Page 68 of Memphis

“Yep. I’ll be there first thing.”

“Great.” Mark gave me a wink. “I’ll bring the coffee.”

“You’re the best.”

I gave him a quick hug before heading out of the restaurant and to my car. I truly was exhausted, so I wasted no time getting home. When I got to my apartment, I unlocked the door, and as soon as I stepped through the door, something didn’t feel right.

I had no idea why.

I looked around, and everything was exactly as I’d left it. The mail was still on the kitchen table, and my laundry basket was still waiting for me on the floor. But that warm, fuzzy feeling of home wasn’t there. It took a minute, but then I realized what was missing.

I couldn’t hear the rumble of Wes’s TV playing in the next room. I couldn’t smell the scent of his cologne lingering in the air or feel the warmth of his presence even when he wasn’t there. I didn’t have any of those things here in my apartment, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all.

I carried my bags into my room and dropped them on the floor. After kicking off my shoes, I collapsed on the bed and pulled out my phone. I dialed Wes’s number, and my heart fluttered when I heard his voice say, “Hey there, beautiful.”

“Hey. How’s it going?”

“Better now.” There was something about the low rumble of his voice that brought a smile to my face. “How about you? How was work today?”

“It was okay. I was able to catch up on a few things, and I was finally able to talk to Mark.”

“Oh, yeah? How did that go?”

“He was pretty upset, but I think it helped to talk about it.”

“I’m sure it did. Glad you two had a chance to catch up.”

“Me, too.” I was surprised by how much I missed him. It seemed silly. I’d only been gone for a day, but it seemed like much longer. “How did things go with therapy?”

“’Bout like usual for me, but Goose got a run for his money.”

“He went with you?”

“Oh, yeah, and Jess gave him a hell of a time.”

“I bet that was a sight to see,” I giggled. “What would possess him to want to go through that?”

“That would be Skid. He made the mistake of telling the guys that Jess was attractive, and things went downhill from there.”

“Well, Jess is really beautiful, and she’s amazing at what she does. I can see why the guys would be interested in her.”

“If you say so.”

“Oh, come on. You know she’s gorgeous.”

“She’s alright, but she’s got nothing on you.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I scoffed. “So, how did it go at the clubhouse?”

“Good. I’m actually still here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you. I’ll let you go.”

“You’re not keeping me from anything. Besides, I’ve spent enough time talking to them,” he chuckled. “You got another big day tomorrow?”

“I guess. I’ll go into the office for a while, and then, I’ll head over and see Dad and Kay.”

“Oh, yeah.About that.”His tone grew tense as he said, “There’s something you should probably know.”

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