Page 62 of Refuge for Flora

“I think so. I mean, we really like each other and enjoy each other’s company. She’s funny and smart and a great cook.”

Bud laughed aloud. “Great cooks always get a thumbs-up in my book!”

“Mine too! I’ve got to introduce her to some friends and my parents, but I think she’ll be one of the gang in no time.” Just the thought of having her in his circle, knowing his friends and family, made him happy. In his mind he could see them together, cooking out with Zyan and Landee, going to his parents’ house for dinner, going to see his grandmother. They’d love her as much as he did.

Love her. There was no point in lying to himself. He was falling in love with Flora, and that was okay. He wasn’t in deep enough to get his heart broken, but he knew he wanted to pursue a long-term relationship with her, whatever that might look like. Making sure she was safe was his first priority, but they could build on what they already had while he worked on that.

He and Bud laughed and talked, and before he knew it, it was mid-afternoon. “I should probably get going. I’d be willing to bet she’s going to cook something and I should be there to eat it,” Barrett said with a chuckle.

“Yeah. Martina will be cooking too. Now that she’s drawing disability, she cooks all the time. The house is full of cookies and cakes and pies, and she gives them away and makes more. I swear, it’s a miracle I don’t weigh five hundred pounds!”

Barrett stroked back and forth up and down his own cheeks. “Yeah, I see your face has filled out a little?”

Bud began to laugh again. “Oh, stop it! It’ll happen to you too!”

“Yeah. I know. Bring it. I just want what everybody around me has gotten?a happily ever after.”

The two men paid and strolled out the front door of the lodge. “So I’ll be seeing you, but don’t be a stranger. We sold Martina’s house, bought a little piece of property over on GreenRiver, and put a big camper on it. You’re welcome to come up and use it as a getaway anytime you want.”

“I’ll remember that! Thanks so much. See ya around, Bud. Take care and tell Martina I said hello.”

“Will do!” The door of Bud’s unmarked cruiser closed and Barrett climbed into his work truck. He’d put his phone on silent before he entered the lodge, so he knew he’d better check his messages. There was one from the office, but there were two back-to-back from Flora, and that scared him a little. He hit her first voicemail with the phone in speaker mode.

“No, no, no. Barrett? It’s me. They’re here, Barrett. Please, please, call me back. Please? I’m so scared. Barrett, please? Answer the phone, please?”

That one had no more than ended when the system rolled over to the second one. “Barrett, please! I need to talk to younow! I don’t know where you are. They’re here. I know Bradley’s here, and if he’s here, Darryl is too. Please call me back? Please? Please? I’m so scared. Please call me back.”

Barrett snapped his seatbelt and started up the truck. The tires squealed as he tore out of the state park’s drive, but he didn’t care. As soon as he was on the highway, he barked out to his onboard assistance service, “Sindi, call Flora.”

“Calling Flora,” the computerized voice answered, and he waited as it connected and started to ring.

It was answered almost immediately. “Barrett! Where are you?”

“I was in DawsonSprings having lunch with a KSP detective to talk to him about the case. What’s wrong? What do you mean, they’re there?”

“They’re here! I went to the vegetable stand this morning, the one down the road, and?”

His hands had started to shake with fear. “I thought I told you not to go anywhere like that by yourself! Did they see you?”

“No, no, but they’d been to the vegetable stand. The old man said he recognized me because they’d shown him a picture of me! I didn’t know Darryl evenhada picture of me! And they didn’t know who he was, but the man who’d been there was Bradley! He wanted to know if they wanted some baby alligators to sell! God, Barrett, they’re here somewhere! I don’t know what to do!” Hysteria had taken over and she was babbling. He knew she was scared. Hell, he was scared too.

“You stay right there, that’s what you do. You tell Mrs.Murphy not to answer the door and if she does, she should have her shotgun ready. And you stay the hell in the house, do you hear me? Stay there until I get there.” He didn’t dare tell her how long it would take him to get there. She’d totally lose her shit if she knew it would most likely take him over an hour. “Do you hear me, Flora?”

“Yes. Yes, I hear you.” The hysterical voice had quieted to little more than a whisper.

“Go talk to Mrs.Murphy now. I’m going to make some calls and I’ll call you back, okay?”

“Okay. Okay, yeah. Okay. Please hurry.”

“I’m going as fast as I safely can, baby. I promise. Gotta go. Gotta make those calls. Hang in there. I’ll be there in a little bit. Bye, babe.” There was no time for niceties. Instead, he hit a contact and waited.

“Hey! What’s up?”

“Kirby, I need you to go to Mrs.Murphy’s. Don’t gotoMrs.Murphy’s. Go somewhere nearby, hide your truck, and watch the house. Those god damn assholes with the alligators are there somewhere.”

“How do you know?”

“Long story, but they’re there, and they’re looking for Flora.”

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