Page 129 of Last Call

Andi rolled over and hugged the pillow Fallon had rested on earlier that day. “I’ll miss you, Fallon.” It was the truth. She would.

“You’ll see me,” Fallon reminded her. She heard Andi sigh. “I’ll miss you too.”

“Be careful out there, Fallon.”

“I won’t cut off any appendages you find useful,” Fallon teased.

“I’m serious.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Text me when you finish,” Andi requested.

“Finish with plowing or finish relieving this pain you’ve inflicted upon me?”

Andi grinned. “You can call me for that, too.”

Fallon chuckled. “Get some rest.”

“Text me, Fallon.”

“I promise.”

Fallon took a deep breath and placed her phone on the counter. She smiled. Andi was one of a kind. She blew out her breath and started for the coffee maker when something caught her eye outside the window. Fallon moved to look out the window at the parking lot, struggling to make out something through the snow.

“What…” She squinted to bring the approaching figure into focus. “What on earth?”

Fallon grabbed her jacket and flew out the front door of Murphy’s Law. As the figure came into view, Fallon’s pace increased. “Hey!”

“Oh, thank God.” Riley stumbled slightly, Owen nearly falling off her hip.

Fallon caught the young woman. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. We’ve been walking for a while.”

Fallon’s gaze narrowed with concern.

“My car,” Riley’s thoughts seemed to spin in time with her head. “My phone…”

Fallon caught her again. “Whoa… Let’s get you inside.”

“Inside?” Riley asked.

Fallon pointed to the building behind her. The young woman seemed confused. Her legs wavered. Fallon put an arm around her and guided her toward the pub. “Let’s get you inside and warmed up, and we’ll figure out how you ended up here.” She opened the door to the pub.

“Where are we?” Riley asked.

Fallon almost laughed at the irony. If nothing else, the pub was aptly named. “Welcome to Murphy’s Law,” she said.

Riley flopped into a chair, still holding Owen. Fallon crouched down in front of her. “Let’s try this again now that we’re someplace a little warmer.” She smiled. “I’m Fallon,” she said. “This is my pub, Murphy’s Law.”

Riley nodded. “Riley,” she introduced herself.

“And who is this?” Fallon inquired.

Owen’s eyes began to open. He reached for the hat on his head and tossed it aside.

Fallon chuckled.Typical.

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