It was getting dark by the time Lacie finally emerged from the school. The meeting had lasted even longer than expected. Joan Engle had decided to dig her heels in against both Bill and Carole, and it had been an all-out free for all after that. Lacie shook her head. Her Kindergarten kids handled themselves with more maturity.
She offered a smile and a wave to a few of the others as she slid into the front seat of her VW and finally exhaled. Several hours of bickering on top of a full day and a lack of sleep (along with some very intense, exhausting physical activity throughout the night) was catching up with her. Not to mention she felt like she was starting to come down with something. A nasty bout of flu was running rampant through the school these past two weeks; she certainly hoped she’d avoided it, but the dull ache in her muscles and joints was suggested otherwise. Perhaps if she took something the moment she got home, she could nip it in the bud before it took a solid hold.
All she wanted to do was take a hot bath and crawl into bed. Ideally she would do so in Sean Callaghan’s warm, strong arms, but that would have to wait, because Corinne was expecting her. Maybe it was just as well; if this was the beginning of the flu, then she didn’t want to get him sick, too.
At least she’d get to talk to him later. Just the thought of hearing his voice sent delicious ribbons of warmth through her. Had he been serious when he’d suggested they talk dirty to each other? Her lips curved upward at the thought. She’d never done that before; it just seemed so... naughty. Then again, Shane Callaghan and naughty seemed to go hand in hand.
Ah, but it was oh, so good.
Lacie let her head fall back and closed her eyes, pondering the possibilities ...
A loud crack of thunder boomed and rumbled, jolting Lacie awake. It took her a moment to recall where she was. There was an unpleasant cramp in her neck from where it had lolled to the side. Blinking furiously, she realized it was pitch dark. The street lamp she’d parked under was out. A quick perusal of the surroundings confirmed that not a single light shone in the parking lot; nor were there any silvery shafts of moonlight to illuminate the area around her. She tried checking her inexpensive but practical watch, but it was too dark to see.
Muttering a few soft, G-rated curses, she felt around blindly for her keys. They must have fallen from her lap while she napped. It took a while, but she finally managed to locate them between the seat and the center console. Fighting a shiver – she never realized just how spooky an unlit parking lot could be – she jammed her key into the ignition, turned, and ... nothing.
The slight click that came from the rotation was the only sound in the silence; there was no attempted start, no whir of a weak battery, nothing. Lacie tried several more times to no avail.
Achy and beyond weary, she was more than ready to call it a day. With a long-suffering sigh, she fumbled around in her purse for her cell phone, somewhat surprised that Corinne hadn’t been calling every five minutes. Despite the fact that she was several years younger than Lacie, Corinne often acted like a mother hen, especially these last few months. Lacie wasn’t sure how long she’d napped, but surely it was well past the time Rinn had expected her back at the apartment.
Maybe Rinn was already asleep; she’d been cramming for exams and staying up till all hours of the night lately. It might be better just to call Callaghan Auto. They had a twenty-four hour towing service, and since it was right around the block from her place, they probably wouldn’t mind dropping her off.
Lacie emptied the contents of her bag in mounting frustration. She sifted through them one by one in the dark, identifying each item by feel alone, finally coming to the unwelcome conclusion that her phone was not there. She closed her eyes and tried to think back. The last time she’d used it was to order out for pizza when the meeting ran into dinner time; it was probably still sitting on the conference table where she’d left it.
Lacie took a deep breath in, a deep breath out. Her warm bath and soft bed would just be delayed a bit longer, that’s all. The doors to the school were probably locked, but the second shift custodian, Charlie, would still be there.
Gathering her courage, Lacie opened the door and stepped out into the darkness. The air was unnaturally still, heavy with the moisture and silence that preceded a storm. The tread of her soft-soled sandals was barely audible as she made her way carefully across the empty lot.