I jumped out of bed and threw myself in the same jeans and T-shirt I’d worn the night before. I ran down the stairs and out the front door. The lawn was soaked from the storm the night before, and my bare feet slipped right when I reached the car. I caught myself on the side mirror before I fell. After regaining my balance, I yanked open the unlocked door. There sat my phone, snug in the middle console. Grabbing it, I looked at the screen. Ten missed calls. Three messages. I didn’t bother checking them. I hit speed dial and held the phone up to my ear as I sank down in the driver’s seat.
The phone rang once. “Brooke?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I’m sor—”
“Thank God!” Jed let out a long breath. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Ijust….”
“What were you doing?” His voice became angry. “I’ve waited all night. I had no idea what was going on! I didn’t know if you had a wreck, if you were in the hospital, if you just decided to disappear. What’s going on, Brooke?”
“Jed, babe, I’m sorry.” I really was. I felt horrible. “I just forgot. It was kinda an emotional night. I just got in and took a bath and had dinner, then passed out. I just woke up. Please don’t be mad.” I was pleading. I hated to hear that sound in my voice.
“Of course I’m mad! I’m furious! It’s bad enough I couldn’t come with you. To have no idea if you were all right. I didn’t fall asleep till almost four, and I was awake again by six. I am going to be a mess when I try to teach my class today.” I could hear his fingers drumming on the back of the phone. He only did that when he was really mad. “How could you forget me? You promised you’d call when you got in!”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I was just a mess last night. Please calm down. Be patient with me. You know I don’t want to be here either.”
“I know, but that doesn’t change that you—”
“Jed!” I interrupted. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I just left my phone in my car. It’s not like I was thinking of other things I thought were more important. I just wasn’t really able to function last night.”
We sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, I heard Jed start to take deep, slow breaths. I just waited. I knew he was going to be back to normal after a few more breaths.
“You’re okay?” he inquired.
“Yeah, babe, I’m fine.” I shook my head. Hearing his voice somehow made it all worse. “Actually, no, I’mnot. I don’t want to be here, Jed. I want to be there with you, in bed, fighting. I don’t think I can do this.”
He chuckled a little. “Right, because we fight in bed!” His voice took on his soothing tone. “I know you don’t want to be there, sweetie. We’ve talked about this. There’s not really another choice. Your mom needs you now.”
“I know, but….”
“Brooke. This is our only option.” He was stern but gentle. “We will get through this. I promise.”
I just sat there, listening to him breathe.
“I’m sorry I didn’t remember to call.”
“I know. It’s okay. Just don’t do it again, please.” His voice cracked.
“I miss you, babe.” I really did, although my eyes were completely dry. “You gotta get ready for your class now, don’t ya?”
“Yeah, I’ll probably already be late.” I heard drawers closing. “Call me tonight, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I love you, Brooke.”
“Love you too.”
Maudracalled my name when I opened the front door of the house.
“Be right there!” I wiped the wet grass off my feet, stepped into the house, and closed the door behind me. Glancing up the stairs, I thought longingly of bed. With forced effort, I made my way back into the kitchen. I turned down the hallway that led off the kitchen and followed it to the glassed-in sunroom. Maudra saw me in the doorway and motioned to me from her wicker rocking chair.
She was wearing a light pink gingham dress and had placed her copious curls high on her head, a few tendrils carefully positioned around her face. “Brooke! Come on in. Pull yerself up a seat!”
It was then I realized Maudra wasn’t alone. There was a man sitting opposite her on a matching wicker love seat. I wasn’t exactly prepared for company or to have to answer a bunch of questions. If I’d known, I would definitely have gone back upstairs and crawled into bed. Too late now. Fixing my face with my prepared smile, I walked toward Maudra to face her guest.
I had no idea who it was for a few seconds. A few too many seconds for me to be able to play it off smoothly. I took in the man’s dirty tennis shoes, his ripped and stained jeans, and his black tank top tight over his chest. He had very tan, muscular arms and a remarkably handsome face with full lips, nearly black eyes, and shiny brown hair that fell into his eyes.
