Page 421 of Small Town Firsts
Dexter moved his face close to mine. “You all right, Pres? You look like you’re going to stroke out.”
“No, I am not.”
“What did she do now?”
I wanted to defend her, and yet at this instant, all I could think was that she could be three or more states away and I would not know. I couldn’t swoop in and save her because she was wandering around in the dark, probably barefoot, making friends with strangers and sharing questionable items with them that could be smoked or imbibed in other unknown ways.
Potentiallycriminalitems to boot.
“She left me to do needlecrafts and take drugs and now she’s stranded in the desert.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Ryan was notin the desert, and I would have realized she wouldn’t have had time to reach one in the time allotted via wheeled transport had I not been on the verge of manful terror.
Instead, it took Dex to remind me of that little logistical tidbit before he drove himself home, now sobered up after hours of dry business talk and copious amounts of water.
She was actually not all that far away. Not all that close either. I had to look up Bear Mountain Park on my GPS, and from Kensington Square to there would take about three hours if I did not get lost.
Tomorrow I had that meeting with Mrs. Donnelly first thing. Our many times rescheduled meeting.
But technically, she wasn’t my client anymore. So, Dex could handle her if need be. And I simply couldn’t care when I knew Ryan needed me.
Even if she couldn’t admit it.
Miss Moon:
DO NOT COME HERE. WE R ALL SET.
I’m coming, baby. You don’t have to be strong.
Miss Moon:
Be strong? It’s a flat. I’m not afrd of the dark & everyone is perfctly nice.
I was driving so I didn’t reply. A short time later, another text came through.
Miss Moon:
U called me baby.
Even in my darkened car, I flushed. I tossed my phone aside and ignored it. It also was not safe to text and drive.
Then she called me.
Reluctantly, I took the call through the in-dash system.
“Yeah?”
“You called me baby.”
“You misread. I typed bubby.”
“Preston, I’m serious. We’re fine. The flat isn’t even an issue anymore thanks to Brock. If you come here, my mom will give you half a dozen of her hook holders that didn’t sell and then what?”
I frowned. “Hook holders?”
“I mean, penis warmers.”
