When we reached the front of the trailer, Neely Kate talked to Alaina, who’d trailed silently after us, while I climbed in the truck and sent Skeeter a text.

I need to talk to you. Text me.

Neely Kate got back into the truck and shot me a glare. “You have some explaining to do.”

I tried to look innocent as I started the truck and pulled onto the county road. “What are you talking about?”

“All that Skeeter nonsense. How do you know about that?”

I tried to look irritated. “You know I was at the auction.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.”

“What?” I looked at her.

My cell phone rang just then, and I wanted nothing more than to throttle Skeeter. I’d told him to text me. Now how was I going to explain talking to him to Neely Kate? In my haste, I reached for my phone more quickly than usual, and Neely Kate sensed I was trying to hide the call from her and snatched it from me.

“Neely Kate!” I shouted, reaching for the phone.

“What are you hiding from me, Rose?” she said, looking at the phone. “It’s Joe.”

Chapter Nineteen

Neely Kate looked up in surprise. “Why are you hiding a call from Joe?”

“I’m not,” I said, snatching the phone from her. “I didn’t know it was him.”

Why was he calling?

“Hey, Joe?” I answered.

“Rose, are you driving?”

I cast a weird glance to Neely Kate. “Yeah, why?”

“I want you to pull over.”

My heart started racing. “Why?”

“Rose, darlin’, just do it. Please.”

“Okay,” I said breathlessly, panicking over what Joe needed to tell me. It had to be bad if he wanted me to pull over to the side of the road.

“What is it?” Neely Kate asked.

“I don’t know.” I pulled the truck onto the shoulder as I tried to catch my breath. “Okay, I’m pulled over. What is it?”

“Mason’s been in a car accident.”

“Oh, God. Is he okay?”

“They’ve taken him to the hospital. He hit his head pretty good, so they want to do a CT scan.”

“What happened?”

“He’d just left the sheriff’s department and was on his way back to the courthouse. He ran off the road and hit a pole.”

I shook my head. “But he’s such a careful driver. How did it happen?”

“I don’t know. We’re investigating the accident now.”

“Why isn’t he calling me? Oh, no.” A new wave of panic hit me. “Is he hurt really bad?”

“Rose, calm down,” he said in a low, soothing voice. “I spoke with him after the accident, and while he was dazed for a bit, he seems better now. He cut his forehead and there was a lot of blood, so I’m sure he needs stitches. I think they just wanted to be safe.”

Something didn’t feel right. “I’m on my way,” I said, my voice breaking.

“Rose, just stop and take a deep breath. Wait a few seconds to let this sink in, okay?”

“Okay.” Tears burned my eyes. “Do you think he’s going to be okay?”

Joe chuckled. “Mason Deveraux’s too hard-headed to let a light pole seriously injure him.”

I laughed through my tears. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I’m sorry to be the one telling this to you, and I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.”

“Thank you.”

“Is Neely Kate with you? Maybe she should drive.”

I took a deep breath. “No. I’m fine. I’ll be at the hospital soon.”

“Rose.” He hesitated. “Call me if you need anything, okay? I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.”

I hung up and turned to Neely Kate.

Her eyes were wide with fright. “Is Mason okay?”

I nodded. “Joe thinks so. He was in a car accident, though, and he hit his head. Joe said he needs stitches, and they’re going to do a CT scan to make sure nothing’s wrong.”

“Do you want me to drive?”

I took a deep breath, feeling calmer as I slowly let it out. Joe assured me that Mason was fine. My feeling of foreboding was just an overreaction. “No, I’m okay. I’m sorry we can’t try to find Billy Jack, but I have to see Mason.”

“Rose.” She leaned over and rubbed my arm. “Mason comes first right now. It’s okay.”

Neely Kate talked to me all the way to the hospital. I was glad she was there to keep me company, because my mind was racing with all kinds of worst-case scenarios, despite Joe’s insistence that Mason was okay. If he was okay, why hadn’t he called me himself? What if Joe had pretended Mason was in better shape than he was because he was worried I’d have my own accident on the way to the hospital? Neely Kate could tell I was a bundle of nerves by the time we got to the hospital twenty minutes later.

“You know that Mason’s too bullheaded to let anything bad happen to him, right? His run-in with Daniel Crocker proved that to be true.”

I nodded, but tears stung my eyes. Something was really wrong. An ache filled the back of my head, reminding me of the feeling I’d gotten with two of my recent visions. What did that mean?

As soon as I parked, I raced through the emergency room entrance up to the counter. “I’m here to see Mason Deveraux.”