I figured the first and third were more feasible than the second, which, with the cat already out of the bag, was basically pointless. Others weren’t so sure, but the debate was interesting. Intelligence was another thing I loved about Devon.
So was sensitivity. Quiet and concerned, the conversation typically began with Chris. Too soon, it turned to Grace. Had she appeared, it would have ended. When she didn’t, there was speculation. Words likeself-consciousness, embarrassment,andfearwere bandied about.
But where is she?I was asked yet again. Like I knew? She loved Town Meeting, loved greeting friends with her big smile and her vibrant scarf, wild sweater, and spectacular hair. I knew that she’d had an afternoon meeting with Jay and had planned to come from there. But he arrived alone.
We figured, he and I, that she had lost her nerve.
I texted her, but got no response.She may still be working,I said to one friend and, to another, with resignation,She knows there’ll be talk.
Catching the last as he came alongside, Kevin murmured, “You don’t have to defend her.”
“If I don’t, who will?”
“It’s her job. She’s punting. Which is what you should be doing,” he advised.
“You say that because you don’t like her.”
“I say it, doll, because I likeyou.”
His deeper message wasn’t lost on me. Michael Shanahan might have been a fly on the wall, for knowing what I said and to whom. But hadn’t Kevin been the one, not so long ago, to tell me to do what I thought was right?
I was glancing back at the door, praying she was simply late, when Edward came through. He had left his jacket on the lobby rack and had come straight from work, to judge from his sweater and slacks. He was perfectly dressed. Other men wore versions of the same, though more often with jeans, and a few, like Kevin, were flamboyantly accessorized. There was nothing flamboyant about Edward, if you didn’t count his eyes. His sweater was burgundy, his slacks gray, his hair brushed back with just those thick spikes on his brow. Other men had facial hair, ranging from scruffy to full. Others were just as tall. But Edward stood out.
Forewarned should have been forearmed; I had known he would be here. But how to arm myself against Edward Cooper? I tried not to feel anything that might give me away, tried to ignore the quickening inside, and the worry. Meeting him in private was one thing, but the risk of betraying our connection amped up with this many people around.
Kevin squeezed my arm. “I got this,” he whispered and, divinely protective, strode toward the door. His back blocked the details, but body language was telling even from behind. I saw a greeting of some sort, then his hands were on his hips. Confrontation? I prayed not.
Nervous, I tried to disappear into my group, which was speculating on what thePeoplepiece would say and whether the media would be done with us then, when all eyes shifted.
“Hello,” said Edward from my shoulder, extending a hand, in turn, to the owners of those eyes. “Ned Cooper.”
Kevin had followed but refused to meet my gaze. After standing offfor a minute, he turned on his heel and headed for food. Trusting that I would learn later what had been said, I tuned into Edward’s audience.
“From the Inn?” said one, not really a question.
“Not the best time,” mused her husband.
“I’ve seen you at the post office,” remarked the stage actress who, without makeup, looked plain. I did her face when theater connections came to visit, but in all else Devon, she preferred to go without. Noting my lack of reaction to Edward’s arrival, she shot me a curious glance.
“I already know him,” I explained. “He’s my boss.”
“Huh. Of course.”
“Am I interrupting?” Edward asked them.
“Absolutely not.”
“We were just talking about, well, hacking and all.”
“And it’s not gossip,” said the actress, almost in warning to the rest of us, lest we forget that Edward was not only Grace’s boss but an outsider. “We love Grace. She’s is one of us.”
“Hel-lo,” came a singsong voice and another proffered hand. “Ned Cooper? Finally. I’m Nina Evans. I’m glad you came.”
She looked wonderful,thank you, Maggie Reid.Since the Town Manager was also the Town Meeting moderator, she had visited me at three to have her confidence applied. While I worked, she asked about Edward, and when I had little to say, she dove into Liam. She knew he was my brother. Now she wanted to know how old he was, where he had trained, whether there were other siblings, where we grew up, if my parents were still there. I would rather have talked about the night’s agenda, but Nina had never asked personal questions before, and, given that nothing about Connecticut or the name Reid would betray Mackenzie Cooper, I couldn’t think of a good reason not to answer, especially since I had stonewalled on the subject of Edward.
Tonight, her own sweater and slacks were professional, her wool Etro scarf powerfully New York, and her skin glowing.
Edward shook her hand, repeated her name as if he’d never heard it before, and smiled politely. He did nothing to suggest they had ever talked,and while he was gracious, I saw no particular interest in those silver-blue eyes.
