It brought back memories of the night we’d gotten the call about my mother.She’d been on her way home from the hospital where she worked.Her car had skidded off the road and gone headfirst into a tree.They said she’d been going too fast for the corner, probably never saw it coming.
Yep, one woman in my life had been stolen far too soon.I wasn’t sure I could handle if Reagan was taken from me, too.
No fucking way was I going to let her out of my sight.Not yet.
Hell, maybe not ever.
Reagan
My bar was gone.
Completely burned to a crisp.
According to Rhys, the fire department said it appeared someone had rigged the above-ground propane gas tank behind the building to blow.However, they wouldn’t know for sure until the fire inspector got out there.
My own gas tank.The one that supplied heat and hot water to the building had been used to blow up my livelihood and damn near kill me and two of my closest friends?Who the hell would do something like that?
I clicked the seat belt into place and took a deep breath, watching the scene before me.It wasn’t as chaotic as it had been earlier, but there was still quite a bit going on.I probably should’ve stuck around, but when Lynx offered to take me back to his place, I hadn’t been able to refuse.
“Give her some love, Cope,” Lynx urged the dog, his gaze briefly swinging toward me as he pulled out onto the main road.
When the dog’s big muzzle nudged my arm, I reached over and gently petted him, leaning my head back against the seat.I was tired.My body ached from the impact I'd made with the wall.And yes, the paramedic had finally given me a good once-over, telling me I should probably go to the hospital, but at the very least, someone needed to keep an eye on me through the night and not let me sleep for more than an hour or so at a time.Something about a possible concussion.
I was fine.
But my bar was gone.
I sighed.
What I wanted to do was sleep for the next week.Then I wanted to wake up and go back in time to before today.Before I'd had breakfast with Lynx, before I'd known the pleasure he could offer me, and yes, before my entire world had been blown to bits.
“Did you call your mom?”Lynx asked.
“Yeah,” I said softly.“She told me to come stay over there.”
“You want me to take you there?”
“Nope.”I loved my mother, but we didn’t get along.Plus, my grandfather was nothing more than a burly old bear who enjoyed berating me every chance he got.I did not need to listen to either of them harp on me right now.“I’ll stop by there tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
He seemed content with that, but I didn’t open my eyes to look at him.I couldn’t.Not right now.The second I'd seen him racing toward me, I had nearly lost it.And when he wrapped me in his arms, I had to fight back the tears that had threatened.
After all I'd said to him that morning, Lynx had still come to check on me in the middle of the damn night.Not only that, but his father had called after Wolfe’s dad had informed him of what happened.I had been shocked when Lynx handed me the phone.I had expected it to be my mother, surprised when the deep, raspy voice so much like Lynx’s had echoed through the phone.
“Reagan, honey?Are you okay?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied softly.“I’m okay.”
“Good.Lynx said the bar burned down.”
“Yes, sir, it did.”
“Well, I don’t want you worryin’ about that tonight.We’ll all be helpin’ you to get it up and runnin’ in no time at all.”
I knew he wasn’t included in that “we” because Cooter never left the house, but I appreciated the sentiment anyway.“Thank you.”
Cooter grunted.“Put Lynx back on, honey.”
