Page 66 of All Autumn
The guys came back down, dressed in cargo pants, white long-sleeved T-shirts with our volunteer rescue squad logo on them, jackets with the wordsBlue Ridge Valley Rescuein neon yellow on the backs, and hiking boots. They were all business now, the laughter from our game forgotten.
I exchanged a glance with Jenn, knowing she was thinking the same thing as me. These three were men who cared about our town and the people who lived here. Pride swelled that they were my friends. My gaze fell on Connor, and he caught me looking at him and winked. Long-dormant butterflies woke up, fluttering their wings like crazy in my stomach.
“Why don’t you both stay here?” Connor said. “Hopefully we’ll be back in a few hours. If not, make yourself at home. You’re welcome to the guest bedroom, Jenn.”
“Thanks,” she said. She and Dylan walked out, their arms around each other, and Adam followed.
Connor pulled me to him, giving me a quick kiss. “My bed for you, beautiful.”
I walked out with him, and when I noticed Adam standing a few feet away from Dylan and Jenn, who were in a lip-lock, I tugged Connor over to him.
“Stay safe, okay?” I gave him a hug. It was the first time I’d ever hugged Adam, and it was strange because although he was Connor’s identical twin, he smelled and felt different. I liked knowing that if I were blindfolded, I could still tell them apart.
“Always,” he said, hugging me back.
Then I turned to Connor. “That goes for you, too.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’re trained for this, and we’re always careful.”
I would worry about him, about all of them. He put his hand under my chin, lifted my face, and kissed me again, and then he jogged to the driver’s side of the Jeep. Jenn and I watched until they disappeared from view. In the distance thunder rumbled.
Jenn looked up at the sky. “I hope they find the little boy and his father fast.”
So did I. The temperature was already dropping, and when that storm got here, it would be wet and cold. “Let’s go clean up the kitchen.”
“You and Connor getting serious?” she asked as she loaded plates into the dishwasher.
“I keep telling you that we’re just having fun together.”
“That’s what Dylan and I said.” She flashed her wedding ring at me. “And look at us now.”
“Not going to happen with us. I meant it when I said I was never getting married again, and you know Connor. He’ll get restless soon and move on.” It was what we wanted and had agreed on. We weren’t long-term, but lately, every time I thought that, I felt like crying.
Before Jenn could grill me any more on Connor, I said, “Let’s call Savannah.”
She glanced at the clock. “You don’t think it’s too late?”
“Eleven in New York City is like sundown to us.”
“You’re right.” She grinned. “And even if we wake her up, too bad. Her fault for not keeping in touch better.”
“Exactly.” I got my phone and punched in Savannah’s number, then put it on speaker.
“Hello,” a male voice said.
Her boyfriend,I mouthed to Jenn, wrinkling my nose.
“Hi, Jackson. This is Autumn, Savannah’s friend. Jenn’s here with me, too. Is Savannah available?”
“No, she isn’t. I’ll tell her you called.”
I met Jenn’s eyes. “The jerk hung up on us.”
“A hundred bucks says he doesn’t tell her.”
“Not only that, but why is he answering her cell phone?” I didn’t at all like how Savannah had become inaccessible to us. We were her longtime friends, but she rarely called us anymore, and when we tried to get in touch with her, we usually got her voice mail but no return call.
“He’s cutting her off from her friends,” Jenn said.
