The loudspeaker buzzed, and the flight attendant went through the rules and safety regulations, and I was reminded that I hadn’t turned off my phone. I rummaged through my carry-on until I found it at the bottom and touched the screen to turn it off.
The screen lit as it unlocked, and I saw a message staring back at me.
Cane: I love you.
My eyes filled with tears as Cane’s name appeared on my screen.
Me: Be safe, please. <3
Cane: <3
I smiled at his emoji before turning my phone off, burying my head in a pillow, and silently crying myself to sleep.
“I love Escalades,”Kari exclaimed as we walked to our rental car a few hours later. “I’ll drive.”
“Yeah. No,” Max said sternly.
“What? I let you come on this trip. The least you can do is let me drive,” Kari whined.
Max raised his eyebrows at Kari, giving her a no-nonsense look. “You didn’t let me do anything, sweetheart. You had no choice.”
“That’s what you think,” Kari said, rolling her eyes.
I couldn’t help but laugh at their banter.
We piled into the SUV, and Max took the wheel with only a sigh from Kari. I took the back seat, needing a little space of my own for the ride to Heather’s.
I took out my cell to text Heather and was disappointed that there were no additional text messages from Cane. I didn’t know whether to send him a message or not, unsure of what he was dealing with. I scrolled past his name and clicked my friend’s instead.
Me: Just landed! Be there in a few. Have wine.
Heather: LOL! I’m excited to see you, Jada. And I always have wine! ;)
“No! Absolutely not,” Kari said as I looked up to see her changing the radio station. “I let you come. I let you drive. I will not let you pick the radio station. I can’t even begin to take Miranda Lambert right now.”
I laughed as Kari gave Max a look and switched through the stations until she found a nineties pop station, and Britney Spears blared through the speakers.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Max grumbled. Kari leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“You know you love it!”
“I love Miranda. Not Britney.”
Kari rolled her eyes as she started singing along to the music.
I watched the city pass by the window and I wondered where Cane was, what he was doing … and where in the world was Simon Powers?
FORTY-ONE
Jada
“That’s it,”I said, reaching over Max’s shoulder and pointing at a little white house with black shutters on a corner lot. It was in University Park, an area that Heather raved about. I looked around, feeling like I could like it there.
“Finger out of my face,” Max grumbled, and we laughed at him. “I haven’t complained one time, but the Britney Spears marathon put me over the top.”
“You shouldn’t complain at all. You were the one that insisted on coming,” Kari said brightly, and I giggled. Max didn’t look as amused as he steered the car into the driveway.
We opened our doors and got out, eager to stretch our legs, as Heather came out of the house, a massive smile on her face.
