Recalled (Death Escorts #1)(33)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“Crap! You scared me!”

“Well that’s what you get when you creep up on a girl who’s dreaming about a hot actor sweeping her off her feet.”

I grinned. “Who was it this time?”

“Patrick Dempsey,” she said as she trudged over to my bed and fell onto it face first.

I laughed. “I’m sorry I woke you.” She grunted into a pillow as she pulled the covers up around her. “Make yourself at home,” I said, amused. Really, I wished I was still in bed. It was too cold for work this morning.

“What are you all smiles about?” she mumbled. “I know it isn’t because you have to go to work.”

“Nothing,” I replied, going into the bathroom to brush my teeth and throw on some minimal makeup.

When I came back, she lifted her head from the comfort of the blankets and said, “Mmmhmmmm, it’s Dex, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.” I smiled.

“I’ll never understand it. Crushing on some guy who fed you chicken with peanuts.”

“He didn’t mean it,” I said, trying not to remember the reaction I had. My body was still sore from the panic. It was probably why I still felt tired even after a full night of sleep.

“I’ll meet you here later and drive you to class.”

“Don’t you have to work?”

“Yes, but not until an actual decent hour. And I’ll take an early lunch to come drive you.”

“You don’t have to do all that.” I protested, knowing it was useless. I covered up my reaction to touching her last night, but she still knew me well enough to know something had thrown me off. I’m just glad she didn’t seem to realize that whatever it was had been about her.

“Girl, don’t make me get out of this bed,” she warned. “After everything that’s been going on, it’ll make me feel better to know you actually made it to class. And that peanut boy won’t be driving you.”

I rolled my eyes, but then said, “Thanks, Frank.”

She was a good friend—sleeping on my couch to make sure I was okay and then driving me all around town.

“Must sleep,” she groaned.

I laughed. “There’s coffee in the kitchen if you want to make some later.”

She grunted and I slipped out the bedroom door and into my boots. As much as I hated riding the bus these days, it was too cold to walk. As I waited at the bus stop, my thoughts went back to Dex. I wondered when I would see him again and I found myself hoping it would be sooner rather than later.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Disappointment – a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized.”

Dex

It was time to get serious about my job. That was the thought that kept me up half the night. Well that and the fact that Charming was sleeping down the hall. I didn’t want him here looking over my shoulder and watching my every move. I didn’t sign up for a babysitter; I was too old for that.

‘Course working for the Grim Reaper wasn’t really what I planned either.

I lay there in my huge, almost too comfortable bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was still dark out, the winter night lasting a long time here in Fairbanks. I didn’t really want to get up. I knew the air would be icy as soon as I pushed back the covers. Sure, we had the heat on—I kept it up high (the luxury of having money to pay the heating bill)—but I usually always felt cold.

With a heaving sigh I shoved the covers off anyway and rolled out of bed. I reached for my glasses, finding them on the nightstand, and pushed them onto my face. The room came into clearer focus as my arms prickled with goose bumps as I made my way into the bathroom for a hot shower. I didn’t bother to shave, but I did use the wall mounted hair dryer to blast my hair, because walking around with a wet head only made me colder. I pulled on a pair of jeans (without holes because that would be freezing) and a long-sleeved thermal T-shirt, grabbed my converse, and went downstairs to hopefully find breakfast. Hobbs never did reappear last night and I hoped it didn’t mean he quit.

At the end of the hallway I paused at Charming’s door, noticing it was slightly ajar, so I pushed it open. The room was empty and I had a happy thought he left. But then I noticed the clothes lying across the foot of the bed and knew he was coming back.

Feeling disgruntled, I went downstairs. Thankfully for Hobbs, he was in the kitchen and the coffee was made. I went quietly over to the counter and poured some into a mug. I growled when the creamer was nowhere to be seen. It appeared at my side and I uncapped it and poured it into my mug.

“Trouble sleeping?” Hobbs asked.

I grunted and took a gulp of the coffee. I loved that creamer stuff. “Where were you last night?”

“I had to make an impromptu trip to the store to get your beloved creamer.”

“Did you just say ‘impromptu’ and ‘beloved’ in the same sentence?” I wondered out loud.

“Yes, sir, I did,” he said dryly. “Will you be having your usual bacon and eggs this morning?”

“Heavy on the bacon,” I said, taking my coffee to the bar and sitting down.

Hobbs began putting together my breakfast while I drank half my coffee. “Where’s Charming?” I asked, suddenly remembering he wasn’t around.

“I assume you mean your houseguest?” Hobbs asked, his back to me as he cooked the bacon. It smelled really good.

“More like my jailer,” I mumbled.

“What was that?” Hobbs said over the sizzling of the meat.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“I heard him leave early this morning,” Hobbs replied.

“Quick, change the locks,” I said sarcastically, knowing full well if G.R. wanted him in this house the locks wouldn’t matter.

“You jest, sir,” Hobbs said, placing a plate with some eggs and a heaping pile of bacon in front of me.

“I what?” I asked, not understanding half the words out of his mouth.

“You joke,” he clarified.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I was just kidding.” Kind of.

“Tomorrow is my day off and I was wondering if it would be okay if I took the following day off as well. I’d like to visit my sister a few towns over.”

“Sure, take off as many days as you need,” I said around a mouthful of food.

Hobbs refilled my coffee and sat the creamer beside my cup. “Thank you. Two days will be plenty. I’m afraid you’ll starve before I come back.”