I was dashing my fingers across my wet cheeks when I felt him and I whirled. He was jogging through the grass wearing his usual old faded Levi’s and a tee. I could see his beat up pickup through the trees parked up on the lane. I took off running down the pier, through the grass and I didn’t stop even as I felt his blue eyes move over me, his face harsh with worry. His arms started to swing wide and he stopped jogging just in time to brace when I hit him going full-tilt. Those arms closed tight around me. “Sylvie, baby, what the fuck?” he muttered in the top of my hair. “Kah… Kah… Kah… Creed,” I blubbered, pressing deep into him, my arms also wrapped around him tight. When I didn’t go on, he demanded, “Talk to me. I got your message. Got here as soon as I could. What happened?” “Bah… Bah… Bootsie,”
