Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(123)

He came back to her and took the necklace out of her hands. Knowing what he intended, she pulled her fluffy ponytail over one shoulder, and he fastened the dainty chain around her neck. Then he pressed his lips to her nape. She loved the touch of his beard on her. So very much.

“I’m never leaving you, Adrienne. We are us forever.”



oOo



Adrienne knocked on Show’s office door. “Come,” he called, and she turned the knob and peeked in.

“Hi. Do you have a minute?”

She’d never been in this room when it had been Isaac’s office, so it wasn’t hard for her to think of it as Show’s. Badger, on the other hand, had described a keen sense of dislocation, even though nothing had apparently changed in the room since Isaac had gone away. With a wide smile, Show pushed away from the desk and stood.

“Hey, little one.” In one long stride, he was at her side, bending down to kiss her cheek. “I’m glad to see you. Surprised, though. I thought you’d be with Shannon and Lilli, talking to the contractor again. There something wrong?”

“We’re done with that. Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

He cocked his head. “Of course. Come sit.” Taking her hand in his, he led her to the sofa against the far wall and sat down with her. “You sure there’s nothing wrong?” He looked at her belly. “You feelin’ alright?”

If Show and Badger could take turns carrying her around on a satin pillow for the next seven months, Adrienne was sure that they would. She’d seen Show’s tender care of Shannon while she was pregnant, but it had still been something of a surprise—and not always a great thing—when he’d turned the same concerned eyes and hands on her. Everywhere she turned, somebody was fussing over her. Most of the time, though, she liked it, inconvenient as it was. And always she felt loved.

“I’m good. The past couple of days, I’ve felt pretty normal.”

“Good. Good.” He lifted her new necklace from her throat. “Pretty. Suits you.”

“Did you know he bought it?”

“Yep. I went with him. That’s where I bought Shannon’s rings. Got her a bracelet this time.”

“I can’t even imagine what they thought when the two of you came into the store.”

“We gave ‘em a shock, I’m sure. But Badge and I married fancy women and dropped ‘em into a shit life. You deserve some fancy every now and then.”

“I’m not fancy.”

Show chuckled. “Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.”

A little offended, she made a face. He brushed his fingers over her brow and nose with a smile. “Easy, now. I meant it as a compliment. You and your m—Shannon—you class up the joint. She classes the f*ck out of me.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes. “What d’you want to talk about?”

“Badge. I’m a little worried.”

Show’s face darkened with concern almost instantly. “What’s up? He’s not back on—”

“No. No. I’m sure he’s not. That’s not what I mean. But he’s different. Distracted a lot.”

“Well, you’re making him a father. That shuffles a man’s thinking. Trust me.”

“It’s more than that. Usually I can get him to talk, but he won’t.” She looked into Show’s light blue eyes. “You’re different, too.”

His expression shifted to a sort of tired understanding. “Ah. Did Shannon ask you to say something?”

They’d talked about it, how Show and Badger both seemed weighed down since the new year, but no, Shannon hadn’t asked her to say anything. She shook her head.

He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. “You are a sweet little thing. I’m alright. If you’re worried about Badge for the same reason, then he’ll be alright, too. Things are different. It’s taking some time to get right with that. Isaac left a big hole. Len, too.”

“Can they have visitors?”

“Yeah. Eventually. There’s paperwork, and the Feds aren’t in any rush, I guess, to process it. But in a couple of weeks, I hope, I’ll ride Lilli, Tasha, and the kids up there for the weekend. That’ll help some.

Seeing they’re doin’ okay.”

Adrienne nodded and sat back, thinking again about what Lilli and Tasha were giving up. It made her feel a crushing loneliness. At the meeting today, Lilli had seemed fairly normal, focused on the swatches and sketches of the designer’s proposal. But afterward, when Shannon had suggested they go to lunch to debrief, she’d refused—just said, “No. See you,” and gotten into her truck.

After a minute or two of silence, Show’s eyes on her the whole time, he asked, “What’s really got you sideways, little one? You know Badge is gonna be okay. Me, too. What’s goin’ on?”

She shrugged. “I don’t like people going away.” Suddenly, her head was full of tears. She looked down and blinked until the threat that they would spill out had passed.

“If you miss him, you should call him.”

She looked up. “What?”

“Your dad. You could call him. It’s been months. He’s had time to feel what he’s lost by now. He lost a lot. So did you.”