Strays

Chapter 17

Dean was feeling zesty, but he knew the second he got back home and put his head on a pillow, he would be down for at least three hours. That sounded incredible to him.

"Hey, Dean!" He turned his head to see Stacy and Jed across the street. They were waving him over to the coffee shop, where they were sitting across from each other at an antique white wire table outside the doors. He jogged across to them, smelling Jed's Irish coffee from beside the table.

"Good morning," Stacey greeted brightly. Her hair was in a styled ponytail over her head, and her smile was cheery and welcoming. Jed's grinning face was watching his girlfriend.

"You two look better than I feel this morning," Dean laughed, pulling up a chair to join them.

"There's something from last night we actually wanted to talk to you about," Stacy told him, her face falling into an empathetic serious expression.

"I hope I didn't do anything," Dean says, immediately prepared to apologize. Guilt began to take root. "I was wasted—everything after dizzy bat is completely gone."

"No!" Stacy insisted, pressing her hand to Dean's arm softly, before moving the hand across the table to hold her boyfriend's arm. "No, you were so much fun! We had a great time."

"What's up, guys?" Dean's brows furrowed in concern. Stacy looked toward Jed for him to speak up. He sighed, leaning closer to his coffee.

"I overheard that bartender guy asking Nate some questions about Mike," Jed told him. His voice was weary and soft—but it always was. Jed was a relaxed guy; he always felt like laying down in warm hay after a long summer day.

"Mike?" Dean frowned, not expecting that direction of conversation. "Lindley's Mike?"

Jed nodded. "And there's something else—I'm pretty sure he ran with a really rough crowd, before he got here. Like Wyatt's old gang."

"We don't know if it means anything, and for all we know, Lindley knows about his past, and she's the one who told him about Mike, but... We just thought maybe you would want to talk to her about it." Stacy met Dean's eyes earnestly. She and Lindley had always gotten along—it's hard not to get along with Stacy—but there was no one in town with the relationship Dean had with Lindley. Everyone else was a little intimidated by Lindley, and for the most part they left confrontation to him.

Dean knew all of this was true, but he let out a frustrated breath, knowing how Lindley would feel about finding out that she was the topic of gossip about town. It wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"No, I appreciate it," Dean told them, smiling at Jed gratefully. "Thanks for telling me. I'm sure it's nothing, but I appreciate you having Lindley's back." Jed raised his eyebrows at Dean in acknowledgement. "Hey, don't forget, surprise party for Lindley on the 26th."

"Wouldn't miss it!" Stacy answered for the two of them, taking a sip from her fragrant latte.

Dean began his walk home—his thoughts were still unsteadily in his mind, swirling in the alcohol he drank over the last 12 hours.