Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“As soon as possible. Could you collect samples at my home?”
“I can stop by this evening if that works for you.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Doc.” We stood. “One other thing. I don’t have access to my daughter’s medical records yet. Is it possible for you to give her a quick once-over? She appears fine, but I want to make sure.”
“Not a problem. I’ll bring my medical bag and the test kit.”
We walked back to the front. “I can pay you now or later.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll get my bill.”
I laughed and as I left, I held the door as a woman came in holding a couple of coffees. I didn’t recognize her but said a friendly hello before exiting.
Instead of going to the market, I took a detour toward the grade school. The sounds of kids playing outside drew me in that direction. I cut between the bank and the police station to reach the back fence of the school.
I braced my arms on the top of the fence and surveyed the area until I found my daughter. She was playing on the slide, and she looked happy. Kids were resilient. I knew she missed her mom. She prayed her mom was safe every night when I tucked her into bed. I would give up everything I owned to make that happen for her. But for now, it was a waiting game. “Hang on, Haley,” I said to no one.
Before I could be branded as some kind of creepy kid stalker, I walked to Mason Creek Road to go back to the market. I waved at a few teachers as I passed. Some I recognized, and some I didn’t. Hopefully, my presence at the school would only be noted as a caring father. I was sure it was already all over town that I’d enrolled my six-year-old daughter in the grade school.
I made it to the market in no time. I passed Shania on the way. She waved but kept going. When I walked into the grocery store, I didn’t find Alana at the cashier’s station, but an attractive dark blonde I didn’t recognize. In search of a different blonde, I made my way to check each aisle until I spotted her. The cart she pushed was half-full at this point. Lucky me, cereal was in this aisle. I grabbed a box and headed in her direction.
“Lucky Charms.” I held up the box.
She rolled her eyes, which only made my smile widen. She picked a box from the cart. It was another box of Lucky Charms. “Already have it,” she said.
I put mine in the cart next to hers. “One can never have too many boxes.”
“Ugh,” she said, and I chuckled. “Just keep quiet and let me shop.”
I saluted her. Shopping took another thirty minutes before I had the bags in the truck.
“I’m going to the post office real quick,” she said.
It was across the street from the market. “I’ll meet you over there.”
She hurried across the street while I appreciated her very fine ass. My phone rang. I didn’t check the screen and answered.
“Hello,” I said.
“Mitch,” Serena said. “My dad asked me to call to see when you’re coming back to the office.”
“What is this really about?” I had put in for vacation, but also family leave, which gave me a month of vacation and six weeks’ family leave if I wanted to use it all. Plus, I was still handling my existing clients remotely as I didn’t need to be in the office to see to their needs.
“I miss you,” she said.
“We talked about this.”
“We could be a power couple.”
“A power couple,” I said, and when I turned, Sunshine was there. “Look, I’ve got to go.”
Scowling, I ended the call and went to open her door. Sunshine had already got herself inside. Women. We drove home in silence.
“Look—” I was about to explain myself when the spotted horse from the other day caught my attention. I slowed the truck. I’d barely pulled to a stop when Sunshine jumped out. “Wa—” I didn’t finish that thought. She was bullheaded enough not to listen. Plus, I didn’t want to spook the horse.
The mustang didn’t move as Sunshine appeared. With the truck engine off, I could hear her. However, she spoke words I didn’t understand. The mustang was listening.
Having grown up on a ranch, I knew horses. I eased the truck door open. She held out a hand to get me to stay back.
“You can’t keep him,” I said.
The glance over the shoulder she wielded at me could have cut glass as she continued to stroke his mane.
“I would buy him for you,” I said. “But he’s free. And there are laws in Montana to protect that right for him.”
“He came back for me.”
I couldn’t deny that. The horse was likely a hundred miles from home. Yet, instead of heading in that direction, he’d come back to her. It wasn’t like I could blame him. I reached in the truck bed to grab a few things from the grocery bags. Slowly, I took my finds to her.