Page 95 of Shallow

After the meeting ends,Kelly waves at me as she turns to leave. I change my mind a dozen times in the span of a few seconds, but end up laying a hesitant hand on her arm to stop her. “How did the visit go with yourkids?”

Chairs scrape and the noise level in the room rises as people make their way toward the refreshment table. Since letting go of the initial hostility I had about these meetings, I’ve actually grown to care about these people. I’m ashamed at how I once considered them to be beneath me as if they were all third-class thugs, and I was some kind of elitecriminal.

That’s some snobby-assbullshit.

Kelly’s eyes lower, and my heart drops. Her dick ex-husband tried to keep her away from her twins, so I talked to Will, and he gave me the name of the best domestic lawyer in town. I’ve waited all week, hoping to hear goodnews.

“Kelly, no. Tell me he didn’t block the orderagain.”

Before I can launch into a tirade, she tilts her head up and grins. “Amazing. They’re amazing. Life isamazing.”

“You’re being a little vague.” I laugh, returning her huge smile. “Are you saying things areamazing?”

Her arms are around me before I can prepare for them. “Shiloh, I can’t thank you enough. That lawyer is incredible. I owe youeverything.”

I pull away and cross my arms over my chest. Don’t judge. Progress is great, but I’m still not comfortable with that much physical touch. I’m evolving, but even Rome wasn’t built in aday.

“You don’t owe me anything, Kelly. I just did what anyone else would’vedone.”

Kelly juts out her chin and shakes her head. “Modesty doesn’t suit you. Take a compliment when it’s deserved and deal with the fact that you’re actually a nice person, as much as it pains you to admitit.”

Hmmm. When did Carolinians get so astute? Maybe we need to limit their access toCNN.

We briefly hug again when a hand lands on my shoulder. “You ready to go?” I glance behind me and nod as Frankie guides me toward the door while shoving no less than half a dozen wafers in hismouth.

I wave goodbye to Kelly while brushing crumbs off my shoulder. “You eat like aprimate.”

His only response is to make high pitched gorilla sounds and scratch hisarmpits.

Classy.

Just as I reach for the doorknob, Frankie makes a grunting sound and swallows the mouthful of cookies he has shoved inside his cheek. I pause, not sure whether to smack him for being so disgusting or jump behind him and perform the Heimlichmaneuver.

“Backpack,” he manages to say as pieces of wet wafer fly out of his mouth. “Hold up, I forgot mybackpack.”

I raise a hand, partly to keep him in place, but mainly to block the spray of cookie dust from embedding in my hair. “Finish eating. I’ll getit.”

“Yousure?”

“Yeah, and wipe your mouth.” Winking, I give him a friendly light slap on the cheek “You look like you’ve been chewing onsawdust.”

“You love me, West,” he calls after me. “Admitit.”

“In your better dreams,Montero.”

The chatter has died down and the room is almost cleared out by the time I make my way back to the meeting area. Grabbing the worn black backpack that’s draped over the back of our chairs, I sling it over my shoulder and head outside to join the others. The minute I step through the door, I can’t help but laugh when I find Frankie having a very in-depth conversation with some young girl with long red hair and boobs the size ofwatermelons.

Far be it from me to cockblock him with an interruption, so I just shift his backpack higher onto my shoulder and pull my phone out of my purse to callCary.

Cleanslate.

Just as I start to dial, I hear them in the distance. The repetitive wail is faint at first, then grows louder. I glance up just as two squad cars skid to a stop in front of the crowd, turning in such a way that their front bumpers almost touch. The phone is still in my hand, my thumb still over the dial button, when Frankie appears by myside.

“Don’t sayanything.”

“Why? What do theywant?”

“Don’t know, but it’s never good. Keep your mouthshut.”