Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

“Who is this friend of yours, and where do they live?”

She contemplated giving him a false name, but he gave her the impression that he took care of his town and probably knew every person who lived here.

“Evan Watson.”

The Sheriff raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. “Evan or Stitch, as most call him, is a good friend of mine. I didn’t realize he was coming up here this weekend.”  He said inquisitively.

Oh, for crying out loud. Of course the Sheriff knew Stitch. “Oh, Evan’s not coming.” She replied, and the Sheriff’s dark thick eyebrows went a notch higher.  “I have a key to his place.  He told me I could use the cabin.”  She pulled the key out of her jacket pocket and showed it to him.  “See.”

That seemed to appease the Sheriff because he nodded, but she still got a feeling he was going to press for more.

“Well, if you are ready, I’m ready.  It’s about a thirty-minute drive from here.”

“Are you sure you really don’t mind?  I mean, it’s Thanksgiving, and I don’t want to keep you from your family.”

He smirked. “I’m good, but thank you for your thoughtfulness. It’s very kind of you.”

She got her backpack situated on her shoulders again.  “Do you mind if I use the restroom really quick before we leave?”  She needed to give herself a few minutes before she got into the car with the Sheriff, because god knows what type of questioning she may up against. Plus she really did need to pee.

“Not at all. When you’re finished, meet me outside. I’m going to pull the truck up closer to the door, so you don’t have to walk as far.”

“Thank you.”

◆◆◆

As soon as Mia disappeared into the restroom, the Sheriff pulled his cell phone from his pocket as he walked out to his patrol truck.  Hitting the Stitch’s number, he listened to it ring.

Chapter Nine

Memories were being made at Ace and Alex’s house. After a short, simple, but beautiful wedding ceremony for Irish and Bailey, everyone had gathered around the three tables to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast that Alex had prepared.

Stitch looked around; he guessed there had to be close to fifty people in the house. How in the hell Alex managed to cook the amount of food she had was a wonder to him. But, then again, that was Alex. The woman could manage any task put in front of her.

All was quiet in the world, at least where he and the team were concerned, so that in itself was a blessing. Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday, so he was thrilled to be able to spend it with his family and friends who meant the world to him. The only downfall was Mia’s absence.  He had been looking forward to spending time with her in person.

Over the course of the year, he had fallen in love with Mia. Some people may say he jumped the gun, but he knew that Mia was meant for him deep in his heart. Ever since he found out she was spending the holiday with Ace, he’d been excited to sit down with her and cut through all the red tape keeping them apart, as well as discussing the best course of action in telling her brother. They were all adults, but Ace was very protective of Mia.

He grinned to himself as he watched everyone enjoying the food in the company of friends and family. A moment as such was what Thanksgiving was all about. Being able to celebrate with those you are thankful to have in your life.

“Honey, have you heard anything from Mia yet?” Charlotte, Ace’s mom, asked her son, which got Stitch’s attention. Anything about Mia these days got his attention.

Everyone was a little concerned about Mia’s whereabouts. Stitch could also tell Ace was annoyed with the text she sent him. Ace wiped his mouth with a napkin and shook his head. “No, I haven’t, and I don’t know whether I should be pissed off at her or concerned. The whole thing is just uncharacteristically, not like her.”

“Is there anyone we can call and see if they could check on her?  At least to put our worries at ease.”

Ace turned his scrutinizing eyes on Stitch, and Stitch suddenly got a funny feeling in his gut, especially when he saw Alex’s eyes widen as if she just had an “oh shit” moment. She almost pulled it off and tried to cover her expression when she picked up her glass of wine and took a drink.

“Have you heard anything from my sister?” Ace asked him, and suddenly Stitch found himself the center of attention as everyone paused mid-conversation to hear what he had to say.  Christ, could this get any more awkward?  He put his fork down and thought about how to respond.

“Why would you think I would know?” He replied, raising an eyebrow, wondering what was really behind Ace’s line of questioning. Ace glanced at Alex, and Stitch swore he saw the corner of Ace’s lip twitch, and he certainly didn’t miss the twinkle in Alex’s eye either.

“Well, you do talk to her, right?”  Ace questioned.

There was no way Stitch could lie. It would be disrespectful, and Ace wasn’t just a teammate; he was a close friend.

He licked his lower lip. “Occasionally,” he answered vaguely.

“When was the last time you spoke with her?”

“When she was here last, right after the incident with Bailey.” Stitch locked gazes with Bailey across the table from him. “Sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

The new bride smiled and winked at him. “That’s okay, Stitch.”

“That was weeks ago. Did she happen to mention anything to you then?”  Alex asked, joining in on the interrogation, because it was beginning to feel a lot like it.

“No, but I could see she was stressed out. I asked her about it, and she vented a little. But you know Mia, she just smiled and said she’d get through it.”

Alex touched Ace’s hand. “Remember what I told you