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But then, she hadn’t told anyone, and the shock on her face when he’d gone at her told him she was surprised by his reaction. She really believed she’d done the right thing by keeping her condition to herself.
He’d got straight on the internet and looked up type 2 diabetes. It often occurred in people over thirty, or if a blood relative had it. So that must be the case with Mandy. It could be managed by diet and exercise. Ted guessed her aunts must have been watching both those things with Mandy, but he didn’t think exercise had factored into her life until recently.
“She should have told me,” he said again. His cat stretched, kneaded the bedcovers, circled, and then settled in to nap again.
“Hell of a life you got there, buddy.”
Seeing her pale like that had really disturbed Ted. And if he’d been in doubt before that his feelings for Mandy Robbins were undergoing a transformation, that absolute fear he’d felt today confirmed it.
“Distance, Branch. It’s time to take a big step back, buddy.” He scratched behind one ear. “Just you and me against the world, boy, no time for anyone else.”
Feeling better after that pep talk, he dressed and decided to walk back into town. Ted had thought about just staying here, but he’d promised Joe he’d return, and he always kept his promises. Well, mostly. When he could.
“Thanks for the fun today, Ted.”
“Sure, no worries, Carl,” he said to the groundsman as he walked out the gates.
Today he’d learned another lesson about being a boss. People needed to let off steam from time to time, and the happy vibe his staff had going on after the parade was good for morale and business. The staff barbecue planned for the end of the month should add to that.
He didn’t think Mandy would show her face tonight; she wasn’t brave enough for that. He nodded and greeted people as he wandered down Main Street, checking out stalls.
“You’d look good in this for winter, Ted.” Mrs. L held up a multicolored wool sweater with the twin mountains on it.
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”
Tonight she wore pink glittery eyelashes.
The walk was good, and the glow of twilight always sat well on the town of Ryker. In fact Ted thought it was the best time of day. He felt the last of his anger ease as he arrived at A.S. to find his friends eating and drinking. Looking around the tables, he saw no sign of Mandy, which confirmed what he’d thought.
Greetings were exchanged, and he took a seat next to Maggs.
“I can’t believe she kept it hidden from us.”
“Really, Maggs? You can’t believe that Mandy, who barely speaks unless you make her, kept the fact she was diabetic from us?” Rory said.
Clearly she was still pissed about Mandy’s revelation.
“There is that.”
“It explains things,” Jack said. “I mean, she and I used to spend some time together. Neither of us were talkers, we just used to sit and eat her lunch.”
“I didn’t realize you spent time with her in school,” Ted said.
“I don’t know if you would call it time, but we used to find ourselves in the same space occasionally. She was shy and friendless, I was angry and pissed off at pretty much everything, so we had a connection. Kind of. Plus, when she was near me she didn’t get hassled.” Jack shrugged.
“I was one of those people hassling her.” Rory leaned into her man. “Thank God you were there for Mandy to protect her from me.”
Jack laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “Hard to believe someone your size could be such a hardass.”
“What did you mean by ‘explains things’?” Maggs asked Jack.
“Natives.” Fin arrived and wedged himself between Ted and Maggs. “What’s the gossip?”
“Mandy is a diabetic,” Rory said. “And never told anyone about it.”
“But now everyone knows because you’re telling them?”
“She fainted today, Ted caught her, and it came out that she’d hadn’t eaten,” Rory added, not at all offended by Fin’s accusation.
