Page 65 of Happily Never After

“I was pretty jaded when we met,” he admitted.

“I understand.” She grabbed his free hand and pressed a kiss to it. This was the most personal information Luke had divulged since he told her about his brother pulling his dad off life support. If she overwhelmed him with questions now, he would run away like a startled bunny. It was time to back off.

“Thanks for telling me the truth. We can do the safety meeting when you’re done if you want. Or we can just blow it off. You’ve been through enough today.”

He raised one eyebrow. “But what if a fire tornado rips through Burbank and releases all the animals in the LA Zoo?”

“Very funny.” What a silly question. Obviously they would utilize Luke’s outdoor speakers to play sounds of natural predators to repel whatever wayward lion or howler monkey wandered their way.

Leaving the table, she filled one side of the sink with suds and scrubbed at the pasta pot. Her brain buzzed with the new information Luke had divulged. For a smart guy, he had done some dumb stuff.

She deposited the pasta pot in the drying rack. Luke’s presence snuck up behind her, warm and comforting.

“You must think I’m an idiot.” He picked up the pot and a towel.

“Nah.” She dunked his plate in the suds. “I spent five years of my life with a Cheetos-snarfing donkey. I get it.”

Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. Alice. They hadn’t talked since Claire had arrived in LA. It was time. She answered before she could change her mind.

“Hang on. Hey, Mom. How’s Miami?” Claire drained her wineglass and clamped the phone between her shoulder and ear. The glass landed in the bottom of the sink with a clunk.

“Oh, everything’s fine, sweetie. I just wanted to let you know one teensy thing.” The bottom dropped out of Claire’s stomach. Alice sounded different than she normally did. More hesitant, even tense. Had Roy been attacked by a gator on the golf course?

“What’s wrong?” Her voice quavered.

Luke stopped drying and looked at her.

“Everything’s fine,” Alice repeated, “we just had a small run-in with an attempted intruder.”

The edges of her field of vision went dark, and she backed against the counter. Luke put his hand on her shoulder. “What do you mean? Who was it? Was it ESA?”

“Let me talk to her,” came her stepdad’s voice through the phone. “Claire?” Roy asked.

“Dad? What happened?”

“Your mother saw someone lurking in the azalea bush outside and she hit him over the head with a rolling pin. The police are here now.”

“Okay.” Claire’s breath hissed slowly out of her mouth. There was no need to panic. It could have been any run-of-the-mill creeper. Alice had gained a few overly invested fans from her show, and it was Florida, for god’s sake. A meth addict riding a gator had been spotted on her mom’s street just the week before. “Was it like an Amazon delivery driver or was it an actual bad guy?”

“Well, he had a bottle of chloroform and a bag of zip ties with him and he was playing a recording of a baby crying, so unless your mother ordered a very specific murder kit, probably a bad guy.” Roy always had jokes.

Her breath came in jagged gasps. She gripped the countertop and started her breathing exercise, but the darkness inside was threatening to overwhelm her. “Okay, let me look at some flights, I’ll see how soon I can get there. Tomorrow at the latest.”

“No,mija,” Roy said firmly. “There’s no need. There’s nothing you can do. Your mom’s fine. Her aim was great. He still hasn’t woken up.” An ambulance siren wailed in the background.

Mindy lurked into the kitchen holding Winston.

“I have to call Charlie and Bri,” Claire said, taking more deep breaths. “Call me the second there’s an update.”

“Will do. We love you.”

“Love you too.” Claire ended the call and stared at the phone in her hand.

“What the hell happened?” Mindy asked.

“My mom clobbered some guy in their garden with a rolling pin.” She clicked on Charlie’s contact. “It had to have been ESA. They’re going after my family. Again. Mindy, call Bri. Tell her to have a neighbor search her apartment inside and out.”

Mindy ran into the living room. Rosie jumped up and put her paws on Claire’s leg.

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