With hands on her hips, Judy tapped her foot and stared hard at Mandi. “You want to cut back some more? Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?”
Four months into the pregnancy, and Mandi was still hiding it under the baggy uniform. But she was feeling the effects. She’d never been this tired with Paige. Nor had her feet swollen up like rising yeast. At this rate, she’d be out of shoes by winter. Dr. Bensen had said every pregnancy was different, and boy, was she right. The unexpected symptoms were making work more challenging, for sure.
Judy’s question hung in the air, while Mandi hesitated. Should she? It’d be nice to unload her secret. And she trusted Judy. But here? Now? She did a quick scan of the room to make sure no one else was lurking around, then moistened her lips, and took a step closer. “Judy, I’m pregnant.”
“Oh, Lord have mercy.” Judy pulled her into a tight hug, her hands patting Mandi’s back. “Well,” she said with a heavy sigh. “It happens. Who’s the daddy?”
“It’s complicated, Judy.”
Judy inched back, and her brows rose as she searched Mandi’s face. “That tall, dark and handsome in a business suit?”
Mandi shook her head. And suddenly words rushed out. “This is just between you and me, Judy. I need you to keep this a secret, okay?”
“Honey, I promise. Now what have you gotten yourself into?”
“I’m a surrogate. The baby isn’t mine. I’m having it for a couple who wasn’t able to conceive naturally.”
Mandi watched as surprise flickered across Judy’s face. The mother of four children, and mother hen of Jimmy’s, surely she’d understand.
Surprise turned to compassion, and finally, Judy reached out and placed both hands on Mandi’s cheeks. “Oh, sweetie. You are nothing short of an angel for some lucky mama. What in the world made you decide to do that?”
Tears sprung in Mandi’s eyes, and her throat tightened. “There was so much bad, Judy. Paige and my friend Brittney. I felt so helpless after my friend died. And then I saw this ad, and I wanted to do something good. I just had to do it.”
Judy shook her head and gave Mandi a sad smile. “You have so much goodness in your heart, Mandi. I swear I don’t know why you hang around this place. If I were you, I’d quit this nothing job and go get myself a life.” She patted Mandi’s cheeks. “Where is that tall, dark and handsome, sweetie? He sure made you light up. Is it over?”
Mandi choked on a sob and threw herself into Judy’s arms again. “He’s gone.”
Judy rocked her. “Well, they come and they go.”
Mandi knew Judy didn’t mean her comment to have a sexual innuendo, but she couldn’t help laughing. With tears in her eyes, she gave Judy a wry smile. “Yes, they do.”
**
The following evening, Mandi took her place behind the counter at Jimmy’s and glanced around the diner. Her breath caught as she took in the scene. Two square tables had been pushed together, and a whole group of men, including Jimmy and Robert Boyd, were deep in conversation. What the hell was going on? Were they talking about the redevelopment project? Working on a plan of their own?
Trying not to seem overly eager, she grabbed the coffee carafe and headed toward the group. Jimmy knew Mandi lived at The Meadows. Surely he’d tell her if there was some kind of deal in the works that would shut down the trailer park. She stopped short as heat rushed through her. Had a proposal been chosen already? Was it Lane’s? Lane said if he got the job, he’d be back in town . . .
Mandi chewed her lip. She didn’t like the looks of this meeting. Were they planning a counter-attack? She’d always trusted Jimmy before, but he seemed so irrational about all this stuff with the city. While she poured fresh coffee, she let her eyes wander to the papers strung around the table, and listened to snippets of conversation.
“It’s about time we got rewarded for sticking it out around here,” Jimmy said.
“Damn straight,” another man said. “I want my share. I’m tired of all the money going to line somebody else’s pocket.”
Mandi refrained from rolling her eyes. The money. It was always about the money. What about the sidewalks? What about safety, she wanted to scream. And what about Lane’s plan to add things like a police station? Would these guys try to stop public improvements? Concern fluttered in her stomach, and for a moment, she wondered if she should warn Lane that this group was up to something.
“Hey, Mandi, we could use a pitcher of water over here,” Jimmy said, motioning to his empty glass.
“Sure thing.” She pasted on a tight smile, and silently thanked her boss for redirecting her thoughts. She’d been on the verge of losing her focus.
And when the group dispersed forty-five minutes later, she made eye contact with no one.
