Page 125 of Promising You
“I want to hear it from Arlin. He seems to have all the answers.” Garret picks his phone up from the table. “Will you be okay here? No, you can’t be alone. I’ll go down and get Harper to stay with you.” He starts to leave.
“Garret, wait. I’ll just go with you.” I move to the edge of the bed and reach for my crutches. I feel dizzy again as I stand, but I don’t tell Garret or he won’t let me leave.
“You sure you’re okay?” He gets my coat from the back of my chair.
“Yes. Besides, I can’t let you go there alone. We don’t need another Kensington killing another Sinclair.” It’s not at all funny, but it sounds funny when I say it.
Garret smiles as he shakes his head. “I’m not going to kill him, Jade.” As I hobble to the door he stops and hugs me. “But I might have to punch the old man in the face for taking you like that. And then taking your phone. I was so damn worried about you when I didn’t know where you were.”
“Well, I’m okay now so you don’t have to worry.” He lets me go and we walk out to the parking lot.
“So where is this place?” he asks as we get in the car.
“It’s in that strip mall next to The Burger Hut.”
Garret laughs. “Funny, Jade. Where is it really?”
“I’m not kidding. It’s in that strip mall.”
“A billionaire doesn’t put his office in a strip mall by The Burger Hut.”
“I think it’s in a pharmacy and the office is in the back. Arlin was probably just borrowing the office. Does he own pharmacies?”
“Yeah, he does. Their main business is the pharmaceutical company but a few years ago they started buying up local pharmacies. I forgot that he owns that one in the strip mall. Cunningham probably suggested meeting there in case he needed anything for whatever happened to you.” He reaches over for my hand. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine. You worry about me way too much.”
“It’s a side effect of being in love with you, so deal with it.” He lifts my hand up and kisses it.
When we get to the strip mall, Garret comes around to open my door. I fumble with the crutches, which I’m still not good at using.
Garret’s watching me. “Why don’t I go in and check if he’s there before you get out?”
“What are you saying? That I’m too slow?”
He’s laughing. “You’re kind of slow. Maybe I could carry you to the door.”
“Just hold on.” I yank on his sleeve as I get my balance on the crutches.
As we walk into the pharmacy a customer goes past us out the door, leaving only Garret and me. Garret goes up to the pharmacist, a tall, thin guy with wire-rimmed glasses wearing a lab coat. He’s standing behind the counter, putting a new roll of paper into the cash register. He sees us there but doesn’t even say hello.
“We’re here to see Mr. Sinclair,” Garret says. “Is he still here?”
The pharmacist gives us a strange look so Garret clarifies. “Arlin Sinclair? The man who owns this place?”
The guy starts laughing, which is surprising because he looks like someone who never laughs. “Arlin Sinclair? The billionaire?”
“Yes. Is he still here?”
“Why on earth would Arlin Sinclair come to this pharmacy?” He pulls on the register tape and notices he has it in the wrong way. He takes it out and tries again.
“Doesn’t he own this place?” I ask the guy.
“He owns hundreds of pharmacies. He doesn’t go visit them.” He laughs again.
“Is there an office in the back?”
“There’s a storage room, but not an office.”
