Page 32 of Lucky in Love
“Unemployed. Recently dumped. Homeless. Also, he’ll be gone in two days.”
“Never say never,” Faith sang.
They were on the road back to Green Valley Falls when a black SUV sped past them going the opposite direction.
“Holy crap,” Faith gasped. “That guy must be going a hundred miles an hour.”
“Yeah,” Alex agreed. “He’s gonna kill someone driving like that after all the rain. What an idiot!”
They made it back to Alex’s cabin. Faith helped her change into dry sweats and got her settled on the couch with an icepack and a book.
“You need anything else before I go?”
“No. Thank you, Faith.”
“All right. Juliet’s gonna come by later with dinner. Tess will be here after she gets off work to spend the night with you. She’ll make a schedule for who’s on Alex watch after that.”
“I don’t need constant supervision.” She wanted to be annoyed, but was secretly happy her friends were there to look after her.
“Well, it’s not constant. I’m leaving you alone now. Don’t do anything stupid. Just take a nap or something.”
Alex rolled her eyes as Faith kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you’re all right,” she said. “Be safe.”
Two chapters into her book, Faith called.
“It’s only been twenty minutes,” Alex said. “You think I can’t survive that long?”
“It’s not that.” Faith’s voice cracked, and Alex knew immediately something was wrong.
“What happened?”
“Nick just called. You can’t tell anyone yet. Not until they tell Max.”
“What are you talking about?” Alex said instantly on edge.
“That black car that sped past us? It was the fugitive. He crashed into another car. Both he and the other driver died on impact.”
“Okay. What’s that got to do with Max?” A heavy feeling hit her in the gut as the pieces fell together. “Jenny?”
“Yes,” Faith sobbed. “Jenny was the other driver. She’s dead.”
“Oh, God.” A tear fell, followed by another and another. Jenny was younger than Alex and her team. She wasn’t part of their best-friend clique, but shewasa good friend. Also a wife and a mother. The news was devastating.
“I gotta go,” Faith whispered. “I’m meeting Nick at the inn to take care of Lilly while Nick tells Max.” Lilly was Max and Jenny’s three-year-old daughter. Thinking of her made the whole situation even sadder. “I’ll come over later.”
Alex had just hung up when someone pounded on the door. “Alex? You here?”
“Come in,” Alex choked out around the lump in her throat.
Brody pushed open the door and took her in, relief flooding his face. “You’re here.” He exhaled as if he’d been holding his breath for an hour.
“I’m here.”
He seemed to read her mood and immediately rushed to her side, kneeling on the floor beside the couch. “You know who it is.”
The tender way he said it, the concern in his eyes, and his warm hand grasping hers as she nodded, caused the dam to burst.
She let the tears fall freely. It didn’t matter that he was a virtual stranger, that she hated being vulnerable, or that she was about to ugly cry. He moved up to the couch to take her into his arms, and she didn’t object. She let him hold her as pent-up emotions poured out in liquid form.
