice is steady and calm, the same way it was when he entertained the boys to keep them from realizing what was happening with Greer’s hand. “Talk me through this. There’s a storm happening. Now, what’s going on with the glass?”

My voice comes out as shaky as I feel. “I don’t know. It sounded like a train then there was glass everywhere and now the electricity is out.”

“Are you in your apartment?”

“Yeah, I’m in my kitchen.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Really?” Just hearing him say that is easing some of my anxiety. Barrett is coming for me. I’m not alone in this.

“Yes, I’m getting in my truck right now.” I hear other voices in the background then an engine starts. “It’s going to take me a little while to get there. I’ll stay on the phone with you while I travel. Now, I need you to answer some questions for me.”

“OK,” my voice still sounds wobbly but not as badly as it was before.

“Are you hurt? How about Coco?” When I tell him we’re both fine other than being scared, he continues, “Can you put me on speakerphone and use the light from your phone to get out of your kitchen?”

I fumble with the phone but manage to turn it on speakerphone. I pick Coco up with shaking hands and find my shoes. I carry her out of the apartment. Downstairs, I realize the windows in my bakery have been blown out too.

“It’s really bad,” I tell him. “There’s so much damage.”

“As long as you and Coco aren’t hurt, we can rebuild everything else,” he reminds me. “All that matters is that my best girls are safe.”

Next, Barrett directs me to find the breaker box in the basement. To my disappointment, nothing happens when I flick the switches.

“Must be a tree on the line,” I mutter to myself. I’m surprised at how much calmer I’m feeling with Barrett’s soft voice in my ear.

He continues instructing me, giving me tasks to do like going back upstairs to find flashlights and candles. I manage to find enough light sources that my space is illuminated.

“They’re going to stop working,” I tell him. “The batteries are old.”

“They’ll hold for now, and I’m not going anywhere,” he reminds me. “I’m coming right for you.”

I wish he were beside me right now. But since he isn’t, I’m doing my best to be brave. I lock Coco in her travel crate so she can’t get hurt and do my best to clean up the glass.

After, I settle on my couch and listen to Barrett. He talks to me for hours as he travels, telling me about all the things we’re going to do when we’re married. He talks about the gardens we’ll plant in the backyard and the treehouse he’s going to build with our kids. He’s got our whole lives mapped out.

Just as my phone battery drops to five percent, I hear the rumble of a truck on the street below. “Are you here?”

“I’m pulling up,” he promises.

I race downstairs and fling open the door. The first ribbons of pink are beginning to show in the sky, promising the sunrise that’s soon to come.

Barrett hops out of the passenger seat of the truck, and I throw myself at him. His arms instantly go around me, pulling me close.

The calm I’ve been seeking all night fills me completely. I’m safe again. I’m safe because he’s here. He didn’t forget about me. He remembered me.

He presses a soft kiss to the top of my head. “Nothing could ever keep me from you. You’re my girl, and you’re never alone. No matter how dark the night or how long the storm, I will always come for you. I love you.”

I lift my head to stare up at him. “You love me.”

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