“Hey, I’m really sorry about the slamming-the-door-open thing,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately and I wasn’t thinking. It’s easy for me to be that ‘bull in the china shop’ kinda guy if I’m not careful.”
Allie opened her bedroom door and deposited Piglet, who happily bounded inside. “Apology accepted,” she said. Then a crazy thought popped into her head. “But there is a way you could make it up to me if you really wanted to.”
CHAPTER 35
BITTY’S BIG PLAN was unraveling . . . fast.
After learning about the murder, she knew that everything she had set into motion would need to come to a grinding halt.
The girl’s trust in her had grown immensely, so much so that Bitty had been ready to move to phase two of her plan. But now that would have to wait.
She lowered her windows and the car filled with cool, evening air as she sped out of downtown Dallas toward I-20 and Grand Trespass. She was heading home from a conference, an obligation she would’ve canceled if she could have, but it had been planned far in advance and too many people had been counting on her. She had asked the girl to come with her, but crowds made her nervous, so she let her stay home under a few conditions.
After learning about the murder, she hadn’t felt comfortable leaving Allie alone for very long—much less an entire day. Making matters worse, she’d tried calling. But no one had answered. She berated herself again for a lifetime of mistakes. This being just one of so very many.
The depression Miss Bitty had battled over the years was also descending upon her again, making everything hopelessly murky, making her question her instincts.
During the conference, she had intuited that something horrible was going to happen again. She cursed her ability for the millionth time. It gave her just enough warning to cause her to worry. But rarely was there enough information to be helpful so she could put a stop to whatever it was that was going to happen.
Her eyes burning with tears of frustration, Miss Bitty floored the accelerator, sending her car thundering toward Grand Trespass.
CHAPTER 36
ALLIE LAY UNDER the covers with Piglet and switched Joe’s iPad on.
Since Hannah had mentioned Facebook, she had been dying to check it out and see if Johnny was on it. There hadn’t been many days since the morning he split on her in the motel room that she hadn’t thought of him.
Had she really fallen in love with him? Would he fall in love with her if he had the chance to see how much different—better—she was becoming?
About a week before he left, Allie had found one of his credit cards on the motel room floor. Without giving it much thought, she had hidden it in her bag just to have something of his. She looked at the card now to double-check the spelling of his last name.
She powered on the iPad, navigated to Facebook, and found the “Search” bar. She typed in “Johnny Girard.”
Several listings came up. She scrolled through the different thumbnail-sized profile photos until she finally found one that looked like him. Bursting with anticipation, she clicked on it and the photo grew larger.
Yes—it’s him! It’s Johnny!
She clicked on an album containing seventy-six photos, but the site wouldn’t let her access it because she wasn’t a friend of his.
She frowned—and her frown grew deeper when she saw that next to his relationship status, it said “It’s Complicated.” Did he have a girlfriend? And if so, when had that happened?
Before or after me?
She scanned the rest of his information and nearly gasped when she noticed it said he lived in Dallas, Texas.
But Johnny had told her he lived in California?
She clicked the word “Message” and typed:
Hey, it’s Allie!
Remember me?
Found your credit card on the floor of the motel room after you left. Maybe I can mail it to you or something?
Later,
Allie
Her finger hovered over the “Send” button for several minutes as she read and reread the message to see if it sounded casual enough. Finally deciding it was okay, she sent it.
A few minutes later, Allie powered the iPad off and, in the darkness, set it on the bedside table. Piglet shifted, her little paws scrabbling lightly against Allie’s stomach. She repositioned the pup and pulled the covers up to her neck. Yawning, she glimpsed something blocking the light from the hallway that squeezed through the narrow crack beneath the door.
She frowned. “Joe?”
Silence.
“Joe, is that you?”
Again, no answer.
Her body tense, she stared at the door.
From beneath the covers, the puppy emitted a low, long growl, and whoever—or whatever—it was went away.
CHAPTER 37
THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS to the ranch house were burning when Bitty finally pulled into the drive. It was well into the morning hours and if it weren’t for the adrenaline still throbbing in her old veins, she would have been exhausted.
Unlocking the back door, she hurried into the house and headed straight to Allie’s room. She eased the door open, blinked, and let her eyes adjust. Then she saw her.
Buried beneath the covers with just a slender arm hanging out. She waited for some movement. Any at all, to set her mind at ease. Piglet’s small head popped out from the comforter and the dog emitted a low growl, which pleased Bitty. It was exactly why she’d wanted Allie to have the little dog.
For protection.
Allie mumbled something in her sleep and turned over.
Thank you, God. She’s okay.
Safe and sound in her bed. Exactly where she should be.
With a sigh of relief, Bitty closed the door and headed to the kitchen to uncork a bottle of wine.
CHAPTER 38
“I IMAGINE IN a few weeks, you’ll be more than ready to ace your GED,” Louis said, cleaning his glasses.