At home, Mandi kicked off her shoes first thing, then poured a glass of milk and padded back to her bedroom. She opened the flimsy plastic door to the closet and studied the contents. Clothes were getting tight, and she was running out of options. She’d survived the shots with the help of the donut pillow, but sitting all day at DataPlus wearing anything with a waistband had become like trying to suck in her stomach for an eight-hour bikini photo shoot.
So far, the clothing styles for tops had been very accommodating. She had several blouses with light gathers and a little extra fabric in front. Those disguised her thickening abdomen without looking out of the ordinary. But pants were a different story.
She could wear a dress, but that would raise all kinds of red flags – and not that she was pregnant. Everyone in the office would assume she was looking for a new job. Attracting attention was the last thing she wanted. She yanked out an old black skirt and tugged on the fabric. It gave a little. If she fastened it with a safety pin instead of the button, it could work. For tomorrow, anyway.
Mandi swiveled around and glanced at the bed. She’d love to sink in and sleep. Even if no one else knew about the baby, her body obviously knew it was starting to carry some extra weight. Sleep didn’t come easy these days. But pills were out of the question, and she’d promised no alcohol. She slumped against the wall. God, she’d love a beer or two. Just to take the edge off, to help her drift away without battling the thoughts that pummeled her every night – without seeing one single image of Lane Whitmore’s blue eyes or sexy smile flash across her brain.
Of course there were plenty of other things she could think about – like how and what to tell Joe and her coworkers about her pregnancy. It would have to be soon.
She hooked the skirt on the door pull and wandered back out to the living room. Sinking onto the sofa, she opened her laptop. What she really needed to do was work on college essays. But so far, her mind was as blank as the new document on her computer screen. It wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d thought. When she read back through her original essays, she realized they wouldn’t work without some serious modifications. It’d probably be best to write new ones. Two topics came to mind, the death of her daughter and the death of a friend, but she shuddered at the thought of writing about either one of them. Becoming a surrogate certainly had some possibility, but what if she got an admissions officer who viewed that as child-trafficking? She couldn’t take that chance.
Mandi toyed with the mouse in her hand. Colleges liked to hear about overcoming obstacles; she remembered that from last time around. Had she overcome any? Would loss and grief count? What about mistakes? Paying for mistakes. Or living with them? No, that was too negative.
But what about learning from them – correcting them? Moving on. Moving forward. Picking up the pieces. Maybe that was it. Taking charge of her life, and moving on. Isn’t that what everyone kept telling her to do? Get out. Move on. “People can start over,” Lane had told her.
Suddenly, the walls of the tiny trailer squeezed around Mandi. And she hated them. Was sick of looking at them, of being in this cramped space. Living with all the memories and bad vibes with no room to breathe. They were suffocating her. She pushed the computer aside, and rested her head in her hands. She had to get away. It was time. She couldn’t think there.
Maybe new surroundings would give her a better perspective, help clear her head. She could move to a temporary place. If she stayed in Northtown, the rent wouldn’t be that much. Turning back to the computer, she opened the internet connection and began a search.
**
Mandi waited until after lunch, hoping that any morning fires would’ve been put out, and Joe would be available. She hadn’t spoken to him much recently, though she noticed he made more frequent visits to their department.
Never sure of her welcome, she approached Carol cautiously.
“Hi, Carol. Do you think I could see Joe for a minute?”
With a slight pinch of her lips, the woman got up and crossed the hall, tapping on Joe’s door. Mandi watched Carol slip inside. When she came back out, she nodded. “He’s got a few minutes.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, Mandi,” Joe said, leaning back in his chair. “Have a seat.”
She settled into the chair in front of his desk.
“What’s up?”
Mandi took a deep breath and smiled. “Well, I just wanted to share some news. I’m pregnant, and thought you would want to know.”
As surprise registered in his eyes, Mandi rushed on, blabbering. “No problems. I haven’t had any morning sickness. Everything is very routine. I may have to be gone an hour or two here and there for doctor’s appointments, but that should be about–”
Joe leaned forward. “It’s not a problem, Mandi. When are you due?”
“End of March.”
Joe nodded, studying her. “You excited about it?”
The question caught Mandi off-guard. As she thought about it though, a wave of adrenaline rushed through her. Yes. Yes, as a matter of fact, she was. Excited and proud. Why was she hiding it, acting like it was a bother or inconvenience?
With a catch in her throat, Mandi smiled, “I’m very excited.”
