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“Ok, here you go. And here’s a walkie-talkie, just in case for emergencies. Cell service around here can be spotty, so radio us on here if I don’t answer my phone. Or just come on up to the house!”
“Ok. Great. Thank you.”
“And don’t forget, dinner is at 6:30. Roberta doesn’t like it when people are late.” Mia pokes her head in one last time.
“Sure thing. See you soon!” I close the door behind them and twirl around in my new home for the next…however long this takes. I sit down on the fluffy and oh, so comfortable bed and look around. I could definitely get used to this!
My phone buzzes. It’s Ryder. I guess I had better answer and tell him I made it here; otherwise, he’ll worry all night.
“Hey, Ry. I was just about to text you. I’ve arrived! This place is quite ni–”
“Have you heard from Chad?”
“No. Why?”
“I fired him today. Let’s just say he didn’t take it very well. If he tries to contact you, please don’t respond. Just let me know.”
“Ok…but what do you mean?”
“What do you mean ‘what do I mean’? I mean, if he tries to get in touch with you, tell me immediately. And don’t respond to him. And tell Travis, too. I’ll call him and let him know what’s going on. I’m glad you made it there safely.”
“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?! What are you going to tell Travis?”
“Nothing. He’ll keep an eye on you. You’ll be safe there with Travis.”
“Um…ok. Why are you acting so weird, and why wouldn’t I be safe?”
“I’m not. Everything is normal over here. Anyway, sis, have a good time. Please send me updates on everything. On yourself and the article. Love you, bye!” He hangs up before I can get another word in.
I was excited about this opportunity, but now I have a weird, sinking feeling. I’ll be safe with Travis—I can’t tell if he was saying that to reassure me or himself. Safe from what?
4
TRAVIS
I’m not sure what I was expecting when Ryder said ‘baby sister,’ but Ava was not it. She is certainly not a baby. When she first stepped out of the car, all I could see were her long legs and wavy hair the color of honey. I may have had some impure thoughts. I snapped myself out of it quickly, reminding myself that she was my best friend’s little sister. She can’t be more than 25, which is much too young for me, anyway.
On the other hand, Mia is thrilled to have a cool young woman around. She thinks Ava came here just for her entertainment. It’s probably good for her to have someone a little younger to look up to, at least for now. Roberta is great, but she’s more of the grandmotherly type.
“Dad! Dinner. Everyone is waiting for you. Didn’t you hear the bell ringing?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m coming.”
“You know how Roberta gets when you’re late.”
“I know. But let’s remember who pays Roberta’s salary.”
“Who?”
“ME. I do. I pay Roberta’s salary. And everyone else around here.”
“Oh, right. Well, come on. I’m starving.”
I follow Mia into the main house, into the dining room, and sit at the head of thetable. It smells great. Roberta is a fantastic cook, which works out because I am not. Nor do I have the time to cook or teach Mia how to cook. Without Roberta, we’d likely starve.
“Wow, it smells great, Roberta. Thank you for this wonderful meal.”
“Yeah, thanks!” everyone says. Roberta passes the plate full of fried chicken over to me first. I take a few pieces and pass the plate to Mia on my right. I do the same with the mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. I can hardly wait for everyone to serve themselves before I dig in. I need everyone to keep their manners tonight, even if we only have one guest.
