“Why are you answering her phone?” Shade snarled.
I sighed. “She’s sleeping. Which I’ve already told you.”
“You said that two hours ago. She doesn’t ever take naps,” he pointed out.
“I know that, but these are extenuating circumstances. She’s literally asleep, or I would’ve told her to call you back.”
He sighed. “Send me proof.”
I snapped a picture of her face, which was buried in my neck, and sent it to him.
He sounded far away for a second as he said, “Okay. I’ll call back later. Don’t let her forget to call me back, though, or I’ll follow her location to where you’re at and find out myself. Then she’ll get mad at you because you let me drive in this storm.”
“I’ll tell her to call…”
“I’m awake.” Birdee sat up and reached for the phone.
I handed it to her, and she brought it up to her face before saying, “I’m fine.”
She had an imprint mark of two buttons on her face, and the seam of my jacket connecting the two.
“Okay,” Shade said. “Just checking.” He paused. “Um, also, I didn’t know if you wanted to be told this or not, but your sister’s missing.”
“What?”
“Cody went off hunting earlier. I heard it from your dad when I walked into the diner,” he said. “She left, and didn’t come back before it got dark.”
“That’s not unusual for her, though,” I pointed out.
“I know,” Shade grumbled. “So freakin’ selfish, if you ask me. Now they’re talking about getting the SAR team out. I suggested they leave her ass out in it.”
“Shade,” Birdee quietly reprimanded.
That might be the cause of the calls that I was getting, but had refused to answer.
I was on the search and rescue team for the county, and often got call-outs for this type of thing. However, I had other, more important people to take care of tonight.
Cody could find her own way home…
“Keep me updated if you hear anything,” Birdee said quietly. “It’s not like they’re going to call me and let me know that she’s okay.”
“One other thing,” Shade said before Birdee could say goodbye, which only irritated me slightly.
I’d come to know Shade trial by fire style in the last forty-eight hours, and I found that I really liked his protectiveness when it came to Birdee. I also liked that he had her back no matter what.
It was hard to be mad at someone who only wanted what was best for the woman you were in love with.
When he’d purposefully given lime to Mable knowing she was allergic to it, I couldn’t stand him. But now, seeing both sides of the story, I could relate.
Shade’s methods were wrong, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t agree with protecting Birdee at all costs.
“What is it?”
“I saw your stepdad leaving today. He stopped by the diner to get food. He was headed out of town, apparently for good. I overheard him talking to Ovina.”
“Whoa,” she said. “Where was he going?”
“He got a job in Florida,” Shade said. “I heard him telling Ovina all about the job, and his plans. He got like eight grand for moving fees, and bugged out. He said he’d never be back. Told Ovina to have a nice life.”
