Tori nodded. “I know. I just wish we’d had a heads-up, so I could have prepared Danny.”
“I’m sorry,” Sandy repeated.
Heff’s truck was gone by the time they walked out to the car.
Sandy didn’t think she could feel any worse, but when she heard Danny ask Tori, “He’s coming back, isn’t he, Mom?” she did.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Sandy
It didn’t take long to pack up Kevin’s things. He hadn’t arrived with much, and other than art supplies, he hadn’t accumulated much in the few weeks he’d been living with her either.
Kevin stuck close to his mother and did what she told him to do. He seemed more subdued than usual, but that might have just been due to how quickly things were changing.
Within an hour of arriving back at Sandy’s house, Kevin and Bianca were gone.
The house felt oddly empty despite the fact that Sandy had been living by herself for years. Not knowing what else to do with herself, she made some lunch and then went upstairs to strip the bed in the guest room. She found the stuffed bear Heff had won for Kevin at the farm show through some kind of shooting game hidden beneath the pillows. She hugged it to her chest, remembering Kevin’s brilliant smile when Heff had handed it to him.
Kevin would probably want to have that. Bianca didn’t live that far away. Sandy could easily make the trip out and back in a day. Maybe she could even get Heff to go with her.
If Heff was still talking to her, that was.
He hadn’t looked too happy with her at the ranch, but then again, things had happened rather suddenly. In retrospect, he probably would have appreciated a heads-up too. But after he had some time to process it and she had a chance to explain, he’d understand it was for the best. Wouldn’t he?
On a sudden urge, she picked up her phone and called him.
He answered on the third ring, sounding slightly out of breath. “Hey, you okay?”
Just hearing his voice made her feel better, and the fact that his first words were an expression of concern gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling.
“I will be. I just didn’t expect things to happen so fast.”
“He’s gone, I take it?”
“Yeah. Bianca said she wanted to get him back into his regular routine as soon as possible.”
“How did Kevin handle it?”
“I’m not sure,” Sandy answered honestly. “I’d like to think he was a little bummed about leaving, but that might just be wishful thinking on my part.” It was difficult to know exactly how Kevin felt about things.
“I’m sure he’s going to miss you, in his own way.”
She absently fluffed the fur on one of the bear’s ears. Suddenly, the only thing she wanted was to see Heff. To have him hold her hand and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
“Are you busy tonight? I requested the night off, thinking Bianca and I would have some things to talk about.”
He hesitated. “I’d love to, but I can’t tonight. I’m sorry.”
Disappointment coursed through her. “Oh, okay. It was just an idea.”
She heard some guys shouting in the background.
“I’m sorry, Sandy. I really have to go.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Nothing we can’t handle. Call you later?”
“Yeah, sure,” she answered, but he’d already disconnected. She hadn’t had a chance to mention a trip out to see Kevin, but perhaps it was better to run the idea by Bianca first anyway.
With that in mind, she texted the idea to Bianca and then tossed the bedding in the washer and looked around for something else to do. The house was already tidy. She even had chicken breasts marinating in the fridge overnight, thinking they would grill out for dinner and discuss the next steps.
“Is that your orange chicken I smell?” Lenny asked later, joining her on the back deck, glancing at the six large breasts slow-grilling over a low flame.
“It is. Want some?”
“You know I do. Hey, are you drinking beer?”
“I am. It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?” Sandy smiled and lifted the brown bottle to her lips.
“It’s five o’clock here,” he answered, narrowing his eyes. “In fact, it’s half past six. How much have you had? And why aren’t you at Franco’s?”
“About three, I think. And I took the night off.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Lenny put his hands on his hips and peered into the house. “Where’s Kevin?”
She exhaled heavily, scraping at the label on the bottle. “Kevin’s gone.”
“What? When? How the hell did that happen? Why didn’t you call me?”
So many questions intruding on the pleasant buzz she’d been working on. “Relax, Len. He’s fine. His mom came and took him home today.”
Lenny dropped down onto the deck chair next to her. “But how?”
“She’s been down in Florida, dealing with her grandmother’s estate. She thought my father was taking care of Kevin, but it turns out, he bolted as soon as he found out the old lady he’d been sucking up to for the past ten years was sharper than he gave her credit for and left him out of her will. And since Bianca was smart enough to get a prenup, he decided to cut his losses and run.”
Lenny gaped at her. “Seriously?”
“Yep. The guy’s a complete waste of space.” Sandy waved her beer bottle, now empty. “Want one?”
He nodded, so she pulled one out of the cooler and handed it to him. She thought about grabbing another for herself, but she was already feeling the ones she’d had. Three beers over the course of six hours wasn’t much, but for someone who rarely drank, it was enough.
She closed the lid, thinking maybe she’d have one later, right before bed. Something told her she wasn’t going to sleep well, and it might help.
“So, anyway,” she continued, “when I got in touch with her and told her the situation, she was livid. Flew right up here, thanked me for my time, and took Kevin home just like that.” She snapped her fingers.