“Good. That’s the way it should be. Good luck with it. Keep me posted on how things are going, okay?”
Mandi stood up, and considered flinging her arms around Joe and hugging him, not only for his kindness, but for making her feel better inside. She was pretty sure a hug would completely fluster the guy. Instead, she thanked him and headed for the door.
As she walked back to her office, she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. She didn’t exactly dance down the hallway – her feet would object to that – but she definitely felt more lighthearted, and her earrings bounced up and down in time with her steps. It was as if a weight had been lifted. Why was she so nervous, anyway? No one needed to know the circumstances of her pregnancy. It didn’t matter what other people thought. She was proud of what she was doing, and wouldn’t let anyone make her feel otherwise. She would come into the office every day with her head held high, and with Brittney and this baby in her heart.
That afternoon, when she told some of the girls in the break room, and they all gathered around, she was practically squealing along with them.
But the good intentions proved to be a challenge, and with every pound she gained, it seemed she lost more of her resolve. In just a few short weeks, Mandi grew weary of the questions, and Judy’s words rang in her ears as almost constant chatter. I’d quit this nothing job and go get myself a life. Her swollen feet ached by the end of the day, and she seriously considered leaving Jimmy’s.
Jimmy clenched the deal himself one evening shortly after Mandi arrived for a weekend shift in a chilly rain, her feet soaking wet.
“You’re really starting to show now,” he commented. “I’ve been hearing rumors.”
She stopped shaking water from her hands, and stared up at him. “Like what?”
“Like you got yourself knocked up by that planner guy who was hanging around here last spring. I told you he was bad news, now didn’t I? Told you he was messing around with that woman down at city hall, too. But you didn’t listen.”
Mandi’s face burned. “Jimmy, it has nothing to do with him.”
Jimmy studied her, his eyes piercing, as if he were trying to look inside her head or something.
“If you say so,” he said, finally. “Don’t you still have your wedding ring? Why don’t you go ahead and put it on? Might keep the gossip down.”
“So would people keeping their mouths shut,” she snapped, her voice rising. Hands on her non-existent hips, Mandi glared at Jimmy. “Am I embarrassing you, Jimmy?” She nearly laughed. As if the clientele of Jimmy’s Diner would be offended by someone single and pregnant. As if that didn’t walk through the door every day. And who would possibly care?
“Now, don’t get pissy,” Jimmy told her. “I didn’t say that. Just trying to help. It might be easier for you, that’s all. How you gonna keep up when the baby comes? You got some kind of day care figured out?”
That did it. Mandi looked at the floor and made up her mind. “I don’t, Jimmy. In fact, it’s too hard already. I’ll work next week if Judy needs me to, but after that I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Wait just a minute.” Jimmy tugged on her arm. “We can work something out. You don’t need to quit.”
“Yeah, Jimmy. I’m sorry, but I really do. I’ll talk to Judy about the schedule.” She tied her apron and slipped past him.
That night she spoke to Arnie and Carl and enlisted their help. On Monday she put in a call to Robert Boyd and some leasing agents. She spent the rest of the week packing up her few possessions.
More than once she wondered if she’d made a mistake, if she should give herself some more time to think it through. Such an abrupt departure would take people by surprise – and cause some scheduling issues – but she’d put things in motion now. Forward motion. Keep going, she told herself. Keep going, and let the past stay behind.
**
On Saturday afternoon, her hand on the doorknob to Paige’s room, she faltered. In spite of her renewed determination to move on, Mandi knew she’d be leaving a chunk of her heart in Northtown forever. As hot tears threatened, she pushed open the door and sank onto the child-sized bed against the wall. She smoothed her hand over the pink polka-dot bedspread. She’d stopped spending much time in Paige’s room. It was too gut-wrenching. Every time she came in, she got stuck. Stuck in memories and what-ifs, and dreams of what might have been. It hardly even seemed real anymore. It’d been so long since she’d felt those soft little arms around her neck, heard that sweet voice calling ‘Mommy.’
With a heavy heart, Mandi pushed herself off the bed and gathered up the last of Paige’s bows – all but a few special ones – and tucked them inside a shoebox. Then she tied a ribbon around the box and walked next door.
“Hey, Mandi,” Maria greeted her. “Come on in. I just made some iced tea.”
“Sounds great.”
Maria nodded at the package in Mandi’s hands. “What’s that?”
Mandi moistened her lips and looked around. “Something for Dannie. Is she home?”
