“When is her mother coming back?”
“Two weeks.”
Gabrielle nodded. She understood how important this summer with his daughter was for Derek. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. I’m pretty happy myself, considering things were so different this time last year.”
“Tell Holly I haven’t forgotten about our shopping trip.”
“Even if you had, she wouldn’t hesitate to remind you,” he said, chuckling.
Unable to control herself, Gabrielle let out a yawn. Her eyes were growing heavier with each passing minute.
“You should go get some sleep,” he said.
“No. I’m fine.” She wasn’t ready to let go of him just yet.
“Call me when you get to town tomorrow, okay?”
“’Kay,” she said sleepily.
“And remember if you have any problems, call my cousin Mike. You have the number I gave you?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Gabby?”
“Hmm?”
“Remember when we used to talk like this back in high school?”
She smiled at the memory. “We’d argue over who was more tired. Neither of us wanted to hang up first.”
She always used to fall asleep thinking that she loved him but couldn’t ever say so. He feared the word as much as the men in his family feared the curse. But she hadn’t had to say it. In her heart, she believed Derek had known she loved him back then.
Just as she loved him now…
GABRIELLE AWOKE WITH A start as the first rays of sunlight flowed through her bedroom window. She stretched and rolled over, her hip hitting a hard object.
She reached down to move…the telephone.
She’d fallen asleep while still on the phone with Derek last night, just as she’d done so often in the past. Smiling, she climbed out of bed, showered, put on her makeup and was getting dressed when her cell phone rang.
She dug her phone out from her purse and answered. “Hello?”
“Hi. It’s Sharon.”
“Where
Sharon didn’t laugh. “I’m not at a conference.”
“Just where are you, then?”
“At the moment? I’m about half an hour from Stewart. My car broke down at the motel I’m staying at and I need you to come get me. I’ll explain when you get here.”
Gabrielle grabbed a pen and a pad she kept next to her kitchen telephone. “Give me the address. I’ll be right there.”
Sharon repeated the name of the motel and then, reluctantly, gave Gabrielle the address-which just happened to be in the same town she and Derek had found Sharon’s ex, Tony.
Gabrielle expelled a long breath, holding back from chastising her friend until she could do it in person. “Sit tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I knew I could count on you,” Sharon said.
Almost an hour later thanks to traffic and a miscalculated exit, Gabrielle pulled into the motel parking lot where Sharon’s car had died. Sure enough, Sharon’s sedan was in one of the parking spots.
Sharon walked out of a side motel entrance. Dressed in dark pants and a black tank top, sunglasses perched on a baseball hat, she joined Gabrielle. “I called AAA and they should be here soon. We can leave after they’ve towed my car.”
Gabrielle nodded. She seated herself on the curb and waited for Sharon to do the same. “Since we have time, do you want to explain why you look like a cat burglar? And make it good because I’m about to have you committed.” She raised an eyebrow and waited.
Sharon took a long breath. “I went to stalk Tony,” she said on a rush.
“You what!” Gabrielle jerked around to stare at her friend.
“It’s more rational than it sounds, I swear. I just wanted to see what he was up to. What his life is like. If it’s possible he’s reformed, as he claims.”
Gabrielle opened her eyes wider in disbelief. “Why didn’t you say something? I would have come with you!”
“That’s why. I had to do this for myself. I had to see for myself.”
“And?”
Sharon met her gaze. “He has a wife and a child!”
“Whoa. He said he lived with his sister. He lied?”
Sharon nodded. “Apparently so.”
“Now, that’s a shock. A convicted felon who’s also a liar.” Gabrielle bit the inside of her cheek. Now she understood why he’d stepped outside and hadn’t wanted to let them into the house. “So if he lied about that, what else is he lying about? He obviously didn’t want his family to know what he did to you.”
Sharon shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s weird, but I’ve watched him for a couple of days and he’s different. Mellow. More at ease than he ever was before. I actually do think he’s changed.”
“Or maybe he hasn’t and this life is a cover.” Gabrielle placed her hand over her friend’s.
“I considered that, too. There’s only one way to find out.”
“And that is?” Gabrielle was almost afraid to ask.
Sharon smiled grimly. “I’m going to have to confront him.”
Before Gabrielle could respond, the tow truck pulled up in front of them. She couldn’t continue this talk now, but once the car situation was settled, Gabrielle had every intention of nixing Sharon’s suicidal idea.
CHAPTER TWELVE
GABRIELLE PROMISED SHARON she’d drive her back to Stewart right after Gabrielle stopped at her apartment in Boston to pick up some notes regarding her upcoming interview with Mary Perkins. Since Sharon was preoccupied, Gabrielle didn’t mention that her room at the Rhodes Inn had been ransacked and she’d been forced to return home for good. She didn’t want to add to Sharon’s already high stress level.
And since Sharon was upset enough, Gabrielle didn’t even chastise her for stalking her ex. There would be time for that during the ride back to Stewart.
“What’s wrong?” she asked her friend, instead.
Sharon sighed. “I’m just wondering how much it’s going to cost me to get the car fixed, how I’m going to afford it on top of the blackmail.” She glanced out the window, pressing her forehead against the heavy glass.
Gabrielle’s heart went out to her friend. “It goes without saying…”
Sharon cut her off with a sharp wave of her hand. “I appreciate it, but unless I’ve exhausted all my options, I’ll make it work. I just need to vent and think things through,” Sharon said, her tone soft and full of appreciation.
Gabrielle nodded. She respected her friend’s independent streak.
Both women knew Gabrielle’s writing provided her with a surplus of income and she could more than afford to help Sharon with both the blackmail money and the repairs. But Sharon had a little too much pride. Her refusal to tell Richard about the blackmail was an example. If she needed help, financial or otherwise, Sharon understood Gabrielle would be there.
“We’re here.” Gabrielle pulled up to the curb by her brownstone. “Wait here. I’ll run in and get what I need.”
