Page 58 of Skid
Grabbing my laptop from the charging station, I walked downstairs to the living room and logged onto the Callahan network to pull up the cameras in Pierce Bluff. It took a minute to load, and while I waited, I thought of how I wanted Grace’s claiming ceremony to go. I sent Parrot a message, asking him to get started on her cut as soon as he got back from Florida.
When the cameras came online, I scrolled through the ones around the lake, looking for Grace and Sadie. They weren’t parked in the lot, and I scanned downtown, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I needed to see with my own eyes she was okay, and the longer it took me to find Sadie’s car, the more anxious I got. I wasn’t worried about someone hurting them, I was just worried.
Something was clawing at my gut, telling me everything was about to blow up, and I couldn’t shake the feeling. I finally located the car parked in the side lot of Papa Dough’s Pizza and exhaled the breath stuck in my throat. We didn’t have cameras inside the restaurant, but I could see the entrance from the street camera.
I moved the laptop into the kitchen and rolled myself a joint while I watched the screen, waiting for them to exit. Carrying the computer outside, I sat down at the table and placed it in front of me before firing the joint up and taking a deep inhale. A few nervous minutes later, I saw my sister walk out, followed by Grace.
Through the screen, I could tell something wasn’t right, even though she had a smile on her face. It was the way she carried herself. She was withdrawn and pulling in on herself as she carried two pizza boxes to the car. Sadie said something to her, and I took another hit of the joint as Grace nodded in agreement.
“Fuck it,” I said aloud and grabbed my phone from the table.
I dialed Grace’s number and waited for her to pick up. The car backed out of the parking space, and I was going to lose sight of it soon. On the third ring, she answered.
“Hello.”
“Hey, darlin’. How’s the shopping trip?” I wanted to keep it light and hoped to cheer her up from whatever had her upset.
“I got a headache when we were at the lake, so we decided to grab dinner and head home,” she replied, and I hated she wasn’t feeling well.
“I’m sorry, darlin’. I’ll take you later this week when you’re up to it and I can spoil you,” I responded, and she chuckled slightly.
“You do that already.”
“Drive safe, and I’ll see you when Sadie drops you off. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
She hung up the phone, and I stared at the disconnected call, trying to figure out if there was something else going on. Knowing I wouldn’t find out until she got home, I quickly showered and changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Waiting on the front porch, I watched the driveway for them to pull up.
When I saw Sadie’s car turn into the driveway, I slipped a pair of shoes on and walked out to meet them. The car stopped in front of the stairs, and Grace opened the door, sticking her head out and inhaling deeply. Sadie got out and had a worried look on her face as she took two pizza boxes from the back seat.
I walked to the passenger’s side and helped Grace from the car, seeing she was pale and sweaty. Feeling her forehead, she felt warm, and I was worried she was sick. Her blue eyes appeared dull in the afternoon sun as I wrapped my arm around her and helped her into the house. Sadie followed behind and closed the door when she entered. Taking the pizzas to the kitchen, she nodded to me as I got Grace settled onto the couch.
“I’ll get you some ginger ale. You rest,” I instructed, and she gave me a thumbs-up as she rolled to her side.
Sadie was standing at the counter when I walked in, and she motioned for me to join her.
“What happened?” I asked, and her eyes turned sad.
“We were walking around the lake, and she was having a good time when we bumped into James and his wife. We talked for a few minutes about the two of you getting together with them for dinner, and when we walked back to the car, she got sick. I told her I’d bring her home, but she insisted on getting dinner as we planned. On the drive home, she got nauseous, and I worried she was going to throw up. Is she okay?” my sister asked.
“I’m not sure, but I’ll keep an eye on her. Thanks for taking care of her,” I replied, and Sadie hugged me.
“She’s a keeper, Dalton. Don’t screw it up.”
“I don’t plan on it. Parrot’s getting to work on her cut, and I planned to have my ring on her finger soon,” I explained, and she pressed up to kiss my cheek.
“Smart man. I’ll let myself out but text me later about how’s she doing, and if she gets sick again, I’m sending Doc over to check on her.”
Doc was the brother who took care of Sadie when she survived her attack. For years, he and Piper were the only two who knew what Sadie endured, and I trusted him with Grace.
“I’ll let you know,” I promised and walked her to the door.
Returning to the couch, I placed Grace’s ginger ale on the table and sat down gently next to her. I brushed her hair away from her forehead, and she cracked her eyes open to look at me.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked, and she shook her head with small movements.
“If I could get my head to stop hurting, I’ll be fine,” she replied, and her voice was flat and dull.
