Page 99 of Coffee Shop Girl
Knowing he’d have my back at the next bank meeting.
He’d been part of my team, and I missed that.
“Six to eight,” I declared, forcing my mind back to work. “We’ll do the Cut and Coffee from six to eight. We’ll test it out and reevaluate later.”
“Uh ... Bethany?”
A tremor in Lizbeth’s voice caught my attention. I glanced up. She backed away from the windows, her face as white as a sheet. Beyond her was a familiar, beat-up truck. My heart dropped into my stomach. The driver’s door swung open with a groan, and a red-haired man staggered out.
“Jim,” I whispered.
He wasn’t sober, and he wasn’t looking kind. I darted around the counter and bolted for the door, sliding the lock home. Seconds later, Jim slammed into the door with his shoulder. A low-throated bellow issued from him. His face pressed against the glass like a horror movie. Bloodshot eyes peered at me, gone with drink. A scruffy beard made his face look like orange sandpaper.
“Go upstairs,” I said to Lizbeth, taking a few steps back. “Take my phone with you, and call 911. Tell them we need Sheriff Bailey here right now. Where’s Ellie?”
Lizbeth stood frozen, her gaze locked on Jim. His vague shouts had ceased as they stared at each other. Sorrow appeared on his heavy brow. His breath fogged up the glass window.
She whimpered.
“Lizbeth!”
Startled, she came back to herself, looked at me, and whispered, “What?”
“My phone.” I grabbed her arm. “Take it upstairs, and call 911. Tell them to send Sheriff Bailey right now. Where’s Ellie?”
“I-I-I don’t know. I think she’s with Devin.”
“Lizbeth!” Jim yelled. He slammed a palm against the door. “Let me in. Lizbeth ismydaughter. You can’t have her.”
“Don’t listen to him.” I shoved her toward the hallway. “Go upstairs. Call 911.”
“Maybe I can talk him out of it.”
“No. You willnotspeak with him.”
Lizbeth looked at me, then at Jim, and quietly disappeared, eyes sparkling. When I turned back to the door, his nostrils flared.
“Give her back!”
“Get out of here, Jim. We’re calling the sheriff, and he’ll be here any minute now. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
Jim stumbled back, screaming Lizbeth’s name before he nearly fell off the porch. My heart hammered when Lizbeth appeared at the end of the hallway. Tears tracked down her face. “The sheriff is on his way, but he’s up a canyon. It’ll be a few minutes.”
Great.
I licked my lips. “Thanks, Lizbeth. Go back upstairs. See if you can find Ellie.”
“But—”
“I’ll be fine. He’s not going to come in here unless he breaks the glass down, and that would probably kill him. Go to the back door and see if Ellie is out there.”
She stopped, torn.
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
Her lips parted. “Yes.”
“Then go.”
