Dred lifted Pixie’s chin and kissed her sweetly.
“Miami it is,” he murmured.
Chapter Fifteen
“Whose idea was it to walk off the plane and drive straight to Pahokee?”Dred yawned and she smiled.It was hard to believe only three days had passed since she’d last seen him.It felt like much longer.
When he’d called her the previous day to let her know he’dfinallygotten Petal’s passport, she’d thought it might be a good day or two until she saw him.But the entire band, their instruments, and Petal were all booked on the six forty a.m.American flight from Toronto to Miami.She couldn’t have been happier.
Dark circles under his eyes told her exactly how tired he was, as did the messages sent at three that morning.A photograph of Petal’s face all scrunched up and red, with the messageSHE JUST FOUND OUT THE RAPTORS LOST.
Pixie laughed.“I believe it was yours,” she said, steering the rental car into the next lane of the highway to pass the truck in front of her.“Anyway, you have it easy.I feel sorry for Jordan and Cujo.”
Cujo had agreed to help transport Jordan, Petal, a car seat, a diaper bag, four suitcases, two strollers, and a partridge in a pear tree to Pixie’s condo.Her plan was to get them to Pahokee and back as quickly as possible so she could see Petal.
“Feel free to close your eyes,” Pixie said.“It’s going to take about an hour and forty-five minutes to get there.”
Dred ran his hand up her thigh until she slapped it and laughed.
“I was enjoying that,” he grumbled.
“Well, I need to concentrate.It makes me feel all gooey inside.”
“I like the sound of gooey,” he said, putting his hand back where it had been.He leaned back against the headrest.“It’s good to be back, Snowflake.I missed you.”He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.
She loved the feel of his lips against her skin.“I missed you and Petal too.”
Dred smiled and closed his eyes.Eventually, the sound of snoring came from his side of the car.
As road signs for Pahokee appeared, a familiar tightening started in her stomach.Never in a million years had she expected to come back here.In fact, it had been on her list of places to avoid at all costs.
When she reached the entrance to the trailer park, she pulled over to the side of the road.The car jolted to a stop.
Dred woke up with a start.“What’s up?”
“We’re here,” Pix said, rubbing the sweaty palms of her hands along the top of the jeans.
Dred sat up and ran his hands over his face.He looked at the clock.“Sorry.I didn’t mean to sleep all the way here.”He checked out the surroundings.
“It’s okay.Although you snored.A lot.And mumbled.And your coffee went cold.”Pixie smiled, but it didn’t reach the corners of her eyes and she knew it.
“Hey.It’s going to be okay,” he reassured her.
“We don’t know that.What if she’s still with him?What ifhe’sthere?”
“Then we’ll deal with it.OrIwill.”
They stepped out of the car and walked down a long dusty road that was heavily potholed.The trailer park was rundown, but the plots were tidy enough.
Dred squeezed her hand.“You okay, Pix?”
“Yeah.I’ll be better when this is over.”
They arrived at her old trailer, so familiar yet chillingly foreign.The beige and turquoise paint on the outside looked new but ugly.The rotting handrail on the wood steps leading up to the door had finally broken.“I don’t think I can do this.We should go, Dred.”
“If you really want to, then I’m right with you.But”—he pushed her hair back behind her ear—“we came all this way.I’m here.Nothing can happen to you.I promise.”
Emboldened by his words, Pixie knocked on the door.She waited, but nobody answered.She knocked louder this time.Again, no answer.Without thinking, she tested the handle, but the door was locked.
