AllFreeNovel
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“Oh, she said she was going to try, but not to mention it in case Trey’s schedule didn’t allow. And may I again say, mmm-mmm-mmm.”
“You may.”
“I know you had this one as your vision, but this one—where he’s basically hovering above the ground? It’s awesome.”
“And I’m going to frame it for him, but I think, like your split-leg fold, it’s too good. Intimidating for regular people. And in the first, you can clearly see the Ryder logo on the mitt. The client will like that.”
“You win the point. I guess we should go change so Mr. Baseball can take us to dinner.”
“I’ve got to push it, grab a shower.” She glanced at the time. “Why is it always later than I think it should be?”
She hustled back downstairs, jumped in the shower. Wrapped in a towel, she decided to twist up a ponytail, clip it, and consider her hair done. Looking forward to an evening with Mr. Baseball, she fell into her fifteen-minute, night-out-makeup routine while she tried to figure out what she should wear.
She came out to find the choice already made.
She studied the long, flowy white shirt, the stovepipe-gray pants, the cap-sleeved, open-weave red sweater.
“I think Molly has a thing for red, Yoda. But you know, it works.”
After she dressed and considered jewelry choices, her phone rang. She saw Trey on the readout.
She wouldn’t bring up all that happened over the phone, she decided. She and Cleo could detail everything later, over dinner.
That would sure as hell keep things lively.
“Hey. It’s the all-star.”
He let out a weak laugh. “Yeah. Listen, Sonya, something’s come up. I won’t be able to make it tonight.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay? You’re upset, I can hear it.”
“I’m okay. I’m sorry for the late notice.”
She heard voices in the background, what sounded like a call over a PA. Her heart jumped.
“Are you at the hospital? Are you hurt? What—”
“It’s not me. I’m fine.”
“Your family.”
“No, no, everybody’s fine. It’s a client. She… Jesus, Jesus, he beat the hell out of her. The divorce, I handled the divorce just a couple of weeks ago. He got drunk, nothing new there, pushed his way into the house, and went at her. A lot of good the restraining order did her.”
Not just upset, she realized. Furious and fractured.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Do you want me to come? I can come. Can I help?”
“No. No, thanks, but… They’re working on her right now, and they say she’ll be okay. The kids ran out to a neighbor, he called the police, went over, managed to stop him before it got worse.
“Goddamn it, I’ve known these people for ten years.”
In that moment, all she wanted to do was put her arms around him.
“Are the kids all right? Do the police have him?”
“Kids are pretty shook, but they’re fine. They’ll be okay. They can stay with the neighbors. And yeah, he’s in custody. I need to stay with her. I don’t want her to be alone when she comes out. Her mother and sister are flying in, but they won’t get here until ten or eleven.”
“If there’s anything we can do, check on the kids, pick up Mookie, just call.”
