Concern for Tiffany replaced the exhaustion he’d felt when he’d pulled into his driveway. It propelled him forward, helped him concentrate on the road. The downpour never ceased. He pulled into the parking lot for Tiffany’s apartment, luckily found a spot near the entrance.
“I’ll carry Lilly for you,” he said.
Surprisingly, she didn’t argue. She exited the car and walked toward the apartment building. Connor opened the back door and lifted the carrier, took long strides to catch up with Tiffany.
She stopped in front of205and turned to him. “It’s been a long day and I haven’t eaten. Would you like to come in? I’m too tired to cook, but I’m a pro at ordering delivery.”
The invitation came completely unexpectedly. He should say no. As worn out as he was, as unprepared as he still was for seeing Tiffany, the wise answer was no. “That sounds good. My treat though. An apology of sorts.”
A flicker of amusement crossed her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
He followed her inside before she closed the door, and he set Lilly’s carrier on the tile entryway. Bending over, he unsecured the latches and freed her. She jumped vertically, with an excited yelp. Connor gladly picked her up and nuzzled her. “You didn’t forget me, did you little girl.”
Playtime with Lilly continued for several minutes until Tiffany returned. She’d changed into dry clothes, a pair of jeans and a Terrapins sweatshirt.
The image threw him back a decade. He’d noticed the other day, but it still surprised him how little her appearance had changed, except a maturity that added grace to her looks. Even many of her mannerisms were the same.
Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized she’d walked to him and held out a pile of clothes. “Danny stays over sometimes when his shifts run late. Keeps him from driving forty minutes home on no sleep.”
“What’s your brother up to these days?”
A proud smile stretched her mouth. The first real smile he’d seen from her. “He’s almost finished with his residency at Mansboro General.”
“No way.” He couldn’t reconcile little Danny Abrams as a doctor. “That’s incredible.”
“We’re proud of him.” She pointed down the hall. “The bathroom is the first door on the right.”
“Thanks.” He wanted to ask more, find out what her life had been like the last nine years. But he didn’t have the right to initiate that conversation.
He took the clothes and went to the bathroom, conscious that he dripped rainwater on her carpets. The clothes fit him well, a testament that Danny Abrams had indeed grown up. He shook his head, amused but pleased to know Tiffany’s brother had turned out well after spending his high school years on the wild side.
Leaving his wet clothes hanging over the shower rod, he went to the living room.
Tiffany had several menus spread out on the coffee table. “These are the places that deliver here. What are you in the mood for?”
“You pick.”
“Do you still like Greek food?”
“I do.” He shouldn’t care that she remembered, but he did.
She handed him the menu. “When you decide, let me know, and I’ll order it online.”
He shook his head. “I told you, my treat.”
After a quick glance at the menu, he opened the delivery app on his app and found the restaurant. Keyed in his order and asked for Tiffany’s. They’d both ordered the chicken shawarma platter, but Tiffany didn’t know that. He hadn’t shared what meal he’d chosen.
Back in the day, they would order two different entrees and share. But that was then, and this was now. Now was very different than then.
“So, you’re a detective?” She sat cross-legged on the far end of the sofa and hugged a pillow.
“Yes. After college, I went to work for a department in Southern Maryland. They were smaller, and it allowed me to gain experience and move in rank more quickly. I didn’t come back to Mansboro until last year.”
“That explains why I never saw you.” Her body noticeably tensed, as though she’d revealed more than she’d meant to.
“What happened, Tiffany? I want to know if you’re willing to share.”
She drew in a long breath and wouldn’t let her gaze meet his. “Does it really matter?”
