AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not a problem. You actually caught me at a good time. I’m in the office today.” I let out a long breath, relieved. “Sounds awesome, can we meet in the French Quarter”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Can you give me five to get everything together?”
“You got it, man, thanks,” I say and hang up.
Thankfully, the streets are still pretty desolate, but activity on the roads has increased since the rain has let up. “Livin’ right,” I murmur to myself as I spot an empty parking spot with my name on it. I slide into the space located directly in front of the old French Huguenot Church. The church lies directly behind the Elliott House, off Queen Street. John has done this shuck and jive with me before, making sure no one follows behind me.
Placing the car in park, I look around and see nothing out of the ordinary. I step out of the car, grab my backpack, and put it on. As I open the backdoor, I take a moment to take in the sight of Jules’ sleeping form; she’s so damn peaceful looking right now. I reach in and scoop her up in my arms. Her blonde hair spills out over my arm as I hold her tight to my chest, and I waste no time climbing the few steps, entering the church.
Like clockwork, John is there waiting on me at the front pew. He turns around with a puzzled look on his face when he sees Julianna. I shake my head. “Don’t ask.”
He nods his head, and we both make our way out the backdoor of the church. Less than two hundred feet away is the door to one of his many hotel suites. John unlocks the door for me, and we slip in. I make haste in laying her sleeping form down across the tall, plantation-style rice bed and let out a heavy sigh, scrubbing my hand down over my face in exhaustion.
“Travis, man, you look rough.” He pats me on the back. “No offense.”
“None taken, John.”
“Do you need me to place a guard outside for you?”
I nod. “Yes, please. That would be awesome.”
“You got it. I’ll station him just outside your door in the courtyard, under the veranda.” He pauses, looking me over from head to toe with concern. “I’d love to catch up on old times, but it looks like you need to rest and regroup. What can I get for you?”
He’s ever the gentleman I remember him to be. “If you could get my clothes dried and some food together in a few hours, I’d be most appreciative.” I pause, thinking better of the food. “Do you have gluten-free food?”
John gives me a grin and scratches the back of his neck. “I can get you that. For you or the lady?” he asks, nodding his head toward Jules.
“For the lady. Oh...and she’s milk-free too,” I say as an afterthought. I strip off my wet clothes, handing them to John. “Just make sure nobody messes with us for at least three hours, yeah?”
“Not a problem, Travis. Get some rest. We’ll catch up another time.”
I shake my head; I really wish I wasn’t like an ocean wave in these people’s lives, in town one moment and out with the tide the next. I let out a sigh. “John,” I begin, but he cuts me off.
“Travis, really, it’s okay. One day, your life won’t be this crazy. Even though you feel like you’re in a spin cycle, things don’t always stay the same,” he kindly reassures me.
“Isn’t that the truth?” I hand him Grant’s car keys. “Could you please see these keys make it back to Grant in the next day or so?”
He nods his head. “No problem. You need a rental, I presume.”
“Yes, and I need to keep it under the radar, using an alias for about a week. I’ll arrange to have the vehicle returned to a different location.” John pulls me in for a quick hug, and I whisper to him, “Thanks man. I owe you one.”
He pulls back and grins, shaking his head. “It’s kind of worth it all to see you jumping through these hoops for a woman.”
I run my fingers through my damp hair and sigh. “Yeah, I never thought I’d see the day either.”
John chuckles as he leaves the hotel suite, finding humor in my situation over a female. I lock the door behind him, and then head straight for the shower. This is the only place I could think of that would allow me to rest with both eyes closed. I hate so much time has passed, and I haven’t been able to visit my hometown, but I can’t have people like Nick finding out who’s important to me.
When I step out of the shower, it’s then I realize just how beat I am. I have one more call to make before I can lay my head down for a much needed catnap. I take a quick peek at Jules, making sure she’s fine. Sure enough, she’s passed out cold and hasn’t moved an inch from where I first laid her down. Glancing over the room, everything here looks the same as when I saw it last a couple of years ago. John goes to great pains maintaining this place, preserving the antique furniture and old world charm. It’s definitely unique and not your run-of-the-mill hotel.