She got up, wavered a little as the alcohol hit her, and flipped the chicken breasts.
“How did you find her?” Lenny asked.
She shrugged, not wanting to get Cage into trouble. She had no idea how he’d gotten the information. Maybe it wasn’t entirely legal.
“It wasn’t hard,” she said instead, using Cage’s words. “It’s not like she was trying to cover her tracks. The real question is, Len, why couldn’t you?”
His ears turned red, and some of the suspicions that had been floating around in her head were confirmed.
“You knew where she was, didn’t you?”
“No,” he said quickly. Too quickly.
She pinned him with a glare. He was a terrible liar.
“All right, fine. I knew.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
He exhaled. “I knew where she was, but I didn’t know about her grandmother. Based on what your father said, I figured she was living it up at some swanky hotel and that Kevin was better off with you. Plus, he gave you a reason to stick around.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “You had to know she would come for him eventually.”
“No, I didn’t know that. But I hoped that if and when she did, you’d have come to your senses by then.”
“My senses?” she asked, her disbelief becoming a seething rage. “Are you being serious right now? How could you hold back that information?”
“You were so good with him,” Lenny told her. “He’s exactly what you needed to keep you grounded. I know it’s been hard with your mom and Trace gone, but you belong here, Sandy. With family and friends who’ll have your back.”
“But you didn’t have my back, did you, Lenny? No, you stuck a knife in it the minute I turned around.”
“It’s not like that! I did it because ... because I want you to stay.”
She blinked, certain the booze was applying filters, because suddenly, Lenny didn’
t look like her best friend. The boy she’d grown up with was a grown man with broad shoulders and jawline stubble and a look in his eye that was more territorial than platonic.
“What are you saying, Lenny? You want to date me or something?”
His eyes widened, and he took a step back. “What? No! Fuck no. You’re like a sister to me. Family. And family looks out for each other, don’t they?”
“Not like that! They support each other, even when they don’t agree with their choices. You had no right to make that decision for me.”
“Like you supported Trace?” he said heatedly. “He left. You told him not to, but he did, and look what happened.”
Lenny’s well-aimed shot achieved maximum impact. Weariness settled over her like a heavy blanket. Weariness and a tremendous sense of guilt. Because she hadn’t supported Trace. She hadn’t wanted him to leave and go into the service, and when he had finally come home, she’d been so angry. Angry because he’d left her to deal with so much on her own. Making sure the bills got paid. Having to turn down the full scholarship to that prestigious art school. Their mother’s cancer and then her funeral. It was so much for her to shoulder by herself, the weight had been almost more than she could bear.
None of those things were Trace’s fault, she knew, but somehow, she’d convinced herself that if he’d been around, things wouldn’t have gotten so bad. Because Trace always knew how to fix things. When Trace was around, she knew everything would be okay.
Except ... it wasn’t.
She had to live with the guilt every day. The knowledge that, had she not been so caught up in her own little bubble of self-pity, she might have realized he needed help. That maybe, if she’d just sucked it up and dealt with life without making him feel bad for doing what he thought was the best at the time, he might not have felt as overwhelmed and ... done what he’d done.
Tears fell down her face. Sandy hastily wiped them away.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that,” Lenny said.
He came closer and tried to pull her into a hug, but she shrugged him off and moved away.
“Yeah, you did. And you’re right. Trust me, you’re not telling me anything that I don’t tell myself every day.”
“It wasn’t your fault. You have to know that.”
Did she? Yes, the logical, rational part of her brain knew that it wasn’t her fault. But the illogical, irrational part still hadn’t fully accepted that. She’d read stories of people who had been in a bad place, contemplating suicide, and some small, random act of kindness had changed things.
Was there anything she could have done that would have made a difference? Only God knew the answer to that. And somehow, she needed to come to terms with it. She would eventually, but it was a long, slow process.
She turned and tugged on the screen door. “It’s been a long day. I’m going to take a bath and go to bed.”
Lenny exhaled and stuck his hands in his pockets. “What about dinner?”
“Knock yourself out. I’m not hungry anymore.”
Sandy went inside and went straight up to her bedroom. It had been one hell of a long day. She was physically exhausted and emotionally drained.
She ran a bath for herself, dumped in some salts, and treated herself to a good soak. By the time she got out an hour later, she felt marginally better, though those three beers she’d had earlier gave her a low-grade headache. She threw on some super-comfy shorts and a T-shirt and then went down to the kitchen, planning to grab a light snack.
The sweet smell of vanilla wafting through the windows let her know that Lenny was still out there.
“Any chicken left?” she called out.
“Yeah. I put it in your fridge.”
She stepped out on the porch and found that Lenny had cleaned up. She appreciated that, but it wasn’t enough to completely forgive him. “I’m still mad at you, you know.”
“Yeah. I know.”
She took in his black jeans and black shirt. He’d changed, too.
“Going somewhere?”
“Yeah, heading out with the guys.”
“Kind of late, isn’t it?”
“It’s barely nine.”
“It’s a weeknight in Sumneyville,” she countered.
