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“I can’t see why she wouldn’t be.”
Chase bobbed his head and swung his gaze to me. “We won’t be near Miami or Paloma’s Edge during the holidays if we keep winning. I’ve only taken on two freelance projects this month, and that’s eaten up more of my time than I expected.” He sipped more of his coffee. “I’d like you—and Mariska, if she’s able—to spend a day or two with Beth. Jake won’t be in Paloma’s Edge during the Thanksgiving break at all. Beth will be at Bri and Gavin’s house most of the time, but I know she’s going to miss me.”
“I’ll try to see her, but business is booming during the holidays. I can make it on Thanksgiving Day, because the shop is closed.”
He slapped me on the back. “That would be perfect. It’s just that this will be our first holiday and we’ll be apart, and I want her to have good memories of the holidays now.”
“Understood. I want you to keep your head in the game.”
“Thanks, Hunter. I’ll do you a solid when I can.”
Riley barked excitedly when we rose from the stools.
“She’s getting more assertive,” Chase said with a smile. “I think we’re going to take you on a extra long walk, Riley.” She turned to Chase, lifting her front legs above his knees. I put our empty mugs in the sink and retrieved my plastic bags.
I walked to the door, where Riley was eagerly beside Chase.
“Okay, Riley. Show us the way!” I said and closed the door behind us.
Chapter 19
Hunter
&nb
sp; I WENT THROUGH THE metal detectors and was searched three times Wednesday evening, when I visited Ari at his treatment facility after work. This had been the only place that had had a bed open for him at the last minute. Every other place had wanted physical examinations and other steps that would’ve given him too much time to think that he could get back on track by himself. I waited by a desk, along with other visitors. This room had a corrections-based feel to it, but the rest of this place was much warmer and less sterile. By no means was this facility a vacation resort, like many addiction treatment places. Rules had to be followed, or else the person was out the door and the next person came in for intake and was admitted.
Ari headed toward me with most of the red streaks in his hair fading and a silly old grin on his face. He was in a vintage shirt and a pair of jeans.
“How you been?” I asked him when he sat down and brought his hands together.
“I think I’ll be okay, Hunter,” he said and straightened his face. “And I wanted to say that I didn’t mean to bring you into my shit—”
“Have you been staying clean?” I cut him off. “I know it’s not too hard to get stuff in here.”
“For a month and five days,” he answered, eyeing me seriously. He could convince other people even if he was lying, but not me. I was a much better liar than he was.
“And you’ve been speaking up in the groups? Like really speaking up? I know you hate that more than I do.”
“I’ve been talking during group sessions.”
“I went to a meeting after work on Monday, and speaking in front of people I don’t know isn’t any easier for me. I don’t think it’ll ever be. I just want you to really take advantage of this place. You remember how fucked up the other people were when we waited for your intake?” His expression turned grim as he nodded his head. “I know those damn sayings from our old treatment were corny, but if you fall again, you might not get back up. That—that just can’t happen again, Ari. Your fans would be destroyed. Your sister and the rest of the band wouldn’t recover. I’d lose my mind, Man. What are you going to do when you complete this program? Do you know when you’ll be done?”
He ran his hands through his hair. “I get out this Sunday. That’s why I called you, to see if we could see each other before I went back to Georgia. The press think I’ll be getting out next Wednesday, or so. I figure this is as good of a place as any for you to see me. I’ll be going to outpatient there and I’m going to have a sober coach with me all day and night.”
“Have you spoken with Sage, Renner, or Austin?”
“I did. They’ve got no problem with me having a sober coach with us on the road.”
We talked about his daily schedule and about some songs he’d written while he was in here, until our hour of visitation was up. I drove back home, feeling less worried than I’d been in a long time.
Mariska
BETH WAS GETTING DRESSED, while I finished curling my hair, on Saturday night. Hunter had told me that she and Chase had asked us to hang out. It’d sounded so official to me that I’d called Hunter early this morning and told him, “yes”. I had to think about it, but now that Beth was here, and we were going to meet them downstairs, I wanted to clear the air. She’d given me brief responses to my text messages, and, when I’d called, she’d said that she didn’t want to argue with me and that she needed time to wrap her head around Hunter and I dating. It wouldn’t have bothered me if she’d yelled or cursed at me. I just didn’t want the days to turn into weeks where we didn’t really talk thing out.
I put the switch down on my curling iron and unplugged it. “I don’t want you to be mad at me.” I peered at her tentatively. “I didn’t mean to talk to Bri and not you.”
Beth’s eyebrows drew together as she set her hands behind her on her bed and jerked her gaze away from her legs.