On cue, Danielle peeked around the corner, then skipped into the room.
“Well, hi there, Dannie Girl. Come here. I have something for you.”
Danielle bounced over to Mandi, her eyes on the box.
“This is for you.”
Maria handed Mandi a glass and looked her up and down. “How’s that going?” she asked, her glance clearly leveled on Mandi’s middle.
“It’s good, mostly. But I’m kind of dragging. First it was my feet; now it’s my back.”
“No wonder. Do you ever get a chance to sit down at the diner?”
“Some. But I’ve quit. And I came to tell you, I’m moving.”
She heard Maria’s quick gasp, but instead of meeting her eyes, Mandi reached over and helped Danielle slip the ribbon from the box, then watched while she opened it.
“Ooooh,” Danielle squealed. She dumped the contents onto the kitchen table. “Look, Mama. So pretty.”
Mandi took a drink of her tea and blinked hard. “They belonged to Paige. I’m cleaning out some things.”
Maria took her arm. “Where are you going?”
“A little place over on Rainbow. They do a month-to-month lease. That’s all I want. After I deliver this baby, I’m heading back to California.”
Maria’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh, Mandi. Dang it. I’m happy for you, but I wish you weren’t leaving. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. And this little squirt,” she said, running her hands through Danielle’s hair. Absently, she began braiding it.
“What about The Meadows?” Maria asked.
Mandi shook her head. “I don’t know. I can still help write letters or go to meetings while I’m here. But if Boyd won’t be straight with us, I’m afraid anything we do will be too late. It might already be too late.” She told Maria about the meeting she’d witnessed at Jimmy’s. “They talked for a long time, but I really don’t know what they’re up to.”
Her hands stilled. For a minute she wondered if she’d made the situation worse. Would Lane be vindictive? Would he work with the city and Boyd to get rid of the piece-of-shit trailer park he found so offensive? A ripple of guilt shuddered through her. Where would Maria go?
Her thoughts rewound over the past several months. Truth was, beginning with the tip he’d left on the first night she’d laid eyes on the man, every single thing Lane did had been kind and considerate. In her heart she knew that if The Meadows fell, it wouldn’t be out of spite from Lane.
“I’ll stay in touch,” Mandi said, tucking the last strand of hair into place. She picked up one of the bows and snapped it across the braid, then turned to Maria. “Let’s set up that meeting.” Some of the residents could barely string a sentence together. Some had difficulty with English. She and Maria had talked about helping them out.
Maria pulled Mandi into a hug. “Thanks for being such a good neighbor.”
With a knot in her chest, Mandi nodded. “You, too.” She hesitated, “Hey, Maria. Is everything all right with you and Pete? I mean, the yelling I overheard–”
Maria waved the towel in her hand. “Everything is fine. Just a little male PMS, you know?”
Thank God. So that was one thing she didn’t have to worry about.
The following day, Mandi moved to a tiny one-bedroom apartment. She had little furniture, so it wasn’t a big job, but she asked Carl to add locks to the door and windows.
“Thank you so much,” she told her helpers. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” She presented them each with a case of beer. “Cheers to you,” she said. “It’s the least I can do.”
To her surprise, Carl swung his arms around her. “I’m gonna miss you, Mandi Mae.”
“Me, too,” Arnie added, his gruff voice tinged with a note of sadness.
“I’ll miss you, too,” she said softly. “Don’t worry, I’ll stop in every once in a while.”
Maybe. She might go in to see a few people there, but she’d be careful about her timing. Some people she didn’t want to see.
Mandi decided to lie low for a while, though, and spent the next week organizing the new place. Didn’t take long. The apartment was probably smaller than the trailer in terms of square footage. But it was a change of scenery, and that’s what she needed. She’d kept only essentials, and a few special mementos, including Paige’s baby album. Some boxes she didn’t bother unpacking. They could go straight to California. That couldn’t come soon enough. Without Jimmy’s to keep her occupied in the evenings, she’d have too much time on her hands.
But that gave her the time she needed to finish up college applications. She’d put the rough draft of her essay aside for a few days. The next step was filling out the actual forms. Staring at the questionnaire, Mandi took a long drink of the grapefruit juice she’d been buying by the six-pack, and fought back the anxiety that swept through her. What if she didn’t get in? Who would she use for references now? She hadn’t kept in touch with any teachers or counselors from Hilltop. She couldn’t use Joe without telling him she’d be quitting in the spring. And she may have burned bridges with Jimmy. Okay, so Judy could be her supervisor. She typed in the name and phone number and moved to the next line.
