THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

he and Kasey went to dinner.
    She told Scott goodbye and started her Porsche, relieved to hear the hum of the engine. Driving these country roads at night was a daunting new experience. There wasn’t a streetlight beyond the small town, and she’d never driven these roads in the dark before. It seemed much darker here than the surroundings of the farm in Pungo, but then when she first moved to Pungo she remembered feeling that way, too. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
    Okay, little animals, no darting out in front of my car.
    The mailbox with PHILLIPS in reflective lettering came into view. She let out a long sigh. She’d thought to put Rolly on the box, but since she never took Nick’s name, it seemed a little creepy to do it now. At least, that’s what Riley had said when she’d shared the idea with her.
    Kasey pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. After a few steps, she realized that it was so pitch black she couldn’t see her way to her front door. This place brought a whole new meaning to the word dark . She made a mental note to check the timer on the garden lights and to leave the porch lights on.
    Inching her way back to her car, she fumbled with the key to get it into the ignition. The headlights brightened a path to the door. She unclipped the house key from the key ring and ran to the house and unlocked the front door. She turned on the porch light, then headed back to turn off the headlights.
    Something scampered in the bushes.
    In an all-out sprint, she ran to retrieve her car keys and then raced back as fast as she could. She slammed the door behind her, heaving deep breaths. When had she become such a sissy? Or gotten so out of shape? She squeezed her left side to alleviate the cramp, probably from the heavy dinner she’d just consumed.
    Adrenaline surged through her veins as her anxiety rose with each creak and noise from the darkness outside. She tried to shake her skittishness by flipping on the lights in every room and turning on the television.
    “There. That’s more like it.”
     

 
    Chapter Twenty-Two
     
    Kasey had fallen asleep watching television. She woke to bright sunshine and birds chirping outside and every light in the house still on. That felt ridiculous now.
    She turned off the TV, and got up to make some coffee.
    Being arrested hadn’t been the least bit funny at the time, but after the nice dinner with Scott, she’d begun to see the humor in the chain of events. She’d always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kind of a girl, but not once had she ever been in real trouble. Riley and Von would get a big laugh out of this. Grem would’ve had an all out hissy fit if she’d known Kasey had flirted with a criminal record. Thank goodness she hadn’t had to call Grem for bail.
    Welcome to Adams Grove .
    She started the coffee, got her laptop from her office, and sat at the kitchen bar. After all the action of being on tour, it felt weird to sit still with nothing going on around her. She checked her email, then went to Cody Tuggle’s website. One click on the events page and she saw that they were in Florida tonight.
    Good place to be the last week of January.
    She got up and poured a cup of coffee, then sat back down. After a show, Cody didn’t wind down until after nine in the morning. He’d be up. She picked up her phone and dialed his cell number.
    “Hey, Kasey. I’m so glad you called.”
    His enthusiasm reflected her own. Their friendship had grown so much over the last few months. “Not a bad time?”
    “No. Everything okay?”
    “Yes. Everything’s fine. I was just thinking about y’all and thought I’d check in. I do have some news.”
    “About Jake?” Cody sounded hopeful.
    “No. Nothing there yet, but I moved.”
    “Moved? You just got home.”
    “I know. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” She explained the whole story—from Chaz Huckaby to the house. Cody seemed to understand her immediate connection to the place.
    “I think you did the right thing. You sound good. Real good.”
    “It’s just a little hard to embrace all the quiet after the pace of the tour.”
    “You can always come back,” he said as if the answer was obvious. “I do have a seat on my plane that’s empty.”
    “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll email you the mailing address and phone number in case there’s anything we need to handle on the book. If you ever get back out this way, stop on by.”
    “By the way, I need to thank