AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 32
Wynona felt like arag doll who had done too many shots of espresso. She was exhausted, so much so that she wasn’t thinking clearly. She had never been a spacey woman, but she was glad she didn’t have to convince anyone of that right now because she felt giant gaps of space in her brain.
Spacey and still wound tight as a drum since their big find.
She hadn’t realized what a maelstrom her discovery would set in motion, but now everyone was scrambling to set up a press conference as soon as possible. And, as was often the case with government organizations, sadly, things weren’t running in an organized, efficient manner.
People at all levels of her organization and some from outside of it, like the South Dakota game wardens and the Hill City Hunting Club, were calling her, and they all asked the same two or three questions. She was glad there was a press conference coming, where someone would answer all the questions once and for all.
When her phone dinged with a message from Wolfgang, she mistakenly assumed it was another toad text. She was delighted to see that it wasn’t, and she was so glad that Wolfgang didn’t know anything about what was going on in her professional life, so that he wouldn’t ask those questions too. But she also felt bad that she didn’t have the time or energy to talk to him. She opened the chat box and stared at the blinking cursor trying to think of a polite way to tell him that. “Good news,” she wrote. “Sort of had a breakthrough at work, so things are finally moving. But this means that I’m really busy this morning, so I can’t chat. Can I message you tomorrow morning?”
“Absolutely,” he wrote. “Congratulations. I had a breakthrough at my job as well.”
She smiled broadly, knowing that his breakthrough could not possibly compare to hers. “That’s good to hear,” she sent and closed the app.
Oddly, hearing from Wolfgang made her think of Tucker. Had anyone told him about the press conference? He would want to know, wouldn’t he? She started to text him, but then thought he was probably already asleep, so she called instead, thinking a ringtone might be more likely to wake him than a notification chime.
He answered right away, as if he’d been holding the phone in his hand waiting for her call.
“They’re setting up a press conference right now. I don’t have a time yet, or even a location, but I’m guessing about ten o’clock at City Hall.”
He snickered. “What City Hall?”
“Hill City.”
“Have youseenthe Hill City City Hall?”
She bit back a laugh. She didn’t want him to think that she was laughing at him, but Hill City City Hall was quite a mouthful. “I have not.”
“I hope it’s a small press conference.”
Wasn’t everything in western South Dakota small? Well, except for the mountains. “Like I said, I don’t have details yet. I just thought I should warn you before you fell asleep in case you didn’t want to miss it.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. I’ll see you there.”
“Okay, I will tell you when I have the deets.”
They said their goodbyes, and her phone rang immediately. How did everyone in the world have her phone number? She pictured Sarah throwing her number out like candy in a parade, probably to cut back on her own incoming calls.
Wynona continued to field these calls as best as she could until Sarah called back to say that the press conference would be at noon, and it would in fact be at the Hill City City Hall. She texted Tucker, “Sorry. It’s at noon. Might have time for a nap after all.”
“Thank you,” he texted back. “Where?”
