“Why don’t you just stop your own wedding?” Darius’s expression hardened ever so slightly. “Unless you’re being forced to go through with it?”
Eve could understand that worry with the Keys family involved—what couldn’t a family so wealthy get away with?—but this problem was solely hers.
“I’m not being forced, but I can’t stop it myself.” Eve grabbed his wrist to steady her gaze at his watch. Darius let her this time. She indeed had read it right originally.
Which meant she had to leave.
Now.
“Why not? What’s going on, Evelyn?”
She didn’t like the use of her full name, but Eve let his wrist go and took a step back.
“I don’t care what you do to stop it, but please don’t let anyone know that I asked you to do it.” Eve watched as confusion washed over Darius’s face. She didn’t have time to explain so she reiterated the only point she had to convince him. “You do this and we’re even, Darius.”
Eve turned so quickly that her coat slapped closed against her chest. She didn’t wait to see what his next move was. She didn’t look back at him at all, in fact, as she started her engine and got back onto County. For the second time that day she pushed the gas pedal all the way down.
THERE WAS Aroad that was old, weathered and worn that only a few locals knew about. Most of those called it the Twig.
Just take the Twig, they might say.If it’s dry out and your tires are fine, use the Twig to shave off some time.
Darius’s tires and truck were fine—it paid that the department had their very own on-call mechanic in Rose’s husband—and the rain hadn’t been coming all that much since the cold snap had snapped at them in the last week. Taking the Twig from County wouldn’t get him stranded or find him in any inconvenience. It would simply take him from the big road to the mouth ofHarper’s Hill, a neighborhood that was a hop, skip and a jump away from the church on Main’s parking lot.
Which just so happened to be across the way from the building that had once housed the Seven Roads Library.
Darius tightened his grip around the steering wheel. He hadn’t moved the truck an inch since watching Eve drive off. The kids in his car hadn’t moved either. Only their mouths had gone to work and, to be fair, each question had been valid.
“What’s going on? What did she say? Where is she going? Are we following?” Theo’s questions had come out in short, consistent bursts, concerned about the current situation and what came next.
Winnie had been more people-oriented in her queries.
“Do you know her? Are you all right?” she had asked on the boy’s heels.
Darius hadn’t yet answered anyone. Instead, since sitting back in the driver’s seat, he had been doing everything in his power to calm down.
Evelyn Myers was back.
Evelyn Myerswas back.
And she was getting married.
Darius felt his own jaw start to ache. He let his too-tight grip on the steering wheel go and rubbed a thumb beneath his chin.
You, Darius Williams, owe me a favor.
He did. He really did.
Darius checked his mirrors and pulled onto County. He didn’t answer either kid’s question. Instead, he flipped the script.
“What do you two know about a wedding going on today in town today?” he asked.
Theo was fast with a reply.
“The younger Keys brother is getting married, and the entire town is blowing it out of proportion. Wait. Was that the bride?”
Darius nodded toward Winnie. She didn’t miss the direction.
“It’s a big deal because Scott Keys is the groom’s brother.”
