Page 39 of It's Not Home Without You

Dex gave me a tight-lipped smile.

“You’re taking me to the station?”

“I’m afraid so. The landlords feel better talking to you at the precinct since you have a past with violent behavior.”

Eye roll. Violent behavior my ass. I was so mad that I didn’t bother to change. I told Dex just to go. He was kind enough to let me ride shotgun.

“What happened to your parents, if you don’t mind me asking?” Dex asked, and for once I didn’t mind that question. It distracted me from the sight of the Dunnett factory.

“It’s just my gramps and me. My mother was a drunk who drove herself off the bridge and drowned. From what my grandfather told me, she fell in love with a bad guy. He was a local who wanted an out, leaving her pregnant. No idea who he is… No one has come out to claim me,” I said as a joke, because it was true. When I was younger, I wondered if someone from town was my dad but didn’t want to fess up. “I lost my grandma when I was five. It’s only been Grandpa and me ever since. How about you? How did you end up in this little town?”

“My dad, he’s from here. He moved back a few years ago. I came back to visit, liked the town, and transferred.”

“You liked the town, huh? Nothing to do with a certain coffee shop owner?” I teased.

“Did she say something?” he prodded. Whoever said guys weren’t into gossip lied.

“I haven’t asked but only because I don’t want to talk about Max.”

“I thought you had a thing with Rusty.”

“Ew, that’s so gross, dude. He’s like my brother. Can I give you some advice?”A slight nod was all he gave me as confirmation. “I can tell Emma likes you, but maybe don’t come on too strong. You’ll only scare her away more. She’s always been shy; just give it time.”

By the time we got to the station, I had time to process what was happening. Why didn’t Grandpa tell me he was having problems? He could have called me and asked for help or money to buy land somewhere else. I wouldn’t have minded. Getting out of the car, I followed Dex to his office and sat on his desk while he called the landlords.

So many surprises these days.

I was trying to think of who could have bought our land. Since I didn’t bring my phone, I figured Dex wouldn’t mind if I borrowed the one in his office. I didn’t know many numbers by memory, but it was hard not to memorize the coffee shop’s number since it was on a decal on the window.

“Emma’s Coffee shop. How may I help you?” Emma’s voice was hesitant. I couldn’t blame her; I would be skeeved if the caller ID said police.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Freya, what are you doing at the police station? Is this why you couldn’t come to work? Do you need me to bail you out?”

“What? No! I’m just waiting for my grandpa’s landlord to show, I forgot my cell. I probably don’t have a lot of time,so can you tell me who it is? I don’t want to besurprised, because I’m tired of all these surprises; none of them are good. Like, why can’t someone come up and be like ‘Freya Pratt, you’ve won a new car?’ Or ‘hey, Freya, you’re back, so we baked you a cake.’” Emma didn’t have time to answer me because I heard Dex coming back.

“Too late. I got to go—wait—mightcall you about that bail. I forgot my wallet, bye.” I hung up the phone just as Dex walked in with Max.

You had to be shitting me.

“Did you justuse my phone to make a call?” Dex asked me, but I ignored him.

“Seriously, Max!” I went off on him. “What happened to the whole ‘let’s be friends,Freya?’ and you go andcall the cops on me? That isn’t veryfriendly. Back when we werechildren, I took the blame for spray painting the water tower so thatyou wouldn’t get in trouble, and you go andpull this shit.” I jumped off the desk, and that’s when I noticed I was still in the pajamas that said, “I freaking love sleep.”

“That’s some serious dick move, Max.” I went to hit him, or maybe I was just going to touch him, but Max caught my arm midstride. His hand wrapped around my wrist, and when I looked at Max, I took a step back. There was something in his gaze that gave me chills, and no not like Freddy Krueger chills, more like I kinda want to hump you chills.

This was bad.

But then his face morphed again to the same kind expression he had whenever he talkedto me. Seriously, would it kill him to be a D-bag?

“I’m sorry, Freya. I didn’t call you here. It was Mrs. Newton who made the report.” He sounded almost sorry.

“Why would she care?” I sounded stupid. Right, Mrs. Newton, she was Abigail’s mother.

“I bought the land a while back. Abigail wants to build our home there.”

His soft-spoken words shook me to my core.

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