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“I know he did. Several years later, my dad’s friend came to see my grandmother. I think he was checking up on me, actually. Anyway, they were in the kitchen talking and I could hear them through the register in the bathroom.”
“Did you say anything?”
“No. Not to anyone. Ever.”
So why him? Why now? And why wasn’t he feeling the least bit cramped by this...thing...between them? He wasn’t receiving replies to his texts to Ella, but things were still somewhat unresolved in his mind regarding the woman he’d expected to marry someday. The woman he’d mentally committed to.
He’d promised Ella he’d be back. It was a matter of his word, not whether or not she believed him.
Or maybe the situation was resolving itself. Maybe his heart knew what his mind was not yet processing—that Ella was not his one and only. That leaving her wasn’t reprehensible. Or wrong.
“You want to go out to dinner sometime?” His words sounded like firecrackers in the night.
“Depends.” Her gaze didn’t move from the fountain.
“On what?”
“Why you’re asking.”
He wasn’t sure. He’d just asked. Kind of like asking Ella to marry him. “You’re patient with my grandmother. We’re friends. I’d like a night out and don’t know anyone around here.” Not entirely true, but close enough. He didn’t know anyone well enough to want to hang out with them for a whole evening.
“So we’d be going as friends.”
“Sure, we can keep it at that,” he said. That was what he wanted, too. Except for when he was thinking about making love with her. Which he was trying not to do, semi-successfully.
“‘Friends’ is all I can offer you.”
He wondered why, but didn’t ask. “I’m good with that.”
When she didn’t say anything else he asked, “When do you want to go?”
“I’m assuming you’re talking about going to Phoenix, right? Other than diners there’s not much here.”
He hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Phoenix, it is. When?” He could hear himself pushing her. And didn’t stop.
“Your schedule is a lot more complicated than mine,” she said. “I’m good with just about any evening.”
He was pleased to hear it. “I’m working the rest of this week and through the weekend,” he said. “As soon as next week’s schedule is posted, I’ll let you know.” He was a fill-in supervisor, good for any shift that he wasn’t in class. He’d told them he’d work seven days
a week.
So far, they were holding him true to his word.
“Sounds good.”
He held back a grin, already looking forward to their non-date to nowhere in particular, and feeling guilty as sin, too.
* * *
ADDY DIDN’T HAVE class Tuesday morning, but she was up bright and early, eager to get her homework done so she could get back to her purpose for being in Shelter Valley—the investigation. With yesterday’s find still chafing at her, she was afraid that she would uncover more—that Will was in more danger than she’d initially suspected. More danger than he’d feared.
She was planning to go through all of the personnel files on record, looking for any other inconsistencies in hiring, firing, commendations, raises, nepotism or relationships—all fodder for lawsuits.
She was eager to immerse herself in the job, and forget about the past. Forget, too, about Adele Kennedy—and her relationships.
Her cell phone rang five minutes after she was out of the shower. Recognizing Nonnie’s number, she picked up immediately.
