“Your house? He came by your house to say goodbye instead of mine and I live right across the street and he could have come to talk to me.”
Remi shrugged. “If that’s how you want to look at it.”
“How do you suggest I look at it?” Cristie asked.
“Like your best friend has become friends with your old best friend, and that could be a good thing,” he said, turning his head to her with a raised brow and pursed lips.
She opened her mouth to answer, glanced his way twice in quick succession, then relaxed back into her seat, shaking her head slowly as she closed her mouth. Finally, she started nodding. “You’re right. You’re both very good males, and it shouldn’t surprise me at all that you’d gravitate toward each other in friendship.”
“Glad you see it that way,” Remi said.
“So, I don’t suppose he told you why he left so suddenly?” Cristie asked.
“Did he tell you why he left so suddenly?” Remi countered.
“I can’t tell you that!” Cristie said.
“Neither can I. Certain things are said in confidence.”
“Agreed,” Cristie said. But her brow furrowed as she came to a stop at a red light in the middle of town.
“The courthouse is pretty,” Remi said.
“Hmm?” she asked, looking toward Remi, then to her left to the old, ornate courthouse, built of old stones and fancy rock work. “Oh, yeah, it is pretty. It’s one of my favorite buildings.”
“I can see why. Is it as historic inside, or have they modernized it?” Remi asked.
“Its wiring and plumbing have been updated, but at first glance, it matches the outside. I think it’s on the list of historic buildings for our town, so they have no choice but to maintain its original appearance, at least as much as possible while preserving it.”
“Next time we come to town, we’ll have to come earlier in the day so you can see the inside,” Cristie said.
“Are we coming to town again?” Remi asked.
“I’m sure we will at some point.”
Remi gave a half-nod, and a little shrug, then went back to looking out of his window.
A few minutes later Cristie turned into a parking lot and brought her car to a stop.
Remi looked up at the building she’d parked in front of. “Cooper’s Mercantile?”
“Yep. Think Wally-world, but on a smaller scale. Anything we need is here. Or at the feed store if you’d prefer boots, or a swing set.” She thought about it for a second as they got out of the car and started toward the store. “Or the grocery. But you get my point, this is the department store you usually want to go to if you’re not buying food.”
“Or a swing set,” Remi said.
“See? You understand,” she said happily.
As they approached the door, Remi stepped in front of her and paused ever-so-briefly in the path of the sliding door, keeping her from entering until he’d had a split second to look around. Deciding the store was safe enough for her to enter, heproceeded through the doorway, then stopped to allow her to resume the lead.
She looked up at him with a comical expression. “Sure nobody’s gonna try to steal me if I lead the way?”
“I’m beginning to think they’d bring you back if they did,” Remi answered, walking past her as he quickly took in the layout of the store, grabbed a basket and walked away.
“What does that mean?” she demanded, hurrying to catch up to him.
Remi didn’t answer, he simply strolled down the first aisle he came to, eyeing all the items they had on the shelf.
“Remi!” Cristie said, moving to stand in front of the basket.
