Page 54 of Pretty Little Scars

Should I be using the man power this way? Probably not, but damn it, all I can think about is Darby. She said she wants gardens, so she’ll get them. I’m even going to fill the planter boxes beneath all the windows.

I’m fucking whipped.

But more than anything, I’m worried about her. Is she eating? Did she sleep atall?

To try to distract myself, I decided to go ahead and build her the garden. I’d arranged for the greenhouse last week, after she first mentioned it.

“See you in the morning,” Scott says as he walks off to his truck, and I pull my phone out when it pings with a text.

It’s not Darby.

It’s the family group chat.

Dad: I know it’s last minute, but I made a shit ton of food for dinner. Come and get it.

Xander: Why do you have to taunt me with homemade food? I’m in fucking Tampa Bay.

Ava: Oops, Dad didn’t remove Xander from this thread.

Xander: DON’T REMOVE ME FROM ANY THREADS.

I snort at that. He doesn’t want to know that we’re eating together, but he also doesn’t want to miss out. That’s pretty on brand for my brother.

Harper: I’m on my way. Blake’s working tonight, and I’m starving, but also don’t want to cook. Juliet might permanently kick me out of Sage & Citrus if I keep eating all of her salads.

Sage & Citrus is a restaurant in our neighboring town of Bitterroot Valley, owned by my friend Brooks’s wife, Juliet. Jules has become friends with my sisters and with Darby. They’re a tight friend group, and I know that Harps would never be thrown out permanently.

However, shedoeseat a lot of those salads.

Ava: I’m bringing Chad with me. We’ll skip the restaurant and come there instead. Is that cool?

I frown. Chad’s a douche. I would never pick him for my sister, and I hope she sees the light soon and dumps his ass.

Dad: That’s fine. Tuck, Easton, get your asses over here and eat.

Me: On my way.

Maybe spending time with the family will take my mind off the fact that Darby still isn’t home.

I shoot her a text before I climb into my truck to head into town to my father’s place.

Me: Hey, beautiful. I’m headed to my dad’s for dinner. Do you need anything? I need to make sure you’re eating.

Her phone is on Do Not Disturb, so I pop the cell in the cup holder and drive into Silver Springs, worrying about her the whole way.

What kind of emergency could she be dealing with that takes this long? I don’t think I’ve ever had something happen on my ranch that took days to deal with. Sure, we’ve had some prettycrazy things happen during calving season, but never anything that took this long.

Or maybe I’ve blocked all that out, and the only thing I can focus on is the fact that my girl is taking care of a medical emergency for someone, and I don’t know for sure if she’s really okay.

Calm down, man.

I shake my head and park in front of my dad’s house just as Easton pulls up behind me.

“I didn’t bother replying to the family chat,” he says as we walk up the path to the door. “Figured I’d just show up. Also, I have some shit news for you.”

I scowl over at him. “What?”

“Peter’s been released. Couldn’t make the charges stick. It’s a matter of he said, she said, and there was no proof, unless you’ve installed cameras in the barn that I don’t know about.”