The Resurrection of Wildflowers (Wildflower #2)(71)
“Wait.” She stops, looking at me over her shoulder. “Call me if you need me. If you get upset, or need to vent, or just want to talk. Whatever it is, whenever, just call and I’ll answer.”
She tries to hide her tiny smile. “Even in the middle of the night?”
“Especially in the middle of the night.”
There’s only a few feet separating us and I close it in practically one stride. I give her a deeper, longer kiss, before I let her go. I stand by my truck, watching her disappear into the airport. I ache watching her leave me, especially like this. I’m worried about her.
When I can no longer see her, I hop back in the truck and drive toward the first work site of the day that I need to check on.
Immediately the guys sense I’m distracted. No one says anything, but I feel the way they watch me.
By the time I make it to the second site, I’m a flustered mess.
“What’s wrong, boss?” Aaron, one of my guys, asks.
He’s been the first one brave enough to pose the question. “Nothing,” I grumble.
“Ah, come on, Thayer—we’re not blind. We can see something’s up with you.”
“It’s my girl,” I bite out. “She’s upset.”
“What’d you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I snap, leaning against the back of my truck. “There’s just some shit going on that’s upsetting her and I don’t know how to make her feel better.”
I’m not about to tell my employees the intimate details of our personal life, that we’re trying to have a baby.
“When my girlfriend is mad at me I give her chocolate,” Jake, another one of my guys, pipes in. “Chicks love chocolate.”
“I don’t think chocolate is going to make this better.”
“Just go home, man,” Aaron says, shooing his hand at me. “You’re no good to any of us in your foul mood. Go talk to her and whatever.”
“She’s not home.”
“Then go wherever she is. Is she working? Take her out to lunch.”
I ponder his words. Go to wherever she is. The last thing I’m going to do is crash Lauren’s bachelorette and ruin their girl trip, but I could go to Vegas and be nearby in case she needs me. It would make me feel better to be in close proximity to her. I don’t like that she got the bad news this morning and had to leave.
“You know what,” I snap my fingers at Aaron, “I think you’re on to something.”
He chuckles, backing away with a shovel in hand. “That’s why you’re going to give me a raise, right boss?”
I toss the gloves from the back of my truck at him.
He barely dodges them, laughing as he goes. I scoop the gloves back up, finish what I need to at the work site, and go home. It doesn’t take me long to book a flight, pack my shit, and head to the airport.
It’s evening by the time I land in Vegas and make my way to the hotel. I managed to get a room at the same hotel Salem’s at and I’m just praying I’m not on the same floor. I don’t want to run into her and for her to think I’m stalking her.
I plan on taking a shower and ordering dinner in my room.
Salem and her friends are here tonight and tomorrow night, leaving in the afternoon on Sunday, so I booked a morning flight back on Sunday.
Hopefully Salem will be fine this weekend and not need me, but for my peace of mind, I’m glad I’m here.
The hotel bathroom is fancy, with a walk-in steam shower. I wash away today’s worries and throw on a pair of sweatpants when I get out.
The hotel’s room service menu is beside the bed. I pick it up, looking it over. The prices are ridiculous, but I’m hungry and not in the mood to go hunt down food. I put in an order for a burger and fries, just about the cheapest thing on the menu at thirty bucks.
Turning the TV on I log in to Netflix, putting on a random movie I come upon for background noise. I put in a quick call to Thelma to check in on Winnie and Binx. I asked Thelma and Cynthia if they’d be willing to watch the two animals and they were all too eager to help.
It takes my food nearly an hour to arrive and by the time it does I’m ready to eat my arm.
The guy that brings it looks at me expectantly for a tip. I nearly shut the door in his face because I just want to eat my food, but I remind myself that it’s more than likely not his fault my food took so long, plus it’s a big hotel. I hand him some cash and finally I’m left with the peace of my hotel room and my dinner.
Settling at the table, I unbox my burger and shove some fries into my mouth.
My phone lights up on the table beside me. It’s a text from Salem.
Salem: Is everything okay there?
Me: Quiet. Just about to eat dinner.
See? I’m not lying.
Me: How are you feeling?
Salem: Lauren’s keeping me distracted. She’s freaking out over the ring. She’s happy for us. We’re getting ready to go to a show. I’ll check in throughout the night even though you’ll probably be asleep.
I smile at her paragraph long text.
Me: Just have fun.
I’ve only managed to scarf down about half of my burger when I get a FaceTime call from Caleb—well, not Caleb, but Seda.
Originally, we’d talked about Seda staying with me this weekend so we could have a chance to bond just the two of us. It ended up not working out, mostly because Salem and I noticed how uncomfortable it made Caleb and since I don’t want to step on the guy’s toes too much I backed off.