by Lacey Black
“Well, considering you were at the bar last night and were still sleeping at eight, I figured you tied one on last night.”
My eyebrows shoot up in confusion. “I went for a run late last night, and then again this morning at about three when I couldn’t sleep.” Her look is laced with skepticism. “How did you know I was at the bar?”
“You mean how did I know you were there and left with a certain woman who was not Lenora Abbott?”
I sit up straight and narrow my eyes. “How do you know that?” I ask, my mind racing. There were only a few others in the bar last night, some regulars, but they didn’t appear at all concerned with me or the woman who showed up looking for someone to buy her a drink.
“The question shouldn’t be how I know, but what did you do? I don’t need details. I’m still your mother, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d like to know why you were with that dreadful woman. I’d know she’d love nothing more than to sink her teeth into her next cash cow, but I had really hoped it wouldn’t be you.”
I shake my head, trying to process what she’s saying. “I was already there when Jessa showed up. I bought her one drink, but she was hitting it pretty hard. I escorted her outside to get some fresh air and then gave her a ride home. She was in no condition to drive.” I leave out the part where she threw herself at me the moment we arrived at her house, trying to get me to come inside.
Mom sighs. “Listen, Malcolm, you know how this town is. Nothing is private. I don’t know who saw you leave with her, but it’s all everyone is talking about.”
I close my eyes as dread fills my gut. I really was trying to be a good guy and help her home. Nothing happened. At least nothing more than her kissing me and grabbing at my dick, both of which I shut down right away.
The truth was, as much as I felt hurt by what I saw at Leni’s apartment, I couldn’t do anything with Jessa. How could I when I was consumed with a gorgeous brunette with big hazel eyes and a laugh that makes my heart so fucking happy, I can’t even see straight.
“Jesus,” I mumble, knowing what this means. “I’m sure Leni has already heard too.”
Mom sips her coffee. “I’d be surprised if she hasn’t.”
I jump up and go in search of my cell phone. Where the hell is it? I didn’t even notice I didn’t have it on me when I went for my runs, just wanting out of the house and to feel my feet pounding the pavement. When I run upstairs and check my pocket, only to come up empty, I return back to where I left Mom. “I don’t know where my phone is.”
“Listen, Malcolm, I don’t know what’s going on, but if you need to talk, I’m always here.”
“Thanks, Mom, but I really just want to find Leni right now, okay?”
She nods and goes to dump her cup of coffee down the drain. “I pray you find her and can work this out.”
I meet her gaze. “This is bad, isn’t it?” I really don’t need her to confirm what I already know.
“It’ll be okay. Just talk to her and tell her how you feel.”
Panic sets in. How I feel? Do I even know how I feel?
Yes. The answer is a resounding yes.
I’ve fallen in love with her, but when I finally say those words, it won’t be to my mom.
Mom gives me a knowing smile and heads my way, kissing me on the cheek. “Go find her and explain. I’m sure she’ll hear you out, but if not, that’s okay too. Give her a little time to think, but not too much time, okay? Be respectful and understanding, not overbearing and demanding like you were as a child.”
I can’t help but snort out a laugh. “Understood.”
She places her hand on my cheek and smiles softly. “It might not be easy, but anything worth keeping rarely is. Go get the girl, son.”
I take off up the stairs, determined to get ready so I can find Leni. As much as I’d love to just run out the door now, I don’t think me searching town in just shorts is the way to go about it. Even though I showered after my second run early this morning, I take another one. If anything, the cooler water helps wake me up and strengthen my resolve.
As I dress in a pair of khaki pants and polo shirt, I think back over last night. How I wanted to drown my sorrows in alcohol, but only being able to get two drinks down. How Jessa showed up looking like she just returned from the salon or the plastic surgeon or possibly both, asking me to buy her a drink. I did, out of sheer politeness, and maybe because I didn’t really want to be alone. I think back to the time we spent at the bar, only to realize now I don’t think she drank as much as she led me to believe. I recall the single drink I bought her, as well as one more from a regular down the bar. It wasn’t nearly enough to get her so intoxicated she couldn’t walk without stumbling. I was so damn preoccupied with thoughts of Leni and how I wanted to talk to her, I didn’t even notice what was right in front of me.
Jessa played me.
And now everything is fucked up.
Royally.
I spend all morning looking for her, to no avail. Without having my phone, I can’t call her, so I’m left with driving around. It’s Wednesday morning, so she should be working, but I can’t seem to find her car at any of the places I’d expect it to be.
Out of desperation, I pull up in front of her sister’s bookstore, One More Chapter, and get ready to face the firing squad, because if there’s one thing I know, if Leni is aware of the rumors about me and Jessa, her sister is too.
I step out of my car, shove my keys into my pocket, and head for the door. A bell announces my arrival. The moment my eyes adjust to the dimmer light, I find the woman I’m looking for behind the counter, glaring daggers.
Yep, she’s heard.
“Hey, Laken,” I say, slowly taking a few steps in her direction.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, averting her attention down to the stack of books on the counter.
“I’m looking for your sister,” I announce, deciding to not beat around the bush.
