“I would never leave you again, Scott. Ever. You know this! We’re getting married and having a baby. I’m just trying to be a friend to him.”

I let out a breath and shook my head. “I don’t have a good feeling about this guy, Jessie. Please just come back home. Please,” I practically begged.

“Scott, you know I love you. I love you so much, but I have to make sure he is okay. Trey is a good guy, Scott. I got to really know him.”

I let out a gruff laugh. “Yeah, I know you really got to know him, Jessie. He got to know you really good, too.”

Silence.

“That’s not fair, Scott,” Jessie whispered.

“No, Jessie, what’s not fair is that some fucker can call you on the phone, give you some sob story, and make you run to him without you even bothering to tell me where you are going. You didn’t even give me a chance to offer to go with you. I would have gone with you if you were that worried about him. You didn’t even give me the chance!”

I heard her crying.

“I…I guess I just panicked when he said he was wishing he wasn’t even alive.”

“Where are you meeting him? I’ll meet you there. Don’t go in until I get there. You can’t be that far ahead of me.”

“Don’t go in? What do you mean? I have to wait for you? I’m not meeting him in his room. I told him to meet me in the lobby. He’s staying at the Hampton Inn in Fredericksburg.”

I was stunned into silence. He’s in Fredericksburg? He’s been forty minutes away this whole time?

“Jessie, turn around and come home now.” I had the worst feeling in my gut.

“Scott, he was talking about hurting himself. I’m sorry…I just feel like I have to help him.”

I tried to stay calm. “Jessie, you don’t think it’s strange that he’s been staying in Fredericksburg?”

“I mean, I guess I was a little surprised he was there, but he is so afraid to go home and face his family, Scott. He said his dad kept telling him how much of a failure he was. He just needs a friend. I promise that we will sit in the lobby and talk until you get there.”

I squeezed my cell phone as I lowered it. I just wanted to throw it. Damn it! I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and turned to walk back into the house.

I put the phone up to my ear again. “Jessie, I’m so fucking pissed-off at you right now. Don’t go anywhere with him, and please don’t go up to his room.”

I ran up the steps two at a time and saw that Lark’s bedroom door was open. He was zipping up his suitcase, and he just looked at me.

“I’m not going to go up to his room! My god, Scott.”

“I really wish you would just come back and let me go with you,” I said as I held up my finger to answer Lark’s questioning look. My hands were shaking because I was so pissed-off…and worried.

“Just meet me at the hotel, and we can talk to him together.”

“Fine. I’m leaving now. I’ll call you when I get on the road,” I said.

“Scott?”

I didn’t say anything. The bad feeling in my stomach was growing stronger and stronger.

“Scott, please don’t be mad at me. I love you, baby. I love you more than anything. I just felt so bad for him.”

I slowly nodded my head even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m calling Josh now. I don’t want you meeting with him alone. I’m telling you, Jessie, I don’t think this guy is who you think he is.”

“If calling Josh will make you feel better, I’m totally fine with that until you get there.”

“Jessie, let me know when you get there. I’m on my way.”

“I will. Love you to the moon and back, baby,” she said.

My heart broke in two. “I love you to the moon and back, too.”

I hung up and immediately called Josh.

“What in the hell is going on, dude?” Lark asked.

“Give me two—”

“Josh! Are you in Fredericksburg? That fucker Trey called Jessie. Told her a bunch of shit that scared her, made her think he was going to hurt himself. She panicked and left while Lark and I were down at the stable. He’s staying at the Hampton Inn there. Jessie is going to meet him in the lobby. I have a really bad feeling, and she won’t wait until I get there. Can you hightail it over until I get there? Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Josh. I just don’t have a good feeling about this. The fact that he is still around and staying in Fredericksburg just sits wrong with me. Thanks. I’ll leave here as fast as I can.”

I hit End and looked at Lark.

He nodded his head and said, “Let’s go. I’ll drive my truck.”

As we walked down the hall, Azurdee came up the stairs.

“Where is Jessie?” she asked.

I couldn’t even talk. The lump in my throat was so big. So many emotions were running through my body. I was so pissed that she’d left without telling me, and I was worried because I didn’t trust this guy. Fuck!

“Short version—Trey called Jessie and told her he was going to hurt himself. She panicked and took off to talk to him. He’s in Fredericksburg at the Hampton Inn,” Lark said.

He made his way down the stairs, and I followed.

Azurdee said, “What? She left to go meet him by herself?”

Good. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks it’s crazy.

Lark turned and looked back at Azurdee. “Yep. We need to get to Fredericksburg.”

Azurdee grabbed her purse. “Oh, I’m going because that bitch left without even saying good-bye to me.”

Twenty minutes later, my phone dinged, and I looked down at it.

Jessie: I’m here, and we are talking in the lobby. I think he is drunk. He’s in bad shape, Scott…but all is well. Take your time.

Take your time? Is she crazy?

I replied back.

Scott: Just sit there and wait for Josh. We are on our way.

I kept glancing over at the speedometer. My foot was tapping a mile a minute. We were less than ten minutes out from the hotel.

“Lark, go faster,” I said.

“Jesus, Scott, I’m going almost eighty.”

My phone rang. I looked at the screen to see it was Josh calling.

“Scott?” Josh said.

“Yeah. Are you with them?” I asked in a panicked voice.

“You said the Hampton Inn, right?”

No. Oh god, no.

“Yeah, the Hampton Inn, Josh. In the lobby. She should be in the lobby with him. She said he seemed drunk. Is there a bar? Maybe they are in the bar.”