Page 88 of Best Kept Secret

A few minutes later, he drove away from his apartment on a quest to find his future home, and Annie’s too. Needing a distraction, he imagined erecting a swing set for her in his new backyard. It would have to be a sturdy wooden one, not a rusty metal one like he’d had as a kid. He’d also buy one of those plastic kiddie pools and let her splash around in it, under his close supervision, of course.

Maybe he’d even get a dog. Kids loved dogs, right? He hadn’t had one growing up because his parents were allergic. At least, that was what they’d claimed. Now that he thought of it, they’d never had a reaction when they’d been around other people’s dogs. Hmm. He’d have to call them out on that the next time he saw them.

Thinking about his family, he was certain they’d volunteer to help him decorate and plant flowers. His mom and sister would be especially enthusiastic about decorating a nursery for Annie, and his dad would help him put up that swing set. When he envisioned his new home, he pictured Kelsey there too. He wanted to introduce her to his family, include her in his plans, and get her opinion on everything. He wanted her to be a part of his life and his future just as much as he wanted Annie to be. In fact, it was hard to imagine his life without her in it. Does she feel the same?

He snapped out of his musing and realized he’d pulled onto her street, even though the house he’d wanted to look at was in the opposite direction. Now that I’m here, I might as well drive by, he thought as he pulled into the parking lot.

He drove slowly, not wanting to draw undue attention to himself. When he got closer to her apartment, he saw the empty space where her car should have been, and he sighed. Wherever she was, she did not want to be found, unless… Maybe she’d parked somewhere else and had been there all along. He decided to find out.

He parked in her space and then casually strolled up to her building, even though his heart was pounding out of his chest. Please be home, he thought as he went up the walkway. And please answer the door if you are.

He was almost at her door when an older woman came out of the apartment next to Kelsey’s. She eyed him suspiciously, but with more curiosity than fear.

“She’s not home,” the woman said by way of greeting.

“Oh. Are you sure?”

“Positive. She came home yesterday, but then she left with a suitcase a little while later. I haven’t seen her since.”

“A suitcase?” Had she hopped a plane and left the state? Were things really that bad?

“It was a small one,” the woman said conciliatorily.

“Hmm. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?” Since she seemed to be the eyes and ears of the place, he figured it was worth a shot.

“No idea, but she was in a hurry, that’s for sure.”

In a hurry to get away from me. “Okay. Well, thanks for your time.” He turned to leave, but she stopped him.

“Are you her boyfriend or something?”

He faced her again and said, “I want to be.” He wondered if he sounded as pathetic as he felt, but the woman seemed to take pity on him.

“You must have had an argument.”

“Something like that.”

She nodded knowingly. “My husband and I argued a lot when we were together.”

He was almost afraid to ask, but he found himself asking anyway. “Divorced?”

“Dead,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

She sighed. “It was a long time ago, but I still think of him every day.”

He found her admission sweet and disconcerting at the same time. What was it like to live without the one you loved? The thought that it might be anything like how he was feeling now made him even more empathetic toward this stranger.

“Do you love her?” she asked, catching him off guard.

If anyone had told him he’d be having this conversation with a stranger, he’d have laughed his head off. Now he said solemnly, “Yes, I do.”

“Thought so. You have that look.”

“What look?”

“The look of love.”