“We’re going to call the station,” Connor said slowly.
“And we’d like you to accompany us back to base and turn the weapon over to Ward,” Joel finished.
18
Mom: I’m not going to make it to the town meeting after all, darling. I’m just not feeling up to it. I’ll see you when you get home.
Polly pushed her cell back into her pocket and went back to wiping the tables at Bloom. Her mother was staying at her house tonight, which meantPollywas staying at her house tonight.
She didn’t mind moving out of Maggie and Ethan’s, because that needed to happen eventually. But every time her mother got her heart broken, she ran to Polly, always claiming she needed a break from the house she’d shared with the man who’d left her.
And no matter how many times Polly said she wasn’t doing it again, that she wasn’t picking up the pieces of her mother’s broken heart—not when it was a result of going against all the advice Polly had given—she still did it. Because it was her mom. She couldn’t just let her be in pain alone.
She moved on to the next table, scrubbing a little harder.
From the little she’d been able to get from her mother, it seemed her mother thought Jonah was cheating. He hadn’t admitted to it, but apparently, he kept coming home late and couldn’t tell her why.
Polly wasn’t sure it was true. But it had happened with previous partners. More than once. It had always been cheating in the past.
Polly shook her head. Sheshould nothave bought into the idea that Jonah might actually be different. That the relationship might actually last.
It had lasted all right…all of five seconds.
She was rinsing out her cloth when the jingle of the front door opening sounded. Great. She closed in five minutes and had a customer.
Forcing a smile to her lips, she turned, only for that smile to wipe right off her face.
Not a local. With her expensive gold earrings and chic black blazer, Bronte Simmons didn’t come close to resembling a Deep River local. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s a café, isn’t it? I came to get a coffee.”
“I’ve already cleaned the machine, and we close in five minutes.”
She lifted a manicured brow. “What about a juice?”
Polly’s hands fisted as she went to the fridge and grabbed an orange juice.
“Apple, please,” Bronte called.
Polly paused, a muscle ticking in her temple, before she grabbed the apple and took it to the counter. “Five dollars.”
“I hear you’re dating him.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t act stupid.” She tilted her head. “It doesn’t suit those pretty honey eyes. You’re dating Joel.”
“Five dollars.”
“You know we’ve been engaged for more than half our lives? We also both come from the same world.”
“Yeah, I know. A world of money. What Idon’tknow is why you’re here.”
“Not just money. Power and influence. And it’s all his…unless he decides to stay here with you.”
“Joel is a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“I’m not worried about him staying.” Bronte’s eyes flickered between Polly’s. “I’ve always turned a blind eye to his dating, because this is just what he does. He sleeps around with any whore he can find. Then he breaks their heart. He’s always fine; they’re not.”
