“I’m trying to figure out what is going through your mind,” he said, shrugging.
She closed her mouth, swallowed, then grabbed her water and took a long drink of it. “I don’t normally drop my guard much. I did and now you’re confused.”
He put his hand up. “Wait. I don’t want you to regret doing that. I’m sorry if it’s coming off that way. I think we are both out of our element, add in what’s going on around us, then my head injury.”
She rolled her eyes at his smirk. “Now you’re trying to be cute and make me feel guilty throwing the last one in there. I get it. You’re right. We are both out of sorts. This is unfamiliar territory on top of it.”
“It is. I know this isn’t the case, but I’ll say it anyway. Don’t be afraid to tell me how you feel about something.”
Her eyes shifted over his face and held his stare. He could see she was struggling, then said, “The same for you.”
Guess that didn’t go the way he wanted.
He thought for sure she’d want to talk more about what happened in the bedroom, but maybe he was the only one who felt as if their time together was burning into his heart.
It could have just been a release she needed. What were her words—that she wanted to feel something more? Something different?
They had and it was over and she moved on.
He’d have to remember that and keep his mixed emotions on lockdown.
“When we are done eating, want to walk to the beach?”
“I’d love to,” she said. “There will be lots of nosy people out asking who you are. It will be interesting to see their reactions.”
“Do you think they will be bold enough to come forward?”
Her brown eyes got wide, her perfectly manicured eyebrows rose and wiggled some, and her smile brightened their conversation. “Oh yeah. They will. And I’m gladly going to tell them.”
“Your version of taking a chainsaw to cut down trees.”
“See,” she said, bumping her shoulder into his. “You know me well.”
And she’d been spot on that they’d run into two people in her building alone that stopped to chat, ask if she was on vacation, and who was with her.
They opened the door to leave when an older couple was walking in. “Gale.”
“Hi, Cindy. How are you doing?”
“Good. And who do we have here? I hadn’t been aware you were dating anyone.”
He found it funny that the woman just assumed since Gale was leaving the building with a man they were together.
“This is my boyfriend, Rory Connors. Rory, Cindy Fryer and her husband, Bill. They’ve lived in the building since it was built. They know just about everything and everyone here and in town.”
Bill snorted when Gale said that tongue in cheek, but Cindy looked proud of the acknowledgment.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Cindy said. “I’m sorry about what happened to your sister all those years ago. I hadn’t realized that you and Gale knew each other.”
Not even funny how this woman slipped that in here. “Stranger things happen in this area, don’t you think? Now if you’ll excuse me, Rory and I are going to the beach. He’ll be staying with me for a bit.”
“Oh, this is one of those long distance things?” Cindy asked, frowning. “So it’s not new?”
“Let’s go, Cindy,” Bill said. Bill pulled her along and he heard whispered loudly, “Stay out of it. You know it will get worse if you’re linked.”
“What was that about?” Rory asked when they were walking toward the water.
“I’m pretty sure Cindy was in Daniel’s pocket at one point, and might still be. Maybe not as blatant as Detective Denning, but you know, having her house bought and a good deal to move in here by the McGregors.”
