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“So, are you?” Banks asked.
“Am I what?”
“Okay,” he clarified. “I said as long as you were okay, I didn’t mind that you were running behind today. So, are you?”
I didn’t quite know how to answer that, sharing any part of the truth, without alarming him. But that didn’tmean I didn’t appreciate the way it made me feel to have him seeking some reassurances about how I was doing. Technically, I had noted my troubles melted away when I saw Rhys, so I decided that was the way to go. “I am now,” I promised him.
“You said you couldn’t sleep last night,” he pointed out, clearly concerned that something was wrong.
I felt another flutter in my belly at the sustained concern he showed for me. It was sweet of him, but I didn’t want him worrying about me.
I nodded. “Yeah. Um, well, it’s a combination of things, but mostly, I’m excited about dinner tomorrow with you and Rhys.”
That seemed to satisfy his curiosity as a look of understanding washed over him. “Ah, okay. Well, Rhys and I have had a discussion this morning, and we’ve got it all planned out.”
I lifted a brow. “Is that so?”
Banks turned his attention to his son. “Tell her, Rhys. We’re all set for tomorrow, aren’t we?”
“I’ll have to try to convince him to share the plan with me later today when you’re at work,” I teased.
Laughing, Banks insisted, “He’ll never reveal our secrets.”
Unable to stand it any longer, I set my things down, pulled off my jacket, and reached my hands out to Rhys. He didn’t hesitate to lean away from his father and in my direction. I cuddled him close, giving him kisses on his neck and chubby cheeks. He giggled the entire time, and my heart swelled in my chest at the beautiful sound.
When I finally turned my attention to Banks, I saw he was watching me with a strange look on his face, something I couldn’t quite read. Whatever it was, he didn’t say,shaking his head as though trying to rid his mind of any thoughts plaguing it.
“I should get going. They’re calling for some snow this evening, so I want to make sure I’m back here on time,” he said, returning to business as usual.
“Of course. We’ll be here when you get back,” I assured him.
Half a second later, Banks leaned forward, kissed Rhys on the cheek, and pulled back slightly to look at me. Our faces were inches apart, and there was something intense happening between us. But no matter how strong that pull or how close we were to one another, nothing happened.
“I’ll see you later,” Banks declared, his voice seeming to have dropped a couple of octaves.
I didn’t trust myself to speak, but I didn’t want to appear like an idiot. So, I rasped, “See you later.”
After Banks left, I shook off all the panic, excitement, nerves, heartbreak, and tension lingering from all that had happened since I opened my eyes earlier that morning and got busy, focusing my full attention on Rhys.
He was so playful and lovable, and he made it easy for me to ignore everything else going on around me. We played, laughed, and worked on crawling.
Eventually, Rhys went down for his morning nap, and I went about picking things up around the house, tackling the kitchen and some laundry. When I’d finished that and Rhys was still asleep, I thought I’d be able to pull out a book to read, but my mind was too muddled. Knowing I had time before Rhys would be up, I decided to give my sister a call. She might not be able to offer me any advice, but she would at least be able to listen while I got it out.
“I’ve been hoping to hear from you,” she said when she answered my call.
“I guess that’s a good thing, considering I’ve got plenty to talk to you about,” I murmured.
“What’s going on?” Jolene worried.
I wasn’t quite sure where to start, so I blurted it all out in one shot. “Detective Shaw called me this morning to confirm that there’s enough evidence to suggest Graham might have been murdered, and last night, Banks asked me to join him and Rhys for dinner tomorrow night.”
There was a lengthy pause. My sister was probably just as mixed up about it all as I was. “Okay. Tell me everything. Start with the dinner request.”
So, that’s what I did. I told my sister about the Valentine’s Day project I did with Rhys for his dad, that I needed to stay late last night, and how Banks wound up asking me to join him and Rhys for dinner on the weekend. My sister then requested the specifics on what I’d heard from Detective Shaw this morning.
After I’d given her everything, she took a moment to let it all sink in. And finally, after what felt like forever, Jolene asked, “If I know anything about you, your emotions are all over the place right now. You’re probably devastated and heartbroken over the news you received from Detective Shaw, despite already believing what he told you was the case. In the same breath, you’re feeling excited, nervous, and perhaps a bit guilty about the dinner thing with Banks. How close am I?”
“Banks and Rhys,” I corrected her. “But other than that, you are correct.”
