numbers,
her old man's pride flared in her blood, and she called Travis instead. She
often dialed his number just to hear his voice.
She never heard Jake or Keith answer the
phone anymore. Had they moved out?
Occasionally she heard Miranda's spunky drawl
on the other end. Kayla smiled at the memories she'd made with her best girl
pal growing up. Miranda had been more of a tomboy as a kid while Kayla had been
a girlie girl, but as a teenager Miranda had bloomed into a feminine young
woman, albeit still a kick-ass blonde chick that had no problem letting the
boys know they'd met their match.
Kayla hurried out of the store as the
floodgates opened when the chorus of “Need You Now” serenaded her out. That
song always made her think of the Langley brothers, Travis in particular.
She never spoke on the phone with them when
she called. She just listened to them say hello a few times before hanging up.
It had been years since she'd seen them. They'd probably think she was a
pathetic mess with old feelings for them still simmering in her soul. She'd
never be able to hide it from them. They were good at reading people ... like
her Master had been.
She walked through the rain on her way home,
trying not to cry. As much as she liked California, the acting thing wasn’t
exactly working out. At times she was torn between going home to Kentucky to
see if the Langleys were still available and staying
here in hopes that Master Hugh would come back to her.
The savory aromas floating from the
restaurants made her hollow stomach growl painfully. She took a shortcut down
an alley and contemplated picking up some food for dinner on her way home.
Footsteps sounded from behind her, and she
saw a hefty shadow closing in on her. She walked faster, but the person matched
her step for step.
“Hey! Hey, you! Are you a hooker?” the man
called out.
“Uh, no,” she squeaked, quickening her steps.
“Would you like to be?” he asked, still
following her.
“No, thank you.”
“It pays good . I
take care of my bitches.”
“I'm fine, thanks.” Kayla walked faster,
cringing when she saw him stride more swiftly when she glanced over her
shoulder.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a
pickup screech to a halt at the end of the alley. Oh God, he had a partner in
crime.
The man walked next to her, breathing down
her neck, but he didn't touch her. “You don't got no
man at home, do you? I bet nobody would go looking for you if you went
missing.”
Oh crap!
The man in the truck honked and hollered out
the window. “What do you think you're doing harassing my wife?”
Kayla felt a crippling wave of relief wash
over her that nearly made her fall over. She didn't know who the cowboy in the
truck was, but if he wanted to help get her away from this creep, then she'd
gladly get into his truck with him.
She turned to face the pimp, faking boldness
as best as she could. “I'm married to a cop, and there are a lot of people who
would miss me.”
The creep backed off, throwing up his hands. “Just having a harmless conversation.”
He backed away slowly and watched her get
into the truck with the other man before he took off running down the alley.
She couldn't stop shaking as she sat drenched
on the passenger's side while the man in a white Stetson drove away. “Thank you
for that.”
“No problem,” he said with a certain drawl
that made her wonder if he was from Tennessee. “What's a nice girl like you
doing wandering around in a dark alley at night?”
“I was on my way home. I really appreciate
what you did back there. I wish there was a better way for me to thank you.”
He
gave her a friendly smile while he drove. “Well, I could use a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“It's about my sister, Gretchen, but I'll
tell you after we eat. You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good. I’ll buy you dinner.” He extended his right hand. “My name is
Virgil. Virgil Paisley.”
“Kayla.”
She shook his hand, feeling
her old man's pride flared in her blood, and she called Travis instead. She
often dialed his number just to hear his voice.
She never heard Jake or Keith answer the
phone anymore. Had they moved out?
Occasionally she heard Miranda's spunky drawl
on the other end. Kayla smiled at the memories she'd made with her best girl
pal growing up. Miranda had been more of a tomboy as a kid while Kayla had been
a girlie girl, but as a teenager Miranda had bloomed into a feminine young
woman, albeit still a kick-ass blonde chick that had no problem letting the
boys know they'd met their match.
Kayla hurried out of the store as the
floodgates opened when the chorus of “Need You Now” serenaded her out. That
song always made her think of the Langley brothers, Travis in particular.
She never spoke on the phone with them when
she called. She just listened to them say hello a few times before hanging up.
It had been years since she'd seen them. They'd probably think she was a
pathetic mess with old feelings for them still simmering in her soul. She'd
never be able to hide it from them. They were good at reading people ... like
her Master had been.
She walked through the rain on her way home,
trying not to cry. As much as she liked California, the acting thing wasn’t
exactly working out. At times she was torn between going home to Kentucky to
see if the Langleys were still available and staying
here in hopes that Master Hugh would come back to her.
The savory aromas floating from the
restaurants made her hollow stomach growl painfully. She took a shortcut down
an alley and contemplated picking up some food for dinner on her way home.
Footsteps sounded from behind her, and she
saw a hefty shadow closing in on her. She walked faster, but the person matched
her step for step.
“Hey! Hey, you! Are you a hooker?” the man
called out.
“Uh, no,” she squeaked, quickening her steps.
“Would you like to be?” he asked, still
following her.
“No, thank you.”
“It pays good . I
take care of my bitches.”
“I'm fine, thanks.” Kayla walked faster,
cringing when she saw him stride more swiftly when she glanced over her
shoulder.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a
pickup screech to a halt at the end of the alley. Oh God, he had a partner in
crime.
The man walked next to her, breathing down
her neck, but he didn't touch her. “You don't got no
man at home, do you? I bet nobody would go looking for you if you went
missing.”
Oh crap!
The man in the truck honked and hollered out
the window. “What do you think you're doing harassing my wife?”
Kayla felt a crippling wave of relief wash
over her that nearly made her fall over. She didn't know who the cowboy in the
truck was, but if he wanted to help get her away from this creep, then she'd
gladly get into his truck with him.
She turned to face the pimp, faking boldness
as best as she could. “I'm married to a cop, and there are a lot of people who
would miss me.”
The creep backed off, throwing up his hands. “Just having a harmless conversation.”
He backed away slowly and watched her get
into the truck with the other man before he took off running down the alley.
She couldn't stop shaking as she sat drenched
on the passenger's side while the man in a white Stetson drove away. “Thank you
for that.”
“No problem,” he said with a certain drawl
that made her wonder if he was from Tennessee. “What's a nice girl like you
doing wandering around in a dark alley at night?”
“I was on my way home. I really appreciate
what you did back there. I wish there was a better way for me to thank you.”
He
gave her a friendly smile while he drove. “Well, I could use a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“It's about my sister, Gretchen, but I'll
tell you after we eat. You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Good. I’ll buy you dinner.” He extended his right hand. “My name is
Virgil. Virgil Paisley.”
“Kayla.”
She shook his hand, feeling
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