“Heard what?”
She hesitates. “We’re besties, right?”
“What the fuck, Trena? Who else would I skip town with?”
“You won’t hate me for telling you something that makes this town even worse?”
From over the top of the car, I square up with her. “What could be worse? Are they cancelling the Founder’s Day Parade, the weekly movie nights, the Double Decker Western burger?”
Trena’s shaking her head and blurts out, “I think Henry’s cheating on you.”
It’s so inconceivable, it takes a second to process. The pity in her eyes hurts worse than her reveal.
“Must be a misunderstanding. We’re supposed to go skydiving next weekend. I bought the jump for his birthday.”
“My brother saw him gettingreally cozy—”
“Get me out of this hellhole. Better yet, drive me to Henry’s.”
Chapter 2
Lennox
Checking my phone, I wait a few seconds to make sure a text message isn’t just slow to load. My internet service isn’t great out here. It looks like all of my messages sent just fine though.
I stare out the passenger window. So much has changed. I never thought I’d come back to this hole-in-the-wall.
Ding.My heart races. A text message. Nervousness, betrayal, hope. A nauseating mix of emotions slams around inside of me.
I let my eyes drift to the screen.
Never mind. It’s from the moving company. I grumble.
“Is that him?” Blake asks, keeping his focus on the road.
“Movers are delayed an hour.”
“An hour’s not bad. Still no word from Henry?” Blake’s trying to be supportive of my effort to connect with my newfound son who hasn’t responded to my last five messages.
Not a real surprise since the response prior to that was “fuck off”.
Admitting that I’m being shut out makes it worse. “Nothing. Would you mind if I take the truck while you wait on the movers?”
“The rental’s only a few blocks from town. I’ll go with you, we can walk and stretch our legs.”
“I’m not headed to town.” I hesitate, but there’s no hiding my struggle from Blake. We’ve come up through the ranks together from being beat cops to detectives. “I’m going to Henry’s.”
“Maybe don’t do that the very first day we get to town.”
Blake’s caution catches me off guard. I’m usually the one holding back.
“He’s my son. I just want to meet him.”
“It’s a small town, maybe give it a minute, you might find out what his mom told him about you.”
The helplessness of not knowing what my baby mama told people infuriates me. “Would have been nice if she’d toldmesomething abouthim.”
But since she died in a car wreck five years ago, all I’ll ever know is Henry’s interpretation of what he remembers her saying.
