Not what I had been expecting him to say.

"Okay," I replied.

He stopped chewing. "'Okay'? Just like that?"

I nodded. "Yeah, just like that."

He finished chewing his bite of pizza and swallowed. "Why do you always surprise me? All the damn time? You'd think I would be used to it by now."

I took another bite of my pizza and shrugged. I hadn't realized I was going to be so easygoing about it either. I wasn't going to stay there permanently, of course, but I could work there awhile and save up some money. Then I would hit the road again.

"There is one thing I want to do first," I told him.

"What?"

"Go through Georgia and see my best friend, Braden, and her husband, Kent. I haven't seen them in a while and I'd like to stay at their house for a couple of days."

Tripp nodded. "Sounds good. I can get a place at a hotel in town and you can stay with them."

"They would be happy for you to stay with them, too," I assured him.

Tripp smirked. "Yeah, well, that sounds nice but honestly, I could really use a couple of nights to have some . . . beer."

The small bubble of laughter was fast and unexpected. Tripp's smirk turned into a pleased grin, and I laughed for the first time since I'd left Rosemary.

Later that night, I had just started to fall asleep when I heard Tripp get up and walk to the bathroom. I thought he was going to take a shower but I heard him talking to someone. Who would he be calling after midnight? Then I heard my name.

I eased out of bed quietly and tiptoed close enough so I could hear what he was saying.

"She wants to stop by her friend's house in Georgia first. . . . Yeah. . . . I said yes. Damn. . . . Near Myrtle Beach. It's safe. I swear. . . . Probably need some more, yeah. . . . I'll call you. . . . I said I would call you. Go to sleep."

I hurried back over to the bed and crawled back in. Who had he been talking too? Was there a girl back where he lived? Had he left someone behind to come help me? No. That couldn't be it. He slept with too many women. Maybe it was just a friend.

"Della?" Tripp's voice surprised me and I almost responded. Then I realized he was checking to make sure I was asleep. I didn't say anything.

It must have been a friend of his wondering when he'd be home. But the "safe" comment---that was weird. I closed my eyes and decided to let the exhaustion take me. I would think about this tomorrow.

Woods

I stared down at the list of appointments that Vince had put on my desk that morning. I had been putting off so much shit because I couldn't focus in the last two weeks, and now I was behind. Tomorrow my lawyer would be sending out the letters to the former board members letting them know that they were no longer needed. I expected the shit to hit the fan but I was letting my lawyer deal with the blows. I wasn't in the mood for it.

"Mr. Finlay here to see you, sir," Vince's voice said over the intercom.

"Send him in," I replied. I had called Rush's father, Dean Finlay, before Della had left. I figured if I put someone on the board who was a celebrity, then it would help with the members and the town when they heard of the new board. Besides, Dean had put a lot of money into the Kerrington Club and my father had never approved of him. He'd acknowledged him because he wasn't a complete fool but he hadn't liked him.

"I gotta say, Woods, you look pretty goddamn good sitting in that seat," Dean drawled as he sauntered into the room. He reeked of rock star, from his long hair to his tattoo-covered body and many piercings. He even had on eyeliner. The man was a legend and I had grown up with him as the father of one of my friends.

"Thanks, Dean," I said, standing up and reaching across the desk to shake his hand.

"You got me for about thirty minutes. Then I'm gonna have to get back to that grandson of mine. I had to leave him all giggly and playful and that's pretty f**king hard to do. The kid's adorable."

"Yes, sir. I will make this quick," I assured him, and motioned for him to sit down.

Dean sat down in the leather wingback chair and propped his feet up on the edge of my desk. "What's up?"

"I'm letting my father's board members go. They were close confidants of my father; however, I don't feel the same way about them. I have no need for a board that I can't share my ideas with and whose opinions I can't trust. I'm replacing the board with people I want to have input into the future of the Kerrington Club."

Dean held up a hand to stop me, then he cocked one dark eyebrow. "Are you saying you fired all their uppity asses?"

I nodded.

Dean threw his head back and cackled with laughter. "Damn, that's the funniest shit I've heard in a while."

If I could have managed a smile these days I would have smiled then. "I want you on my board, sir. Rush will also be asked, of course."

Dean dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and studied me a moment. "You want me on your board?"

"Yes, I do. My group of friends are all young. We need wisdom on the board and you're the only man I know that I would want advising me."

A slow smile spread across Dean's face. "I'll be damned."

Probably, but I wasn't going to agree with him. I just waited.

"Hell yeah, I'll be on your board. My grandson is going to grow up in this town and the Kerrington Club and the members here will be a big part of his life. I want to make sure he has the best."