Page 26 of Quietly Falling
Shit.
Pulling my phone from my purse in the back, I tap out a text to Rhea.
ELLA: We hit bad weather and Bodhi has a migraine so we’re going to sleep here tonight
RHEA: Are you both okay? Where’s here?
ELLA: A town outside Hill Valley
RHEA: Sorren wants to know if his truck is okay
ELLA: I avoided an accident
RHEA: He wants me to give you a raise
I snortas Bodhi walks back across the parking lot, his movements easy and graceful, but there’s a new kind of tension in the set of his shoulders that has my heart beating faster.
ELLA: You already give me more raises than most people’s bosses do
RHEA: You work hard and your success has made the Poppy Seed a success
Pride swellsin my chest at the compliment.
The recognition.
At knowing that she’d taken a chance on me when I was a teenager, and with her patience and guidance, I’d blossomed—finding a job that I love more than I could have ever imagined.
RHEA: Send me your location
ELLA: Yes, mom
RHEA: Brat
ELLA: (send location)
RHEA: You’re really okay?
ELLA: Yes, there’s a little diner across the road and we’ll just get settled tonight and see what the weather does.
RHEA: Keep me posted and thank you again for doing this. I know it’s a lot—for both of you.
ELLA: You know I’m happy to do it but I think Bodhi might be here under duress
RHEA: I can neither confirm nor deny that statement
ELLA: Figured. I’ll text you later.
“Doyou want the good news or the bad news?” Bodhi says as he shakes off the sleet and climbs back into the truck.
“Um, good?”
“We have a room.”
“Bad news?”
“It’s only one. Apparently everyone else wanted to hide out and let the weather pass too.”
I shrug. “We can manage.”
