Holden stepped away. “We should get back.”
She nodded, but disappointment shone in her eyes.
He seemed to be disappointing her a lot lately. And yeah, he hated himself for it.
CHAPTER 12
Air whooshed in and out of Clara’s chest as her feet hit the asphalt.
Still not easier. Not even a little bit. Her body felt heavy, her legs begging her to stop or cave.
She glanced beside her to see Scarlett and Malcolm holding a conversation and not even breaking a sweat. Heck, even Deb, who was a good thirty years older than her, seemed to barely be pushing herself.
Helen didn’t look great. But it didn’t seem like a physical thing. She just seemed…off. She’d seemed off since the bar. Was the attack still affecting her?
Clara snuck a peek at Holden behind her. Same as always, he looked straight at her, like he could feel her eyes on him. Her skin tingled and she faced front again.
She shouldn’t have told him she was a virgin on Sunday. What had she expected? For him to admit his undying love, take her into his arms and sweep her off to a bedroom in her mother’s house?
Ha. That didn’t happen.
Although, she was sure he’d been about to kiss her in that pantry. If her mother hadn’t opened the door, she was almost certain he would have.
Her hand twitched to run a finger over her lips, as if she could feel his kiss right there.
She stumbled, and Malcolm grabbed her arm. “Hey. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just distracted.” Her words were as choppy as her short breaths, while Malcolm’s voice was completely even.
One side of his mouth lifted. “We’re almost at the diner.”
Yes, because today they were having coffee at the diner after the run.
Argh. The drinks at the diner sucked. She would have chosen The Tea House, but Briar had organized it, so Clara would be getting a big cup of ice with soda water. Maybe two.
“Hey, are things still okay at the hospital?”
There was a small flaring of his eyes. “Of course. I’m focusing on the new sepsis treatment protocol. I’m doing a couple of speaking gigs later this week.”
“Good. That’s great.”
It really was. The last thing the small town of Amber Ridge needed was for the safety of the only hospital to be brought into question.
She shot a glance at Scarlett from beneath her lashes. Clara needed to talk to her. She’d been piecing things together since her behavior in the kitchen, about what Helen had said about the hospital. First there’d been the article about Lauren Tabs. Then Scarlett’s obsession with everyone who worked at the hospital, paired with her basically lying to Malcolm about what she did for a living.
She was researching the woman who’d died…maybe even linking that incident with anyone getting sick while in the hospital’s care.
Clara swallowed the lump in her throat.
Maybe she was an undercover agent. That would explain the fake ID. Maybe Scarlett wasn’t even her real name.
An uncomfortable pit formed in her belly. Yes, undercover agents were important to reveal horrible stuff that happened all over the country, but the idea that Clara didn’t know who she was really living with didn’t feel great.
When they finally reached the diner, Clara found a stool and dropped her head to the counter, trying to catch her breath. Not the most graceful and the cool counter might leave a mark on her cheek, but she had zero cares. She was tired.
The stool beside her moved, and for a moment she thought it might be Holden. It wasn’t. Scarlett sat there, looking at the menu. Clara snuck a peek behind her to see Holden at a table beside Briar.
A vein throbbed in her temple. They were together a lot at these runs, not to mention they had to be spending a bit of time on the kitchen renovation.
