Near To You by Asha King Read Free Book Online Page A

goddamn idiot , but you know my head’s not on straight in the morning—”
    “So what are you going to do?”
    She set the phone down long enough to pull on a T-shirt, then snatched it up again. “I’m going to find him.”
    “Where?”
    “I don’t know! But it’s not that big of a town. I can—”
    “Drive around and shout his name out the window like he’s a lost puppy?”
    Nia sighed and sank on the end of the bed, rubbing her temples. “I guess not if it’s that stupid.”
    “Phone number?”
    “Disconnected—I tried 411. And I tried the company he worked for and they wouldn’t give out employee information.”
    “Friends?”
    She still wasn’t sure what the guy from yesterday’s name was. “Drawing a blank.”
    “Family?”
    “He has a sister but she must’ve married and changed her name—I tried Tracie Trewin and came up with nothing.”
    “Hold on.” The click of fingers forcefully tapping a keyboard sounded—Deena must’ve been at her laptop.
    “Are you doing something illegal?”
    “Nope. Facebook.” And a moment later: “There. Tracie Trewin-Valenti. Married to a guy named David. Annnnd...get a pen—there’s only one Valenti in town.”
    Jeez, she was quick. Nia scrambled for her purse, pulled out a pen and paper, and jotted down the number Deena gave her. “Thank you so much.”
    “Find him. Anyone who gives my girl multiple Os in one night is a keeper—if only so I can have him afterward.”
    Niara chuckled, shook her head, said her goodbyes, and immediately dialed up Tracie. The phone rang once.
    Twice.
    Three times.
    Dread pooled in her stomach. What the hell was she thinking? What if—
    “Hello?”
    She jumped and nearly dropped the phone. “Hi—may I speak to Tracie?”
    “Speaking.”
    Great. Not like I planned what in the hell I was going to say to her. She took a deep breath. “I’m a friend of Brady’s...”

    ****

    Twenty minutes later, Niara sat in a coffee shop on the main four quarters downtown, sipping a full-bodied dark roast that was absolutely heavenly. The shop was cool but she sat near a window and warm sun wrapped her in its embrace.
    A woman walked deliberately toward her and she glanced up. Tracie had long dark hair swept up into a loose ponytail, a multi-colored pastel diaper bag on one shoulder, and a toddler on her hip. She smiled widely and looked a few years older than Brady.
    “I’m Tracie,” she said as she took the seat opposite Niara, and placed the little girl on the seat beside her. “And this is Louisa.”
    The child giggled and clapped, and her eyes were the same rich blue as both her mom and Uncle Brady.
    Brady . His name was an uncomfortable pinch, like poking a bruise but she tried to smile. “Niara.”
    Tracie grinned. “I have a framed article from the MHS Tailspin, Brady’s senior year—a feature you did on him when they finally won a game. Sits on my mantle.”
    It was sweet to know, yes, but not why she’d called Tracie in the first place. “Like I said on the phone, I wondered if you had a cell number I could use to reach him.”
    But Tracie shook her head, shifting her attention to the diaper bag where she pulled out a juice bottle for her daughter. “’Fraid I don’t.”
    Great. You wanted to meet me here why, then ?
    “He was planning to call me in a few days, and then again when he got settled somewhere.”
    Nia’s heart sank. “When he does, could you...I don’t know, give him a message? Ask him to call me? I...” Tracie’s gaze was steady on her and she shifted uncomfortably. “There was a misunderstanding and I really need to talk to him.”
    Tracie rested her forearms on the table and leaned forward, frowning as she seemed to search for words. “The thing you have to understand is that our mother died. Two years ago.”
    Jesus . “I’m sorry—”
    But she held up a hand to stop any more sympathies. “She was treated when we were in high school, got better, but went into remission and it