Page 40 of Honey Bee Library
I closed my eyes and rested my head against the seat rest. “Willow,” I said again, this time more forceful.
“He’s not in your room. I looked everywhere,” Willow said, her voice a whisper.
“I know where he is,” I said as I lifted my phone up so I could speak directly into the microphone.
“You do?”
I nodded. “Yeah, he’s sleeping in my back seat. I think he snuck into my car when he heard I needed to leave.”
Willow let out a sob. I could only imagine how stressed out she’d been.
I opened my eyes and sat up in my seat. “Listen, I had no idea that he was in the car with me. I would have never driven off.”
She didn’t respond, just the sound of her sobs filled the air.
“I can…” I closed my eyes once more. I didn’t want to say I could head back there. I needed to check on Gran. I felt torn between my grandmother and the woman who was rapidly becoming very important to me. My time with Gran was finite. Plus, I was already halfway to Miami. She could probably get a redeye flight faster than it would take me to head back to Harmony.
“Listen, I’ll keep Jasper with me. He’s fine. Book the first flight to Miami, and we’ll pick you up from the airport.”
Willow sniffled. “He’s okay?”
Jasper snored his response. I chuckled as I glanced back at him. “He’s fine. He’s passed out right now.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
I paused. “I’ll send you a picture when we get off the phone.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I stared at the steering wheel, wrapping my fingers around it before stretching them out. Willow hadn’t hung up yet.
“I’ll reimburse you for the ticket,” I finally offered. The silence between us felt deafening.
“Oh, you don’t?—”
“I want to.” No truer words had ever left my lips. It was overwhelming to me how much I wanted to take care of Willow. How badly I wanted to protect her and Jasper.
They were rapidly becoming…my family.
I blinked a few times, trying to push that thought from my mind. I needed to remain detached. At the end of all of this, I would walk away from Harmony. My life wasn’t there. It was in Miami.
“Thanks.”
“Of course,” I replied.
Silence.
“Cole?”
My entire body responded to the sound of my name on her lips. “Yeah?”
She paused. “Take care of my son.”
I wrapped my fingers around the steering wheel as a protective surge rose up inside of me. I would nevereverlet anything happen to that little boy.
“I will.”
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