Jill crossed to the door and opened it.“Oh.Hi, Cal.”It was relief and concern all at the same time.
Not the detective, thank God, but why would Cal be here?Alone?She looked around him, but didn’t see anyone else even though Aly’s truck was parked next to hers.
“Hey.I guess I should have called.I wasn’t… thinking everything through.”
He just looked so awful.She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.The other two Bennet brothers were so… contained and stoic.Cal could employ a certain level of… slick lawyer, she’d call it.But less and less so as time went on.
Kind of like her trust and relationship with Grandma was crumbling, Cal himself seemed to be crumbling.It just made her feel depressed and like crying all over again.
“Come inside,” Jill said, shaking herself out of a clearly sleep-deprived malaise.“Is everything okay?”
He nodded, but he stepped into the cabin.“I wanted to sit down with Glenda for a bit.That okay?”
“Sure.Sure.Did you not have court today?”
“Landon and Aly went, but I decided to sit today out.I, uh, probably have to be called up to the stand next week, so everyone thought a little break would be good for me.”
Yeah, from the looks of Cal, he probably needed a break.Still, she couldn’t help but ask… “And that’s when they’ll introduce Grandma’s statement?After your testimony?”
“That’s my understanding.”
Jill kind of wanted to be there for that.And kind of didn’t.She didn’t wantGrandmato be there for it though, so that meant she’d be here.Sitting.Waiting.
Driving herself crazy.
“She’s out filling the birdfeeders.I can go get her.Or, if you don’t mind waiting, you can just sit and have some coffee.She won’t be long.”
“Waiting is fine.Thanks.”
“Sure.Have a seat.You want anything in your coffee?”
“Black’s fine.”
She poured him a mug and doctored her own.Then she handed him his mug and slid into the only other seat at her tiny kitchen table.She knew she should say something, some kind of small talk conversation.Not the trial.Not anything revolving around murder.Maybe Aly and Landon’s wedding next year?
“You know, if you’ve got any more lawyer questions for your book, I can answer them,” he said, before she could think up anything positive to talk about.
It was a kind offer, and it made her smile.“Well, I really appreciate it.Really, but I think I got everything I needed.At least for the current book, and you were a big help.I’m almost done with it.Already thinking about the next.”
“What’s that one going to be about?”
Jill opened her mouth, but no words came out.The one shewantedto write next wouldnotbe the one she wrote next.The one she already had three chapters on wasn’t going anywhere.It was just for her because the idea wouldn’t let her go.
Because she hadn’t been able to resist putting words to an idea about someone with traumatic dissociative amnesia.She wasn’t going to send it to her agent.She wasn’t going to do anything with it.That would be crossing a lot of lines she knew were wrong.
But part of her needed to write bits and pieces, just to work through whatshewas witnessing.
But she wouldn’t… couldn’t do anything that might… hurt Cal.Or Aly.Or any of them.It would be wrong to use their horrible trauma as some kind of book fodder.So she had to put that idea away and focus on the one she’d send her agent.
Unfortunately, she had nothing for that one, and she was too tired to come up with a lie.“Well, it’s all bits and pieces,” she finally answered lamely.
“Let me guess.Something to do with traumatic dissociative amnesia?”
His tone was bitter, so she met his gaze.“No.”She said it firmly, because it wastrue.She felt guilty because it wasn’t off base.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Really.It’s not.I’m not saying it didn’t… cross my mind, that I don’t haveideas, but it feels predatory and gross.I don’t… I’m not trivializing what you went through by turning it into a book.”
