Page 55 of Endurance

“Sure.”

I waited as the phone rang. After the fourth ring, a loud beeping sound came through the line signaling the call had failed.

“Lost service again,” Gabby said.

“Damn it. Did you manage to pull up the driving directions at least?”

“Yeah. I grabbed them on my phone while your voicemails were playing.”

“Good. That’s all that matters. I can try calling Sloan again when we get home.”

Still, despite my words, Sloandidmatter, and I was concerned over why he wasn’t answering his phone when Colton called him. Whatever it was, it must have been serious enough for Colton to reach out to me. What it could be was anyone’s guess, but I couldn’t shake the angst-ridden feelings for the remainder of the drive back to Santa Monica.

* * *

“The ideaof a shower never sounded so good,” Gabby said as we dumped our bags in the front hall of my house. “I’m going to take one if that’s okay.”

“Go for it. I’m going to try to reach Sloan again. I’ll shower after. Just don’t use up all the hot water,” I added, knowing Gabby’s penchant for long, hot showers.

“I won’t,” she promised, but I knew better. If I she wasn’t quick, there was no doubt I’d be washing under lukewarm water.

After Gabby disappeared down the hall, I pulled my cell from the back pocket of my jeans and dialed Sloan’s number. It was my third time calling him since we gained steady signal strength, but there was no answer once again. I began to pace. Feeling frustrated, I pulled up my missed call log to locate Colton’s number. He answered after the second ring.

“Kallie, hey. I’m glad you called back.”

“Yeah, sorry. I just got your messages this morning. I was on a road trip, got lost, and had no cell service. It’s a long story. Anyway, I’ve tried calling Sloan, but he hasn’t picked up for me either. Is everything okay?”

I heard Colton sigh on the other end of the line.

“There was an accident at the track. A friend of ours, Tyler McDermott, was banged up pretty good and was sent by helicopter to the hospital.”

“Oh, no! Is he okay?”

“He’ll recover. But he’s not the reason I called you. I’m worried about Sloan. He was at the track when it happened. I left him there to go to the hospital, but I didn’t like how he looked. I think the crash really shook him up. When I called him later, and he didn’t answer multiple times, I started to get even more worried. I have a meeting that I can’t miss this afternoon, but I planned to head over to his place to check on him as soon as I finish. I should be able to get over there by three.”

Glancing up at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall, I saw it was nearing noon. If I hurried in the shower, I could be to Sloan’s place by one.

“No, it’s okay. Thanks. I’ll head over there myself in a bit.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind. I just want to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid.”

“It’s all good. When I see him, I’ll make sure he gives you a call.”

After thanking Colton for reaching out, I ended the call and went to the front hall to grab my suitcase, then began rummaging quickly through it to find my shower toiletries. A few minutes later, Gabby came down the hall with a towel wrapped around her head.

“Fifteen minutes. That might be a record for me!” she joked. “There should be plenty of hot water left.”

“Thanks, Gabs. Listen, I hate to leave you alone since you’ll only be here for a short time, but I need to go out for a bit. I just spoke with Colton, and I’m worried about Sloan. I’m going to check on him. Will you be okay here for a few hours?”

“I’m a big girl. Do what you need to do. While you’re gone, I’ll take advantage of that glorious pool you have in the yard.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

I smiled, grateful for her easy understanding, then hurried to the bathroom to shower.

18

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