“This isn’t too bad.” Zane looks around my shithole of an apartment, which I did at least straighten up before we met for dinner. “No worse than my place.”
I give him a raised eyebrow.
“The house I live in is a hundred years old and it shows. My two roommates have the upstairs bedrooms and I rent the unfinished basement. When it snows or rains hard, even if it’s just for five minutes, water leaks into the basement. So far it hasn’t actually reached my bed but it could happen.”
“You know, most of the guys I invite home try to impress me, not tell me how poor they are.”
“I’m trying to impress you with my honesty.”
“Ooh, I like that.”
“Besides, I figure my mom has told you about me.”
“What makes you think that?”
He shrugs. “She’s told me about you, so I’m assuming it went both ways.”
He assumed right. I know his last girlfriend dumped him for a guy who earns a lot more money. I know Zane spends most of his time writing, trying to make money from blogging since the newspaper pays so little. “I’m not sure I want to know what all your mom has told you about me.”
“Nothing bad. She thought we should meet.”
“Don’t tell me this was a set up?”
“Not exactly.”
“Is that the real reason you came to visit JB?”
“No.” He glances away, runs a hand through his hair. “Well, maybe partly. I had to do both— visit JB and meet you— to make my mom happy.”
“Did Sherry tell you to take me out to dinner too?”
“No.” He looks deeply into my eyes. “That was all my idea.”
I cross my arms, watch a spider scurrying along the wall near the front door. “This is definitely new for me. The mothers of the boys I liked in high school would take one look at my pierced nose and tattoo and drag their sons in the other direction.”
“You have a tattoo?”
Is that prurient interest in his blue eyes? If so, I hope he won’t be disappointed. I take off my denim jacket, toss it onto the futon, and push up the sleeve of my shirt, revealing a heart, pierced by an arrow. “Don’t judge. I was sixteen and in love at the time.”
Zane lightly traces the arrow with the tip of his finger, sending a pleasant shiver through me. “It could have been worse. I mean at least you didn’t have your boyfriend’s initials permanently inked on your skin.”
“Only because my mom made me a deal.”
“Yeah? What kind of deal?” He lowers his hand slowly, like he’s reluctant to break contact.
“She said if I waited six months and still wanted his name on my arm she’d pay for it. We broke up five months later. My mom was quite relieved. So was I.”
“I bet. So how bad did it hurt?”
“The needle or the break up?”
“Either. Both.” He moves closer, causing my heart to beat faster.
“They didn’t hurt bad, they hurt good.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes you have to endure pain to get what you want. The needle was worth it, because it’s what I wanted at the time. The break up hurt but it also felt right. You can’t expect your first love to be your forever love, right?”
“I guess not. I was only ten the first time I fell for someone. I know it was only infatuation, but it sure felt like love then.”
“I had my first crush at five. Boyd Pinkerton. He had blonde curly hair and bright blue eyes. Eyes like yours.”
“Like mine?”
“Yeah.”
We’re looking into each other’s eyes and I wonder if he can see the battle going on inside me. Take a chance and move forward or back away? The decision comes fast.
I meet him halfway. It’s a sweet, tender kind of kiss. That’s how it starts anyway. In no time we’re on the futon making out.
After a while I get up to take a necessary bathroom break that includes splashing cold water on my cheeks and reminding myself not to get carried away. My first instinct about Zane was that he’s out of my league. Then there’s the whole knowing his mom thing. I see Sherry regularly. The last thing I need is for things to get awkward at work. What if we were to date and he were to dump me and then Sherry started feeling sorry for me? I’d hate that.
When I come out of the bathroom Zane is holding the photo of Abigail on the bicycle. “Where did you get this?”
“It was in the back of the framed photo of her riding the horse. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I came home to change.”
“Why was it in your pocket?”
Adrenaline zips through my veins. I imagine Zane going to my boss, telling her and everyone else at Mesa Assisted Living that I’m a thief. “Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I stole it or something?”
“You took it from JB’s room, you just admitted it.”
“It’s not like I was going to keep it. I was planning to bring it back tomorrow.”
“Then why take it?”
Flushed and shaking, I point a finger at the front door. “If you’re going to accuse me of stealing you can leave right now. And I don’t even have to tell you where you can shove that photo.”
He starts to answer, splutters, and sucks in his upper lip, like he’s thinking. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted so strongly it's just…”
“Just what?”
“This photo is a bit suggestive and you found it in my grandpa's possession and there were a lot of rumors going around back then.”
“About JB?”
“Him, and pretty much every guy who had anything to do with Abigail.”
“Did you think I’d show this to someone? Tell stories about a sick old man?”
“We just met. How would I know what you might do?”
I let this sink in, feel myself cooling off and calming down as I realize he has a point. “Fair enough. The truth is, I took the photo because I didn’t have time to tape it back into the frame and I didn’t want to leave it sitting out where your mom would see it when she visits after church tomorrow. I thought it might upset her.”
“Oh.” He looks slightly abashed. “Well, that does make sense.”
“I thought so.”
“You’re right about my mom. She wouldn’t like it.” He lowers his head, studying the photo. “I’ve seen this before.”
“Yeah? It kind of seemed like someone was trying to hide it.”
“Not the photo, the bicycle.” Zane jumps to his feet. “I have to go.”
“What? Where?”
“I need to see if it’s still there. It could be evidence, the first real evidence in almost twenty years.” Zane pulls on his jacket and puts the photo in his pocket.
No way am I letting him discover some giant clue without me. “I’m coming with you.”
Without waiting for him to object I grab my winter coat from the hook next to the front door while shoving my feet into my sneakers.
“You should wear those.” Zane indicates my rain boots with a nod.
I step into the boots instead.
“And bring a flashlight, if you have one.”
“It’s in my car.”
“And wear a bulletproof vest.”
I freeze, one hand on my purse. “Excuse me?”
“I’m kidding.”
“Are you sure? Because that didn’t sound like a joke.”
“It’s dark, and we’ll be using the back entrance to The Ranch so there’s not much chance of anyone seeing us. It should be fine.”
“We’re going to the Carlaw ranch?”
“Yes.”
A surge of excitement overrides my fear. I’ve never dreamed of being an amateur sleuth—my imagination leans more toward wands and sexy vampires— but I’m intrigued. “Let's go.”
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Another great chapter! The characters feel so realistic