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.Was it only a few days ago that Mike tried talk to him about Jill? How many times had he defended her?Casting a last glance over his shoulder, Alex extinguished the lights and headed for the door.A quick glimpse of the street outside the house told him that Mike’s car was nowhere to be found.Relief flooded through him, and, hunching his shoulders against the fierce wind, he headed back toward his Jeep.“Alex?”His heart stalled at the sound of her voice.The strong wind swirled her blond hair around her delicate face, her wide eyes inquisitive.He stifled a curse.He was tired of lies, but it seemed like there was at least one more he’d need to tell.“Emma, I didn’t know you were home.” His lips twisted into a lopsided grin, and he took a step toward her.The circle of light from the streetlight penetrated the darkness and cast a pale glow on her ethereal face.“I thought I saw your car.Why don’t you come inside? Mike’s not home from work yet.I was going to order Chinese, if you’d like to stay.To be honest, you’d be doing me a favor.Storms always sort of freak me out, and they say it’s going to be a good one.I’d love the company.”Her self-deprecating smile made his heart twist painfully as he looked at her.Closing the distance between them, he took her cold hands in his.His eyes drifted down, catching sight of their intertwined fingers before he let his hands fall to his sides.“Sorry, I can’t stay, and you should get inside.”“Are you okay, Alex? You look—”“Tired?” he finished for her.Alex could read the concern on her face as she looked up at him, and he could only imagine what she saw there.Those keen reporter instincts wouldn’t allow him to hide for long, which was yet another reason he needed to get out of here.Fast.“It’s been a rough week.” He forced a smile.“That’s the understatement of the year.”“Yeah.” Alex cleared his throat and looked over toward the garage.“Hope you don’t mind, but I was poking around to see if I could find my drill.I’ve got a couple projects I’ve been putting on hold while my arm healed and well … I thought I’d lent it to Mike, but I didn’t see it in there.”“Maybe it’s in the house.Why don’t you come take a look?”“It’s okay, another time.” He hoped that Emma didn’t catch the note of finality in his voice.Turning his eyes back toward her, he gripped her elbow, gently spinning her around.“You should get inside though.The rain’s going to start soon, and there is no point in getting wet.”“Not you, too,” she grumbled.“I’m getting enough smothering from Mike.I don’t know if I could take it if you started to hound me.”“That’s what brothers do.”Emma’s laugh was muted, as if she still sensed there was more to his visit than he was letting on.“Tell Mike I’ll give him a call this weekend.”“You sure you don’t want to stay?”Alex paused, staring long at Emma before he was able to answer.“Jill will be home soon.I’ve got to run.”Emma nodded, and without another word he headed to his Jeep.Climbing behind the wheel, he took one last look at the house.Emma stood with her arms folded, hair flying in the wind.She didn’t take her eyes off him as he waved and pulled out into the street just as the first hard pellets of sleet began to fall.CHAPTER FIFTY THREEJill stepped through the back door into the kitchen.The heels of her boots echoed on the hardwood floor.The room was in shadow, the stove’s light casting a faint, eerie glow.Jill scanned the room.This place where she had spent so much time felt different somehow.The granite countertops shone hard and slick.Not a dish out of place.This room where she had laughed with Alex was now silent, impenetrable.She closed the door behind her, shoulders hunched, feeling the weight of her decision pulling her inward.Her gaze drifted across the room to the glossy surface of the refrigerator—the stainless steel doors smooth and without a smudge.Her mind flashed years ahead in an instant.Noisy kids running through the kitchen, sticky fingerprints on the refrigerator door handles, artwork pinned to the surface with small, colorful magnets.All the things that might have been.She pressed her hands on the cold surface of the countertop, steadying herself.Drawing in a deep, sobering breath, she could smell the ripe apples sitting in a ceramic bowl on the island, their ruby-red skin lending a cheerful splash of color to the room.Beside her hand, a stack of mail was placed near the counter’s edge—a mix of junk mail, bills, and catalogs.Evidence of their everyday life together.Jill had no time to waste.She had already been to the bank, pulling out as much cash as she dared.Some of it she had used to purchase a train ticket.Alex would be home soon, and she needed to be well on her way before he walked through the door.She straightened, shifting her weight between her feet.Tension bowed her shoulders, a dull ache winding its way down to her lower back.Her right hand rested on the drawer where she had stashed her gun.She’d need to take that with her.Pushing away from the island, she started, her heart slamming into her rib cage as her eyes caught sight of him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]