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“You, if you don’t shut up,” I hissed. “That was just a hypothetical, dummy. I’m not saying I need you to bury a body. But one day, you might get a call that requires you to show up and keep your mouth shut. Understand?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” He pushed back from the counter. “I have to get home. Call me if you need anything. If not, I guess I’ll see you at your party.”
“Thanks for bringing my dinner,” I called after him with a wave.
While I was alone in the front of the shop, I texted my mom.
Me: Any news?
Mom: Raven and I went to some of the surrounding cities around Oakland today. One woman thought she saw D at a soup kitchen—three fucking weeks ago.
My heart clenched at the thought of my cousin having to go to a soup kitchen for food. Mom had been searching for Delaney ever since she found out about her niece, but Delaney had run away from her aunt and uncle’s house down in Oakland as soon as she’d turned eighteen.
Poor Delaney was out there somewhere, completely alone. Was she cold? Hungry? Scared?
Blinking back the sting of tears, I encouraged Mom to keep looking and not to give up. When I got a heart emoji in reply, I slid my phone into my back jeans pocket and stuffed another fry into my mouth. The rest of the evening flew by, but as I was locking up, Mom showed up at the shop looking exhausted.
“Drive me home,” she urged quietly, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Maverick was still in the back. “Raven dropped me off since your dad is home, and I don’t want him asking questions about where I was all day. If he thinks I was here with you all evening, he won’t question me.”
I pushed down my disappointment that I wouldn’t get to stay and give Maverick his anticipated dessert. But if I expected my mother to cooperate with me when I needed her to, I had to help her out a little, too. “Okay, but tomorrow, I have somewhere to be. Cover for me with—” I nodded toward the back “—and Dad.”
Her eyes narrowed on me. “Where do you have to be, little girl?”
Jaw clenched, I remained mute, just looking at her and daring her to question me further. If she wasn’t going to confide in Dad about what was going on with her and finding Delaney, I didn’t have to tell her what was going on with me just yet.
“Fine,” she muttered, blowing out a frustrated sigh. “I get it. And yes, I’ll cover for you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Give me two minutes, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Hurry.”
I walked into the back to grab my backpack and purse from Maverick’s room. He was cleaning the space, getting everything ready for his first appointment the next afternoon. When he saw me pick up my things, he grabbed my hips. “Where do you think you’re going?” he growled, lowering his head to kiss my neck.
I leaned into him, savoring his lips on me. “I have to go.” I stroked my hand over the scruff on his jaw, wishing I could stay and just let him hold me. “Mom is out front waiting on me. Something came up, and I need to take her home.”
Disappointment fill
ed his gray eyes, but he nodded in understanding. “Okay, baby. Just be careful.” He brushed his lips over mine. “Love you, River.”
“Love you, Mav,” I whispered before forcing myself to step back.
He followed me to the front, stopping to hug my mom before we walked out the door and he locked up behind us. I tossed my things into the back seat while Mom got into the passenger seat. By the time I got behind the wheel, only a few seconds had passed, but she already had her head leaned against the window and was drifting off to sleep.
Sighing, I leaned over and fastened her seat belt before driving us home.
Dad didn’t even question her when we walked into the house fifteen minutes later. Sometimes, if Mom didn’t help out at the bar, she would come and keep me company at the shop, so it wasn’t unusual for us to come home together.
Leaving my parents in the kitchen, I went upstairs to get ready for bed. After showering, I texted Maverick good night and that I loved him, something I did every night, no matter what. Just as I started to drift off to sleep, my phone pinged with his message.
Maverick: Sweet dreams, baby. Love you.
My eyes filled with tears, and I cried myself to sleep.
The drive back to Creswell Springs felt like it took forever the next evening. I was exhausted from traveling to a city I didn’t know on top of everything else.
That morning, I’d called Aunt Willa to let her know I wasn’t feeling well so I wouldn’t be able to work that evening. She’d told me she would handle the shop for me and hoped I felt better. I hadn’t gone to school that morning, but Mom knew I wasn’t going and had agreed to cover for me with everyone. If Maverick came looking for me, she’d promised she would tell him I was in bed sleeping.
Once I was home again, I went straight up to my room and showered the day off me. My heart felt so heavy, and I could barely keep my eyes open as the water rained down on me, mixing with my tears.
