Page 12 of Wrecked for Love (Buffaloberry Hill #1)
CLAIRE
Somewhere in Wyoming
The couple in the next room were arguing well into the early hours, and the paper-thin walls rattled with the force of their shouting.
Back in New York, I would’ve just used earplugs and slept through it all.
The only thing I’d have missed was my alarm the next morning.
But now? I couldn’t afford to miss anything.
I sat up and slammed my fist against the wall. “Hey! Some of us are trying to sleep!”
For a brief, hopeful moment, silence stretched through the room.
Then—bang. A violent thud from the other side shook the headboard.
“Shut up and check out if you can’t handle us, princess!
” a woman shrieked. The rest dissolved into a slurred mess of expletives that didn’t even make sense by the end.
For half a second, I almost laughed. It was so over-the-top for something as minor as asking for quiet.
But the humor flickered out fast. Not when I’d been running on fumes, hopping from one grimy motel to another, never getting more than a couple of hours of sleep before some kind of disaster hit.
Not when this was just another night in a long string of them.
Screw it. I was done.
As I stepped into the cold night air, the neon Vacancy sign buzzed overhead, casting a red glow on the cracked pavement.
I needed somewhere else. Somewhere better. Somewhere I could breathe.
The place existed. I just didn’t want to admit it. Admitting it meant complications, and complications were the last thing I had the capacity to deal with.
With a deep breath, I started the car, ready to leave this town behind. No matter how bad the day had been, no matter how desperate I was to escape, one ritual remained—the town’s animal shelter.
It was dark, but faint barks echoed from the back. I shoved an envelope under the front door, making sure it was far enough inside that no one could pull it back out. Then, I drove away.
Where to next?
No idea.
I let the night swallow me. Wherever I ended up, I’d deal with it.
Not much had happened since I left Buffaloberry Hill, but the little that did happen made me think twice about moving on. I’d been mugged one night. Another time, a drunk followed me back to my motel.
The endless road grated on my nerves. I wished I was in bed, sleeping in peace. I’d forgotten what that even felt like.
My hand drifted to my chest, still adjusting to the absence of my Batgirl Forever necklace. I had no idea where I’d lost it, but when I realized it was gone, I cried for days. Cody had given it to me, and tonight, the loss hit harder than usual.
“Fuuuuck!” The scream ripped from my throat, but my one remaining lung was too spent to sustain it. Even with both, this release wouldn’t have been any easier.
I was so damn tired of fighting alone. Maybe I’d gone soft because, for a moment back at The Lazy Moose, I’d tasted what safety felt like. I missed that feeling—more than I cared to admit.
Suddenly, a deer darted into the middle of the road. I slammed on the brakes just in time.
That was close!
The doe had a fawn with her. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I’d hit either of them. Or worse, both.
“Sorry, Mama,” I murmured, watching them cross, my hands trembling on the wheel.
My head dropped forward as I tried to catch my breath, telling myself I’d be okay.
I drove on. If I kept going, I’d be in Colorado soon. I’d never turned back before, but maybe this time I should.
A familiar pillow. A place where I didn’t have to sleep with one eye open. God, I’d give anything for that right now!
The complications could wait.