Petey’s face turns bright red, and I love it.
“Oh, did you think I was sleeping the other morning?”
“It’s not nice to spy on people,” he grumbles. “Especially when they’re letting you sleep in.”
“Says the guy driving me to go spy on someone.”
We both burst out laughing.
“It’s funny. Every time we get away from the kids we spend all of our time talking about them,” he says, reaching over and squeezing my knee.
“I miss them already,” I admit.
“Me too, but let’s just enjoy our time away. So, what are your guesses as to what Brody is up to out here?”
“I don’t know, but I doubt it has anything to do with the letter he got from Rachel. He’s probably working on another one of his pranks.”
“It’s a little strange for him to be away from home this late. I gave Jackson a call, but I didn’t want to worry him, so I didn’t ask about Brody. He’s already stressed out enough about his dad. But he did mention that Brody was helping his in-laws.”
I’ve always had a hard time trusting people, but Brody is someone I’ve always felt comfortable with. “Well, maybe he is. Helping his in-laws doesn’t mean he has to be at their house. Maybe they own a property up here.”
“Could be. So maybe he wasn’t lying and all is legit.”
When we get close to the location Travis gave Petey, we find Brody’s bike.
We both get out. “He’s about a mile up,” Petey says, looking at his phone as I get busy picking the lock on the gate.
“It would be faster to jump it.”
“Well, then jump it,” I tell him.
As soon as he’s cresting the fence, the lock clicks open and I step inside.
He grunts on his landing, straightening to his full height. When he sees I’m standing next to him, he groans.
“I don’t know why you doubt me,” I say, shoving my kit in my back pocket.
It doesn’t take long before a little house comes into view. A lone lamp shines from inside, but it looks like there’s a woman sitting on a porch swing. Petey steps on a branch behind me, and the woman stands.
I see her reach for a shotgun.
I make a motion for Petey to stay where he’s at. He reaches to stop me as I step from the trees.
“Hello!” I yell. “Hello! My car broke down, and I don’t have any cell service.”
The woman lowers the barrel a fraction, but she doesn’t set it down.
Just then the front door swings open, and Brody steps out.
I lose my shit. There’s no other way to put it. “Are you fucking kidding me? Are you cheating on Daisy?” I storm toward Brody, and he takes a step back inside, closing the door behind him.
“You fucking chicken shit. Get your ass out here!” I yell.
The woman sets her hand on my shoulder, and I round on her. “Do you know he’s fucking married?” I ask.
“There’s been a terrible misunderstanding. Brody and I are not having an affair. We just met.”
“You just met, yet here he is, in the middle of the night.” I wave my hand out. “He doesn’t even have a shirt on.”
