Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Yes! I need you all to leave me the fuck alone!
“Um, no word yet.” Jo shuffled a stack of perfectly neat papers on her desk. “It’s fine. He has the exhibit in February. He’s probably painting like a madman.”
Probably not the best choice of words for the boyfriend who’d held a gun to your head, but c’est la vie.
“I’m sure.” Peter’s neutral tone said that he wasn’t. “Hey! We should do something fun before we come back from Haiti.”
“Fun?” That was a foreign concept for Jo right now. Translation, please. “Meaning like what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a quick stop somewhere before we come home. We’ve both been working our asses off. We’ve earned some recon. Besides, heard you’re in good with the big boss.”
Jo’s smile muscles had atrophied from little use over the two weeks since Cam had disappeared. So it almost hurt to smile back at Peter, but Jo managed it. Her cell rang on her desk, and Jo forced herself to calmly reach for the phone, instead of diving for it like a desperate idiot every time it rang, on the off-not-gonna-happen-chance that Cam had deigned to call.
No such luck, according to the screen.
“Walsh, hey.” Jo smiled at Shaundra when she walked in with some papers for her and Peter to review. Peter started reading while she was on the phone.
“Hey, cuz. How you holding up?”
“He didn’t die, Walsh.” Jo subdued the waspish note in her voice. “Sorry. It’s just people keep asking me that.”
“Because we love you and we’re concerned.”
Jo swiveled her seat around so Peter would only see the high back and would hear less.
“Concerned enough to tell me where he is?” She warned her inner weakling not to beg.
“He’s smart enough to know that you have your ways of getting information from the informed.”
“I can’t believe he has gone dark on me again.” Jo snapped her teeth together to stop herself from growling. “That he’s running again.”
“He just needs a little space. Give it to him.”
“You don’t understand what it’s like having the person you love running in the opposite direction. Having them shut you out. Having them make you wait.”
Silence gathered on the other end while Walsh allowed her space to hear what she’d just said.
“Jo, do I even need to remind you of the shit storm my life was because Kerris did pretty much everything you just said?”
Jo tapped her nails on the arm of the chair.
“I know, but this is different. Kerris didn’t hold a gun to your head and run off without a word. What if he’s hurt himself? Or depressed? Every time I think I’m in, he blocks me out again, and I’m sick of it.”
“I get that. I am familiar with that feeling.”
“Then you know.” Jo pressed her lips together so they wouldn’t tremble. “You understand that this is torturing me.”
Walsh let out a weighty sigh.
“I can’t bring him back, but I can at least alleviate some of the worry. He hasn’t hurt himself. He called Kerris.”
Jo sat straight up in her seat like a hot poker had been shoved down her Alexander Wang dress.
“What’d she say he said?”
“He asked her about Dr. Stein.”
“Kerris’s therapist?”
“Yeah. That’s all I know, Jo. I probably shouldn’t have told you that much, but I know you’re going crazy.”
“I wouldn’t say crazy. Who says I’m going crazy?”
“Well, Meredith may have mentioned something about you sleeping at Cam’s place and refusing to change the sheets.”
“That was a private moment, and those sheets were barely used.”
Their scents had perfectly mingled on those sheets, and she’d wondered if they’d ever get to do that again.
“Yeah, well, I think it’d do you some good to get out of Cam’s place and out of Rivermont for a little bit.”
“Funny you should say that. Peter and I are headed to Haiti tomorrow.”
“I was thinking more like a vacation.”
“Like what?”
“Like after Haiti, join Kerris and me and the girls in Dubai. Now that Dad’s back, I’m finally getting to take some time off.”
“No, that’s a family trip.”
“And you’re family. We’d love to have you.”
“I don’t want to be a third wheel. I mean, even with your two little tiny wheels, you and Kerris will be all over each other. I’ve seen it up close and it’s just disgusting.”
“True story,” Walsh laughed from the other end. “So bring a friend.”
Jo kicked her seat around to face Peter, who had pulled on his glasses to read the documents.
“Peter, wanna go to Dubai with me?”
“Jo, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Walsh asked.
Jo ignored him.
“What do you say, Peter?”
“That’d be perfect.” Peter pulled his glasses off and ran a hand over his tired eyes. “It’s exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of. When?”
“When, Walsh?”
“Jo…”
“When, Walsh? We leave for Haiti tomorrow. When are you going to Dubai?”
“In a couple of days, but—”
“Great we’ll meet you there.” Jo held her hand out for Peter to pass the papers they needed to discuss. “I’ll get with Kerris for details.”