AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He nodded. “Guess so.”
“All you can do is love her,” Josie said. She glanced at Eli, who was staring out the front windshield, jaw clenched and hands fisted in the straps of his duffel bag. Life could be hard. But for someone like Eli, with a family who would move heaven and earth for him, it didn’t need to be. She tried again. “We have something else in common, Eli.”
“What?” He glanced at her.
“Our fathers are amazing. My dad would bend over backward to help me out. He’s always there, full of advice.” She paused, shooting him a conspiratorial look. “Even when I don’t want him to be.”
Eli nodded, his short laugh a relief.
“He’s the person I call when my world is falling apart. Or when I have news I have to share with someone because I’m bursting with excitement, ya know?” She glanced at him.
“Yeah.” His answer was soft.
“I am sorry about tonight, Eli.” She turned onto the road leading into the Boone ranch. “I wish I could make it better.”
There was silence before he asked, “You do?”
She swallowed. “I do. I really do.” She slowed down as a rabbit sprinted across the road and into the opposite field.
“You can drop me here,” Eli said, pointing at the Lodge. “Dad’s working emergency duty.”
“I know you’re worried about your dad being mad. But if he is mad, it’s because he loves you so much.” She kept the car and the heater running. “Talk to him, Eli, okay?”
“I will. I gotta sort out what I’m going to say.” Eli nodded, gathering his things.
“That makes sense,” she agreed.
“Thanks for the ride.” He looked at her, a shadow of a smile on his face.
She watched him climb the steps of the Lodge, waiting until he was safely inside before turning around and heading back into town. Thoughts of Eli and Hunter and Amy went ’round and ’round. Should she call Hunter? She didn’t know if she’d done the right thing. Eli had called and she’d responded. Maybe she’d overstepped, but surely Hunter would understand.
By the time she parked her car at the bakery, her head ached. She slumped over the steering wheel, second-guessing every minute since Eli’s phone call.
The bakery lights flipped on, startling Josie. She glanced at the clock on the car dashboard. Five o’clock. Dad would be up, making coffee, letting the dog out and getting things ready for the morning. She watched as Lola and her father appeared, smiling and talking, carrying mugs of coffee. It was a glimpse of her father’s future and she liked what she saw.
Now, if only she had a crystal ball to see what her future looked like.
* * *
HUNTER DIDN’T SEE Amy’s truck in the parking lot. Where were they? He’d texted her he was on his way. He yawned, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He’d been called in to scope a Great Dane who’d managed to swallow his tennis ball on a rope. After a two-hour surgery, the ball and rope were removed from the dog’s stomach and intestine. One thing he could say about his job, it was never boring. He still found real satisfaction working with animals, even when he got next to no sleep.
Once he picked up Eli, he’d go see Jo at Pop’s, get some kolaches and go home for a few hours of sleep.
He knew Jo’s time clock was ticking. He knew she loved New Mexico, and the job she’d been offered was right up her alley. But she needed to know that he wanted her to stay, with him, here. And he was going to make sure he said that, no misunderstandings or miscommunications.
He stepped out of his truck at the same time Amy’s truck plowed into the Main Street Hotel’s lot. Her vehicle bounced as she came to a complete stop, then her door flew open and she charged at him.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” she yelled.
He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. He was too tired for her drama this morning. “Morning to you, too.”
She poked his chest with her finger. “Morning? Are you shittin’ me?”
“Where’s Eli?”
Amy paused, took a step back. “What do you mean?”
He waited.
