Page 28 of Barefoot Chaos
"Are you okay to drive?" Kai seemed doubtful.
"Certainly." I just had to remember to breath.
"Listen, I'm at work covering someone's shift. I don't get off till noon. Why don't you go home, collect your thoughts and any communication you may have had with Gabe about the dare, and I'll come meet you when I'm off?"
"That would be great. Thank you." I was grateful he was willing to talk it out with me. Just having someone else to talk to about the whole thing sounded heavenly. Like the burden was too much to bear with just one person.
"Anytime. I'm sorry I can't be there earlier. Text me when you get safely to your house."
Gah, the guy was so sweet. My lips lifted, the hint of a smile coming out despite the cry-fest puffy eyes.
"I will. Talk soon." I hung up the phone and shifted into gear, carefully making my way home.
Kai
"The kid said it was a dare. That can't be a coincident, right?" I was on the phone with Jack, having called him the minute I hung up with Hessa. The pit in my stomach was intensifying with each person that was put in the hospital.
"No way to tell quite yet, but my gut says no, that's no coincidence. Let me put more pressure on my IT guy and see if he can come up with anything." Jack seemed stressed, as usual.
"Can you swing by Hessa's place tonight and talk to her? Or at least go talk to Gabe's mom at the hospital?" I cared about the kid's well-being, but my first priority was making sure we had evidence that cleared Hessa of any wrong doing. I didn't think her Care Dare program was a good idea, but I also would bet my VW that her program had nothing to do with these dangerous dares going around.
"Another detective already talked to Ms. Martinez last night and again this morning. I'll talk with him and see if our two cases are linked. If I find anything I'll swing by Hessa's. You planning to be there?"
"For as long as she'll have me, yeah." I gripped the phone tighter, determined to get Hessa to agree to let me stay with her.
Jack chuckled. "So that's how it is, huh?"
"Damn right it is."
I pulled up to Hessa's place a little later than I intended, but I had fresh poke bowls to bribe my way in. I needed lunch, and I bet she did too, but this was also a way to see if she liked the food I practically grew up on. If she didn't like poke I would have to reevaluate everything. I didn't know if I could seriously date a woman who didn't like raw fish.
I was kidding.
Kind of.
Hessa swung open the front door and let me pass. She shut the door behind me and indicated I could take the bags into the kitchen, but I was too busy eying her outfit choice to keep walking. I'd seen prim and proper Ms. Woodland who I liked very, very much. I'd seen the hair down, singing on the beach in the moonlight Hessa and I liked her equally as well. Now I was laying my eyes on casual, no facades Hessa.
Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head with her glasses crookedly jammed in there. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, I presumed. Short shorts highlighted her sexy legs, followed by a tight tank top that barely contained her breasts. My eyes drifted down and took in her feet, turning me on with the sight of her bright red toenails against her pale skin. I bet she didn't show many people this casual side of her and I was flattered that she'd shown me.
She cleared her throat and when my eyes came back up to her face, I saw that she had an eyebrow lifted, clearly catching me checking her out.
Can't blame a guy for looking at beauty when it was right in front of him. I smiled, shrugged my shoulders and took the take-out bags into the kitchen, hefting them onto the counter. Hessa started to open the bags, but I pulled her away and wrapped her in a hug instead. I waited till she relaxed into me, letting me feel her body pressed against mine.
"How you holding up?" I whispered to the side of her head. My hands couldn't stay still so I let them roam up and down Hessa's back, massaging away the tension I felt there.
"Well, I've stopped crying, so that's improvement." I felt her smile against my chest.
"I'm glad to hear it, but if you need to cry again, don't hold back on my account. Sometimes getting it out makes things better." I had a mom who wasn't afraid to show emotion. She'd taught me that we weren't to be afraid of emotions. Simply let them be and let them teach you.
Hessa pulled back to scan my face. "You're not afraid to see a girl cry in front of you?"
I chuckled. "No, Ono. You cry, I'll cry with you."
She slowly shook her head. "You're too sweet. I'm not sure what to say to that."
"Tell me you love poke."
"I love poke." No hesitation.
