Page 34 of I Want Crazy (Loco, Texas 3)

Rand finished up her plate and took the casserole over to the fridge.

“And if you think I’m protective of Red, you do not want to mess with that pack of redheads. They will destroy you.”

* * *

Jessie ended up on the north side of town with the new librarian, April. She liked the bubbly woman who had moved to Loco from Oklahoma, and her two-year-old daughter, Ariel. Ariel had strawberry blonde curls with a sprinkling of freckles, and her sweet cherub face was constantly smiling.

“So why did you move here?” Jessie asked as she stapled another flyer to the board in front of Crazy Al’s Pharmacy.

April’s pale cheeks turned red, and Jessie felt bad. “Sorry, if that was too personal—”

“No, it’s just…well, it’s kind of a long story,” April started, looking down at her daughter in the stroller.

“Don’t worry about it, then. Forget I asked.”

April reached out and stroked her daughter’s curls. “I just got married really young, and it turned out he didn’t really want us. So we left.”

Jessie patted April’s shoulder as they started walking again. “Did you ever see him again?”

“Only to sign the divorce papers. His parents wanted him to push for visitation and were furious when he gave up his parental rights.”

“It sounds like it all worked out, though.”

“Yeah, I think so. What about you? How come you left glamorous California?”

Jessie sighed. “I dated a guy who turned out to be a major jerk. Once I figured that out, I got the hell out of Dodge.”

“Well, I’m glad you did,” April said sincerely, and Jessie smiled gratefully.

Jessie’s phone rang, and she looked down at the caller ID. It was another California area code she didn’t recognize.

Sending it to voice mail, she turned to April and asked, “So what do you say we stop into the coffee shop and grab a mocha? My treat?”

“You had me at coffee.”

While April was in the bathroom with Ariel, Jessie checked the voice mail.

“Hey, baby. I’ll see you soon.”

The air around her disappeared. She hit the Disconnect button, unwilling to hear any more. He was just trying to rattle her, and it was working. Struggling to calm her racing heart, she caught sight of April coming out of the bathroom pushing a drowsy Ariel. As she drew closer, she must have been able to read the panic on Jessie’s face, because she looked worried.

“Are you okay, Jessie? You look pale.”

Jessie closed her eyes for a second. He is bluffing. He has no idea where you are. It is just another way for him to control you.

Although she was far from calm, Jessie opened her eyes and tried to sound cheery. “You know, I just felt a little sick for a second, but it’s passed.”

“Oh, I’ve had that happen. Certain smells can set me off.” April clucked sympathetically. “Want to go somewhere else?”

Jessie shook her head. “No way. We need caffeine if we’re going to get all these flyers put up.”

As they ordered the drinks, Jessie tried to put the message from her mind, but his words kept echoing through her head.

* * *

Red was hardly listening to Jake yammer on and on. He was too distracted. Thinking about Jessie’s reaction to their kiss was making him crazy.

Suddenly, a pickle hit him in the middle of his forehead.

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