They walked in silence across the street to her apartment/shop. He waited outside on the stairs while she went in and returned wearing an indigo denim jacket.
“Which way should we go?” he asked once they were back on the sidewalk.
“Let’s make a right. There’s always a group that lingers in the school parking lot after a game who gets loud and raucous.”
“One of the guys I work with mentioned they get called to the school every few weeks for that crowd.”
Maegan waved off the concern. “They’re harmless, and they’ve never bothered me, but that direction’s not the place to go if you want a peaceful stroll tonight.”
They walked toward the downtown area, the main intersection in town, falling again into a comfortable silence.Occasionally they would pass another person or group, who Maegan inevitably knew and would introduce them.
After introducing him to a local pastor, but not from the church she attended, she turned to him once they were alone again. “Was the walk a ploy for more people to see us?”
He chuckled. “No, but I wish I would have thought of that.”
“After that snow last week, I think people are glad to be outside, even if it is a bit chilly.”
“I don’t mind winter, but I love spring and summer.” He reached out and tapped her arm. “Can we stop for a minute?”
She turned to face him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” He sucked in a long breath and let it out slowly. “You’ve asked me two questions today that I didn’t answer. I want to tell you now before I lose my nerve.”
“You’re not obligated. I promise I understand.” She nudged him with a smile. “We’ve only known each other twenty-four hours. You don’t have to share all your secrets.”
Her comments made him chuckle. “It feels like longer.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” She stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket. “My best friend is out of town for a few months, and I selfishly dreaded her being gone. This was a good time to find a new friend. Not that I don’t have other friends, but most are married now with their own lives. Katelyn is married, too, but her husband travels often so we still spend a lot of time together. Plus, he knew we were a package deal. She’s like family. And now I’m rambling.”
He leaned against the lamppost, smiling. Idle chatter usually annoyed him, but he found Maegan’s rambling endearing. “If ithelps any, Nancy’s my only friend here-other than you, now. As much as I love and respect her, it’s nice to have a friend my age.”
“Always glad to help out.”
As much as he would love to keep the conversation lighthearted, he’d stopped for a reason. Flexing his hands, he worked up the courage to tell her what happened with Alyssa. “When you told me about Jess, I understood more than many people would because I had a similar situation.”
“I thought there might be.”
“Alyssa and I were engaged but we didn’t have a date set. As I mentioned earlier, I was a workaholic, but I thought I was okay because it was for reasons I considered appropriate- I wanted us to enter marriage financially secure, or that’s what I told myself. Looking back, it went deeper than that. I realized I was trying to earn Alyssa and her family’s approval. They came from old money and often expressed concern that I couldn’t provide for her in the way to which she was accustomed.”
Maegan scowled. “That’s horrible.”
He shrugged. “That’s who they were, and I can’t fault them for wanting to make sure Alyssa was well-cared for. Their approach could have been different, but I also should have been secure enough and strong enough to stand up to them. Instead, I threw myself into work to prove my worth to them-a fruitless effort. Even at the top of a law enforcement career, I never would have made enough for them, and all I accomplished was neglecting my relationship in the process.”
She stood in front of him, listening intently. When she didn’t say anything, he continued.
“About a year ago, I began to realize all that. I used my accrued time off for a sabbatical, thinking it would give Alyssa and I time to work out the problems in our relationship, finally set a date, and start planning the wedding. A week into that time off, I was on social media one day, and to my shock, I saw a post from one of those local tabloids accounts I told you about. There, on the screen, was a photo of Alyssa kissing one of my coworkers with the caption,Engaged Socialite Likes the Uniforms.”
“That explains a lot,” Maegan muttered in a low tone.
“That photo punched me in the gut, and the glib headline made it worse, but I convinced myself there had to be an explanation. I called Alyssa, and she agreed to come over and have an honest conversation. The picture was exactly as it seemed- she had been cheating on me for six months. I called off the wedding and she left crying.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He licked his lips, wishing he could stop the story there. “It gets worse.”
Closing his eyes, he gathered his wits. The nightmare seemed like a lifetime ago but also like it only happened yesterday.
A soft touch to his arm warmed the cold shiver in him. “You don’t have to tell me.”