“I have no clue where she is.” Again, she refuses to look up, a sign she probably knows much more than she’s letting on.
I sigh and stand politely in front of her. “Listen, Laken,” I start, but am interrupted.
“Don’t you listen, Laken me! You have no right coming in here and asking for her. Even if I did know—which I don’t—you’d be the last person I’d tell after what you did.”
“I know this looks bad, but you have to believe me, I didn’t leave with Jessa. Not the way it looks,” I insist.
Laken rolls her eyes in a way that reminds me of her older sister. She turns and grabs another stack of books and practically slams them down on the counter, a sure sign of her agitation. “I’m probably not the one you should be telling this to.”
“No, I agree, but I haven’t been able to find Leni. I’ve driven everywhere in this town and can’t find her car. I lost my phone somewhere, so I can’t call or text her. I just want to talk to her, to explain.”
She finally meets my gaze. “I think you’ve done enough,” she whispers, her voice hoarse with emotions. It kills me because if she’s this upset, that means her sister is too. The thought of her off somewhere, crying, is like a knife blade to the sternum, and at this point, I think it might be welcome.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I insist. “I won’t stop trying to find her, Laken. I need to explain what happened. It’s not how it looked, honestly. Yes, we were at the same place at the same time, and yes, I left with her to drive her home because she had been drinking, but I went home alone. I swear.”
The hardness in her eyes starts to ease a bit as she considers my words. I only hope she’s willing to help me out now that she knows I wasn’t off screwing Jessa. “Listen, I get how the gossip can run wild in this small town, but I really don’t know where she is. I haven’t talked to her since early this morning, okay? She was upset, as anyone would be. I texted her a bit ago, but she hasn’t answered yet.”
I sigh, wishing I was closer to finding her. “Okay. Will you do somethin
g for me, please? If she gets back to you, will you tell her I’m looking for her? I really need to speak to her, Laken. I just…I have to explain.” I close my eyes, dread filling my gut. “This can’t be the end. Not like this.”
When I open my eyes, she’s watching me. “I’ll tell her.”
I nod in appreciation. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last handful of hours, it’s that there’s an explanation for everything. If the rumor mills have it wrong about me and Jessa, then I damn well could have it wrong about Leni and the mystery man from her apartment. When I think back to our time together, never did I think she was someone I couldn’t trust. If anything, it’s the exact opposite. I trust her more than I’ve ever trusted another human being in my life, outside of my immediate family.
That thought is startlingly soothing.
“Thank you,” I state and move to the door.
The sun shines brightly in the late morning sky, despite my mood. A quick glance at my watch confirms I need to go to the office. Despite preferring to continue my search for Leni, I know I’m at the end of the line. All I can do now is go to work, try to get a little done, and maybe get my mind off everything that’s transpired in the last two days. Laken said she’d give her sister the message to get ahold of me if and when she talked to her, so now all I do is wait.
It’s like the universe knows I’m terrible at that.
I need to find my damn phone.
Chapter 24
Leni
What a day. I’m exhausted, emotional, and ready to crawl into bed, and it’s only seven.
When Trace got out of school, I picked him up and went for a ride. I didn’t have any other scheduled clients today, so we got on the road and drove to Billings for dinner. We found a great hamburger joint, placed an order to go, and took our meal to the park, where he played until he was practically ready to pass out himself from the fun. Now, we’re back home, and all I can think about is bedtime and maybe a bottle of wine.
The first thing I do when I unload my bag on the counter is plug in my phone. It’s been dead all day, but it hasn’t bothered me. In fact, I’ve enjoyed the break. It was nice to shut everything off and just be.
Do I feel guilty? Sure do. I own a business, and even though my dad’s number is listed as a secondary emergency contact for the laundromat, I still should have charged my phone before now. The thing is, I knew what would happen if I had a working phone. I’d reread that blog post and obsessively scour the internet for more. Social media wouldn’t be my friend, that’s for sure. So I did the one thing I’d probably chastise someone I loved for if the shoes were on the other foot and kept my phone off.
As soon as it gets a little juice, I see it power on, and I dread what I’ll find when it’s back online. Instead of waiting, I head down the hallway toward the bathroom and start the tub. “Hey, Trace, get ready for your bath. The tub is filling up,” I holler, setting a clean washcloth onto the side of the tub before I head across the hall.
“Can my friend Parker come over this weekend?” he asks, stripping his shirt and shorts off and throwing them in the hamper beside his closet.
Trace has been talking about Parker Carlson since he got into my car after school. Parker is the son of one of my clients, the local physician, and they’ve been playing together at recess. “Not this weekend. Daddy’s coming for a visit, remember?”
“Oh yeah!” he says, a hint of excitement in his hazel eyes. “But I don’t have to stay at the hotel, right?”
“Not if you don’t want to. Daddy and I will figure it out when he gets here Friday, okay?”
Trace nods before running across the hall, stripping off his underwear, and jumping into the tub. “Can I have my boat?” he asks, pointing to the plastic toy I keep outside of the tub. Otherwise, it’s so large, it falls into the tub and I trip over it while I’m showering.
