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“Wisconsin. You?”
“Detroit.”
“How’d that go for you?” he asked, picking up a skipping rope.
“Okay. You?”
“Okay. We done now?”
“Yes.”
He was relentless in making her get the exercises right. She had to do each one again and again until he was happy. When they were done, she was aching all over.
“Nice work.” Ted threw her a bottle of water he’d got out of the fridge. The surprise was that she caught it. Mandy had never been very coordinated… or had she? He said she always put herself down, so maybe he was right and she needed to try harder in that area.
“You did good today, Mandy.”
He wasn’t even sweating, while it dripped down her back. She bit back the instinctive need to deny his words, and instead said, “Thanks. It’s hard, but I’d like to get better.”
“You will, you just have to practice. You’ll get stronger.”
“Who’s that?” Mandy pointed her finger at the picture of the girl on the wall over his shoulder, because suddenly she really wanted to know.
“I thought we were done with the questions?”
“Just being polite.”
He drank deep, then said, “Because you’re all about being polite, right? You don’t want to rile anyone up by challenging them or anything?”
“I just asked you who was in that photo, Ted. If you don’t want to tell me, fine,” Mandy muttered grabbing her things.
“My sister.” The words were flat and cold.
“How old is she?”
“She’s dead.”
The air changed in the room. He didn’t look at her again, simply went back to the rowing machine and sat.
Mandy watched him start moving, pulling and retreating with so much force she thought he looked like he was trying to outrun demons. Gathering her jacket, she slipped it on, then started for the door. She threw him a wave, but he didn’t respond. Mandy didn’t exhale until she was in her car.
How did Ted’s sister die?
Chapter 10
Ted closed his eyes and slowed his movements as the door closed behind Mandy. Getting off the rowing machine, he moved to the window and watched her until she’d disappeared from his sight.
Anytime someone asked him about Emily, he lost it. It wasn’t rational, and she’d been gone ten years now, but it was still a raw, open wound inside him.
They’d failed her, and Ted had been trying to outrun the pain ever since he and his family had buried her.
His phone rang. Grateful for the reprieve from his ugly thoughts, Ted answered it, and soon he was immersed in lodge business. He then finished his workout and went to his apartment.
Mandy had tried today; she’d done everything he’d shown her and never complained. The problem, Ted had quickly realized as he’d moved her into position several times, was that touching her was not a good idea. The woman got to him. So now that she was sorted and knew how everything worked, he’d leave her alone to do her own workouts.
“You in there, Teddy Bear!” This was followed by a hammering on his front door.
“Come in if you have food, coffee, or breasts; otherwise, piss off!” he called back as was expected of him. He’d learned this guy talk late in life, but he was getting the hang of it now.
