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“So, you did.”
He cursed under his breath. “Fine. Yes, we slept together. You want the full truth? She was my first.”
“I see.” Heather wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t know—I just do.”
“She’s ancient history, Heather.”
As they stared at each other in silence, Danny wondered how the gulf between them had gotten so wide. Over the years, he’d tried to be a good husband and father. He wasn’t perfect, but he took his responsibilities seriously. Sometimes it didn’t seem like that counted for much.
Heather grabbed the scrubby sponge and turned her attention to the stovetop. Danny watched her for a moment, then rummaged in the refrigerator for another bottle of amber lager. He wandered back into the living room. Whatever random show came on the television faded into the background as he mulled over the conversation.
She’s ancient history, Heather.
He took a long drink out of his beer and tried to ignore the fact that he’d just lied to his wife.
ChapterThree
Parked outside his parents’ house, Danny sat in the Jeep for a long time. He’d relented and agreed to let Cole interview him about Lauren after his niece pleaded with him, saying how much it would mean and what a good grade she’d get. She’d followed that up with how important grades were if she wanted to go to Stanford. After that one-two punch, a please, and some sad doe eyes, he couldn’t say no—he loved Cole like she was his own daughter.
He didn’t want to dredge up the past. There was a lot of unresolved shit there. But he couldn’t back out now. He’d made Cole a promise, and he wasn’t going to disappoint her. She was family, and you didn’t let family down.
Inside, he gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and dropped his coat on the back of a chair. Cole was curled up in the living room, ensconced in a worn leather recliner with a handmade afghan draped over the back. In the other chair, Richie was peering over the top of his glasses, reading some papers. Early evening sun streamed through the bay window, creating a puddle of warm light on the floor. It gave the room a cozy feel.
“Bringing your work home with you, Dad?”
“Ideas for a new set of ads,” his father said. “Those June weddings will be here before you know it. People will start shopping for wedding rings soon.”
Danny rubbed his thumb against his own ring.
“This is so totally cool.” Cole was beaming with anticipation. “Thanks for doing this, Uncle Danny. And Mom won’t be by for at least an hour, so we have plenty of time.”
“Great.” Danny forced a shred of enthusiasm into his voice.
Once they were settled in the den with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, Cole sat up straighter in her chair and got all serious as she put her phone on the table. “You’re the best, Uncle Danny. I’ll take notes, but I’m going to record, too. Okay?”
Danny smiled, her zeal working its way under his reluctance. “Sure. Where do you want to start?”
Cole tapped her phone screen a couple of times to start the recording. “Interview with Danny Padovano for Lauren Stone research paper. Interview date: April 1.”
April Fool’s Day.The irony of the date was the cherry on the sundae.
Cole laced her fingers in front of her. “Okay, well, first things first: when did you meet Lauren?”
“A few weeks into freshman year,” Danny said. “She and her sisters transferred to St. Catherine’s from a different school.”
Even after all these years, Danny remembered the first time he saw Lauren like it was yesterday. She was dressed like all the other girls in their uniforms: plaid skirt, dark blazer, and white button-down blouse. What caught his eye was her hair: long, shiny, and dark brown, it had a hint of curl to it—and a streak of ruby red mixed in with the brown.
She had been talking to another girl and then stopped. She turned and looked right at him, as if she’d known he was staring. She smiled and then looked away. He would never, ever forget that smile.
“What did you notice about her first?”
“Her smile. And the big streak of red in her hair. The Sisters didn’t like that at all. I mean, I thought she was pretty right away, but she had a great smile.”
“What was she like?”