“Keep the water inside the tub, will ya? I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I announce, shutting off the tap and returning to the kitchen to check my phone.
Of course, it blew up. I have fourteen missed calls and twice as many messages. Guilt consumes me even more as I scan the names of the missed calls, knowing they’ll be the same names in my text messages too.
Laken: Just checking on you.
Laken: I’m sure you’re busy working, but still wanted to see how you’re doing. I know today has sucked. Let me know.
Mom: Hi, sweetie. Laken just called here looking for you. Is everything ok?
Laken: I called Mom. Don’t make me call Dad too.
Laken: This isn’t funny. You better be super busy or stuck in the bathroom with explosive diarrhea. Those are the only excuses for not texting me back.
Laken: This isn’t funny. I’m getting really worried.
Laken: Grayson is on his way to your apartment.
Laken: You’re not there. Where are you?
Laken: You better be dead! No, I don’t mean that. I’m just really worried, Len. Call me. NOW!
Fuck. This is bad.
I press the call button and bring the device to my ear. Laken answers on the first ring. “What the absolute fuckity fuck, Leni! I’ve been terrified someone kidnapped and murdered you!” she bellows.
“I’m so sorry, Lake. My phone died this morning, and I didn’t charge it. I didn’t mean to scare you,” I reply, feeling like a small child, full of embarrassment and regret.
“It’s not just me. Half the town’s freaking out.”
That makes me pause. “Half the town?”
She sighs. “Well, no, not half the town. But Mom and Dad have been calling you, I made poor Grayson go looking for you while I was at work, Justine has been keeping her eye out, and then there’s Malcolm,” she says, pausing after she says his name. “You should call him.”
Now it’s my turn to take a deep breath. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now.”
“No, it’s absolutely the right idea. Call him, Leni. He’s beside himself. He’s been looking for you all day.”
“Where at? Pony Up? Jessa’s house?” I retort, unable to hide my hurt.
“Listen, Len, this isn’t my story to tell, but just know, sometimes things aren’t what they seem. This town has a way of getting it wrong and making it worse with each repeat. You of all people should know that.”
I close my eyes, the words from the blog coming back to me. How could I have gotten it wrong? Either they left together or they didn’t, right? “I’m sorry I upset and worried you. That was never my intention. I forget sometimes what it’s like to have a tribe in your corner.”
“We were always in your corner, big sister, but from a much farther distance. Now that you’re back in Mason Creek, we’re right beside you.”
“I know, and I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know. I hate to ask, but can you call Mom for me. Apologize and tell her about my phone. Tell her Trace and I went to Billings for dinner and are home now. I promise to call her tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’ll call her as long as you promise me something.”
“What?”
“You’ll let Malcolm know you’re okay.”
“Lake,” I grumble, throwing a slight temper tantrum like a spoiled child.
“Please, Len. If you don’t, I will. He’s been worried sick.”
I take a deep breath and concede. “Fine, I’ll send him a text message before I help Trace wash up in the tub.”
She sighs in relief. “Thank you. And yes, I’ll take care of Mom.”
“You’re the best,” I say, meaning it with my whole heart.
“Naw, you’d do the same for me. Now go. Give my nephew a kiss from me.”
“Will do,” I say before signing off.
Knowing I need a few minutes to collect my thoughts before I send the text she’s pushing for, I check on Trace in the bathtub. He’s wearing a huge toothless grin and covered in soapy bubbles, having grabbed his shower gel and scrubbing himself from head to toe.
I help him finish his bath, an
d the moment he’s wrapped in a towel, he holds up his hand and says, “Look! I’m all pruney!” and bursts into fits of giggles.
“You are, pruney boy. Go put your underwear and pajamas on, and I’ll get a movie started in the living room.”
“Can we watch the baseball movie?” he asks, excitement filling his eyes.
“Yes, we can watch The Sandlot, but we won’t be able to see the whole movie tonight. It’s a school night, and you have a bedtime.”
“Okay. But can I see to the part where the big dog chases them?” His eyes are full of excitement.
“Probably not, buddy. That’s toward the end of the movie. We’ll watch for thirty minutes, and then we’ll read one book. Sound like a deal?”
He nods before taking off into his room to get into his pajamas. As I fire up the DVD player and get the movie set, there’s a knock on the door downstairs. I don’t have a lot of visitors here, but occasionally someone using the laundromat has a problem they need help with, so I hurry downstairs to see what the problem is. When I glance through the peephole, a gasp falls from my lips.
My hands are slightly shaky as I turn the lock and open the door. Our eyes meet, and I swear I feel waves of relief rolling off his body. The tightness in his shoulders just seems to fade away, and the faintest smile plays on his lips. “Thank Christ,” Malcolm mutters, closing his eyes for the briefest second before finding my gaze once more.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice small and tight. Damn, he looks good, even if his clothes are slightly wrinkled, his hair a little wild, and he clearly didn’t shave this morning.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he states, as if that’s the most logical answer in the world.
“I’m sorry. My phone died this morning, and I didn’t have time to charge it,” I answer, even though that’s not entirely true. I could have found time, just didn’t want to talk to anyone.