Six years ago Mandi’s resume boasted stellar test scores, honors and a high GPA. How would those things be viewed now? She had no idea, but she had the gnawing feeling that her resume was less impressive today. Hopefully, working two jobs and supporting herself would count for something.
Mandi stiffened when her doorbell rang. No one even knew she lived there yet. Closing the laptop, she picked up her phone and tiptoed to the door. She cautiously peeked through the tiny hole in the door. Judy stood on the porch, her face partially hidden behind a bouquet of flowers.
Mandi flung the door open.
Judy bustled in and wrapped Mandi in a hug, flowers and all.
“Oh, Judy, thank you. These are gorgeous.”
“Brought ’em in a vase just in case you couldn’t find one.”
“Good thinking. Not sure I have any. Come on in. I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer in the fridge. Coke, milk and juice.”
Judy chuckled. “Hmm. Sounds like a pregnant fridge. I’ll take a Coke. Then you can put me to work. I don’t want you doing all this by yourself. You can’t be lifting.”
“Arnie and Carl did the heavy things. I’m done, really. I don’t have a lot of stuff. Mostly clothes.”
“Well, it looks real nice,” Judy said. “It’ll be good for you. And good for that baby. You need a fresh start.”
“That’s the idea. I hope I didn’t make last week too hard for you.” She knew Judy had reworked the schedule to cover for her.
“It all worked out fine. But I–”
She broke off and Mandi looked at her. Judy’s face was twisted into a frown.
“You what?”
“I don’t know if I should tell you.”
Mandi let out a laugh. “You don’t have any choice now. Tell me.”
“We had a visitor Friday night.”
Mandi’s face drained. “What kind of visitor?”
Judy huffed a sigh. “The tall, dark and handsome kind in a tailored suit.”
The swallow of grapefruit juice caught in her throat, and Mandi coughed. And coughed some more, until Judy pounded her on the back.
“What’d he say?” She’d never responded to Lane’s last text, and she figured he’d finally given up.
“Just looking for you.” Judy went quiet a moment then reached over and squeezed Mandi’s hand. “Are you sure you want to let this one get away, honey?”
Regret landed on her shoulders, and Mandi dropped onto the sofa and told Judy About Lane’s snap judgment and idiotic accusation. “He wouldn’t listen to me. Couldn’t trust me,” she finished quietly.
“Well, he wasn’t thinking right. Maybe after you have this baby, you can sort things out. I have to say, he seemed real worried when he couldn’t find you.”
“What did you tell him?”
She shook her head. “Just that you don’t work there anymore.”
The sad expression on Judy’s face tugged at Mandi. “Don’t worry, Judy, he still has my cell number, and I have his. I can contact him if I want to. Besides, I’m headed to sunny Los Angeles. Maybe I’ll meet a tall, blond and handsome.” She wouldn’t be looking, though. If the situation with Lane had taught her anything, it was that she’d be better off to keep her own company. She’d been doing just fine before he breezed into town. Okay, so she’d been going through the motions of living, but she’d had routine and order. And she was making progress.
When Judy left an hour later, Mandi sagged against the door. So Lane was in town. Did that mean he got the job? She hadn’t heard from him in several weeks, but she knew he expected some news before the holidays. Those would be coming up soon. She pushed off from the door and headed back to her small kitchen. The holidays. Ugh. One more thing she’d have to deal with – and probably lie about. What would be her excuse for not spending Christmas with her family? Not money, of course. Her parents would offer to buy a plane ticket.
It took only a quick check of the calendar to solve that one. Christmas was on a Friday. A stroke of luck. That meant no extra days off from work. They’d close down on Friday, but she’d have to be back in the office on Monday. Not enough time for a trip to Florida. With relief, she flopped onto the sofa. She could always visit Florida before she headed west. In fact, she should plan on that. It’d be a good time to go see her new nephew.
The sound of her phone ringing woke Mandi from her catnap. She bolted up, and grabbed the phone from the counter.
“Hey, Emma.”
“Hi there. Tried to call you a couple of times. Everything okay?”
“You did? Sorry, I guess I didn’t have my phone on me. I moved this week, so it’s been kind of busy.”
“You moved? Does Susan know that?”
“Well, no. It just happened. Only been here a few days.”
