Page 22 of Cursed Fox (Willow Creek Security #4)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Nancy

I paced around the small apartment. Something was bothering me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"We need to go to Oklahoma," I blurted out as soon as Lex stepped out of the steaming bathroom.

"Ummm, all right. Is everything okay?"

I chewed on my lip. "No, it's not. I don't know what's wrong, but something is. I need to get to Oklahoma and make sure Jimmy's okay."

"Then we leave now."

And just like that, Lex agreed. He didn't ask for further explanation. He didn't push it off until tomorrow or even another day. I voiced a concern and Lex was willing to drop everything to make it happen. I never thought I would find someone like that.

"Thank you."

"Baby, you don't need to thank me. If you feel something is wrong, then we need to go check it out. My whole life I've followed my gut instinct. I wouldn’t expect anything different from you.”

I walked straight over and planted a kiss right on the man's lips. I could feel him get hard against my stomach, so I backed up with a chuckle. "We don't have time for that right now."

"Woman, you're the one who kissed me,” Lex growled as he stomped off to get dressed.

"Whoops." I said the word but didn't actually mean it. I liked knowing that it only took a kiss to turn him on.

In less than ten minutes, Lex was dressed and we were on the road. I called Jimmy as soon as we hit the highway.

"Hello?"

Shit, I kept forgetting I didn't have my phone, so every time I called Jimmy, it was from a different number. "It's me again."

My son huffed. "You really need to either get a new phone or come get yours already."

"That's actually why I'm calling. We’re on our way to see you."

"Who's we?"

I rolled my eyes at my son's tone but didn't miss the smirk on Lex's face from the corner of my eye. He was finding this amusing.

"Lex and I."

"Okay." My son almost sounded relieved by my answer.

"Have you heard from your sister lately?"

Jessie was going into her senior year of college and interning over the summer to gain some extra experience before graduation. Normally we spoke several times a week, but without my phone, it had been too long.

"Not since she called your phone and I told her you left it here."

At least she had checked in. That was all I cared about.

"I'll call her when I get there. I'll see you in about eight hours."

We said our goodbyes and I ended the call. "I should've grabbed another phone when I was at the office yesterday."

"Wes has extra phones lying around?"

I nodded my head. "You mean Maverick doesn't?"

I laughed when Lex merely shrugged his shoulder. "I guess I never thought to ask."

"I can't tell you how many times one of the guys broke a phone while on an assignment. It was either keep them on hand or listen to them whine when they had to wait for a new one to come in. I got sick of listening to it and learned to order in bulk."

"Huh." Lex scratched his beard. "That actually makes sense."

The rest of the drive continued in a similar fashion—completely opposite from the last time we’d made the same drive. I learned so much about Lex during our trip, it felt like I had known him forever.

By the time we got to Jimmy's apartment building, it was super late. Nathan was once again manning the front desk when we walked through. I apologized for running out before I could see his mother, but promised to make it up to her.

I felt bad about knocking on Jimmy’s door so late, but it was obvious when he answered a moment later that he was up waiting for us.

"Shouldn't you be resting your leg, not hobbling around on crutches?" I asked with concern as soon as we walked through the door.

"I knew you would be coming soon and I figured you didn't have your keys on you."

He would be correct. They were in my suitcase in his guest room. A lot of good that did me.

"How are you feeling?" I directed Jimmy over to the couch and sat next to him after he was fully settled in.

"Some hours are better than others. I know I was talking about leaving the NFL, but I didn't want it forced on me."

"You're not leaving. Just on the injured reserve for the time being. This time next year, you'll be good as new," I reminded him.

He didn't look convinced. "That's if the Pioneers even want to keep me."

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

Jimmy sighed. "There's talk of a trade."

I was taken aback by his response. "Already? I thought you signed a three-year contract?"

"I did. But that's what happens when you have an awful season and then wind up spending the next season on the injured reserve. I'm not exactly useful to them."

"Is there any chance the letters could be coming from someone on the team?" Lex spoke up for the first time.

"You don't think …?" I mulled over the suggestion, but it didn't feel right. My gut was telling me it was Thomas.

"I'm not sure what to think. We have no indication it's Thomas other than the fact that what's in the letter is similar to what he said to you."

"That's why I need to get the other letters." I turned my attention back to Jimmy. "Do you think you can ask Fred if he can have them delivered here?"

"Yeah, I'll text him right now."

Jimmy pulled his phone out of his pocket and his fingers flew across the screen. "Done."

A few seconds later it dinged with a response. "Fred said he will deliver them himself first thing in the morning."

I knew there was a reason I liked the guy so much.

"Okay, thanks. I think once I read them all at the same time, things will make a little more sense."

"I'm not so sure." Jimmy sat further back on the couch. "A lot of them are just the ramblings of an unhappy man."

"You mean an unhappy father," I clarified, but Jimmy frowned.

"I haven't thought of him as my father since the day he left us. He lost that right. If it is him, I hope like hell someone takes care of him."

I had a feeling I knew what he meant by take care of. I was now regretting all the times I let him spend at my office with Wes and the guys.

"You don't talk like that. The last thing people need to hear is you wishing your father was dead."

I knew that smirk. "I never said dead, Mom. That was all you."

Damn my kid for being so smart. I needed to change the subject. "What did the team doctors say about your injury?"

"Pretty much the same thing the doctors at the hospital said. I'm looking at a minimum of nine months before I can play again, and that's if everything goes right. If I'm lucky, I'll be ready in time for training camp. If not, definitely by the start of the regular season."

I chewed on my lower lip. "Any more talk of trades?"

As much as I wanted my son closer, he loved playing for the Pioneers. And I could bet he wanted another shot at proving he was the player they first scouted.

"Nah. I don’t think they want the negative publicity. It would look bad if they got rid of someone who got hit by a car while being gunned down."

I didn't care what reason they gave as long as they kept him on until his contract was up.

"Well, I think it's time for bed. We've kept you up long enough."

Jimmy refused to let me or Lex help him up, so I had to sit back and watch him struggle a little. "Goodnight, Mom. Night, Lex," he said once he was standing and his crutches were under his arms.

I waited until Jimmy was down the hall before I looked back at Lex.

"You're sleeping in bed with me tonight. Don't give me lip. I promise to get up if I hear you have a nightmare, but I refuse to sleep alone. Not when I feel like my whole world is about to blow up."

For once, Lex didn't argue.