Page 18 of Hollywood

“I really appreciate it. This all happened fast.”

She nodded. “That poor little girl. How’s her mother doing?”

“I don’t really know. In surgery still, I think. Knight told me it was a bad car accident.”

She grimaced. “Even if she comes through it, she may not be able to handle childcare for a while. This won’t just be a couple of days, Tex. You realize that?”

“Yeah, I kind of figured,” I said. “Even if it does end up only being a few days, Holly will feel better if he has a proper bed for Ruby. He’s so worried about taking good care of her. I just want to make it a little easier on him.”

Her eyes softened. “Of course you do. You’re a good friend.”

I really wasn’t. But my sister didn’t know half the shit I’d done. Like Holly, she tended to look for the good in people. That’s probably how she ended up staying with her asshole ex for as long as she did.

I didn’t think he’d been abusive in the beginning. I’d have put him on his ass years ago, if that was the case. He’d always been a bit of a dick, though. While I was in prison, shit had gotten worse. By the time she got divorced and Dad called to tell me Luke was harassing her, his behavior had escalated to the point I’d worried I’d have to put the man in the ground to get him to leave Chastity alone.

Knight had saved me from that fuckup, but I still worried.

“Luke been staying away?” I asked as I put down the tailgate.

“Yeah, he hasn’t said boo in weeks,” Chastity said. “Don’t worry about me. You’ve got enough on your plate.”

I grunted agreement as I hefted the toddler bed over the tailgate. Metal screeched as it slid, and Chastity cringed.

“Ugh, I hate that sound.”

“Sorry.”

She directed me to the mattress that went with it—easier to manage than a full-sized one—and then a few trash bags of outgrown toddler clothes.

I got everything loaded up in about fifteen minutes.

“I owe you for this,” I said.

“Just this?” she teased.

I laughed. “Okay, just add it to my tab.”

“I will,” she said, stretching up to hug me. It was surprisingly comforting to be held by her. Made me realize I hadn’t had a hug in a long damn time. “Take care of your friend and that little girl. It’s going to be a tough time.”

“I’ll try.”

She pulled back, looking into my eyes. “You’ll do more than try, Jedediah. You’ll do what needs doing.”

I cringed. “Okay, jeez. No need to full name like that.”

She smirked. “Fine,Tex. Get your ass over there. You’ll feel better once you see he’s got everything he needs.”

She wasn’t wrong about that. I latched the tailgate and climbed into the driver’s side of the truck. I fired off a text to Hollywood, trying not to notice the three I’d sent previously that went unanswered.

Be there in forty-five minutes.

And for the first time in weeks, three dots appeared. He was answering.

Okay. Seeyou soon.

My stomach flipped. I could almost imagine us exchanging these messages in better circumstances. Maybe at the end of a regular day. Maybe because we’d made plans to hang out like we used to.

But this wasn’t that.