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His phone buzzed on the desk, dragging him out of his thoughts. The notification on his secure cell phone told him there was a message on his personal phone. Only family or Star would call that number. Standing, he stretched and whistled softly. Thor perked up, stretching his stiff legs before padding behind Ethan as they headed upstairs. Ethan secured the door to his systems as a matter of habit before grabbing his phone from the counter and hitting play on the voicemail. Star’s husky voice came through, strained and exasperated.
“Hey, Ethan, I really hate to bother you … again. But I kind of need some help. Could you come over here? Ah, thanks.”
He smiled, already envisioning what chaos she’d landed herself in this time. Star Peterson, his neighbor of three years, had a knack for attracting trouble like moths to a flame. Sometimes, she was just his friend. Other times, he wished they were more and … well, that was something he didn’t care to think about right now.
“C’mon, Thor,” he said, grabbing his phone. They headed out, crossing the backyard and slipping through the gate in the fence to her back door. He knocked and waited.
“Come in!” Star’s voice called from somewhere in the house.
“Star? Where are you?” Ethan asked, stepping inside.
“In the laundry room. Could you hurry, please?”
That tone had him jogging through the house. He stopped dead when he reached the laundry room, blinking at the sight before him.
All he could see were legs and feet sticking out from behind the dryer.
“What in the hell?” he muttered, stepping closer.
“I’m stuck!” Star’s muffled voice sounded both exasperated and embarrassed. She kicked her feet weakly. “Help, please?”
Ethan climbed onto the dryer, kneeling to get a better look. Sure enough, there she was, wedged tightly between the washer, dryer, and wall. He shook his head, biting back a laugh.
“How in the hell did you manage this?” he asked, reaching down to grab the waistband of her jeans.
“I was trying to get a sock that fell out of the basket!” Her voice had a plaintive, almost pitiful quality that made the situation funnier. Star’s uncanny ability to end up in bizarre predicaments was both endearing and baffling.
With a firm tug, Ethan started to pull her out. As more of her body emerged, he wrapped an arm around her waist to hoist her up and out of the tight space. Her face was lobster-red, a mix of exertion and pure mortification, and as soon as she was upright, she fainted.
“Damn it, Star!” Ethan scrambled to catch her before she hit the floor, carrying her out of the cramped laundry room and into her bedroom. Gently, he laid her on the bed, brushing a strand of hair from her flushed face.
Flipping open his phone, he dialed one of his many cousins. “Hey, Beth. I need to borrow some of your medical school knowledge.”
“I’m first-year, Ethan. My knowledge is pretty limited, but I can try. What’s up?”
“How long can a person hang upside down without permanent damage?”
The silence on the other end was thick with surprise. “What?”
“My neighbor was stuck behind the dryer. Upside down,” he explained, deadpan.
“How long was she stuck?”
“I came over as soon as she called, so maybe a few minutes? Longer if she waited before calling me. She fainted when I pulled her out.”
“What’s her pulse like?”
Ethan checked, pressing two fingers to her wrist. “Strong.”
“If her pulse is strong and she’s waking up, she’s probably fine. But if she has any preexisting conditions, you might want to get her checked out just in case.”
“Got it. Thanks, Doc.”
“Not a doctor yet, but give me time.” Beth laughed before hanging up.
Star groaned softly, her eyes fluttering open. As realization dawned, she covered her face with both hands. “God, not again.”
Ethan chuckled, prying her hands away. “The Star Curse strikes again.”
Her groan deepened as Thor shoved his muzzle into her face, sniffing her intently to make sure she was okay. Ethan leaned back, watching the exchange with an amused grin.
The woman was a magnet for calamity, a walking, talking Murphy’s Law. But as much as her misadventures baffled him, he couldn’t deny that Star—chaotic, unpredictable, and utterly exasperating—had a way of making life infinitely more interesting.
Forget Murphy. Star had that fool beat, hands down.