Page 16 of Mine Forever
Her tone’s overly cheery. The woman has the innocent-looking grandma thing down pat. But that little glint in her eye tells me she enjoyed screwing with me.
I roll my eyes and walk out of the inn, pulling the door closed behind me a little harder than necessary. Standing on the front porch, I look around the busy little town, the sea breeze blowing strands of hair across my face.
What the hell am I going to do now? I walk down the couple of steps to the sidewalk and head to my rental. I slide in and start it, blasting the AC to keep my blouse from sticking to me and the sweat from rolling down my ass crack.
Clicking on my email, I find the list Katie sent me of hotels on the mainland just in case I needed it.
I grimace, wanting to kick my own sweaty ass for being overly confident that a) Chase would say yes when I asked and b) the local inns would be happy to take me in.
What happened to small-town hospitality?
Blowing out a breath, I lean back in the seat, thinking over my options.
If Odette is to be believed, I need to get back over the bridge sooner than later. Peering out the large windshield to assess the sky, I notice the clouds are beginning to gather.
Fear skitters down my spine as I realize I’m truly running out of time.
After looking over a couple of the hotels on the list, I call and secure a room in Jacksonville. My room will be ready by four, and I say a prayer to Mother Nature asking if she can hold off her fury for another couple of hours.
A couple of days would be better, but since I’m begging, I can’t be choosy.
Now to the next problem.
I still have no idea where the hell Chase lives.
It isn’t going to be as easy as looking his address up on Google.
But first I need to change into some clothes that don’t make me look like city girl lost.
I frown and look in my rearview mirror.
Odette stands on the front porch taking down hanging plants that are blowing around in the increasing wind.
She may have refused to give me a room, but she’s going to help me out somehow.
Squaring my shoulders, I get back out of the vehicle, gather my carry-on bag, and head toward the elderly woman.
Approaching her, I smile. “Hey, there. It’s me again. Smart city girl.”
She glances over at me, setting a plant on the porch. “What can I help you with, city girl?”
“I wondered if I could use your ladies’ room.”
She stares at me for a moment, her gaze raking over me from head to toe, then nods once. “That’s fine. Help yourself.”
“Thanks,” I say with a smile.
The bathroom looks like the guest bath of someone’s home, complete with potpourri in a dish on the edge of the vanity.
I quickly change into some shorts and a tank top and pull my hair into a ponytail I thread through the back of my baseball cap.
My feet thank me when I slide on a pair of Old Skool Vans, giving them a break from the out-of-place Louboutins.
The image in the small round mirror is not the professional look I envisioned when talking business with Chase. I want tolook like I have my shit together and that he doesn’t faze me one bit.
He doesn’t have to know it’s a damn lie, but my work uniform is my armor of sorts. And now, vulnerability trembles under my skin. I blow out a breath. “When in Rome…”
I thank Odette on the way out, but she comes around the front desk and steps in front of me, her arms crossed over her ample chest. “You’re not one of those investigative journalist people, are you?”
