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The conversation stalls, making me want to get out of there fast. All I can think about around this man is dirty, illicit things.
I empty my plate, savoring the last bite of the delicious pancakes. “Thank you for breakfast, Dante,” I say.
The way he looks at me is wrong and sinful as I push back my chair, standing. A sense of heaviness fills the room, tension pooling between us like an electric charge.
Dante stands and moves toward me, grabbing my wrist. “See you this afternoon?” he asks, but it doesn’t sound like a question. It sounds like a demand. And I practically melt into a puddle for him when he touches me.
“Sure, what time?” I squeak.
He smirks. “Around six. See you then, little doe?”
I shudder, unsure why that nickname affects me so much. Stepping away, I try to keep my distance from him. After all, we’re in public. I forget to respond, so he reiterates. “See you then? Don’t disappoint me, Madison.”
I nod, my mouth too dry to answer, and then rush out of the diner as fast as possible.
Holy shit, I’m going to hell. Seducing a priest once is bad enough, but continuing down this path is dangerous for both of us. It could ruin his career and force me to leave this town before I’ve even put down roots. I’m sick of moving around.
I can hardly move fast enough as I rush down the street, barely looking at where I’m going. And then I slam into a girl about my age, scattering her groceries across the floor.
“I’m so sorry!” I say, crouching down to help her collect them. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me this morning. I’m being a total klutz.”
She smiles at me and shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had those kinds of days before, too.”
The tension within me eases as I help her get the rest of her groceries. “I’m Eva, by the way. I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”
“Madison.” I shake my head. “No, I arrived here this weekend.”
She looks a little surprised. “Oh, are you here on vacation?”
“No, I’m hoping to stay.” I pass her the bag of groceries I retrieved. “I rented a cottage on the edge of town.”
“Not Farmer John’s cottage?”
I nod. “Why? is that bad?”
She laughs. “No, it’s just been empty for so long. I thought no one would rent it.”
“That explains why it’s a bit of a dump.” I glance around the street. “This place has a hardware store, right?”
Eva grimaces. “Yeah, but it’s darn expensive. You’re best going into the city, but it’s a thirty-minute drive.”
I swallow hard, as I don’t have a driver’s permit. It makes running from Eric much harder. “Is there a bus?”
“Not regularly. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you come to the city with me on Friday? I’m going anyway. You’re welcome to tag along.”
I feel a little wary, as I rarely trust people I don’t know. However, it seems I’ve got no choice. “Are you sure?”
She nods. “Yeah, it’s no bother for me.”
“Okay.”
She hands me her cell phone. “Put your number in, and I’ll text you what time I’ll pick you up. The cottage is on the way to Buffalo.”
I put in my new number, thankful I took the time to memorize it. “There you go. See you Friday.” I turn to leave.
“Wait, Madison.”
I turn to face her again.
