“Is everything set?”
“Yeah, she thinks we’re headed for Rocky Point today. It’s on Saturday, right?” Lisa and Natalie were going to Rocky Point, but only for Friday night. They’d be in Dodge with their normal haul of seafood for the party on Saturday afternoon.
“Yeah, Saturday. Don’t get that mixed up!” Dylan laughed. He liked Lisa and Natalie both. They were good friends to Alex, even though they hadn’t known her long. Lisa kept him posted on Alex’s mood, especially since Dawn’s accident.
“Hey,” he said, as if it had been an afterthought. “What do you hear about Dawn?”
Lisa paused and said something away from the phone. When she came back, she said, “Natalie thinks she’s out of the hospital. Alex hasn’t said much for the past few days.”
She didn’t seem concerned, so Dylan let it go. “Okay, well, that’s good. So I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
When he ended the call with Lisa, Dylan called Paul, Alex’s dad, to let him know the shrimp boil was on. Paul told him Jen, Wanda and his mom, Alex’s Nana, would be there. Aunt Jess wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t come. Dylan told Paul that besides himself and his boys, he’d lined up his friend Ange and her boyfriend Bill and Bill’s boss, Kevin Thurston, along with Alex’s housemates, of course. That alone would complete the surprise.
“When’s Alex getting here?” Paul asked.
“She should be there by dinnertime tonight. Want to meet up at Jen’s place and grab a burger?”
“Sounds good.”
With the plans for the weekend set, Dylan left the office and went out on patrol with his partner. He wasn’t good company as he considered what he was going to say to Alex in private on Sunday. Their biggest hurdle was the distance between them. Dylan ached to hold her every single night, and Alex had told him she missed him desperately when they couldn’t see each other for more than a week. There were other reasons he wanted to change this situation.
Alex had decided that scholarship or no scholarship, she had to transfer to Phoenix next semester. She’d already stayed at the community college too long, and any opportunities for employment she wanted in a bigger town were going to slip away if she didn’t get there and graduate from one of the more prestigious communications programs in the state. That would put her even further away, but at least she wouldn’t be in the constant sight of the rougher elements in Casa Grande.
Without telling her, he had decided to try to transfer to a park closer to Phoenix. It wasn’t just for her. He’d never wanted to live in Dodge once he left, and had only come back because of his mom and the boys. Now he wanted to get the boys out, too, before the small-town mentality had a chance to ruin their promise. They were such bright kids, inquisitive, smart and full of energy. They deserved better than the little town could give them in educational experience.
For all these reasons, he’d decided to tell Alex that he’d be moving to Phoenix or a suburb, as soon as he could get a transfer. If she agreed, he wanted her to move in with him and the boys. It would help her with housing and him with the boys, since he’d be moving away from his support group. Best of all, it would mean she was with him every night, every day, always. He wanted to marry her, but she wasn’t ready for that. Maybe she’d at least agree to this.
ELEVEN
On Friday morning, Alex couldn’t wait to get on the road, but first she had a couple of things to run down. Dawn was out of the hospital and had agreed to see her this morning, but she was at home with her parents during her recuperation. Alex packed her things, planning to take a smaller road from the reservation to Gila Bend after talking with Dawn. Even though it was a slower road, not having to backtrack to Highway 8 on Highway 10 meant the time was a little less, and besides, it was less familiar territory. Something new to look at for a change.
Before she could leave for the reservation, though, she had another errand. She’d never been able to get over Lisa telling her that a former roommate had disappeared and they hadn’t even reported her missing. When she got to know them well enough, she asked the roommate’s name and began trying to find her. She’d finally