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I snap out of my sad thoughts. “Yeah. It was the classic rent-by-the-hour escort. No sister. Just Darla, the hooker.”
“Hmmm…” he says, taking another bite.
“So, when are they releasing you back into the wild?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Later today. I got the thumbs up from the doc. As long as I follow up with my primary in a few weeks to determine how I’m healing, I’m good to go.”
I offer him my frown face. “Is this goodbye? I was getting used to seeing you every day. Ruth is almost as good as you are at the name game.”
“You’ll have to come visit us once the baby’s born,” he comments.
“Born? We’re practically family now. I was hoping for the front row at the delivery.” Justin’s brow furrows while Ruth snickers. “Kidding, hero. I’m twenty-four and still believe babies come from storks. All the poor vaginas around the world, what did they ever do to anyone?”
We continue with small talk until his doctor comes in, then I say my goodbyes, promise to see them when the baby is born, and head home. When I walk in, I’m not sure what I expected, but everything looks the same. No one would ever guess a psychopath had blown up my kitchen. Pushing down my emotions, I say hello to my couch and make a cup of coffee using one of the surviving mugs.“You couldn’t handle me even if I came with instructions.”
Next order of business, I pull out my phone, find the right number in my favorites, and put it up to my ear. When the call is picked up, I say with my sweetest voice, “Harry, love of my life, how are you?”
Chapter twenty-nine
Mindy
Four weeks later…
“Shit!” That’s hot. Coffee spills over the side of my mug, splashing my wrist. I glance at the time again and let off another round of curses. I knew I shouldn’t have started another episode ofCatfish. Now, I missed my mid-afternoon nap, and I’m about to be late to work. But dammit, why are those people so dumb!Hi, let’s date for five years but never see each other’s faces. Idiots.
I take one last look at myself before heading off.
“Mindy, dear?”
I stop to find poor Mrs. Carlson scurrying down the hall. “Did you need something? I’m kind of running late.”
“I just wanted to give you this. It was in my mailbox but has your name on it.”
I take the thick manilla envelope from her. “Thanks.”
“Bye now.”
I look at the envelope, flipping it over. There’s no return address on it. As curious as I am, I shove it in my purse and skedaddle.
Walking in, Clay whistles at me. “Damn, Mindy, new look?”
I fluff my fresh cut and color. “You like? Thought it was time for a change.” I may not be able to change my past, but I can change my color and chop off half my hair.
“Looks great on ya.”
“Thanks!” I wink at him and head in. I complete my routine and set up the bar. Harry is in the back, but he sticks his head out, looks at me, shakes it, then disappears in the back. Man, that guy loves me. And thank God for that, since I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t given me my job back. Thanks to him letting me pick up extra shifts, I was able to cover this month’s rent. I may be reusing coffee filters and washing my body with dishwasher detergent, not to mention I spent the last of my grocery money on my hair, but I still have a place to live for the next thirty days.
The night flies by, and I’m exhausted by the time I’m walking out. “Later, Leroy.”
“Night, Mindy.”
When I get home, I drop my purse on the counter, open my fridge, and grab a bottle of water. I pop the top and take a long sip, seeing the corner of the manilla envelope out the corner of my eye. Walking over to it, I pull it out. I rip open the top to a stack of papers and envelopes. Confused, I turn each over and read what’s written. “What the…?” I open the smaller envelope and read it. Then another. And another.
My brows furrow in confusion. Acceptance letters? I’d printed them and started filling them out, but I… I hadn’t done anything with them.
I stare down at the current letter in my hands.
Dear Mindy Parks,
