Page 39 of Beaten

Jamie blinked twice in rapid succession. “Yeah, I just wish things were different.”

So do I, but I doubted he meant it the same way I did.

“Do me a favor, text me before you bring out my dinner. I want to make sure there aren’t a lot of people milling around.”

I nodded as I answered. “Sure, I can do that.”

“Thanks Em. I’m right outside if you need me.”

He called me Em. I smiled as I sprinted upstairs to my bedroom.

After dinner I got a text from Jamie, asking me if he could give Meg my number so we could arrange a time to get together. At first I thought it was weird, since Meg had my phone number but then it occurred to me that she had access to my number in a professional capacity but we hadn’t exchanged numbers personally.

I texted back and said it was okay, and made sure to thank him. It meant a lot that he was asking instead of assuming.He did that on our run too.

A few minutes later I got a call from Meg. She said she couldn’t wait to get to know me, claiming the Sheppard’s had lots of nice things to say about me. My small smile soon turned to a much bigger one when she asked if I wanted to meet at Grannie’s the next day for lunch. I loved Grannie’s and hadn’t been there since I’d come home, so I readily agreed. We agreed to meet at one o’clock the next day.

“Do I need to tell Jamie,” I corrected myself, “or someone from SSI, that I’m going out for lunch tomorrow?”

Meg’s soft laugh held no judgement when she said, “You just did. I’ll take care of everything. See you tomorrow Emily.”

Right.“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

We didn’t talk for long, but I got the feeling I was going to like Meg.

Doug offered to drive me to Grannie’s, saying it’d be easier, but I still didn’t like the idea of being driven around so I politely declined. He simply nodded and said, “Holla when you’re ready to go.”

There was a brief moment, while I crossed the street to Grannie’s, that I regretted my choice. If Doug had driven, he would have been walking beside, not a few feet behind, me. Not that it would have stopped me from having a minor panic attack when I thought I saw Asshat Craig’s car and came to a full stop halfway across the street. My heart racing as my body froze in place.

Doug was at my side in a matter of seconds, scanning left and right while guiding me the rest of the way across the street. “Emily, are you okay? What happened?”

It couldn’t be him, why would he be here?I sucked in some much needed air and counted to ten. Or at least I tried, Doug wasn’t patient enough to wait that long for an answer.

“Emily?”

“I’m okay.” Doug’s eyes followed mine, as I looked back over my shoulder. “I thought I saw Asshat Craig, sorry, Craig. But it couldn’t be him.” It’d be too much of a coincidence for him to be driving by Grannie’s, five hours from where he lived, in the middle of a work day, just as I was crossing the street. No way it was him.

Doug put his hand on my back and steered me towards the door, “Let’s get you inside.”

Meg was already there, and unfortunately she’d just witnessed everything. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just freaked myself out.”

“Let’s get you a coffee and you can tell me all about it.” She called out over my shoulder, “Doug?”

I looked back, Doug was standing near a high top facing the door, talking to someone on his phone.Great, he’s probablytelling Jamie what happened.Which only made sense since it was his job and Jamie was his boss. So why did it bother me so much?

Doug held up his free hand, making the peace sign, in answer to Meg’s question, never taking his eyes off the door.

As Meg delivered two coffees to Doug—two,not a peace sign—I grabbed a booth and looked around the dining room. It hadn’t changed much since we’d all hung out here in high school. The dark wood tables and brown leather bar stools at the high tops were the same, bright ceiling lights providing plenty of light, while the soft hanging chandelier lamps provided a rustic candle glow. The walls were decorated with the same pictures of old saloons, though I noticed a few new black and white photos of employees and a few from the Wyatt Foundation fundraisers.I’ll be able to attend this year. The shelves along the walls were still crammed with old fashioned glass bottles, and dusty cowboy hats hung on pegs below them. For a second, I was transported back in time, when things were simpler. Safer.

It didn’t last long because Meg sat down across from me and asked how I was holding up.

“I’m okay, just spooked myself.” I’d convinced myself it couldn’t have been Asshat Craig.

“Okay. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help?”

I didn’t think there was, well except maybe not talking about it. “Thanks.” I changed the subject. “How do you like working at SSI?”

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