“I knew there was something wrong.”Dale sounded pleased with himself for such keen insight.“You’re not feeling well, are you?Headache?”
Her confirming nod wasn’t a lie.Every minute she spent in Dale’s company only made her head pound worse.
“Before you go.”A hand on her forearm stopped her.“We’d better decide what we’re wearing to Larry’s party.”
Could the day get any worse?“Larry’s party?”she echoed.Maybe if she played dumb they could avoid another confrontation.
“The Halloween bash next weekend.I already told him we were coming.”
“You did what?”she asked, her eyes spitting fire.
“Now, hold on, there’s no need to get all upset.”He patted her arm soothingly as if she were a recalcitrant child.
“I told you,” she said in measured tones, “I have no intention of attending that party.I’m going to the one at the church.I thought I made that extremely clear.”
“Let me explain before you become unreasonable,” Dale returned calmly.“I’m not insensitive, I know this thing at your church is important to you.I want you to go, but there’s no reason you can’t attend both.You can give me a call and I’ll swing by the church to pick you up.As I see it, you won’t even need to change costumes.”
“Everyone’s dressing up as Bible characters.Can’t you see how ludicrous it would be to go from church to Larry’s?”
“Not necessarily,” Dale inserted.“Who are you going as?”
“Lot’s wife.”
“Lot’s wife?But she—”
“I know,” Lesley interrupted.“I’m dressing up as a pillar of salt.”
Amusement gleamed briefly from his eyes.“That sounds like a good idea, but you probably should wear something that will fit in at both parties.”
“Dale.”Lesley slid out of the booth and took a step in backward retreat.“Read my lips, because I have the feeling you never hear what I’m saying,” she instructed.“I’m not going to Larry’s party.Not this year, not ever.You know what I think of Larry O’Brien; I don’t want to have anything to do with him.”
“Lesley”—Dale murmured her name softly—“I’m sure you don’t mean that.”
What more did she have to say to reach this man?“I meanit, Dale.”Rather than argue further, she turned sharply and left the café.
The afternoon was another glorious one, but Lesley hardly noticed.What was the matter with her lately?Everything was going wrong.
Instead of going straight back to the bank, she strolled down the street, stopping in a couple of shops along the way to browse.
“He was so handsome.Mark my words, that man has broken a few hearts in his day.”
Lesley picked up part of a conversation between a cashier and a housewife.Her interest sparked, Lesley stood behind a counter pretending to examine a sweater as she listened to the conversation.
“Said his name was Cole Daniels.”
Hot color invaded her face.Was her ill-mannered neighbor going to haunt her all day?
“Tight-lipped, though,” the woman continued.“Hardly said a word.Just paid for his purchase.I asked if he was from around here, and he said he wasn’t.”
“Did you ask where he’s from?”
Lesley was more than interested and silently berated herself for eavesdropping so blatantly.She hadn’t done anything like this since Terry was sixteen and standing on the porch talking to her dates.
“I asked, but he didn’t say.”
The check he’d deposited had been issued from Indiana; Lesley knew that much.
“He didn’t seem inclined to talk about himself.Probably just passing through.”
