Martha huffed before turning and storming from the shop.
Eyes were on Polly. Possibly every eye in the restaurant.
She didn’t care. She turned as Basil set her to-go boxes onto the counter.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, everything okay?”
“Do you care?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Maybe.”
“It is actually. Thank you, Basil.” Better than fine. Because, with any luck, Joel’s parents would be out of town by sunset.
When she reached her mother’s house, she grabbed the pancakes and headed to the door. She hadn’t told her mom she was coming. She wanted to surprise her.
Her mother had agreed that it would be good, healthy even, if she remained single for a while. To get comfortable with not having a man to lean on.
It was so much more progress than they’d ever made before.
When she reached the door, she didn’t bother knocking. She used her key to let herself in.
“Mom?”
Something sounded from the bedroom down the hall. The creak of a mattress. And…hushed voices?
Her mother suddenly stepped into the hall, quickly pulling her bedroom door closed behind her. Her hair was disheveled and she only wore a dressing gown.
“Polly.” Her mother’s chest moved quickly, and she tried to smooth down her hair. It was pointless; it looked like a bird’s nest. “I, um, wasn’t expecting you.”
A sinking feeling churned in Polly’s stomach. “Is someone in there?”
“What? No. Why would… I mean, who would be in there?”
Her mother wasn’t making eye contact. Something she did a lot of when she was lying.
“Step away from the door, Mom.”
Her eyes flared. “Why?”
Without another word, Polly crossed the distance between them, reached around her mother, and shoved the bedroom door open.
A bare-chested Jonah sat in the bed, sheets pooled around his waist. “Polly…”
She turned back to her mother, hurt twisting in her chest. “You told me you wouldn’t see him while the investigation was ongoing.”
“I know. But?—”
“No. No buts. He’s part of an ongoingmurderinvestigation. And you lied to me.”
“Darling, you don’t understand! We love each other, and I’ve been supporting him through everything.”
Polly frowned. “Been? You’vebeensupporting him. As in, this isn’t the first time since he got out?”
There was a small pause.
She stepped back. “He’s been here each night since he posted bail, hasn’t he?”
“I knew you wouldn’t understand.” Her mother moved closer. “And I just agreed with you about him because I didn’t want to fight.”
