Page 20 of Loving Trent (Love in the Bootheel #5)

While staring at his message, trying to figure out a polite way to tell him he screwed up, Nana’s name pops up.

I sigh because I’m too tired to talk, but if I ignore Nana, she will call back multiple times.

I swipe to answer her call but place it on speakerphone, not having the energy to hold my phone up anymore.

“Is everything okay?” My legs give out, and I collapse on the white, overstuffed couch.

“Sure is. I’ve got Axel for the night, and we thought we would check in on his favorite uncle before we turned in,” Nana says.

True to her word, I hear Axel, Sammy’s son, let out a little cry.

He, Faith, and Hope are the only good things to come out of the last five months.

But sadly, I haven’t found the time to visit them as much as I would like to.

“I’m good, Nana.”

“You don’t sound good, Shawn.”

Sighing, my head falls back as if the action of making that small sound sucked the little energy I had away.

“I’m exhausted to tell the truth. Everything is piling up on me, and it’s getting harder to handle.

The gym was broken into last week and destroyed.

I got bad news about the restaurant tonight.

The only thing going remotely well is the construction on the apartments, but?—”

“Oh, Shawn. What you need is a break. It’s been months since you’ve been down, so why don’t you take some time and come see us?

We all miss you. As for the rest of that you just mentioned, we’ll deal with it together, as a family.

” Her tone leaves no room for any arguments.

She means business, and if I don’t listen, I’m sure she will just come up here and drag me down there.

I told Boe I was coming just a few seconds ago, but that was to stop him from worrying about me so much.

“I’ll be there tomorrow.” Even though guilt starts to form at the thought of everything that won't get done, sweet relief fills my chest.

“Good, that’s what I like to hear. We love you, Shawn. See you tomorrow,” she says, and then the line goes dead.

I should get up and grab the papers that the auditor Maria gave me, but my eyelids are so damn heavy that I can’t push them open one more time.

The sound of my phone ringing pulls me from the same dream; brown eyes staring into my soul, strong arms wrapped around me, and warm, soft, and plush lips pressed against mine. The ringing stops, but it starts again, not even a second later. “Yeah,” I bark out after blindly answering it.

“Well, someone is extra grumpy this morning. I thought we were meeting for coffee to go over those papers.” The fog in my brain disappears at the sound of Maria Telvondy’s voice.

I rub my hand over the stubble on my jaw and groan.

“Shit, I forgot. I fell asleep on the couch without setting my alarm.” My muscles pulling tight in my neck and lower back tells me that I will regret that decision all day.

“Plus, I might have agreed to head to my sisters to spend time with my family.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I can continue checking into things here while?—”

“No, why don’t you come with me? I’m going to ask my dad to look into this. I don’t want anyone to know I’m onto them, and he can do it without being noticed. You can explain what you found to him better than I can.”

“You sure? Meeting the family is a huge ass step.”

A chuckle falls from my lips, but quickly turns to a groan when I get up off the couch in search of some coffee. “Fuck off, Maria. How’s the wife, by the way?” I turn on the kitchen light and pop in a coffee pod, needing the fuel.

Maria laughs loudly. “She’s good, ready for me to get home. What time should I be ready?”

“I’ll be there within the hour.” With my coffee made, I should have enough energy to shower and pack a bag.

“See you then.”

I take ten minutes to lean against the counter and drink my coffee.

Even if I’m late, Maria isn’t going to bitch.

When I started searching for an auditor, I contacted Jerry, who works with my dad.

His daughter is an auditor, and I thought maybe she could come up and check out my business, but she was too busy.

Jerry did come through with another person for me, Maria.

Initially apprehensive, I checked out her references, and everyone sang her praises.

We’ve only been working together for a little over a week, and we are not only closer to figuring out who is stealing from me, but we’re friends.

After showering, packing, and letting the only managers I trust at my businesses know I’m leaving town, I’m on my way to pick up Maria.

Like she usually does when we are together, Maria starts instantly ribbing me about my obsession with the guy who saved my life.

I’ve told her everything, and she has even offered to help me try to find him, but if Dad doesn’t know where to start, then I’m not sure who will.

“Shawny, I really have to pee,” Maria whines for the fifth time and shifts in her seat.

“We will be at my sister’s house in like five minutes.” My lips pull up into a smile at the brotherly tone that coats my words.

She crosses her arms and pouts like a toddler being told she can’t have any more candy. “I can’t hold it. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten that milkshake.”

“I tried to warn you, but you knew better.”

Maria reaches over and slaps my arm. “Seriously, if you don’t find a place for me to pee, you are going to have to hose out your car.”

I sigh and pull into the parking lot of Mitchell’s, the local grocery store in the town where all my family lives.

Maria is out of her seat and running across the sidewalk, her blue hair blowing in the wind, before I shut the car off.

While I'm here, I might as well see if Sammy needs anything.

She answers on the first ring. “You almost here?”

“Yeah, I’m in town. I had to stop so Maria could use the bathroom. You guys need anything from Mitchell’s?”

“Actually, yeah, I do. I’ll send you a list. Zak is swamped at the shop, and Axel is extra cranky today, so you would be a lifesaver if you could pick everything up for me.”

“I got you. Love you.” My phone dings with a text message as she returns the statement of love, and I get out.

I find Maria, and we spend the next twenty minutes getting all sixty items on my sister’s list. I grab extra snacks and junk food for Dylan before heading to the checkout. Maria is back to teasing me about brown eyes the whole time.

I look over my shoulder and narrow my eyes. “Seriously, keep your voice down.”

She raises her eyebrows and shifts the bags in her hands. “Don’t be embarrassed. I bet mister brown eyes is hot as hell. If I were into dicks I would be obsessed with him as well. All I’m saying is that maybe you should try to get out there and date again?—”

“Maria,” I almost shout because she isn't lowering her voice, and well… We are in a small town in the Bible Belt.

“What?”

“Well… well, what do we have here? A little faggot…”

And this is why I wanted her to keep her voice down.