Page 75 of Mustang Summer

It rang and rang.

He swore and hit end.Tried again.No answer.Again.No answer.“Maybe I should drive up there.”

Aaron shook his head.“If you do, you can’t go alone.You don’t know who she had working with her.”

“We’re calling the cops first.”Dillon had his phone in his hand.

“No,” Brock barked.“She’s my problem.I’m going to deal with this.”

“Might I point out—” his mom lightly grasped his elbow, “—that you don’t know what happened yet.Either report the car stolen, or get answers from Josie first.”

His mom’s calming voice reoriented his thoughts.She was right.He didn’t know if Josie was involved, but a crime had been committed.

He waved off Dillon and called Max himself.It seemed like they had the deputy on speed dial these days.

After briefing Max on the theft, he hung up and spoke to his mass of relatives.“You guys can take off.I’ll handle this.”

Rounds of arguments began, but Brock cut a hand through the air.“If you weren’t around holding Dillon’s hand through the vandalism and arson, then don’t pamper me.”

“We’re just watching out for you,” Cash said.

Brock nodded.“You’ve done that my whole life, but you don’t need to.Mom spent a lot of time and money so I could learn to live life without freaking out.”

Brock’s dad threw an arm over his mom’s shoulders.“Leave it to Brock, guys.Any questions can wait until he has answers.”

They all meandered out, offering Brock their support.Soon, he was left alone to wonder if he’d done the right thing.Josie proved that while he could adult all on his own, he didn’t make the best decisions.

Josie archedher back and stretched her hands toward the ceiling.She’d put in several hours finishing her projects, but she got paid when they were finished.And when they were finished, she could work on her website and find some free marketing advice to launch her online business.

She brought up her clients’ emails, including Travis’s, and went to upload her work.

A lost internet connection message flashed.She frowned.

What the hell?She’d just been using it.

Trying again, she had to hold herself back from pounding the keys on her laptop.

Nothing.She restarted her computer, but nothing changed.

Damn.

Doors opened and closed downstairs and she heard men’s voices.Had Bill and whoever he was talking to bumped something?

Grabbing her phone as she left the room, she checked the screen.Three missed calls from Brock.That was the drawback of turning the sound off so she could work uninterrupted.She’d call him back after she got her work uploaded.

Bill was at the bottom of the stairs.Gage hovered behind him.Her mouth curled into a near snarl.

She trounced down the stairs.“Hey, Bill.Is something wrong with the internet?”

“Josephina, we need to talk.”

She slowed her descent and deftly stepped off the last stair to face him.His tone wasn’t one she’d heard since he’d called from the hospital after her mom had collapsed.

Her gaze rose to meet Gage’s incensed one.Her breath got sucked out of her chest.

Oh shit.Thathadbeen Gage in Moore.Even worse, the day she’d left Mr.Blackwell’s farm with Brock and the Shelby, she hadn’t been crazy.That had been Gage’s shitty truck she’d spotted.Had he seen her in Brock’s truck?From the thunderous look on Bill’s face, yes, Gage had seen her and tattled.

“What were you doing in Moore besides visiting your brother?”Bill demanded.

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