Intent(64)
“Will I feel the need to pay him a visit after you tell me everything?”
“No, my love. He didn’t touch me, try to kiss me, or anything like that.”
We chat for a few more minutes before we disconnect so he can get back to work. Ace told me last night that Justin took off work for a couple of weeks, so he’s acclimating a new horse to the facility alone. When I mentioned it was odd that Justin and Lily were both out of town for two weeks, at the exact same time, he pressed his lips together tightly and only hummed “Mmmhmm” as a reply.
Is it odd, or is it obvious? There’s definitely something there, but they’ll tell us when they’re ready.
When I reach the cabin, Zoe is waiting for me on the top step of the front porch. She bouncing up and down on her toes animatedly while waving a piece of paper in her hand. Her lips are moving a hundred miles per hour, but I’m not even out of the car to hear her yet. As soon as I open the door, I hear her excited words.
“I got in! I got in! The email came this morning! I got in!”
She throws her arms around my neck and makes me jump in time with her or risk being beaten to death by a very excited, very pregnant teenage girl. “Congratulations, sweetheart! I had no doubt you’d get in. I’m so happy for you, even though I’ll miss you like crazy.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Layne, You’ve been the best friend I’ve ever had. I’m just so excited for this clean slate opportunity. I can’t wait for a new start. Their school year starts later in September than public schools, so it’ll be well after the baby is born. This all feels like a dream.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
Zoe glances at her watch and frowns. “It’s already time for me to go to work. On the bright side, I’m turning in my two-weeks’ notice tonight. I read that the baby can come at any time during the last four weeks of pregnancy and that most come earlier than the due date. I’m definitely hoping for earlier.”
“Do you want me to drive you to work and pick you up?”
“No, I can drive. I promise to call you if I have anything remotely close to a labor pain.”
“You know me too well,” I laugh.
After Zoe leaves, I take my MacBook to the couch and stalk the nursery images on social media for the perfect color combination. Once I enter the site, time slips away into a black hole, unseen, unheard, and unfelt. Before I realize it, I’ve eaten a whole bag of chips and a container of dip, and I have twenty-seven dream nursery pictures saved on my laptop.
With my belly full and my heart content, I close the lid on my laptop and sink down into the soft, overstuffed couch. Within seconds, my eyelids feel heavier than cement blocks and I slowly drift off into a peaceful nap. Time suspends in my slumber. Reality and my dream world intertwine, making my dreams so vivid that I’d swear they were actually happening.
In my dream, I know I’m flying through the air and the feeling is exhilarating. Butterflies take up residence in my stomach and rapidly flutter up to my chest as my speed increases. It’s such a wonderful feeling of freedom that I don’t want to wake up and lose it. Off in the distance, there’s a shrill noise that’s disturbing my place of Zen and a voice that calls to me repeatedly. But I ignore them; it’s too nice here to give it up.
Chapter Twenty-One
ACE
The good thing about working for myself is there’s no one giving me orders, watching every move I make, or making my workday a living hell. The bad thing about working for myself is there’s no one else to blame when everything goes wrong. I’ve spent the better part of the afternoon chasing a rogue horse around the pasture. He’s jumpier than Frankie ever thought about being and much harder headed.
Since my partner decided to take an impromptu two-week vacation, I had to take care of all the business paperwork by myself after I finally got the new horse in his stall. It’s after nine o’clock at night by the time I leave the farm. I’m exhausted, starving, and in desperate need of a shower. My only plan after taking care of those things is to wrap myself around Layne and fall into a deep sleep for the rest of the night.
When I round the last curve and Layne’s cabin comes into view, every plan I have for tonight flies out the window. My heart stops beating, my breath seizes in my chest, and my foot turns to lead as it floors the gas pedal. My world stops spinning when I see the orange flames leaping straight up into the air from the roof in the back of the house. Layne’s car is in the driveway but Zoe’s is gone. With a quick glance toward my darkened house, I know instantly Layne isn’t over there.
“Layne.”
My truck skids to a stop in the driveway, and I make a mad dash for the front door. Black smoke has already started to fill the room when I bust through the door, screaming Layne’s name. After covering my nose and mouth with my shirt, I rush toward the stairs, afraid she’s in the upstairs master bedroom. Movement from the couch catches my eye and I come to a complete stop.
“Baby, wake up!”
She looks like she’s fast asleep on the couch, but she’s not responding to my commands. How long has she been inhaling this smoke? I scoop her up in my arms and run as fast as I can for the door. The smoke is already affecting my breathing and my vision and it’s making me dizzy, but my sole focus is on getting Layne to safety.