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“Of course.”
I headed for the door, and I’d just reached it when I turned back. “What was your dream about? The one—I was in?”
Russell took a breath. “I—”
“Russell!” Artie was pushing past me in the doorway, Andy at his heels. Andy raced across the room and jumped onto the bed, climbing up on Russell and trying to lick his face. “You have to go downstairs! Doug said he’d make his special pancakes and Tidbit fell in the pool!”
Russell laughed. “It’s been quite a morning, huh, kid?”
I pointed to the door and stepped out, and Russell nodded. “Want to play a game?” I heard Artie ask as I headed back down the hallway.
I reached the landing, hearing the sound of laughter and conversation floating up from the kitchen. As I started to head down the stairs, a wave of sadness that I hadn’t been expecting washed over me. The thought that I’d never see Russell—or any of these other people—again suddenly seemed both impossible and unfair.
You hadn’t even met Russell this time yesterday, Didi pointed out.
But yesterday was a long time ago, Katy chimed in. A lot has happened since then.
As I walked down the staircase, I decided that Didi was right. I’d known Russell less than twenty-four hours. So, really, it shouldn’t be that big a deal that I wouldn’t see him again after today. I shouldn’t be acting ridiculous—I’d done enough of that yesterday. And it was time to go.
I pushed my hair behind my ears, let out a breath, then took the rest of the stairs down to the first floor two at a time.
CHAPTER 16 Monday
8:00 A.M.
Okay!” Chloe said, smiling at me. “You all set?”
We were standing in the huge garage that, as I’d guessed the night before, resembled more of an airplane hangar than a regular garage, and I could see now was filled with cars—low-slung sports cars; luxury SUVs; a huge, mud-spattered truck. I’d said goodbye to the dogs back in the house, giving Tidbit’s silky ears a last rub and telling Andy to behave himself as he wagged his tail furiously and tried to lick my face.
And then after the dogs, I’d said my goodbyes to everyone else (Doug called a goodbye from the hot tub). Montana had told me to have a great time at school, and took my email so that she could send me a list of her favorite Stanwich recommendations. Wallace had been on the phone with his girlfriend, the long-distance Alyssa, but waved at me before going back to his conversation. I’d given the priceless art one last look, and then I’d left the house with Chloe to join Wylie and Russell, who’d gone out before us.
They were standing next to a vintage-looking blue Bronco with wood paneling along the sides. Russell was wearing shorts and a light-yellow button-down, the cuffs rolled up over his forearms, and when he’d come down that morning, he looked freshly showered, his glasses gone, his dark curls damp. It looked like Wylie was saying something to him about the car, but I couldn’t make it out from across the garage.
“Darcy?” Chloe prompted.
I swiveled my attention back to her. “Right!” I said quickly. “And yes. I’m all set.” I tipped my head toward Russell and his dad. “Is everything okay over there?”
She waved this off. “The Bronco is Wylie’s baby. He never wants anyone to drive it, which never made sense to me. Why have a car if it’s just going to sit in a garage?”
“I guess… if you don’t want anything to happen to it?”
“Then don’t buy it,” she said, her voice definitive. “Otherwise it’s just a waste. Do you have everything?”
“Yes,” I said, suddenly remembering. “But I need to give you your clothes back.”
She waved this off. “It’s nothing. I want you to keep them. Consider it my way of atoning for the bus thing.”
“What bus thing?”
She raised an eyebrow at me. “Buses leave practically every hour from Vegas going to LA. I know for a fact there’s one that leaves at three a.m. so that people can be back in time for work in the morning.”
“That’s… really troubling.”
“I know,” Chloe said with a sigh. “The gambling industry is truly terrible.”
“But—why did you tell me they stopped running?”
“Because I didn’t want you to be alone in a bus station in Vegas,” Chloe said. “Also, I thought maybe you and Russell had stuff to clear up.” I gave her a look and she shrugged. “But obviously, that’s your business, not mine.”
