Cajun Vacation by Mindi Winters Page B

weekend girl. At the newspaper, before moving over to the broadcast side of the business, she had cut her teeth on research. It would be a step down, but she could work her way up again if Mr. Forrester would give her a chance. Maybe he’d even try her out as one of his new reporters instead of putting her in the backroom. Her family could call her out as crazy, but her feelings for Justin were too strong. If he felt the same way, then somehow things would fall into place.
    She straightened herself up and headed out of the bathroom. She took ten paces before stopping cold. Arms wide and a beaming smile, Gary strode up to her.
    “Erica,” he said, giving her a big hug.
    Her jaw dropped open and she pushed out of Gary’s embrace. “What are you doing here?” she asked. Then fear came over her face and she scanned the crowd for any sign of Justin. “Where’s Justin?” she demanded.
    “The cameraman? He left after I told him I was your boyfriend and came down on a surprise visit. I always have the weekends off, you know. After Melissa told me what a great job you did in your report, I just knew that you had come around and decided to place more importance on advancing your position at the station,” he said, licking his lips. His eyes fell onto her breasts and she felt dirty. “I didn’t feel like waiting for you to get back, so I flew down here this morning with Jessica. She’s waiting back at the hotel. I thought we could get a head start together and discuss your impending promotion.”
    She wanted to vomit. He tried slipping a hand on her back. “Why don’t we get going,” he said, and then something snapped inside her. She reared on him.
    “Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me again. I’m not your girlfriend and I’ll never give in to your sick sex games with Jessica or anyone else. You can consider this my resignation. I don’t need you or your promotions,” she said.
    “I’ll see that you never work in New York again,” he said. “Jessica was right when she said that you didn’t have ambition. She looks better on camera anyway.” Then he walked off, never looking back.
    She ignored Gary’s last departing slap at her. Nothing mattered except finding Justin. Finding him and praying that it wasn’t too late. She ran to the parking lot, hoping that she could still catch him before he left.

Chapter 10
    By the time she made it to the parking lot, Justin’s car was already passing out of view. He had shut his phone off after her first attempt at calling. Then a good Samaritan had offered her a ride back to the hotel and she’d picked up her rental car to go look for him. She tried his home first, but he wasn’t there, and neighbors said he hadn’t been back all day. Then she remembered her messages from the other day.
    She had originally wanted to meet Justin at a boat dock closer to the city, where he kept his boat, before he requested they meet at the dock in the bayou. If he kept his boat there, and planned to head to his cottage then maybe she could head him off before he left.
    Erica hoped the police didn’t stop her. She drove through the city streets faster than she had any right too. If she got pulled over, they’d arrest her for sure. But she had to find Justin. Tears rolled down her face as the certainty choice hit her. It had taken her too long to recognize that New York was her past and that her future lay somewhere else. She loved Justin, and hoped that her future was with him. He probably hates me, she thought.
    She wiped her eyes. Until she found him, she didn’t know. Her entire life she had looked for real love, and now that she had found it, she didn’t intend to let it escape. She’d fight for it. Whatever it took.
    She made her last turn into a small dock area. She spotted his F-150 parked near the back. Boats of various sizes filled the slips. Some were barely larger than a dingy with a motor. She parked her car close to his truck, and made her way along the dock,