Spark in the Dark

Chapter 191

The guys cleaned up the room so well, it was impossible to tell anything bad had happened there. Shawn still knew, though. She didn't think she'd ever forget.

Juice kept them busy that week so she didn't have to stay in the room for long. Even when they were there at night, he'd pull out his laptop to search for things to do the next day with Shawn after Ally had gone to bed for the night. They both tried to appreciate every moment they had together because once she got on that plane, it would be awhile before they were together again.

On their last afternoon there, they stayed in the room. Juice was sitting at the desk with his laptop, looking up flights to New York.

"So, there's one with only one layover. It leaves at 8 AM. If we check out of here around 6, we can get you there in time to go through security and everything," Juice told her.

"Okay," Shawn agreed quietly. "What time will we get there?"

"It'll take a few hours and with the time difference... Probably around 6 PM? After I get this, I'll call Rosita and make sure she's there a little early, just in case."

"How will I know which one she is? I've never seen her. Do you two look alike?"

"Sort of. She already told me she's getting one of those hats professional drivers wear and making a sign with your name on it," Juice said. He couldn't help but to smile. His older sister was pretty loud and a little too vulgar, but she had a great sense of humor. Somehow he had forgotten that. "You'll like her."

"I'm more worried that she won't like me."

"She loves you," Juice said and laughed. "She told me the other day if we ever get divorced, she's filing for custody of you and getting rid of me."

"Not sure that's how that works," Shawn chuckled.

"That's what I said, she doesn't care."

"Well, then I guess we'll just never get divorced then."

"Sounds good to me," Juice said. "Okay, so I'll get you guys this flight."

"Juice, wait," Shawn interrupted him. He turned away from his computer to look at her. "Are you sure we need to do this? I mean, nothing else has happened all week. Maybe we're okay now."

"Shawn," Juice began, but had to stop. A lump had formed in his throat and he had to swallow hard to clear it. He stood from the chair and moved to sit on the bed with his girls. He took her hand as he talked. "I don't want you to go, either, but the alternative is you possibly being in danger. If something happens to you, either one of you, I'd never forgive myself for letting you stay."

Shawn nodded. "I know. It's like... I know I need to get her out, but I hate leaving you behind."

"Don't think of it that way then. I'm sending you off while I tie up some loose ends, okay? We got that offer on the house. It'll close in a little over a week. Then we'll have a month to get everything out. I'll get movers to do all the work. I'll see you in 6 weeks. Two months max if closing gets postponed or whatever."

"Then what?" Shawn asked. She already knew the answer, they had talked about it a few times since the realtor called a few days before with the offer. Shawn just liked hearing him say it.

"Then I buy you another plane ticket and I get myself one. Then we get to start all over, together."

"You're skipping the part I like."

"Which is?" Juice teased. He knew what she was after, but faked ignorance.

"The part about our cute house near a beach and-"