Sweet Solace (The Seattle Sound Series Book 1) (11 page)

Oh. Gag. He was worse than Brent, the overzealous gym owner. I wasn’t going to make it another ten minutes with this guy.

“Sweet, but no. I’m sorry.” I tried to lessen the blow by shifting my features into contrition. “I’ll need to head out soon.”

“Not yet. I’m still getting to know you.”

I knew all I needed to about Dale, owner of multiple car washes. I forced a smile and repeated, “Maybe another time.”

I stood, grabbed my purse as I swallowed the panic eating its way into my throat. There was something about this guy . . . I had to leave. Now.

I stuck out my palm, wishing I could avoid the expectation of another handshake. “Pleasure to meet you, Dale.”

* * *

C
hecking
my e-mail the next morning, I had seventeen messages from Dale. The first few mentioned how beautiful I was. He said he’d enjoyed talking to me. I couldn’t understand why.

He wrote my name Leah even though I’d signed my name Lia on the one—and only—e-mail I’d sent him to set up our coffee date. Little details like
my name
mattered.

His next four messages suggested dinner. The last few suggested what he’d like to do with me at the local motel. I rolled my eyes and dumped his e-mails into the
Not Friends
file. Then I blocked him from my e-mail and all social media.

Instead of dwelling on the gross messages, I fantasized about coffee with Asher. It would’ve been so much better than my short date with Dale.

Write my fantasies. Just write.

I closed my eyes and let my fingers tap out the memory of our outing on the beach.

I opened my eyes and read what I’d written.

Ten lines. Almost a poem.

I propped my chin on my hand. Wow. I liked these lines. A lot.

With a small smile and renewed purpose, I opened a new document and fleshed out the scene that was building in my head.

I ended up writing through both breakfast and lunch, managing to take bites of the sandwich Abbi brought to me while I was still typing.

I did a double take. “Don’t you have school?”

“Teacher in-service. You’re in the zone. I’ll talk to you later.”

I hadn’t been this productive, well, ever. My fingers were one with my mind, the words filling pages, the story pouring out of me. I let myself enjoy the act of creating something I wanted to read.

“I may go out later,” Abbi said from the doorway. I sat back and blinked. Late afternoon sunshine pooled across her face, accentuating her petulant expression.

I downed a glass of iced tea. “Okay. Thanks for the lunch. Just let me know where, when, and with whom.”

“Not like you’ll notice if I go anywhere,” Abbi muttered, stomping down the hall.

Abbi’s attitude bothered me, breaking my momentum. I stared out the window. I should apologize to her again. I’d lashed out at her because I didn’t know how to deal with my fears. Maybe if I explained that part, she’d be more willing to let her frustrations go.

I stopped off at the bathroom, then collected my plate and put it in the dishwasher. Abbi wasn’t in her room or sprawled on the couch.

The note on the kitchen counter said she was out with Luke. She hadn’t asked; she’d just gone. I pulled up my phone, noting the text from her twenty minutes ago:
I’m going out. See you l8r
.

I punched Abbi’s number. Straight to voice mail. She always had her phone on. It was part of our deal.

I tried Sally because I didn’t have Luke’s number, but same scenario. Panic clogged my throat. I left Abbi’s friend a message, asking her or Abbi to call me back sooner than soon. Ending that call, I dialed Sally’s parents.

“Hi, Rhonda. This is Lia. Have you seen the girls?”

“Sally’s sitting right here, watching that Wolverine movie with me. Girl time.” Rhonda giggled self-consciously. “I’m not sure where Abbi is.” The phone moved away, and Rhonda asked Sally about Abbi. “Sal says she hasn’t talked to Abbi today.”

“Would you have Sally try Abbi on her cell and let her know I’m really worried about her? She left with Luke a while ago, and I can’t reach her.”

I wasn’t going to panic. I wasn’t. Abbi would be smart. She was fine. I was fine. Except for the cold sweat blooming all over my body.

“Course. Sally doesn’t have Luke’s number, but we could get it.”

“Please. If you get in touch with Abbi, have her call me. On my phone.”

“You okay, Lia?” Rhonda asked.

I mumbled an “I’m fine” as I opened the door to my garage. I’d drive into town first, look in the diner. If she wasn’t there, I’d go to that secluded spot down by the creek that none of the kids thought the parents knew about. As if I hadn’t spent time down by the creek with Doug. Different creek, same use. My smile turned to a shriek when something hissed at me.

A raccoon ran toward me. With its teeth bared and its fur puffed up, the rodent looked as big as a dog. Its little black eyes gleamed from the dark fur around them as its toenails scraped on the garage floor.

Without thought, I threw my phone, Rhonda’s concerned, muffled voice still on the other line. The phone clipped the beast in its side, stopping its momentum. My phone bounced off, skittering under the car. I backed into the house, slammed the door shut, and leaned against it, breathing hard.

* * *

T
hese were
the moments I missed having a man in my life. I was going to have to brave the hissing monster if I wanted to get in my car.

I dropped my purse onto the kitchen counter and pulled the broom from the narrow closet in the adjoining laundry room. I took a calming breath, then another. And another. I went to get a glass of water. I wasn’t ready for round two with the beast from hell yet.

Sirens wailed down the road. Red lights threw weird shadows across the room as I sprinted toward the front door.

Abbi. Please, God, let her be safe.

A fist pummeled against the thick wood. “Sheriff! Open up!”

I reached for the handle just as the door flew open, the edge catching my cheek and forehead. I flailed backward, shocked by the pain. Someone caught me before I hit the ground.

“Ow!”

“Where’d it hit you, Lia? You’re bleeding everywhere.”

“I figured that out already, Ralph. Why’d you hit me with my door? I was coming to open it.” I hissed when I touched the spot where he’d walloped me.

