Page 22 of Left In The Dark

“Hey. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Wanted to see how things went today.” Hope rises in her voice.

“Good.” I smile. “I got hired on. I start at the academy in a week.”

“Oh, Logan. I’m so proud of you. I never doubted you for one second.”

I believe it too. She has more faith in me than I have in myself. Her love kept me going. So did the hate from others. I could either let their words defeat and define me or I could push back against them, proving them wrong. “Thanks, Mom. Wouldn’t have been able to do it without my biggest support system.”

“Oh, sure you could have.” She gushes. “You’re capable of doing anything you put your mind to. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I’ll try,” I muse.

“You on your way home?”

“Yup. Gotta get gas, but then I’ll be heading that way right after.”

“Anyway, are you able to stop by the market before you do?” Her tone shifts.

“Sure. What you need?”

“A bag of flour and butter. I thought I grabbed both on my last trip, but I must have forgotten, and Jimmy put in a request for my famous rolls.”

I laugh. “Of course he did. Anything else?”

She pauses, the line going quiet before she speaks again. “Sugar for the tea, but that should be it.”

“Okay. If you missed anything else, just shoot me a text.”

“Okay, sweetie. Love ya.”

“Love ya too. See ya soon.”

Ending the call, I drive out of the parking lot, and grumble when all the pumps are full at the first gas station I stop at. Pulling up to the one further down, I almost jump right back into my car when Blake’s blue eyes lock on mine. His lips curve, face beaming.

“Hey, you. I sent you a text not long ago. I didn’t accidentally put in the wrong number, did I?” He stretches his back over his car, propping a foot on the back tire.

“No, I got it,” I say, turning away from him to feed the machine my card. The cold air pricks at my cheeks but I can feel the heat from his stare spreading over the rest of me.

“So, did I get my hi back?” He chirps, removing the nozzle from his car and returning it to the pump.

“Wasn’t I supposed to say hi first?” I mutter, removing the nozzle to gas up my car.

“I . . . maybe. I don’t know. Must have heard you wrong.”

Of course. Hearing what he wants to hear. “If you don’t give me a chance to say it first, when I’m good and ready, then you don’t get it at all.”

His mouth opens and then closes. “I’m trying here.”

“Are you? And why exactly? What are you hoping to gain from all this?” The man wouldn’t know what good intentions were even if they slapped him in the face.

“Nothing. I want you to really believe I mean you no harm.”

“And?” I lower my gaze at him.

He tugs the strands of his hair, and his cheeks flush. “And because I think you’ll like me touching you as much as I’ll like doing it.”

“You thinking that way is the reason you’re going to keep waiting.”