Chapter 17
GEORGE
I grope blindly on the nightstand for my phone to silence the alarm. The sleep mask seems to have done the trick. That or all the excitement yesterday just knocked me out. I passed out cold right after sending those emails.
Now that I’m sort of awake, anxiety gnaws at my stomach, and I sit up to check my inbox. God, I hope Owen will be understanding about my little incident last night.
Sure enough, there’s a reply waiting.
From: Owen Wilde
To: George Knight
Date: December 20, 10:59 PM
Re: NOT an emergency
Thanks for letting me know. So you met Allie, huh? Yeah, you’re going to want to stay on her good side. She’s a stickler for regulations, but she’s kept us from burning down the town more than once, so we definitely listen to her.
Seriously, though, no sweat—it could happen to anyone.
I let out a snort. I very much doubt that.
Just for future reference, it sounds like you might have tried to light a fire with wet wood, which, if you did, is kind of a no-no.
Owen
I find myself smiling at the email.
“No-no.” Cute.
Also… No, I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t.
I should just leave it alone.
But….