Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaires, #3)(52)

I keep the door open while he hobbles into the diner with his crutches.

He shakes his head. "You should have stayed away. That girl has been through enough as it is between you and Victor.”

My smile falls. “Victor?”

Hank’s brows furrow as his mouth clamps shut.

“Who the hell is Victor?” I ask with a low voice.

Is that who you saw kissing Lana near Last Call?

Hank tries to circle around me, but I step in his path.

He looks up with a pinched expression. “Get out of my way.”

“Not until you tell me who Victor is and what he has to do with Alana.”

You already know who he is.

My fingers curl into themselves. Hank huffs and puffs his way around me, only to be blocked every time.

His gaze cuts into me. "Cut it out or I’ll call someone down at the station to come arrest you for being a public nuisance.”

“Make sure they’re gentle with the cuffs this time.” I hold my hands up in front of his face.

“You really want to know?”

The hairs on my arms rise. “Yes.”

“Fine. Victor was a guy Alana dated for a few months after her mom passed away.”

There’s your answer.

My stomach sinks. Fuck. “And what was wrong with him?”

“What wasn’t? The man was a walking red flag, although none of us paid much attention until it was too late.”

Acid crawls up my throat. “How so?”

“That’s not my story to tell.” His lips thin.

“Then why mention him in the first place?”

"Because if you screw around with Alana, we will run you out of this town just like Victor.”

I swallow past the thick lump in my throat. “I’m not here to mess around with her.”

“You better not or else.”

“Or else what?”

“Pray you never have to find out.”





21





ALANA





I kick the flat tire before teetering on my heels. My arms flail, but I catch my balance before I fall flat on my ass and drop the Tupperware of cocadas I spent a majority of last night making for Cami’s graduation event.

“Is everything okay, Mommy?”

I take a deep breath through my nose before turning around and facing Cami. She looks adorable with her tilted graduation cap and miniature gown that drags across the floor behind her like a wedding dress. If I had paid attention to my mom’s sewing lessons, maybe I would have been able to adjust the hem for her.

The same heaviness that has been present since this morning grows stronger at the reminder of my mom.

Te extra?o muchísimo, Mami.

“I need to ask for someone to pick us up.” No way will I be able to change a tire by myself.

The smile on her face dims. “Will we be late?”

I check the time on my phone. “Not if I can help it.” Since I always like arriving early to everything, I made sure to have enough time for any last-minute emergencies. I’ve come to learn with Cami, anything is possible. Juice spills. Missing favorite sock. A trip to the bathroom.

I choose to call Delilah first. The call goes directly to voicemail, so I dial her again, hoping it was an issue with my service. The voicemail picks up right away.

“Shit,” I hiss.

Cami gasps.

I open my purse with shaky fingers and hand her a dollar. “Why don’t you go put that in the jar for me?”

“Okay!” She grabs the dollar from my hand and runs inside the house, nearly tripping over the hem of her gown in the process.

Wyatt, the next person on my emergency list, goes straight to voicemail as well. I call Violet next in a last act of desperation, hoping she answers. Except like Delilah and Wyatt, she doesn’t pick up.

“Why is no one answering?” I let out a curse as I kick the tire again.

I told everyone to get there thirty minutes before the start time— Wait!

I slap my forehead. Whenever Lake Wisteria has an event with over fifty people, the area becomes a cellular service dead zone, most likely due to overwhelming our one cell tower. It happens every single year before our Strawberry Festival.

“Dammit.” I tug at my hair, the sting of pain grounding me. “What am I supposed to do?”

You could start with staying calm.

I pull up my rideshare app and type in the coordinates for Cami’s school. The nearest driver is located a town away and will take thirty minutes to get here.

Panic claws at my chest, turning each breath into a challenge.

A sunbeam bouncing off the roof of Cal’s shiny car catches my attention.

No. You can’t be serious.

I wish I wasn’t. If avoiding Cal was an Olympic sport, I would be a gold medalist. Ever since our kiss a few days ago, I have done everything in my power to keep away from him.

Find another way.

There is no other way. He is the last person I want to ask for a favor, but I’m all out of options. If he doesn’t drive us, we won’t make it to Cami’s ceremony in time.

My heels sink into the gravel as I walk up the driveway toward the house. Pinpointing Cal’s location doesn’t take more than a second, especially when it’s paired with Cami’s giggle. I follow the sound of their voices all the way back to the living room, where I find him on his knees, readjusting Cami’s crooked cap.