A tight coil I didn’t previously notice loosens from my stomach. I flex my muscles, shoving the misguided relief away. A deeper truth snags my attention for a moment: if only I could’ve been raised by a sole parent. Life would be a very different story. “A mom is all you need.”
“Yep, she’s the best.” She moves to stand, and Patch whines. Millie strokes her head. “Don’t worry. I’m not leaving, Patchy.”
My dog licks her arm. I grunt at her newfound display of affection. “She really likes you.”
“Good, because I love her.” She squeezes her neck before walking toward me. Patch follows close behind, refusing to leave more than a foot between them. Patch is loyal to those she finds worthy.
I dig my phone out and unlock the screen. “Do you have her number memorized?” I’m banking on the faith that she does, because our options are pretty slim otherwise.
“Yep!” Millie snags my cell and starts tapping away without hesitation. Kids and technology these days.
I can barely detect ringing from the other end. But when the call connects, her face lights up.
“Hello?” Keegan’s silky greeting almost makes me shiver. What the fuck?
“Hi, Mama.”
“Millie? What’s wrong?”
She begins chewing on her lower lip. “Uh, well…I got separated from Ms. Ross.”
“Separated? Where are you? What are you doing? Whose phone are you on?” The airy caress of her voice vanishes, replaced by a much higher pitched staccato.
“Don’t worry, Mama. The nice man who fixed our tire found me in the woods. He has a really pretty dog. Her name is Patch.”
And cue the predatory emergency alert. It’s no surprise that a loud screech from Keegan immediately follows Millie’s response. I can’t hear much more than the teetering edge of hysteria slicing into her ranting. I almost plug my ears. A quick glance at Patch tells me I’m not the only one suffering—my dog is backing away from Millie, choosing to investigate an uncharted clump of dirt.
Keegan is still firing out nonsense. Her curt tone is precisely what I envisioned earlier, misplaced fantasy or not. The heat in my veins returns with a vengeance. I’ll be replaying her lyrical tirade for many lonely nights to come. For now, she’s going to require further explanation. Do I step in?
Millie tugs the phone away from her ear, touching the screen until Keegan’s voice is on speaker. “Mama, you’re being too loud. Ford can hear you, too.”
“Well, what do you expect?” A loud huff blows from her end. “How did this happen, Millie?”
She twirls a braid around her finger. “My class was going on a nature hike, and I got lost.”
“Does your teacher know?”
“I think so.” Millie tips her head side to side.
“Is she still looking for you?”
“Maybe?”
“Amelia Marie! She’s probably worried sick. And if she isn’t…well, either way, I’ll be having a few words with her.”
The little girl winces. “Sorry, Mama. There was a cute bunny and I followed its cute cotton tail.”
Keegan’s exhale is rough. “Where are you now?”
Millie rolls her eyes. “I already told you. In the woods with Ford. We’re all alone, except for Patch.”
Because that doesn’t sound creepy as fuck. I swallow a groan. A fierce cramp stabs into my gut. I wouldn’t blame Keegan if she called the cops.
Millie continues, blissfully unaware of my distress. “I like him. It doesn’t scare me to talk to him. Isn’t that cool? And I really like petting Patch. Can we get a dog, Mama?”
“We have bigger issues at the moment, Millie. Let me talk to Crawford.”
“I’m here,” I answer.
“Take me off speaker. Please,” she grinds out.
Millie hands me the phone. “I think you’re in trouble. She’s using her mad voice.”
“Amelia!” Keegan cuts in. “I need to speak with Ford in private.”
She giggles, clapping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes sparkle with humor. “You’re gonna get yelled at,” she whispers through her fingers.
I lift my chin toward Patch. “How about you toss her a stick while I chat with your mom?”
“ ‘Kay!” She bounces off with extra pep in her step.
I clear my throat. “All right, she’s stepped away.”
A loud sniff rattles through the line. “Thank you for finding her. I had no idea she was missing.”
“It’s no problem. I don’t think she’s been gone very long.”
“I would assume not since they didn’t alert me. I’ll let them know once we hang up.”
“Sounds good.” I pause for a beat. “What should I do with Millie?”
“I’m already in the car to come get her. Is there a landmark nearby you can point out? Maybe text me your location?”
“Uh, well, that’s kinda complicated.” I glance around at the thick barricade of trees and foliage. “I wouldn’t know where to start with directions.”
“Okay, no problem. Never mind about that. Is there a spot close that will be easier to find? Just please bring her somewhere safe.”
“We’ll go to my shop.” I rattle off the address for her.
“Perfect. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” She hangs up without fanfare.
I’m still staring down at the blank screen when Millie slams to a halt in front of me. “Is my mom coming to get me?”
“Yeah. We’re meeting her at my garage.”
“Is it far away?”
“Nah, just a five-minute walk.” I hitch a thumb over my shoulder.
“That’s super close. My mom will like that. Did she yell at you?”
“No, but she’s definitely not happy.” I let my frown dip lower.
Millie scoffs. The soft sound is meant to be oppositional, but I almost laugh. “My mama is super sweet. She doesn’t stay angry for long. It’s against her nature. That’s what Josey says, at least.”
She’s turning into quite a chatterbox. Maybe I should take that as another compliment. But a grunt escapes me at the thought. I’m the last person anyone should find comforting. “Who’s Josey?”
“My auntie. Well, kinda.”
“Ah, that’s, um…fun.” Family dynamics tend to confuse me on the best days. “We should get going, Millie.”
She pouts at me. “I prefer Peep.”
I’d already forgotten about that. Kids use silly nicknames, right? Aren’t they always calling each other something random? Shit, usually nothing nice. Words
