Page 79 of Just My Luck

SLOANE

Sunshine beatdown on my face as I dug my fingers into the dirt of the backyard garden bed. I swiped the sweat from my brow and squinted into the sunshine.

I couldn’t imagine life getting much better than this.

It had been a week since I’d scared myself silly, thinking Jared was somewhere lurking in the shadows. I didn’t have the heart to tell Abel my fears, since things with him seemed to be going so well. There was a lightness about him that I’d never seen before, and a tiny part of me hoped it came from me and the kids.

Since my mini freak-out, there had been no other signs—real or imaginary—that my ex was anywhere near Outtatowner. No one mentioned seeing him, and I hadn’t gotten the creepy-crawly feeling that had prickled the base of my skull since that day with the shower curtain.

So life went on.

When I wasn’t working, I spent my time discussing the farmhouse renovation and soaking in the simple, small-town life with my children. We lay on the beach, climbed impossibly high sand dunes, and ate way too much ice cream on the lighthouse pier. I always offered an out, but more often than not, Abelchose to join us. He’d even found a drive-in movie theater about twenty miles from Outtatowner, and neither Ben nor Tillie made it through the double feature. Abel held my hand the entire time.

Major swoon.

I sat back on my heels and exhaled. The ache in my shoulder was a welcome reminder of how good my body felt with a little physical labor. I smiled down at the happy little herbs and plants that swayed in the gentle breeze.

When my father was alive, all I knew was life in a bustling city. Parties and events and being seen. Abel made me feel seen in a completely different way. Sometimes he looked at me, and it seemed like whatever had blossomed between us was beautiful and exciting, and real.

The first stage of the farmhouse renovation was underway, and I had hired a lawyer to look over the proposal JP had sent us. Abel assured me that we could trust his brother, and we all wanted the paperwork signed before Russell King got wind that his children were investigating the disappearance of their mother.

I looked across the yard at Abel, who was fussing with the hops plants vining up a cattle panel.

My heart ached for all of them, but mostly for Abel. He had shared with me that he had been days away from his twelfth birthday when his mother disappeared. He knew her and loved her. Abel remembered her in a way the others didn’t, and I could tell by the pinch in his shoulders that he still carried her loss with him.

He’d endured so much, but it hadn’t hardened him. He didn’t allow enough people in for them to see he was so much more than his brooding, towering exterior.

I watched him carefully fuss with his plants and smiled. Little by little, he’d let me in.

My phone rang beside me, causing me to jump and laugh at myself.Outtatowner Public Libraryflashed across the screen, and I noted that there was still nearly a half hour before I was due to pick up Ben and Tillie from their camp.

I tapped my phone and pressed it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Sloane? This is Emily.” Her voice was a hushed whisper, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

“Hey, Emily. Are the kids okay? I thought camp ended at three.” I stood, dusting my dirt-caked hands across my denim shorts.

“It does. They’re okay, but... a man tried to pick them up early, and I just had a bad feeling. Something was off and I?—”

“What? Who? Emily, who picked up my children?” My voice started to rise as panic gripped my chest.

“No. I’m sorry.” Emily’s voice was clear and calm, but it did nothing to settle my nerves. “I wouldn’t release the children to him. The man is claiming to be their father. He’s pretty mad that I wouldn’t let him take them. He’s making a scene.”

“I’m on my way!” I practically shouted into the phone as I ended the call and took off across the backyard.

By the time I’d found my purse in the house and flown out the front door, Abel was standing by the car. “What’s going on?”

My mind was spinning. “I don’t know. Emily called and said someone tried to pick up the kids. I think it’s him.” I yanked open the driver’s-side door without waiting for Abel to answer.

He leaned in close, gently holding my arm as he peered down at me. “I’m going with you. I’ll drive.”

My heart pounded as my mind tripped over the fact I knew that with Abel’s history, driving made him anxious. Still, I didn’t have time to argue with him, so I rounded the car and climbed into the passenger seat.

Abel threw the car into drive and headed into town. Thankfully, there was a parking space in the lot. The tiressquealed as he slammed on the brakes, then threw the car into park. With anxious steps, I marched toward the library without bothering to see whether Abel was following behind me.

“Sloane. Slow down,” Abel called behind me, and I whipped to face him.

“I can handle this.”Couldn’t I?

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