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He let her go.
She was stunned. Had he just said that in public? Looking around, she tried to see if anyone was watching them. Nobody was watching them, so she hurried back out of the area. Going to check on something else, anything else.
What was happening to her? Was she actually jealous of her sister, who was just talking to the man? The man she was sleeping with? Maybe if their relationship was public, she wouldn’t be so jealous of everyone he talked to. Every time she saw him with another woman, she wanted to push the woman aside and yell that he was her husband and to get her mitts off him. Instead, she just fumed about it.
For the rest of the evening, she ignored both Rafferty and the silent auction area until she couldn’t anymore, then it was so busy, she didn’t have time to think about him or talk to him. After ten, she didn’t see him anymore. He must have left. Though she should be more relaxed with him gone, she wasn’t. Had he left alone?
Over the next two hours, she couldn’t stop wondering who he could’ve left with while she worked to get the school clean. That and getting the auction items handed out or put to the side until Monday when she would meet people who couldn’t make it back tonight.
At midnight, she was exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. Forget her jealousy and anger. Parking in her usual spot, she turned off her Jeep and went up to her apartment. Her quiet, lonely apartment. She slipped out of the dress she had worn and put on leggings and a sweatshirt. At the door, she stepped out of her pink winter boots and shut off her light.
The two-block walk was short. It was a warm night for the first week of April, and it made her excited for summer. Kicking off her shoes inside his door, she went up the stairs and into his bedroom, where she slipped off her clothes and slid into bed with him. It was Friday night after all.
Her side of the bed was freezing against her naked skin, but when he pulled her into his arms, she was instantly warmed by his body. Sighing, she nestled into him.
“Goodnight, Mia,” he whispered into her hair. Not mentioning their fight.
“Goodnight, Rafferty,” she didn’t say anything about it either.
CHAPTER28
It was Thursday before Easter,not a day they had ever had book club. This was their first midweek get-together and would be the day set for the month of April. It was the only time they could all be there since half the group was going to be out of town this year.
Tess was going to show her daughter off to her family in Minnesota, even if it wasn’t the day they celebrated the holiday. Since she was raised orthodox Christian, her Easter was the following weekend, but that was Natalie’s wedding weekend, so her new little family was going down there early. Mia knew her extended family was having a small reception for their wedding in two weeks. Most of her family would not be attending, which was okay since there were over a hundred people in her immediate family. That was far more out-of-towners than Landstad could hold.
Natalie was also going to Minnesota to see her birth mother, also a week before her wedding, so that her mom’s sisters wouldn’t have to make the trip out to North Dakota. Ruth and Hazel were going to Grand Forks to visit their in-laws, though Hazel would be back on Sunday since her husband was the pastor and had to work that day.
That left only Mandy and her in Landstad for the weekend. And Mandy was debating going to Hue’s sister’s place in Fargo. Or they would stay and have the holiday with her family, minus her brother, Tess’s fiancé.
Nobody even asked what Mia was planning for the holiday, because everybody assumed they knew. Except they were right, she was going to her mom’s and leaving early if possible. Alone.
So here they were on a Thursday night, talking about Ed Gein, who was a creepy topic for any night of the week. Natalie and Ruth really had the best books about him, and they dominated the conversation. Mia’s own book had been disappointing.
Natalie laughed at Ruth as she stopped recording. Mia pulled her headphones off and joined in as she got up to fill her glass of whiskey, her drink of choice. Turning to the group, Mia asked if anyone else wanted anything while she was up.
As she filled glasses for others and brought them to the table, she let the conversations circle around her. Sitting back down next to Mandy, she asked her cousin, “Have you guys decided if you’re going south for the holiday?”
“We’re staying here. Hue doesn’t want to take the baby down there right now. He still doesn’t do well in cars,” Mandy said about her son.
“You’d think that Hue would be okay with long car rides,” Mia joked to make her cousin laugh. It worked.
From across the table, Ruth joined in, stating, “Anderson and I decided to stay close to home, too. I just don’t want to do the big family thing this year. Just something small with my mom on Sunday after church.”
Mandy turned to her. “Maybe we should do something in the evening?”
“We should. That would be fun. Just a little dinner party,” Ruth said with excitement.
“You should invite Rafferty.” Mia bit her lip at the suggestion. She wished Ruth would include him in things, but Mia wasn’t even invited to this particular event.
Ruth turned to her with a glare. “Why would I invite him? He’s just Anderson’s employee.”
“And his friend,” Mia pointed out. They were probably together tonight since they usually were during book club.
“But he’s not my friend, so I’ll pass on that,” Ruth stated coldly.
“It was just a thought,” Mia mumbled, trying to stop the conversation before it focused on her and Rafferty.
“Well, you can keep those thoughts to yourself,” Ruth said, glaring at her still.
