9
Iordered in breakfast before I called the guys and invited them to my suite for updates. It was the least I could do to make up for last night. I still felt bad about Colby disturbing them to reach me, but I felt even worse for neglecting her. This was our first time apart, and I was falling down on the job on day one.
Yes, circumstances beyond my control were to blame.
No, that didn’t matter one bit to a scared kid home alone.
A kid who must have stayed up all night playing with her friends if she was missing her requested call.
This time, I would leave a message to make sure she knew I hadn’t forgotten about her.
“You’re not answering, so I assume you’re unconscious. Call if you need me. Or if you need anything. You’re good on food, right? Enough sugar water to last you? How about snacks? Do you need—?”
A knock on the room dividing door kept me from going overboard with the helicopter parenting.
Or not.
Ending the embarrassingly long voicemail, I opened the security app on my phone and jumped indoor cameras until I spotted Colby asleep in her chair in front of her computer. Safe and sound.
Another knock had me rushing over to twist the lock and let the guys in. “Morning.”
“Do I smell bear claws?” Clay sniffed as he entered the room. “Did you knock over a bakery?”
A smile twitched in my cheek when I noticed a gleaming black pompadour perched on his head.
“Those are apology muffins and bear claws of remorse. There’s also coffee of forgiveness and milk of…” I thought about it. “Okay, I’m not sure what the milk signifies, but it’s whole milk. Your favorite.”
“How about ‘milk of you didn’t have to do this’?” He sat and claimed a bear claw. “You’re a package deal with Colby. We knew that when we left Samford.”
The rich tobacco scent I had come to associate with Asa filled my nose as he entered the room.
He wore his Black Hat suit but had left his hair down, and it flowed in a smooth sheet past his hips. His septum bling was a thick silver barbell, and his earrings tiny dots to match. I briefly wondered if he was pierced elsewhere, but I couldn’t focus, even on dirty thoughts, past the hair.
The girly girl in me craved to plait it. Like my fingers actually curled in want of a brush. An overwhelming need to touch it made my palms itch. He was lucky I didn’t have any hairbands on me. Otherwise, I might have attacked him with an insatiable lust to style him.
“Morning,” he said softly. “How did you sleep?”
“Better than I have in years.” That was the honest truth. “I was too tired to toss and turn.”
A quick turkey club from the hotel kitchen, which cost twenty-five dollars, made for a decent meal. After I showered the woods and creek off me, I expected to stare at the ceiling until dawn. The earlier nap had been glorious, and I didn’t expect to get lucky twice in one night. With the Sandman, that is.
The jerk had been holding out on me forever, so I was thrilled he felt like putting out for a change.
“You bought breakfast.” He took the seat opposite mine. “That was thoughtful.”
“The call,” Clay explained between bites. “This is edible guilt.”
After careful consideration of his options, Asa claimed a muffin. He also poured himself a black coffee.
With my guests both eating, I sat and selected a muffin. To play the game well, I chose one with a similar blueberry to crumble ratio. I couldn’t help myself. It was a compulsive behavior at this point. Part of me had to know what Asa would do. I had a good idea, of course, but I had no idea why he did it. That smidgen of mystery was enough to convince myself I ought to yank the daemon’s tail.
Not that Asa had a tail. That I had seen. Did he, though?
Hmm.
“I got a present in my inbox.” I pulled up the file from the Kellies. “I assume you both received a copy?”
“The crime scene recording.” Clay sounded about as thrilled as me to view it. “Synchronize watches.”