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“Where do you live, usually?”
Tyler told her. “I also keep an answering and mail service in Tallahassee. For the most part, my car is my office. At the cabin, I usually just chill out, fish, and relax. That’s my life.”
She sniffed. “Sounds…mechanical.”
“What do you want me to say? That I’m one of the good guys? I am. I pay my bills, drink in moderation, treat old people with respect. I like animals. I don’t beat up on women.”
“Not even verbally?”
“With you, I’m only trying to give as good as I get.”
“Why do you…behave as if you’re really interested in helping me, then go off for days without a word?”
“I have work to do. But on that score, I’m the injured party. I called. You weren’t here. I left a message, and you didn’t return my call.”
Stormy came alert. “You did not.”
“I most certainly did.”
Stormy pointed to the refrigerator, its door covered with notes and children’s drawings held with decorative magnets. “If you had called, the message would be on the fridge.” AndNina would’ve said something, she thought, if only to reprove.
“Well, let’s see,” Tyler said, getting up to peruse the scribblings. “Aha!” He took a paper down and laid it on the table before her.
“But…that’s one of Davie’s drawings.”
“Well, it took about ten painful minutes for him to write it out. Fortunately, I’m a patient man.” He pointed to the telephone number, written in crayon, and the name trailing down the edge of the paper.
“You could’ve called back,” Stormy accused.
Tyler grappled with his exasperation. “Listen, let’s get back to basics. I’m here now. I asked for the truth.”
“What truth?” Stormy felt contentious. Tyler’s primary interest was his case, his clients. True, his cause might be her cause, too, but she was not yet ready to offer up Liane.
“Is something happening between us?” he asked.
The question, totally unexpected, seemed to hover in the air like a cruise missile. Her gaze met his and held. His face was so carefully devoid of expression that she had no hint of where he meant to take this or what her answer should be. “Are you asking out of curiosity or for verification?”
Tyler looked as if he planned to bolt, then stared down at his legs, obviously forgetting his jeans were drying. “Forget I asked, okay? Obviously, what’s going on between us is still a battle of wits and drama.”
“You didn’t give me a chance to answer.”
“If you have to think about it—”
“What did you expect? That I’d swoon into your arms?”
“That’d be nice.”
“I gave up swooning. Get your jeans on and get out.”
He stood and hitched the loosening towel about his hips. “I’m the kind of man who can accept defeat graciously.”
“Wonderful.”
“Once.”
He came out of the washroom, tucking his wallet into the rear pocket of his damp jeans. “I’d like to take you to lunch tomorrow,” he said.
“No, thank you. School’s out for Good Friday. I’m taking Liane shopping for an Easter outfit.”
