So much for amateur psychology hour.
Bottom line, they were both completely screwed up.
He chose the checkout lane with only two customers and waited his turn. He kept his gaze on the back of the head of the woman who stood in front of him, in hopes of ignoring the whispering the other folks in line on either side had started the moment he walked up. If he even glanced at any of them they would go around telling people how he’d done or said something he hadn’t. Might as well avoid any unnecessary scandal. Wouldn’t want to upset the good citizens of Pine Bluff. Or provide more fodder for the paper.
Besides, he could take it. When they realized he wasn’t giving up and leaving town, they’d get over it and find something else to gossip about.
When his turn to check out came, he placed the goods he’d selected on the counter and waited. Once the casher had finalized the sale with the customer in front of Clint, he expected her to move on to him, but she didn’t.
She put out her Closed sign and walked off. Left him standing there.
Surprised, he watched her a moment thinking maybe she just needed to get some more change or something, but that wasn’t the case. She didn’t come back.
Annoyed but refusing to let it show, he loaded his stuff back into his cart and moved to the next line. His turn came again and he transferred his stuff to the counter and waited for the cashier to do her part.
She didn’t even look at him. Just put out her Closed sign and walked away.
What the hell?
Most of the other customers were staring at him at this point. The first cashier had returned to her register and a new line had formed.
Clint exhaled his frustration, loaded his shit back into the cart, and moved on to another checkout lane.
When the Closed sign came out for the third time he’d had enough.
He abandoned his shopping cart and headed for the exit.
In a pissed-off zone that threatened his feeble hold on control, he didn’t even notice Emily standing there staring at him until he’d practically bumped into her.
He should’ve walked around her, but he couldn’t do it. Instead, he went stupid and pinned her with an icy glare. “Did you enjoy that?”
Those big brown eyes, looking uncertain or startled, held his for three seconds, then four, before she looked away.
He walked out.
Left her standing there with every customer within hearing range staring at her.
He jumped into his Firebird and roared out of the parking lot. Drove straight to the Sack & Go and purchased a twelve-pack of cheap beer. He didn’t give a damn if it would test his hold on control.
Right now he just needed to escape his new prison.
24
6:00 p.m.
A big truck sat at the curb when Emily arrived at her parents’ home. Troy Baker got out, slammed the door, his face dark with fury.
Mentally readying for battle, Emily emerged from her car and met the storm head-on. “Troy? What’s going on?” She’d considered as an afterthought that Marv would tell Troy about their conversation; she just hadn’t expected it to happen this quickly.
Troy didn’t stop until he was directly in her personal space. The instinct to back up was overwhelming, but this was Heather’s brother.
“You tell me!” he demanded.
“Tell you what?” Emily said carefully. She wasn’t afraid of him, but the look in his eyes told her this was not going to be a pleasant encounter.
“Marv told me about the questions you were asking him,” Troy snarled. “I can’t believe you would even think that Austin might be innocent, much less say it out loud! Now, you tell me Marv’s wrong!”
The alcohol was heavy on Troy’s breath. Another layer of tension coiled inside Emily. “I didn’t say he might be innocent. I just repeated a crazy rumor.”
