Page 36 of The Candle Palace (Jamison Valley 6)
“Good. She and Dad have been busy cutting firewood. They try to use the winter months to stockpile what they need for the following winter.”
“Is that how they heat their house?” It sounded so rustic and cozy. I bet it smelled incredible, like the way a cold winter day spent inside was supposed to smell, like burning pine and glowing embers.
“They have a furnace but Dad loves to have a fire going too.”
“Sounds like my dad. He had a wood stove in the garage and used to love going out there just to tinker and light a fire.” That stove hadn’t been touched since he’d died. “How is everything else going at home?”
“It’s okay.” He sighed, dropping his gaze. “Actually, it’s been kind of crazy.”
“Crazy how?”
“One of my best friends was kidnapped.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. “How? Who? When?”
“Couple weeks ago.”
“A couple of weeks?” We’d been talking for hours every single night. This seemed like something kind of important to mention. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugged. “It’s been hard to get my head wrapped around it all. I think I was still trying to process it.”
“Is your friend okay?”
“Yeah. Maisy’s good. Or she will be. She’s tough.”
“Did they find the person who took her?”
He nodded. “It was her fucking ex. She got pregnant and he didn’t want to raise the kid. Fine, right? I mean, he’s an asshole. But whatever. Then he fucking took her and tried to kill her.”
“Wow.” What else was there to say? This was . . . unbelievable.
“She’s a nurse. Everett, that’s the ex, he was a doctor. It’s been hard to connect all of the dots from this hospital bed and piece together exactly what happened. But mostly, I feel bad I wasn’t there to help. Maybe if I had been there, you know? Maisy’s mom and my mom are best friends. She’s a little younger than I am but I always tried to look out for her.”
“Sounds like this doctor was deranged. It’s hard to stop someone beyond the brink of sanity.”
Hearing about Maisy made my irritation with Dr. Vernon seem trivial. He was annoying and pushy, but not crazy. Dr. Vernon wasn’t going to kidnap me and attempt to murder me because I wouldn’t go out with him. Right?
Right.
“It’s still frustrating,” Milo said. “I’m mostly tired of being trapped in this bed.”
“I don’t blame you.” I reached out and put my hand over his. His thumb instantly began stroking my knuckles. “Maybe you should call her. Maisy. I can say from personal experience your phone voice is comforting. I bet she’d like to hear from you.”
“Maybe I will.”
“So does Prescott always have this kind of illegal activity?” I teased. “It sounds like a pretty intense little town.”
“Nah. Prescott is wonderful. I don’t want you to think it’s a hotbed for criminals. I spend most of my time pulling over tourists for speeding or breaking up keg parties with the high school’s seniors. It’s a nice town. Friendly. Genuine.”
“Maybe I’ll visit it one day.”
“I’d like that.”
Maybe one day after he left, I’d take a vacation worth boasting about. I wouldn’t sit at home in my house, I’d go somewhere exciting. Like Prescott, Montana.
“So what’s next for our Valentine’s date?” he asked.
“Well, dinner is over. I hadn’t planned anything else.”
