“I’m fine. No fever, I promise. I’ll call you tomorrow. I just needed to sleep tonight. But I’m not sick. I don’t feel sick.”
Something was wrong. I could feel it. “OK. Sleep, then, baby. I’ll want to hear your voice in the morning, though. I won’t be able to focus until I know you’re better.”
“I’ll call,” she assured me.
“Good night. Sweet dreams,” I whispered, just before ending the call.
Fuck, I wasn’t going to get any sleep now. Something was wrong, and she wasn’t going to tell me what it was. I had sold the quarter horse today, but I had to be here when the buyer came to load it up tomorrow. He was also bringing the check so we could finalize the paperwork. Then I had to go to the stockyards and get some cattle. I should have gone yesterday. As it was, I was behind on shit.
But Reese needed me, and I couldn’t be there. Another reason I wanted her here. Hell, I couldn’t tell her that yet, though. She wasn’t even ready to let me touch her *.
Throwing my phone down, I went to the fridge to get a beer. I had a long night ahead of me, and if I started thinking about Reese’s *, it was just going to get longer.
Reese
I hadn’t slept a wink after Jimmy came knocking on my door. Hearing Mase’s voice and his concern had sent me into a fit of tears. Then I’d sat up and thought of every way possible I could make money, and fast. When I got my paycheck this week, it would give me twenty-eight hundred dollars total to my name. I would still need twenty-two hundred more.
I was afraid to try to get a night job waiting tables. When I got stressed or panicky, I still had trouble making out words. And my writing wasn’t so good yet. I doubted I’d even be able to fill out the application. I had watched the sunrise, knowing I was just going to have to see how this played out. If she reported the mirror stolen, then they couldn’t arrest me without proof. And I had proof of a sliced-open hand to hold up my side of the story.
The most a judge would do was make me pay her back, which was what I had already told her I would do. I knew I had to call Mase this morning. He was worried last night, but I just couldn’t talk to him yet.
This whole mess was too upsetting. If I told him about what his sister was threatening to do, I was afraid he’d think I wanted him to pay her back for me. I couldn’t let him do that or think that I would want that. This was my problem to deal with, not his.
I pressed his number, and it barely rang once before he answered.
“Good morning. Are you feeling better?” His voice made all the bad stuff plaguing me fade away. I missed him. I loved our nightly talks. Last night, I had wanted to talk to him, but I knew I couldn’t. He could tell I was upset, and I couldn’t hide it from him.
“Yes. I’m much better. Thank you. Sorry about last night,” I replied.
“You being OK is all I’m worried about. Although I won’t lie, I missed your voice reading to me last night. Hard to sleep without that.”
I smiled for the first time since the awful meeting with Nan yesterday. He made me happy, even when things sucked. “That normally doesn’t happen to me. But if it ever happens again, I promise to call before I go to sleep. I should have thought of calling you earlier and letting you know.” Trying to sound normal was not easy. But I was doing the best I could.
“I’ll let you get to work. Have a good day, baby.”
I said good-bye and hung up, letting the warm feeling I got when he called me “baby” stay with me most of the morning.
It was almost noon when I got the call from the cleaning agency I had been fired. Nan had called them, and they wanted no connection with me. I was to come pick up my check and not report for the other two houses I had scheduled for that week. I managed to finish cleaning the rest of the Carters’ house that afternoon without breaking down.
I was going to be fine. I would call Blaire Finlay. Two houses would pay the bills. I wouldn’t have any left over for extras or savings, so paying Nan back was going to be difficult. I had to find one more house to clean, at least, or another job.
Before I went home today, I was going to cut Nan a check for two thousand four hundred dollars. That was all I had right now. I wouldn’t think about the rent just yet; I would worry about that next week. Right now, I needed to show that I was trying to pay for the mirror. I didn’t want the cops coming after me.
The idea of facing Nan again was terrifying. However, when I finally got to her house, there were two cars parked outside, Nan’s expensive little sports car and a black SUV. Having company could be a good thing. Surely she wouldn’t be nasty in front of guests.
After giving myself a pep talk, I went up the front steps and rang the doorbell. I would give her the check, apologize again, and promise more money as soon as possible. Then I would leave. I could do this.