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I wanted normal.
I wanted peace.
I wanted a shower.
None of those things seemed possible in the near future.
“What happened?”
Miss Adeline was the most confident person I’d ever known. When life got hard, she never got down. She always promised things would be okay, and they always were. But she hadn’t said those words one time since I’d come back in the wee hours of the morning.
“I’d prefer you didn’t go anywhere by yourself for the time being,” I said wearily.
“I’ll take Mr. March as my bodyguard.” Finally, there was a hint of normalcy.
“Only Mr. March? I thought for sure you’d need at least January, February, and maybe July.” One corner of my mouth lifted.
“August. I need August too.”
I laughed before Teague’s father’s words came back to me. “Did you have a doctor’s appointment recently you didn’t tell me about?”
“I do lots of things I don’t tell you about.” She shifted her eyes away.
“Doctor’s appointments shouldn’t be one of them.”
“You worry too much.” She stroked my forehead again. “What did he want?”
I closed my eyes. Did I let her get away from avoiding my question? Was she hiding something, or had Teague’s father planted seeds of worry for no reason?
Every bit of the anxiety I’d brought home came crashing back. It was as if I’d had no rest at all. I didn’t feel more clearheaded. If anything, I was more confused.
And time was running out.
“Do you think he can be trusted?” I kept landing on the same answer but wanted to hear Miss Adeline’s wisdom.
“Teague? Yes. His father?” She wrinkled her nose. “Not a chance.”
She’d confirmed my worst fears.
“How do you get rid of a menace?” I rubbed Sadie’s back, who was peacefully snoring.
“I asked Teague if he was ready to make his stand. Are you ready to make yours?”
For Miss Adeline and the dogs, there was nothing I wouldn’t do. Did that include putting Teague in a terrible position possibly for no reason? There was no guarantee his father wouldn’t come after us anyway.
“I don’t know how to fight him.” I slapped the side of the bed. “I don’t even knowwhywe’re fighting him.”
“The person to best answer that is sitting downstairs.”
I sat up a little. “He’s still here?”
“Out like a light, but yeah. Still here.”
My stomach did a nervous flip. I didn’t want to tell Teague what had happened. He’d do exactly what his father had asked. And I couldn’t allow that. I just wasn’t sure how to stop it. And I also wasn’t sure why this fight was on our doorstep. It had always been Miss Adeline and me simply fighting alone for our dogs. Yet somehow, Teague had broken into our unit, bringing added strength. And now, added risk. But for a while, it had felt good to have another person shouldering our drive with us . . .
“Take a shower before you see him.” She winked.
And I was never more grateful for that sassy attitude than now.
