Page 19 of Unburied

“Did you have an aneurysm? I don’t know what your problem is or why you’re doing this, but I said no. We had one night together. Leave it at that and move on, just like I have.”

She didn’t wait for his reply, just slid inside and slammed the door, locking it before he had a chance to maneuver in between. “Vivi, I swear…”

His words were drowned out by the sound of the engine turning over, and he smacked one hand on the window. “Virginia…”

She didn’t so much as look at him as she flicked a glance in the rearview mirror to ensure the cart was out of her way before putting it in gear and starting to back up. He stepped back to avoid having his foot run over, cursing her all the while. The stubborn woman wouldn’t give him two seconds to explain.

Explain what, he still wasn’t sure. Every time he rehearsed the conversation in his head, it got more and more muddled. What could he even say to make her understand? One throwaway comment had turned her completely against him, so much so that she wasn’t willing to listen to him at all. He knew he was wrong; he’d regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.

Stupidly, he’d made things worse the following day by accusing her of lying to him. She threw him completely off balance, instilled a simmering need every time he found himself in the same room with her. He still wasn’t sure why she’d told him she was only in town for one night. Maybe it was her way of staying detached from a man she thought she’d never see again. That he could understand.

But they had seen each other again. They worked together, and they were going to have to come to some kind of agreement. She seemed dead set against him, and it made him see red. She’d avoided him like the plague for the past three-and-a-half days, and it only made him want her more. He must be a glutton for punishment. But that only solidified his resolve.

No matter what it took, Virginia Castillo was going to be his.

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

Vivi slammed the cupboard door with a growl of frustration. Where did Mason get off thinking he could boss her around like that?

Jerk.

She was tired of being under men’s thumbs. She was a grown woman, and it was time they started treating her like it.

In times like these, there were only two men she could count on. Snatching up the carton of Ben and Jerry’s, she pulled a clean spoon from the dish rack and stabbed it into the creamy mixture. She settled on the couch and flipped on the TV, content to zone out to some mindless show for a bit until bedtime.

She had a list of things to do tomorrow, not the least of which was to get the house back in order and clean it from top to bottom. The workers had cleaned the vents, and it smelled immeasurably better, but she needed to wash all of the walls to see if the saturated smoke smell came out.

A slamming sound from outside had her jumping practically a foot off the couch and almost spilling her ice cream. Disaster narrowly averted, she set the carton on the coffee table and pushed off, then made her way to the window to peek into the backyard.

She laughed at herself when she saw the door to the shed in the corner of the yard swinging wildly in the wind, the latch clanging loudly each time it slammed against the clasp. She thought she’d closed it up last time she was out there, which she couldn’t quite remember. Two days ago, maybe? She’d been so busy cleaning inside that she hadn’t paid much attention to the flowers. She knew Ellen would be disappointed. She would have to dedicate some time to pruning them this weekend.

Grabbing up the ice cream, she detoured into the kitchen and stowed it in the freezer before making her way out the back door onto the small deck. Curving her arms around her waist to guard against the cool wind, she hopped down the stairs, then cut across the lawn toward the shed.

The wind had picked up since she got home, bringing with it a storm of epic proportions. The sky had already darkened far beyond what it normally looked like at this time of night, and she hurried to lock up the shed before the rain came.

Ellen’s late husband had used the small shed as a workshop when he was alive. He’d enjoyed tinkering around with electronics and small engines, and the space was still cluttered with paraphernalia lining the shelves and floor. As she approached, she noticed a small, flat disc-shaped object sitting on the counter.

Even though the light was dim, she recognized it immediately. Harrison had purchased the small garden plaque for Ellen on the twentieth anniversary of Christine’s death. She traced the flowers on the stone, sliding her fingers over the quote Ellen had loved so much. Now a huge crack split the stone right down the middle.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been damaged, but Ellen obviously hadn’t gotten around to fixing it, or she’d forgotten all about it. Sympathy seized her heart. It was faded with time, but it held a sentimentality that couldn’t be replaced. She tucked the two halves under her arm, making a mental note to buy some industrial-strength glue next time she was at the store.

Stepping outside, she closed and locked the shed before returning to the house. As she reached the back deck, the first drops of rain fell from the sky, splattering over her cheeks and forehead. She dodged them deftly, making it inside just as the sky opened up and poured downward.

She’d just returned to the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She peeked out the window over the sink, but she couldn’t see to the front of the house. She cut through the living room, depositing the plaque on the coffee table before making her way to the front door.

She peered through the peephole, and her heart jumped in her chest when she saw Elijah standing on the walkway. Rain was slanting sideways in sheets, thrown around by gusts of wind, and she bit her lip. No matter what had happened Monday, she couldn’t let him stand out there and get soaked.

She reluctantly opened the door, then stood back to let him in. He hurried by, then tossed a grateful look her way. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” She closed the door, then turned her attention to him. “Let me grab you a towel.”

“It’s fine.” He held up one hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

She nodded a little as she moved toward the couch and took a seat. Why was he here?

He seemed to read her mind because a regretful expression crossed his face. “I wanted to stop by to apologize. For the way I acted,” he clarified. “I… It was wrong of me. Harrison’s news caught me off guard and I… blew it out of proportion.”