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“You were right. I should’ve called you. There’s something I need to talk to you about but I-I—but you said you would arrest Murphy, and all I could picture was that poor kid in handcuffs, scared and freaking out.”
“I know,” he said. “I know that’s what you saw, but Samantha, there’s somethin’ I need to tell you too.” He took a deep breath. “I was homeless and alone when I was thirteen after my mama overdosed. I had no other family. I got arrested for stealin’ from a store, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but”—he paused, and it was almost shocking to me to hear so much uncertainty in his voice—“it’s n-not my favorite subject.”
Tears were streaming down my face now. “Oh, Frank. Baby, I’m so sorry.”
He sighed. “I didn’t want you to feel sorry for me. To see me different.”
Picking up on the seriousness of my conversation, Brady and Theo quietly excused themselves, leaving me in the office alone.
“I don’t feel sorry for you. My heart is breaking for the little boy you used to be, but you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. There’s nothing about you now that makes me pity you.”
He was quiet for a minute. “You know, I really love the sound of you callin’ me baby.”
Scooting deeper into the chair, I pulled my knees up to my chest and tried to relax the stress out of my shoulders. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. A lot.”
I smiled, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “Will you tell me about your mama?”
“I will when we can sit down together, and then you can tell me your thing, too, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you, Frank.”
He smiled. I heard it in his voice. “When you say my name like you just did, I can picture it, you know? Wakin’ up with you in my arms on a Sunday mornin’, havin’ a lazy day with our kids. Watchin’ a game while you read in my lap or goin’ for a drive in the mountains together. You’d be by my side, callin’ me baby.” He paused. “I could love you. I think… I think I already do.”
Oh no. I couldn’t wait. I had to tell him now. It was so not the right time, but I couldn’t let him go on believing—
“Shit!”
There was a loud groaning sound over the phone, like the complaining of metal being scraped and bent, and then a loud whooshing and a popping sound.
“Frank? What happened? Are you okay?”
His voice was stressed and far away, like he wasn’t holding his phone anymore. He grunted and hissed in pain. “Ah, fuck.”
“Frank? Talk to me!”
I heard shuffling as he moved the phone, and then his voice returned. “Somebody just slammed into my truck.” His breath hitched. “Dammit. I’m bleedin’. I gotta go.”
“No, wait!”
“I need to check on the other driver. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.” Right before he hung up, he said, “I’m fine. Promise. I love you.”
What? No! I’d read enough romantic suspense to know if someone said, “I’m bleeding” ominously and in the same breath as “I love you” right after being hit by a car, it probably wasn’t going to end up being a good thing.
Jumping out of the chair, I yanked my bag off my shoulder, dropped it to the floor, and threw open the door. I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know where Frank was, but he was hurt.
“Sam?” Brady’s voice registered behind me, and Grum barked as I ran down the hallway toward the front door. “What’s wrong?”
“There was an accident.”
“Where?”
I turned, my heart plummeting as I thought about Frank out there alone, injured. Oh God. Grum whined, circling me nervously. “I don’t know!”
“Okay,” Theo said, “let’s take a breath. Um, maybe we can call over to the sheriff’s station. They’ll know where Frank was.”
“Yes! Frank said Abey will be there—”