“You have a cut over your eye. I’ll call for an ambulance. They can be here in just a minute.”

“You’re the sheriff. You should be able to handle a little bit of blood.”

“It’s not a little bit.”

Nausea rolled through my stomach. “You shouldn’t have said that.”

Ralph helped me toward the living room. I sagged against him, trying to keep the blood from running into my eye. I settled on the sofa with a groan.

“Rhonda called me, said you were screaming. Asked me to come out. We thought it might be an intruder. You know, some crazy coming after you because of your books.”

I used my sleeve to dab at the blood. My face hurt, and I had a terrible headache building behind my eyes.

“Ice, please.”

“Sure thing. I’m so sorry, Lia. I don’t think it’s that deep, but Charlie’ll look at it when he gets here. You know how head wounds bleed.”

“I don’t know where Abbi is,” I said, the panic clawing its way through the haze of pain. “She said she was going out with Luke, but I can’t get her on her phone. She promised me she’d always answer it.”

Luke wouldn’t hurt Abbi. He was a nice kid. At least I thought he was. Ralph hadn’t heard about another accident or anything bad. He would’ve told me right away. He came back with the ice, talking to someone on his walkie-talkie contraption.

“Come on in and get her, Charlie. She’s got a cut on her forehead. Bleeding like a stuck pig.”

“Stop fussing,” I grumbled. “I need to go look for Abbi.”

I stood and winced, gripping the edge of my couch for balance. Charlie cupped my elbow.

“She’ll be here in a tick,” Ralph said. “Jimmy saw her at the coffee shop on Main. Sitting at a table by the window, pretty as you please.”

Charlie tugged me to the back of his ambulance. He shoved me onto the gurney and poked at my cut. “Thank— Ouch!” I snapped, dropping the ice into my lap. I yelped at the splash of cold as the bag spilt open.

“You don’t want a scar on that pretty forehead, Lia. Stay still so I can finish.”

I huffed but remained still. Tires rolled over gravel. A car door slammed, feet pounded up the drive.

“What happened? Where’s my mom? Why’s she in the ambulance? Is she dead?”

The fear in Abbi’s voice was a salve to my heart. Good. She needed to answer her damn phone.

“Omigod! You’re covered in blood!”

“Head wounds bleed a lot.”

Abbi climbed in and snatched up the dripping ice pack and slammed it against my cheek hard enough to make me cringe. Charlie cursed and glared.

“Keep still,” he snapped.

When Charlie dabbed some iodine on the area, I hissed through the sting. He finished bandaging my face.

“Done. Help your mom inside, Abbi. She needs to rest. Watch her for a concussion.”

“How do I do that? Who hit you? What happened? Is the house safe?” Abbi’s eyes roved our dark house with trepidation as her hands shook.

“Ralph hit me with the door. There’s a raccoon in the garage,” I said.

Charlie clambered down and turned to help me. “I’ll call animal patrol about the raccoon. Stay out of the garage until they pick it up.”

“Not to worry. I have no desire to see that thing again. It tried to bite me.”

Abbi shook her head, brows knit in a tight frown. “You look like someone beat you up.”

Her lip trembled. I slid off the cot and down to the driveway with Charlie’s help, unsteady from the throbbing in my head. Abbi jumped out after me, steadying me as I teetered out from Charlie’s arms.

“I screamed when I saw the raccoon. I was on the phone with Rhonda, hoping she knew more about where you were. She called in the cavalry. No one’s in the house.” Except that furry avatar of Satan.

“Okay,” Abbi said. “Okay. Good.” She helped me to the couch. I settled back against the cushions. She brought a blanket and tucked it around me. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the ministrations made my head pound worse.

“How about a painkiller?” I asked.

Tears filled her eyes. She looked at my swollen, bloodied face. “I’m sorry.”

She ran to the kitchen and brought back a couple pills and a glass of water.

Opening my mouth made my bruised cheek hurt more. I wasn’t looking forward to looking in the mirror. It wouldn’t be pretty.

“Raccoon’s gone. Lit out soon as I opened the garage. I found this under your car,” Ralph said, handing me my shattered phone. “It was making a god-awful racket.”

“Thanks, Ralph.”

“We’ll check in with you tomorrow. I’m real sorry, Lia.” He shook his head and left, shutting the door with quiet precision.

I pressed the button and waited for the screen to come to life. Squinting, I was able to make out that I’d missed three calls from Ella.

“Call your aunt Ella for me, Abbi. She must need something, and my head hurts too much to call myself.”

Abbi turned her phone on and dialed the number. Ella’s excited voice blared through the phone.

“Your mother is a doll, Abbi. I need to come out there and thank her in person.”

“What’s going on?” Abbi asked. She sniffled, tears still clinging to her lashes.

“The Supernaturals want to record one of Simon’s songs, that’s what’s going on! Asher invited Simon to the studio in Seattle next month. I guess the Supernaturals are recording another album then.”

I tried to smile at Asher’s thoughtfulness. My cheek didn’t appreciate the movement, and I groaned.

“Just a minute, Aunt Ella.” Abbi turned to face me. “You need something?”

“More ice,” I sighed.

Abbi took her phone with her while she dug through a kitchen drawer. “Mom got beat up by the sheriff tonight,” she said.

I lifted my hand, trying to tell her to stop, but it was too late. I couldn’t hear Ella’s response, but Abbi said, “No, it wasn’t like that. C’mon, this is Mom you’re asking about. Sheriff Lindon came to save her from a raccoon and slammed her face with the front door. I thought she’d broken her cheek, but Charlie—he’s the EMT—said it’s just a bad bruise. She has a cut over her eye. It’s all nasty and she’s covered in blood.”