Secretly loving her

uffman

all apartment in Summit Ridge, Nevada. He groaned, rolling over

the weekend's drinks. He stared at the ceiling for

room, his eyes barely open. He reached for the door, misju

ing the spot. "Great st

r his breath, then fiddled with the faucet until steam finally began to rise. As the warmth se

o see he

tics, the town's largest employer. Mia was the unofficial lead on the production line-smart, quick to learn, and able to master every part

as he combed his hair. He threw on his favorite shirt-maybe she'

earwater River, its surface reflecting the pale morning sky, and pulled into the parking lot at Silver Valley Plastics. He was r

nd him. Red and blue lights f

ed, pulling over

approached, expre

d registrat

nds shaking. "Sorry, officer. I

how fast yo

. no,

ere are you off t

k at Silver Valley Plastics. I gue

o his cruiser. Alex drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, cu

under the speed

Won't hap

forced himself to focus. The ticket stung, but t

re he could see the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mia's car-a faded blue sedan, always parked near the front. H

cted, Alex walked straight into the glass door. The

!" someone call

s forehead. "Yeah, just makin

intenance-held the door op

t awake yet," Alex replie

coffee, and swapped weekend stories. But Mia was nowhere to be seen

es. There were a few messages about shift changes and equipm

eard from Mia

n rep

. She's usually

led back through the chat, hoping for a clue, but found nothing. He

ting. Was she running late? Was she okay? He glanced at the clock, counting the m