Page 169
After the third call from him, Felicity had muted her phone.
It was time to power it down.
She reached over and picked it up. His contact photo filled the screen. A crooked grin. Eyes that had once made her feel safe.
Her heart contracted.
Just one swipe.
One swipe and she’d hear his beautiful voice with its slight Texas drawl.
One swipe and he’d start explaining.
Justifying. Again.
Telling her he’d done it for her own good.
“No.”
She powered down the phone and tossed it onto the bed.
*
Morning brought more calls from Ronan and a growing collection of unanswered text messages.
She ignored them all.
Then she spotted two messages from her sister.
The second read: Proof of life or I’m reporting your ass missing.
Despite everything, Felicity smiled.
She replied with a single word, Alive, added a photo of the pugs investigating the picnic area, noses buried in the grass.
The response came almost immediately: Be safe.
Felicity didn’t answer.
Nearing the Black Hills, she finally called her boss. “I need time.”
“How long?” Beau asked.
“I don’t know.”
Silence crackled over the line. “You quitting?”
She stared at the endless ribbon of highway stretching toward the horizon. At that moment, the answer felt simple. “Probably.”
Another long silence before Beau sighed. “How about we call it a furlough.”
The unexpected understanding tightened her throat. “Thanks, Beau.”
“Take whatever time you need.”
Before he could say anything else — and before she could change her mind — she ended the call and powered down her phone.
She gathered the dogs and loaded them back into the Bronco.
