Page 85 of Love on Deck

“Did she get a new one?”

“No, she wants to refinish the old one.”

My chest buzzed. That was something I used to be asked to do.

Tucker must have realized this at the same time I’d thought it. “Of course she’d prefer if you did it. You’re so much better at sanding than I am. You’re just not local.”

“I’m always happy to drive back,” I defended. “It’s not that far.”

He gave a dry laugh. “No one’s gonna ask you to drive to Arcadia Creek to paint a swing, Jack. Think about it.”

I didn’t really want to. I just wanted hot steamy water to wash away the farm dirt and clean clothes that hadn’t been sitting in my teenage closet for almost ten years, getting musty.

I stood to give him a hug and walked him to the door.

He paused, looking at me over the threshold, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You know no one would ever think you failed if you come home, right?”

“I didn’t think that would be the case.”

He shrugged. “Fine. If you wanna play it like that. See you around.”

I watched him walk down the hallway and closed the door behind him while regret pooled at my feet. Shrugging off the way his parting comment made me feel, I dialed Kevin’s number. I filled a glass with water and drained it on the way to the bathroom. No answer.

I texted him.

Jack

I saw Amelia today. What’s going on, man? Call me back.

I put down the phone and started the shower.

When I got out, there was no text and no missed call waiting for me. I took an Uber to his house instead.

The windows were dark. The driveway was empty. I called again and it went almost straight to voicemail.

Something was definitely wrong.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

LAUREN

Amelia hadn’t said a word since entering my apartment except to tell me which of my loungewear sets she wanted to borrow after her shower. I threw a container of premade soup into a pot on the stove and stuck some frozen bread in the oven. Maybe I wasn’t the best cook, but premade food saved my butt from hitting up takeout practically every night of the week. My freezer was stocked.

If we ever had another storm, with the power grids failing our entire state like they did back in ‘21, at least I wouldn’t starve.

I won’t tell you how many weighted blankets I bought after that blizzard, either. It never hurt to be prepared. Besides, I got use out of them. Like right now, when Amelia was curled up on my couch in one of Joanna Gaines’s Homebody lounge sets, her dripping wet hair on the lavender weighted blanket cocooning her.

She was also staring at a blank wall with a frown. I spooned out two bowls of soup and brought them to the couch with a plate of bread and all the proper silverware.

“I can’t eat,” she said quietly.

“You need to.” I pushed her bowl into her hands. “Keep your blood sugar up.”

She reluctantly obeyed.

I waited until she had taken a few bites before leveling my gaze at her. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Her face crumpled and silent tears started rolling down her cheeks.

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