“I don’t mind delivering it, Mr. Archie, then I can say I have actually seen you and you are fine when asked.”
I laughed, “Fair enough.”
“Do you think Miss Frankie would enjoy the beef roast, or would she prefer something more comforting? Like the chicken and dumplings?”
Frankie liked food. “She’ll love anything you make, you know that. But, the roast and the potatoes are one of her favorites.”
“Then I’ll get that in the oven. It should be ready in ninety minutes or so. The potatoes are just about there. I’ll have a pot of chicken and dumplings ready for the weekend. I’ve also fixed up the room attached to yours if she changes her mind. If you’ll make me a list of supplies the cats would need, I can get those set up as well.”
“You’re the best, Jeremy.”
“I try, Mr. Archie.”
“Any word from Muriel?” She’d gone off on a shopping weekend or something right before Homecoming. Honestly, I didn’t remember where she’d been going, only that she’d been leaving and I was glad to have her out of my hair.
“I have heard from her, yes. She is taking time at a spa retreat in Arizona. I believe her itinerary will have her there for at least a week. I have the number should you require contacting her, but…” He didn’t need to finish that sentence.
I hadn’t needed to contact Muriel in a long time. “Great. What about Wittaker? Has he called?”
“No, I have a call to him scheduled for three this afternoon. Would you like me to move it up?”
“Three’s great, Jeremy.” I scrubbed a hand over my face and grimaced at the stubble. I hadn’t shaved in two days, and it was going to start stinging her face if I wasn’t careful. Not that we were making out. She’d been too bruised and battered for that. Cuddling, however, had been high on the list.
“Very good. I’ll be over with lunch and your bag at twelve-thirty. If you could gather your things for washing and anything of Miss Frankie’s as well, I’ll get it laundered and returned.”
“You really are the best.”
“Just doing my part to make it easier for her. If you require anything else, let me know.”
“Will do.”
Then we were off the phone, and I checked my messages. Some from Coop, mostly just check-ins. Thankfully, email meant we could get most of our assignments directly from the teachers, not that I’d even looked at mine since we got her home from the hospital.
Opening it now, I headed into the kitchen. There was still coffee in the bottom of the pot, so I just poured it into a mug and stuck it in the microwave.
Coop had done dishes before school, and Jake took the trash out. I had dish duty for after dinner tonight. Funnily enough, it didn’t look hard, but I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’d had to do “chores.” Spoiled?
Yeah, probably.
I scrolled through my school mail. Most of this stuff was just reading and a couple of assignments. I’d have to make up a pair of tests, too. No biggie.
The government test Frankie and I could study for together, but not like it was hard. Coffee ready, I pulled it out and sipped. Reheated it wasn’t too bad. There were notifications in my email for Instagram tags. Tabbing out, I switched apps and opened Instagram.
Homecoming pics were everywhere. Lots of them had us tagged. Anger swarmed through me, stinging like I’d kicked over an angry hornet’s nest, or maybe the pictures had. There were a few where we were all out there dancing together, Frankie had this great smile on her face.
The first three were only a few minutes before she left to use the restroom. A few minutes before the rest of the night went sideways. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. One minute, we were dancing and having fun, the next, she was just gone.
Those had been the longest five minutes of my life.
I didn’t want to even think about how long it had been for her, or how long he’d had herbeforewe realized she was gone. Moving to the sofa in the living room, I sat down and just scrolled through the pics.
Frankie and Rachel.
Frankie and Rachel’s girl with Rachel. I had no idea what that chick’s name was, and at the moment, I didn’t care.
Frankie dancing with Coop. Another where it was the two of us. I wanted that pic. I screenshot it and saved it to my album with her. For a moment, I flipped through those pics. The most recent ones were from when we were getting ready and then mugging it up at the beginning. Fuck, I’d been having a good time. I was sorry Bubba screwed shit up, but I was damn glad it was all of us getting to be there and hang out, and we weren’t stepping on anyone’s date.
Sighing, I went back to Instagram. After…after we found her, and after Bubba knocked Mitch out. It had all gone a little crazy. I was still blurry on some of it. My head hurt, and my stomach had been rebelling. It wasn’t until we hit the hospital and Frankie was so out of it, I even thought about the water she’d come back to the table with.