Page 90 of Trailer Trash

“But he has no evidence. You’re free.”

So why didn’t I feel free? I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him. “Thank you.”

He kissed the top of my head. “I’m going to shower, then climb in bed. How are you doing?”

“Fine.” Or as fine as Icouldbe given everything, and I had no doubt that was because of the man turning on the water in the bathroom. I had no idea how I would have done this without him.

I went back to bed, dozing again, but I roused when Jed climbed in beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my back to his chest. I could tell he was only wearing his briefs, but part of me was too tired to care.

“Thank you,” I murmured. “For everything.”

He didn’t answer, just held me close.

I drifted off to sleep again, but I woke several hours later. Pale sunlight peeked through the slightly parted curtains. My phone was vibrating with a call, and I checked the screen, surprised by an Arkansas number I didn’t recognize. Who was calling me at six in the morning?

I slid out of bed and went into the bathroom and answered with a whispered, “Hello?”

“Neely Kate.”

I froze when I recognized Skeeter’s voice. “Oh, my God,” I said, breathless. “Is Rose okay?”

“How the hell would I know?” he grumped. “And why the hell would I care?”

I considered telling him what an idiot he was, but that seemed like a bad idea. “What do you want, Skeeter?” But I was pretty sure I had an idea.

“Put Jed on the phone.Now.”

I poked my head out of the bathroom and checked on the man still sleeping in our hotel bed. He looked as peaceful as could be after our night of hell. There was no way I was going to wake him to deal with Skeeter’s crankiness. I snatched the room key from the bathroom counter, stalked out of the room onto the walkway outside, and stared down the ice machine at the end of the sidewalk as if it had become Skeeter Malcolm.

“Neely Kate!” Skeeter barked.

“I’m not your employee!” I said in a harsh tone. “I don’t take orders from you.”

“Just put Jed on the damn phone.”

“I don’t want to get in the middle of this, but maybe you should stop treating him like crap.”

“What?”

“He’s been loyal to you for a long time, Skeeter. Maybe you need to start treating him more like a partner and not an employee.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded.

“Maybe you need to ask yourself that question.”

“I don’t have time for nonsense. I need Jed to get his ass home now. We’ve got trouble.”

“Whendon’tyou have trouble?” I asked, turning to face the parking lot. I gasped when I saw the man standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, my God.” I started to drown in my fear.

“Neely Kate?” Skeeter’s tone changed from demanding to concerned. But I was too busy staring at another nightmare from my past.

“Where’s my hello, Neely Kate?” Branson asked, his arms held wide. An arrogant look covered his face as he started climbing up the steps. He thought I still belonged to him—it was written all over his face.

I backed my butt up to the motel room door and dropped my phone onto the walkway. “How did you find me?”

He ignored my question. “Working your way up in the world on your back, I see.”

“Get the hell away from me, Branson.”

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