AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She starts to nod but as her lips part to likely explain herself, Max interrupts, stepping to my side. “All right. I gotta run. I have a meeting with Hennessy and some big wig production company.”
“That bed and breakfast they were talking about at last month’s town hall meeting?” I ask, accepting the truck keys from him. Landon Hennessy is a local general contractor here in town.
Helped remodel many of the buildings in downtown Forever, when the town went from practically a ghost town to the thriving small town it is today.
The next big project in town is taking an old house just on the outskirts of town and transforming it into a bed and breakfast. The townspeople decided a bed and breakfast fit Forever more than some chain hotel would.
Then, in an effort to put Forever on the map, its remodel is going to be featured on some home and garden channel.
“Yeah. Guess they’re in the final stages of all the outside companies. You’re good here, Nellie?”
She nods but I swear her face has paled in the two minutes since I saw her step out of my tow truck.
Concerned, I reach for her elbow to guide her into the garage to sit. “You okay? You need to head to the clinic?” Thankfully, she comes with me easily and sits in the chair after I remove my rag.
“I’m…” She shakes her head. “No, I’m fine. Just…” She puts a hand over an eye. “God, this day.”
“You said you weren’t going to be back in town.”
“Yeah, well… Surprise.” She drops her hand and closes her eyes.
I can’t help myself.
With a hand that needs a decent orange scrub washing, I tip her chin up with two fingers and wait for her to open those blue bonnet eyes that have haunted my sleep the last three weeks.
“Nellie,” I urge when she keeps her eyes squeezed shut.
“I think I might be sick,” she whispers.
I get her to the single bathroom where she indeed is sick. I hold her hair back while trying to hold my irritation at seeing one of my oldest friend’s last name on her back.
Between that strange jealousy and the near embarrassment at the bathroom that hasn’t been remodeled in easily twenty years, I’m hit with an unexpected surge of emotions.
“This is so embarrassing,” Nellie murmurs, blindly reaching to flush the toilet as she moves to stand. I let go of her hair to give her room.
“You should probably go to the clinic, just in case. Might have a concussion.”
“I didn’t hit my head.” She avoids my eyes as she moves to the sink, washing her hands.
“That you know of.”
I watch as she scrubs her hands, the foam-soap bubbling due to the friction. After, she dries with paper towel and when she looks around for the garbage, I point to the can in the corner.
“I think it’s just the shock of…everything. I swear, the karma gods are laughing at me today.”
I raise my brows, and she continues–although she still avoids my eyes, which does nothing for the emotions warring inside me.
“It’s been a rough day. I’m sure I’m fine. I just need my car to start and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Did I give you the impression I wanted you out of my hair?”
“Well, no, but–”
“You have somewhere pressing to be tonight?”
Finally, she meets my eyes. “No. I was heading home.”
“Arizona?”
