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But he shifted from one foot to the other. “You know, I don’t feel like making the drive back to my place tonight. Maybe I’ll just hang out here.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Bowie, it’s all good.”
“Yeah, but you have a shit ton of stuff to clean up. I don’t mind helping.”
I sighed, staring around at the destruction. Truth be told, I wasn’t looking forward to cleaning it up alone. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Go find out what you can. I’ll start…tossing shit out.”
I nodded and headed for the garage door. With any luck, my truck was still in the garage. Relief flooded me when I saw it was still there. I grabbed the keys and headed out. I would have answers soon enough.
* * *
All Curled Up
I stared up at the sign as I parked in front of the salon. I dreaded going inside and hearing whatever Jenna had to tell me. I hadn’t even bothered to check my accounts yet. If she left, did she bleed me dry? Before I looked into that, I needed answers. I shoved the door open and headed inside. All heads looked in my direction as the tinkling of the bell overhead.
Jenna’s face morphed into a smile when she saw me. She abandoned the woman in her chair and came running over to me, engulfing me in a hug. “Duke! Why didn’t you tell us you were coming home? Look at you! No bullet wounds that I can see. Oh, I wish I had known. I would have driven out to get you.”
I cleared my throat, broaching the uncomfortable subject. “I sort of thought Carolyn would be there.”
Her face fell instantly. “Oh…I thought…”
“You thought what?”
She sighed, pulling me away from prying ears. “Duke, she’s gone.”
“I saw the note. You thought she would have called?” I asked sarcastically.
“An old boyfriend came back.” She rolled her eyes. “Not exactly my first choice of men for her. You would have been good for her and the boy.”
“I can’t get my mind around it,” I admitted. “I think part of me wondered if the kid was really mine, but…”
“But she married you,” she nodded. “That girl…”
“She left the place trashed. The least she could have done was pick up before she took off,” I joked.
But Jenna didn’t laugh along with me. In fact, pretty much everyone at the salon was staring at me with pity, and that just wasn’t my style. Still, I wanted to know what happened.
“Do you know where she went?”
She shook her head. “She didn’t exactly come over for tea and talk about it. She left me a note. I think she was too ashamed to face me.”
“When did this happen?”
“Not too long after the baby was born. But she did leave all the letters you wrote her.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Can I have them?”
“Yeah, just give me a minute.”
She hurried into the back while everyone else tried and failed to ignore me. I tried to shake off the disturbing feelings running through me, but couldn’t. I had failed. I thought I was taking care of her by marrying her. I thought I was doing the right thing, but instead, she ran off with some other guy. She let me believe I was going to be a father, but maybe it was my lack of enthusiasm that pushed her over the edge. I should have tried harder. I should have done everything possible to make my marriage work.
“Here,” Jenna said as she walked back out. She had a shoebox full of letters that she handed to me. “Those are the letters she left that were from you. And I stuck the one she wrote to me on top. I’m so sorry, Duke.”
I nodded, clearing my throat. “Thank you. I appreciate this.”
“Don’t be a stranger. If you need anything, just stop by.”
