Eureka

16

After a disappointing trip to the garage where I was told by Smokey that my car would need more repairs than it was worth. I decided to sell it to them to scrap out. Thankfully, they agreed. I'll just have to find something else soon. I'm sure Victor will be able to help me with that as well.

Watching Smokey dote on and worry over Millie was heartwarming. She was clearly his pride and joy. I learned from him that he was her mother's brother and didn't have kids of his own. I would say it was safe to assume that he spoiled Millie and Landon as a result. 

After her parents passed away, they left Millie and Landon the old house that she then renovated into a bed and breakfast. She kept blushing as he spoke highly of her achievements and her work ethic. I could tell that he favored her over Landon, although he would probably never admit to that out loud. Judging by the leather vest that was resting on the chair in his office, I'd assume it has something to do with Landon being a man of law while he was an active part of the local motorcycle club. It only makes me wonder what sort of club they are, and what sort of dealings they make.

We leave the garage after an hour or so of talking with the precious older man who had taken a liking to me as well. Though, I imagine it had a lot to do with the fact that Millie had already grown fond of me. She was currently doing her best to cheer me up after the sad loss of my precious Kermit. I try to raise my spirits for her benefit. Which is surprisingly easy to do around her. She has such a wonderful gift to make people happy again.

As we drive through town, I search for car dealerships on my phone and then check the distance to the nearest airport. Thankfully it is less than an hour away. I send a text to Vic to let him know he will need to arrange himself a rental car since I wont be able to come and get him. He text me while I was at the garage to let me know he will be arriving this afternoon.

Millie takes me to the historic downtown area of Eureka which is where I had walked through yesterday to get to The Bar and Grill. There is a lot more to it than I thought. She drives us down  the narrow streets. Winding through them slowly while she waves at some of the other folks in town that she knows. Many of the faces were already familiar to me just from working the past two nights.

She drives back to the house deciding that walking there would be better than having to pay for decent parking. Apparently fighting with the tourists for parking is not worth it here since you can walk just about anywhere. We leave the house again and begin the trek that I had taken the previous night. She leads me to one of her favorite shops where they sell clothes. The style is definitely Millie's. Everything has a very earthy feel to it with a lot of patterns and beading.

Millie chats with the employee at the register who I recognize as one of Millie's friends from the other night. I browse slowly and use this time to listen to some of the voicemails that were left from both Bradley and Portia. I save a few to have Millie listen to them too. I imagine she'd get a kick out of his pitiful begging. 

Portia's messages made me regret that I left Houston when I did. Had I remained there, I would have killed her. She apparently felt it was necessary to tell me all about when their physical relationship began as well as how often they would meet up behind my back. 

Now, I'm not a jealous person. I just don't do well with disrespect. Hearing Portia mouth off to me in the way she does in these messages just makes me want to watch her life fade from her eyes. I lick my lips at the fleeting thought. A spark of adrenaline rushes through my spine making my fingers twitch.

My eyes are unfocused, staring unseeingly at a wall of crystal geodes, as I debate on if it is worth flying back down there to take Portia out of commission. Millie waves to get my attention, bringing me back out of my own head. I join her by the fitting room area, which is just a small wall of curtains blocking her from view. She shows me different items she's thinking of buying and tosses in a couple of things she thinks would suit me. I'm not usually a big fan of hippie chic, but she seems to think I can pull it off. I don't bother arguing, she seems too happy about it all.