Take Me Away (Southern Bride 6)

With one look around the barn, I reached down for the belt on my jeans as Linnzi smiled. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not wearing any panties under this dress,” she said.

The memory faded, and I rubbed the sudden ache in my chest. With a sigh, I reached for my phone on my dresser and slipped it into my pocket. By the time I stopped at the toy store, Nolan’s party would have already started.

I grabbed the truck keys and headed into town. After purchasing two gifts for Nolan and a little tea set for Liliana, I headed to Truitt and Linnzi’s house.

My phone rang, and I saw it was Truitt. The party had only started a few minutes ago.

“Hey, I’m almost there. Sorry I’m running late.”

“Yeah, it’s okay, no worries.”

Truitt sounded strange. No, more worried than strange. “Geesh, did you hurt yourself already?” I asked.

My best friend was notorious for being accident prone. He was the only guy I knew who had betting pools going on for how many times in that year he would end up in the ER. I’d won twice over the years, guessing the exact amount of times. And I won once for calling that he’d get two broken bones in one year.

“No, I…I…didn’t hurt myself. Saryn just surprised me with something.”

I rolled my eyes. “Dude, I really don’t want to hear about your sexual escapades, especially since the only action my cock has seen in the last eight years is my own goddamn hand. Save it, will you?”

“No, Nolan. I don’t really know how to tell you this.”

My heart dropped. “Are the kids okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s nothing like that. Fuck, I guess I need to come out and just say it. Saryn got a phone call yesterday to pick up an old friend at the airport, she had no idea they were coming in, so it was a complete surprise. She didn’t tell me because she wanted to surprise me. I also didn’t tell her you were coming in for Nolan’s actual party. She thinks you’re coming in a few days.”

I gripped the steering wheel harder as I pulled up and stopped at the end of Truitt’s driveway. “Well, you probably should tell me since I’m sitting outside your house.”

Truitt’s house was a good way down the long driveway that meandered along the oak-covered pastures on either side of the drive, though, so it wasn’t like I was about to knock on the front door. There were still a few minutes’ drive before I got to the house.

“Christ,” Truitt whispered. “Hold on, let me walk away from the house.”

I frowned. The strangest feeling came over me, and I found myself holding my breath. My phone beeped with another call, and I pulled it away to see it was Amy, Linnzi’s mother.

“Amy’s calling me. She’s been trying to get a hold of me since yesterday.”

“You didn’t answer her calls?”

“No, I mean, in all honesty I knew I was coming back home, and I didn’t really want to deal with it.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to deal with it, because the moment of truth is fixin’ to happen. Nolan, Linnzi is here. She’s moved back to Texas for good.”

It felt like I was in my plane and banking at 9 Gs. “What?” I said, not sure how I had inhaled enough air to be able to speak.

“When I say here, I mean here, here. At the party. Saryn invited her.”

My throat felt like it was closing. “She’s back?”

“Yes.”

With a deep breath in, I nodded. Then stopped, realizing I was alone. “Let me call Amy back and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I guess that’s going to depend on if she remembers anything when she sees me.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

I blew out a deep breath. “Thanks for giving me a heads up. I’ll be there in a few.”

“See ya.”

I hit End and then looked at my phone. Holy shit. All the deleted texts and missed calls over the last twenty-four hours. Amy had been trying to tell me Linnzi was back.

I hit her number and waited.

“Nolan! I was starting to worry but thought you might be out of the country or…something.”

“No, I’m not. I saw your missed call yesterday, but in all honesty, Amy…” My voice trailed off.

“I know. I know, Nolan. But I’ve been desperate to get a hold of you. Linnzi is back. She’s here in Texas. She flew in yesterday and surprised us. We had no idea until she showed up at our door.”

“I know, Truitt just called me. It looks like Saryn picked her up and then waited until Linnzi showed up for baby Nolan’s birthday party to surprise him.”

“Oh goodness.”

Clearing my throat, I forced the words out. “Amy, I’m here. In Texas. I flew in last night.”

Her breath caught. “Oh my goodness. Lord. I need to sit down.”