He wondered about earlier in the Hoot. What had frightened her and made her run? What had her looking cornered?
“Here you go.”
“Sweet, thanks.” He handed Faith his card. “Hope got a break anytime soon? Thought she could come and catch up with the others.”
“She’s not the catch-up kind of person, you know that, Newman. Prickly as hell, and awkward in most situations that involve people.”
“Unless she’s in a bar, as it turns out,” Newman added.
“There is that. Ten minutes, and she’s on a break.”
“Thanks.”
He took the drinks back to the table, but only Brad and Macy were there, and they were pretty oblivious to anyone else, staring deep into each other’s eyes in that way that made him uncomfortable. Leaving, Newman circled the bar slowly, stopping a few times to talk to people, and eventually came out the other side in time to see Hope exit and head outside. He followed, walking behind her up the street in the cool evening air. The streets were quieter now, but she was still safe to be walking about on her own, and Newman knew her safety wasn’t the reason he followed.
“Hey.”
She kept walking past the shops, ignoring him.
“Hope.”
He watched her shoulders rise and fall, and then she turned and faced him.
“Problem?”
“Come and have a drink with us.”
“I can’t drink, I’m working.”
Her face was closed, which was pretty much her usual expression when she was in company.
“Then come sit and talk with us.”
“I’m tired, Newman. I haven’t been on my feet like this in years. I’m going down to the water for thirty minutes to sit on the bank. See ya.”
She walked away from him, like she always did, and he reacted like he always did to her.Only her, he thought. She was the only one who could make him lose reason. He followed her down the bank to the water.
“Go away.”
“Why are you so rude?”
“I like rude.”
“You’re not twelve anymore, Hope. You can’t carry it off.”
“And you can? You were rude to me earlier in the bar.”
He had been, and was ashamed of his jealous behavior.
“I’m sorry, I had no right to speak to you that way. For the record, you look beautiful, but if I’m being honest, you looked beautiful without makeup.”
He stopped close to where she stood, and she was forced to look up at him.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Newman. I’m not someone who needs to hear that kind of crap.”
The moonlight did amazing things to her face.
“I’m not lying.”
