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“Oh, you mean, before I showed up?” Ally cringed, a silent offer of apology while she pushed eggs around the pan. “All I can say is, Blaine might be stubborn, but he’s not a liar or a cheat. Maybe you could give him a chance to explain.”
“Actually, I was hoping you might know something.” Emilia headed for the kettle and the two teacups already waiting nearby.
Her pulse surged. She didn’t just want to know about Sarah, she needed to know, at least so she could gauge how guilty to feel. Fainting and shoulder injuries, coupled with intimate encounters with ex-boyfriends, weren’t exactly a springboard for clear thought. Still, she blamed herself for letting Blaine get so close before clearing up the whole Sarah thing.
Blame the rain. And the fainting. And the potential concussion…
No. All that was a cop-out she refused to succumb to.
Ally pushed the cooked egg into a clean bowl and passed it to Emilia. “I’m sure you know, Blaine isn’t exactly an open book when it comes to anything, much less his personal life.”
Sad truth was, Emilia had been the cagey one both last night and this morning, while he’d been the perfect example of an open book. Well, again, except for the whole Sarah thing…
She chewed on a forkful of breakfast, thankful for Ally’s company and help, all while coming to terms with one further reality. For whatever reason, she wanted to believe Blaine wasn’t totally out of her reach. “Maybe I’m better off getting the truth from Sarah.”
Ally gasped and reached for Emilia’s forearm, causing the bowl in her hand to wobble and almost topple to the floor. “You can’t. Sarah won’t take too kindly to anyone poking in her private life, much less someone she’s never met.”
“It’s a chance I have to take. I know if I were in her position, I’d want to know.”
And the fact was, she had been in that position, many times, so she did know.
Ally let go, looking genuinely disappointed. “But why not give talking with Blaine another try first?”
Emilia took her last mouthful of food and worked over that question in her mind, recalling how pointless such conversations had been with Anthony. How her terrible relationship might have ended sooner if someone, anyone, had backed her up and told her that she didn’t have to live her life by such low standards.
“No, that won’t work.” She put her bowl in the sink and reached for her purse sitting on the counter. Sarah worked at Maynard’s, and if she wasn’t there, surely she’d be easy enough to find since everyone in town knew her. “I need to do the right thing. I need to talk to the one person who has the most to lose.”
“Blaine Callaghan, get your sorry butt out here!”
Blaine wandered from his workroom to find Ally sprinting toward him, the heavy glass door slamming in her wake. This had to be the only time he’d ever seen his sales assistant inside Oak Tree Furniture on her day off, much less with such an animated entry.
She stopped before him, hunched and panting for air. “And for cripes’ sake, why don’t you ever answer your phone?”
If one angry woman wasn’t enough for the day, of course, Ally had to join the fray. He frowned down at her through a narrowed gaze, skeptical of what she had to say since he’d last seen her at Emilia’s. “What’s happened now?”
“I don’t know what took place between you two last night, but you need to speak to Emilia, now! She’s on her way to see Sarah.”
His heart pounded, his shoulders drew with sudden strain, and just like that, his last shreds of calm fell to pieces. “I thought I told you I didn’t want you talking about my private life?”
Ally jabbed a finger in his direction, her brows slamming together. “Oh no, don’t you even try to blame this one on me! Why didn’t you talk to Emilia when you had the chance, before she got all upset about your vague relationship status? Geez, aren’t you and Sarah meant to be engaged? What the heck is happening right now?”
He growled, frankly done with dealing with so many angry people in one day and unwilling to explain anything to Ally.
He marched toward the exit, not wanting to waste more time. His pounding heartbeat grew faster, and the thundering throb filled his ears while an unsettling hot prickle burned at his skin. He could understand Emilia having regrets. Maybe she’d said more than intended, invested more than she could afford.
And yes, things on his side of the fence weren’t exactly neat and tidy either, but she’d blocked any attempt he’d made to explain. Now, she hurtled toward involving more people in this issue, all of whom weren’t him.
Sure enough, he didn’t have her trust, but now he questioned whether he could trust her too.
Ally’s loping footfall trailed behind him. “Where are you going? What about the shop?”
“Damn the shop.” He threw a hand into the air, plowing through the exit, the bell above the door clanging in protest. “Assuming Emilia has decided to track Sarah down at work, I’m going to Maynard’s. I have to fix this mess once and for all.”
Poor Sarah.She didn’t deserve any of this. He had to get to her in time. Had to prevent the deluge of undue pain and drama barreling her way.
Whatever Emilia had to say, she’d crossed a line, one that would blast a hole straight through their already tumultuous relationship. She most certainly had no right to drag a complete innocent like Sarah into this disaster.
Ally continued after him down the street, almost like a stray puppy nipping at his heels. “Mind if I come with?”
He pulled open his truck door and threw her an angry glower. “Ally, I love you, but this is none of your business. Stay away from Maynard’s.”
He slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut, blocking any chance for her to protest.
He checked his watch and did the math. It was just past noon, and Harlow was a widespread town with Emilia’s cottage closer to the tavern than his shop. If she’d gone straight to Maynard’s after speaking to Ally, chances were he’d get there too late.
