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McCrae had been her second choice behind Tanner the night of the barbecue. She’d used him for the experience she lacked. That was all.
Still . . . he looked damn good. No escaping that. Even though he was a cop, and she didn’t know exactly how to feel about that. The twins, at sixteen, had already had a few scrapes with the law and, despite Oliver and Mom’s best efforts to smooth things over, they were developing reputations with West Knoll’s finest.
As McCrae neared, she also remembered how she’d thought she was pregnant, wished for it almost. The thought gave her a jolt of disbelief. It was shocking to remember the little idiot she’d been. It almost felt like someone else’s memory. When Amanda’s pregnancy had been revealed, Ellie had realized how much she’d dodged a bullet. If they’d both been knocked up by the hottest guys in the class at the same time, somehow Amanda would have eclipsed her on that as well. Not that she’d been looking for that particular kind of notoriety, but good God, she couldn’t even lose her virginity without one of those goddamn Firsts stealing the spotlight from her.
“Hi, Ellie,” said McCrae.
She was surprised by how aware she was of him. Not romantically, of course. It had never been about that, and anyway she had someone she was desperately in love with and their affair was burning hot as wildfire. Unfortunately, that relationship was taboo, not to be talked about. She hadn’t been able to bring him to the reunion, and Alton would have thought it was a joke anyway. And if it were to come out somehow, and his wife found out . . . KABOOM. Nuclear explosion. Ellie would lose him, her job, and maybe even future jobs in the industry.
“Hi, McCrae,” she said. “Chris.” She inwardly groaned recalling how she’d tried to call him by his first name when she dreamed of marrying him, the father of her unbor
n child.
“I see you on the news almost every night.”
“You tune in to Channel Seven?” She reported the weather, which was an okay position but not where she wanted to be. She’d been working on moving up, but so far, no dice. That’s how her relationship with Alton had begun. Sleeping with the boss. But she really did love him. She did. And, yes, it was a cliché, but his wife, Coco, bitch of the highest order, did not understand him.
“It’s on at the station, and I’m there usually after six.”
“Yes, I heard you and Bailey were on the West Knoll force. Congratulations, I guess.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgment. She almost brought up Joey and Michael and their delinquent behavior but decided against it.
“At least you didn’t greet me with ‘How’s the weather?’ That’s one I’ve never heard before,” she said.
McCrae smiled, and the transformation was magical. One moment he was intense and stern, maybe even condescending—or was that just her own guilt?—but then that smile. She wanted to bask in its brilliant warmth.
“How’s the weather?” he asked, and they both laughed.
“Partially sunny, but there’s rain in the forecast.”
“Typical June,” he said.
“How are things at West Knoll’s finest? You still living around here?”
“My dad’s place.”
“Oh, right. Somebody said you bought it?”
“My dad died.” He looked past her for a moment. “Didn’t intend to stick around, but it was an opportunity.”
Ellie wanted to turn and see what he was looking at and decided she would. If he was looking for somebody better, so be it. She didn’t feel like hanging around with him all night, either.
“Mr. Timmons’s dad died recently,” he said as she glanced around. She realized then that he hadn’t been trying to look past her. Their conversation had cued him because of his own father’s death.
“Oh. Maybe he’ll quit teaching.” It was rumored the Timmons family had money.
“That would be too bad. I always liked his class.”
Ellie had, too. Timmons’s classes in analytic geometry and calculus had been difficult, but she’d always been good with numbers. Strange that she’d forged a career in journalism, while Delta, who hadn’t shown any aptitude in math, had found work as a bookkeeper.
“McCrae!” a male voice boomed, and he turned around slowly to see Tanner surging toward him. Tanner threw one arm around McCrae’s shoulders. “Come on back, man. We got things to talk about.”
“See ya,” Ellie said, sliding away.
“Don’t go away mad,” Tanner singsonged after her.
Asshole.
