“I have to go. The car is here.” He just shook his head again, walking with quick steps toward the door. I’d forgotten the car was waiting.
“Hunter... do you want to talk when you get back? Should I stay up?”
“I don’t know, Josie. Do what’s best for you.”
I swallowed hard. Hunter walked out of the room, and then I was all alone with my thoughts.
What had he meant, Do what’s best for you?
Okay. I needed to get out of the hotel right away and clear my mind. I’d drive myself crazy if I just waited until he returned. These functions usually lasted until well after midnight. But where to go? I didn’t want to be by myself, honestly. I debated calling my sister, but she was miles away and couldn’t just jump on a plane and come here. I wished she could.
I called Tess instead. She had a cold, so she was sitting out this event.
“Hey... um, are you up for receiving a visit?”
“Holy shit. Don’t like your voice.”
I barked out a laugh. “Neither do I.”
“What happened?”
“I’m not even sure.”
“Right. That calls for some major girl time. Don’t worry, I’ve got everything you need.”
“I’ll uber to your place right away,” I said.
“I’ll have everything ready.”
I loved Tess so much. So much.
I arrived at her apartment half an hour later and walked straight into her open arms. Her nose was a little red from her cold.
“Come on. I’ll take care of you, and you can tell me what happened. If you want to. Ugh, that’s a glare. So, not going to talk about anything tonight. Just one tiny question.”
I laughed. “Tess....”
“Just one. I promise.”
“Go ahead.”
“You can answer with yes or no, and I won’t pry any further. Will just motivate the rest of the family into action. Does anyone need their ass kicked? Yes or no?”
“Yes. I think I need my ass kicked.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Hunter
I’d never wanted to leave a function as badly I wanted to bail on this one. I was going through the motions, counting down the minutes until it was acceptable to make up an excuse and leave.
My head wasn’t in the game, but luckily, I’d done all the work when I’d invited the guests. Now all I had to do was smile and emcee.
After securing the mic back in its place, I stepped down from the stage, mingling with the crowd.
“Caldwell, where’s that pretty wife of yours?” an elderly man asked. Greg was in his late sixties and a little in love with Josie. Weren’t they all?
“Wasn’t feeling well.”