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Shit.
Talk about the worst timing. He didn’t want her to see Melinda, but here Alana was, already tapping on his truck window. She was smiling, but that evaporated in a hurry when she saw the woman in the passenger seat.
Egan had no idea what he was going to say to Alana, but he lowered the window, hoping that he would come up with something that would spare her an emotional bashing.
He didn’t.
Her gaze fixed on Melinda. “Oh,” Alana said.
Just that. That one little word that was proof that the emotional bashing had happened, anyway.
Alana repeated her “Oh,” but this time it seemed to have a bunch of denials and a string of no’s attached to it. She did a fast about-face and hurried away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ALANAWISHEDSHEcould sprout wings and fly at the speed of a fighter jet. That would get her away from Egan and the woman in his truck. That would get her to a hiding place where she could try to wrap her mind around what she’d just seen.
The shock gave her enough adrenaline to help with her speedy exit out of the parking lot, but she didn’t get far before she heard the running footsteps behind her. Without looking back, she knew it was Egan. He’d come to apologize, explain, maybe even grovel.
None of which she especially wanted to hear.
Egan made it inside the hospital only seconds after she did, and he jogged until he was right by her side. There were people milling around so she thought that might earn her a few seconds where she didn’t have to respond to anything he might say. But she was wrong.
“She’s not an old girlfriend or anything like that,” Egan whispered, taking hold of her arm.
“No,” she whispered back. “She was Jack’s girlfriend.”
His grip tightened on her arm a bit, and he looked at her. What he thankfully didn’t do was try to slow her down. Probably because he understood this was not a discussion best had in a public place. He held off saying anything else until they were in her office.
“How did you know?” he asked the moment the door was shut.
Alana felt the weariness and a whole bunch of other feelings seep all the way to the bone. “The look she gave me. It wasn’t an ‘oops, I just got caught in the truck with your lover’ expression. It was a much deeper guilt. I’ve seen it plenty of times when I look in the mirror,” she added in a mutter.
He cursed, put his hands on his hips and stared at her as if he might dole out a lecture about guilt. But then he backed off and groaned.
“What does she want?” Alana came out and asked.
Egan shook his head and looked as weary as she suddenly felt. “I’m not sure. Forgiveness, maybe.”
Of course. What else? Guilty consciences spurred all sorts of reaction. “Well, I hope she doesn’t try to get that from Tilly. Or me.” Then, something occurred to her. “Or you. Why did she go to you?”
“She seemed to think I knew about the affair. And I believe she wanted me to know that Jack had broken things off right before he got on the aircraft to come and see me.”
“So, she blames herself for his death,” Alana grumbled, and she would have laughed had it not made her want to cry.
“Maybe,” he admitted. “This could be sort of like that letter Colleen wrote me. She could want to make amends, and she might have started with me to test the waters before coming to you. She won’t be coming to you,” Egan insisted.
It sounded very much like a military order. And part of Alana appreciated it. He was trying to protect her. But that wouldn’t work. Jack’s lover was here in Emerald Creek, and even if Alana never set eyes on her again, she would always have the image of her.
“She’s beautiful,” Alana admitted. “Then again, why cheat with someone ugly, huh?”
On a sigh, Egan went to her and pulled her into his arms. “You’re prettier than she is.”
That made her smile. For a split second, anyway. “I want to talk to her.”
Egan was already shaking his head before he even eased back to face her. “You don’t have to do that.”
Again, he was the hero to the rescue, trying to protect her. “I know. But this seems to be a good day for opening up old wounds. Maybe clearing out the gunk. And re-healing.”