He chuckled but didn’t offer any more information. “Need anything while I’m out?”
“Nah, I’m good. I’m going to make it an early night.”
He nodded. “All right. Get some rest, Sandy.”
“I will.”
Sandy made herself a sandwich and settled on the couch to watch some mind-numbing television.
She heard a truck pulling up outside the house a short while later, presumably whoever Lenny was hanging out with. She peeked out the window, frowning when she saw Dwayne Freed behind the wheel. Lenny must have been waiting on the porch because the truck had barely stopped before Lenny was making his way down the walk and swinging in the passenger side.
Sandy wasn’t a big fan of Lenny’s cousin. He was bad news and always had been, in her opinion. A loudmouthed bully and a jerk who got away with things because of who his daddy was. She didn’t know where he’d been the last couple of years, but she did know that Sumneyville was a nicer place without him around.
She wondered if he was back permanently. If so, then it was just one more reason why leaving town was a good idea.
After returning to the couch and unsuccessfully searching for something to watch, she gave up and went up to bed, opting to sketch out some ideas for the Happy Trails website instead. Maybe inspiration would hit.
She noticed her phone blinking on the nightstand where she must have left it after her bath. For a crazy moment, her heart beat a little faster, thinking that maybe Heff had called back and changed his mind about wanting to see her. Her hopes were soon dashed, however, when she saw it was a response to the text she’d sent Bianca several hours earlier.
Bianca: We got home fine. Thanks for asking. I think coming to visit is a wonderful idea. Maybe in a few weeks when Kevin has had time to settle back into his routine.
Sandy frowned at the screen. A few weeks? Kevin might all but forget about her by then. Moisture pooled in her eyes as she typed out a quick reply.
Sandy: Sure. I’ll put the bear in the mail tomorrow.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Heff
Heff stood in the woods behind Sandy’s house, watching the glow of the vape pen. Sitting as he was in the shadows, dressed in dark clothing, Petraski wasn’t easy to see.
Then, Sandy opened the door, and light spilled out onto the back deck.
She looked ... beautiful. Her hair was loose and damp-looking, as if she’d just taken a shower. The shorts she wore showcased her toned, curvy legs, legs he craved to feel wrapping around his head—or his hips—as he brought her pleasure time and time again.
Even more, he wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
Instead, he was out in the woods, watching and waiting for Frick—aka Lenny Petraski—to do something stupid.
The two of them exchanged words—Heff couldn’t hear what was said—and then Sandy went back into the house. A few minutes later, Petraski looked at his phone and then got up and went into his side of the house.
“Incoming,” Mad Dog said through the tiny receiver in Heff’s ear. “ETA, five minutes.”
“Roger that.”
Heff silently worked his way through the backyard, a shadow moving among shadows. He paused by the large rhododendron beneath Sandy’s open living room window, listening to the one- to two-second sound bites as she channel-surfed from one station to the next.
Tamping down the urge to join her, he waited. Sure enough, Frack showed up in his pickup, right on time. Petraski hopped in, and they were off.
Heff skirted between the houses, slipping into the back of the dark SUV. Mad Dog and Smoke were up front.
“Did you get the tracker on the vehicle?”
Smoke pointed at the d
ashboard screen in answer. They stayed a good mile or so behind as the pickup made its way out of town. Instead of taking the road that led to the Sanctuary, they drove along the base of the mountain, heading north.
Mad Dog slowed as he reached the point where they’d turned off the main road. At least half a dozen No Trespassing, Private Property, and Violators Will Be Shot signs flanked the turn-off entrance.
Heff gazed out from the tinted back window, his eyes moving upward, narrowing when he spotted what he’d been looking for. “Keep going. They’ve got cameras.”
Mad Dog continued on, pulling the SUV off the road where it wasn’t likely to be seen. The GPS showed that the truck had stopped a few miles in. They noted the coordinates and then doubled back on foot.
They moved quickly and quietly until they found what they were looking for. They exchanged a look and a few hand signals. Mad Dog and Smoke took off in different directions, disappearing into the darkness. Heff scouted around and then began to climb.
He sat high in the tree, his night vision scope trained on the compound below. And it was a compound, complete with barracks and outbuildings and rednecks in camo. The tarp covering the back of the truck bed had been pulled back, and several men were unloading crates stamped with the name of a military surplus supply store.
He snapped a few pictures and then quietly climbed back down and moved toward the meet point. His shoulder and back ached, a dull, lingering result of his time overseas. He wasn’t going to complain. He was still breathing, still mobile, and had all of his parts. There were quite a few who hadn’t been as fortunate.
Smoke, the stealthy fucker, appeared without a sound and out of nowhere, reminding Heff of how he’d come to have that call name. Mad Dog joined them shortly after. Together, they made their way back to their vehicle, silent by mutual agreement until they were back on the road.
“Fucking hell,” Smoke said. “Sumneyville’s got its own Meal Team Six.”
“Roger that,” Heff agreed.
Mad Dog called ahead, and everyone was waiting for them in the war room.
Best Laid Plans Page 21