“We need your address, honey.”
“Sure. Why don’t I email it to you?”
“Yes. Please do. And copy Susan. But go ahead and give it to me now.”
Mandi was taken aback by the abrupt change in Emma’s voice. It’d gone a little curt. She sucked in her breath as it dawned on her . . . did Emma think she was going to disappear with the Oslands’ baby? Did everyone think she was untrustworthy? Holy shit.
“Emma, is something wrong?”
“No, Mandi, but it’s in the contract. Any change in address, phone, marital status, anything like that needs to be reported right away.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been swamped. Here it is.” Fighting back sudden tears, Mandi rattled off the address.
“Good. How are you feeling?”
“Great. No problems.” She’d probably complained about her feet enough already.
“Excellent. The Oslands are planning to be there next Thursday for your appointment.”
“Really? How come?” They were there for the first sonogram at three months – the important one that confirmed only one baby. But this one was routine.
“They’re excited. Want to be part of it all. Remember, I told you this would happen.”
“I know. It’s fine. It’s just that I’m not planning to take the whole day off. As soon as the appointment is over, I’ll head back to work. It’s a long way for them to come.”
“I don’t think they mind. And if they get some good pictures from the sonogram, believe me, it’ll be worth it to them.”
“All right.” Of course they wanted photos. And they might want to find out the sex of the baby. She felt so different this time around, her bet was on a boy.
When she ended the call, Mandi checked the phone. Emma said she’d called earlier. Mandi groaned. She had three other messages. Emma. Her parents. And Lane. So, it looked like he’d tried to call her while he was in town. She pushed the button and listened to the message, her heart fluttering ridiculously when his deep voice came over the line.
“Hi. Listen, I just wanted you to know, I got the Northtown job. We’re holding another town hall meeting to get some feedback on the initial proposal next Saturday. Same church. Two o’clock. Thought you might be interested.”
That was it. Nothing about the baby. Nothing personal at all. She rested her head in her hands. Did she even care about the Northtown project anymore?
**
Lane tossed his bag into the car and headed to The Meadows again. He’d check one last time before he hit the road. He pulled onto the patch of dirt even though her car was missing. What the hell? Did she just up and vanish? If he hadn’t seen Judy at Jimmy’s he’d be worried about her.
With heavy legs, he climbed the stairs and banged hard on her door. And again. He was about to turn away when he saw a young girl watching him from the next trailer over.
“That’s Mandi’s house,” she told him.
“Yes. I’m looking for Mandi.”
“She’s gone.”
Before Lane could get his head around that, a woman appeared on the stoop behind the girl. “Can I help you?”
Lane recognized her immediately. “Hi, Maria. I’m Lane. You came to the meeting with Mandi a few months ago, right?”
“Right.”
“She hasn’t been home the last couple of times I’ve stopped by. Have you seen her?”
“She moved.”
He took a minute to let that register. She moved? She quit her job at Jimmy’s and moved? To California? Pregnant? Alarm bells hammered in his head. Was she running from him? He remembered Dan’s words to him that night at the bar. Run, don’t walk away, my friend. Had someone given Mandi that same advice? How would he track her down? She wouldn’t take his calls. Hell, she’d probably get a new cell number next.
It wasn’t just the pregnancy that compelled him to find her, he admitted. Truth was, he missed her. Missed talking to her, toying with her curls. And the way she tucked herself under his arm at night.
“Where to?” he asked, finally catching his breath.
“I don’t know.”
Lane knew bullshit when he heard it. He suppressed a quick flash of anger. “She didn’t leave an address?”
Maria shook her head. “Sorry.” She took her daughter’s hand and retreated into her place.
Unbelievable. Blood boiling, Lane pounded down the stairs to his car. He couldn’t put The Meadows in his rear view mirror fast enough.
It wasn’t until he had to slam on his brakes to avoid being sideswiped by a guy changing lanes on the highway, and lifted his hand to flip the guy off, that Lane realized he was losing it. He gripped the steering wheel hard, quickly moved into the next exit lane, and jerked the car to a stop in the closest convenience store parking lot.
Fast and furious, curse words exploded from him, and he banged the steering wheel with his fist. Is this what Shelby meant when she’d said something was missing in their relationship? These pit-of-the-gut reactions? Well, he had them now. Needing to release some raw energy, he shoved the car door open, and slammed it hard behind him. Mandi Evans was driving him out of his goddamned mind.