Page 32 of Miss Trust

Chance

Once I sat down at the table, I noticed Tory tense. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to return from Vegas and ask to join them for dinner. This felt too intimate. Too much like a family meal where I was clearly an intruder.

Yet the food in front of me made my mouth water. Diced chicken, flour tortillas, and a salsa made of mango, avocado, tomato, and onion.

“Mommy, you’re eating the same thing as me?” Penny asked.

I didn’t think much of it until the little girl focused on me and provided, “She used to eat a lot of dried noodles for dinner.”

My gaze hit Tory’s, and I watched her face turn red at her daughter’s inadvertent reveal.

“Yeah. I’m eating with you tonight, ladybug. Now eat up.”

I paused mid-bite, finding a lump in my throat. Apparently Tory had been eating ramen in order to afford food for her daughter. Never in my life had I worried about where a meal was coming from. Though the thought bothered me, I forced myself to continue eating Tory’s tacos, enjoying the flavors. “It’s delicious.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, her attention on her own plate.

We ate the rest of the meal in silence except for Penny’s chatter. Before I could take the last bite, Tory was already up, clearing dishes and making herself busy at the sink.

“I can wash if you want to go be with your daughter.”

She looked surprised by my offer. Hell, she wasn’t the only one. There were a number of calls I had to make this evening. “I’m good. But thank you for the offer.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you later, then.” I desperately needed to put some space between us.

She didn’t turn around. “Talk to you later.”

* * *

It wasafter nine o’clock when I walked out to the patio off the kitchen, whiskey bottle and glass in hand. But I wasn’t alone there. Tory was already sitting on a lounge chair, a blanket covering her lap to ward of the slight chill of the evening. She turned at the sound of the sliding glass door opening.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” I said, halting.

She shook her head. “You didn’t.”

I held up the bottle. “You want a drink?”

I expected her to say no and take her leave, but she surprised me. “Sure. But you only have the one glass.”

“It won’t be a problem to grab another. Here.”

I poured her four fingers before slipping back inside and grabbing another glass. When I returned, she was sipping her drink and looking off into the distance.

Taking the lounge chair beside her, I breathed in the night air and tried to ignore the scent of honey tickling my nose.

“I love the ocean,” she whispered. There was such a wistful air about her words, I turned to study her. Tory’s hair was down, and her gray sweatshirt almost swallowed her, yet she was still stunning.

“Me too. It’s why I bought this property. For the views. But I didn’t want to be near the highway and on top of other houses, so I chose one up here on the hill.”

“Makes sense. You mentioned you have several properties. Is this your favorite?”

I took a sip of my bourbon. “For now. But I don’t tend to get attached.”

“So you’ll sell it eventually?”

“Most likely.”

We stayed quiet, both of us turning when a sound came from the monitor she’d placed on the patio table. Tory leaned forward to glance at the live view of her daughter before settling back again in her lounge chair. I couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling right now, yet she seemed unaffected.