“You’re stronger than you think you are,” he said. “Remember that.”
“I should be fine here tonight. At least I’m positive I will be.”
“I can stay again if you want,” he said.
“No. I need to do it myself. I don’t want to rely on you all the time.”
“Don’t think that way.”
“I’m not. I’m just saying that I’ll have to do it eventually. I gave myself a pep talk in the shower. Richie is locked up. He can’t hurt me. I have to be there for Macy. That little girl’s life is going to take another turn. I don’t know if she’s aware of what is going on and I almost don’t want to tell her.”
“Let it play out,” he said. “I know you feel for her and she has no control over what happened.”
“Absolutely none,” she said.
“Ford texted. He’s going to be at the station before seven if you want to go over to give your statement now and get it over with.”
She breathed out. “Can I? I really want to get it over with. The thought of waiting until the end of the day is too much.”
“You could take the day off,” he said. “Most people would.”
“I’m not most people,” she said. “What’s that saying? When you fall off a horse, you need to get back up.”
He laughed. “I don’t think it’s the same thing.”
“Sure, it is,” she said, smiling. It wasn’t even forced. That was good.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll cook.”
She moved to the counter out of the way. “Eggs and toast work. I’m not even going to argue with you since I do most of the cooking between us.”
He pulled his coffee out and took a sip, then grabbed eggs from the fridge.
“Where’s your pan?”
She pointed to the cabinet next to the oven, so he grabbed that along with a loaf of bread to pop toast in.
Not even ten minutes later, they were sitting at her little table and eating.
“Will I be there long with Ford?”
“You shouldn’t be. Just tell them everything you remember. The dates, things like that. What you said last night about looking back and it making more sense. Richie admitted to everything, but it helps to have all that information.”
She nodded her head and dove into her food. Her phone was on the table and she pulled up a screen. “I’m going to make notes as they come to me before we get there so I’m more organized in my thoughts.”
“The teacher’s pet,” he said.
“Seems to me you like that kind of person.”
She was smirking at him, her hair falling in her face as her head was down typing.
He reached forward and tucked a lock of it behind her ear. “I do.”
He cleaned up breakfast and loaded her dishwasher, then grabbed his keys to follow her out of the door. She’d drive herself and then go right to work after, then he’d go home, shower again and change before work. His father would open the mill and get things going for him.
Ford would have explained what was going on and why he wasn’t home.
“Richard Stubban has confessed to scratching your car, throwing a rock through your window, and spray painting your front porch with the intent of physical harm last night,” Ford said. “But in your words, can you explain how you know the accused?”
