“Your office said you came to the classroom early,” he said. “You didn’t answer your cell.”
“It’s on silent.”
“What if Nate needs you?”
“I can see his texts.”
“Is he all right?” Clarke asked.
“He’s fine.” Nate had been curious about the damage and insisted on inspecting it before school. Boys his age were naturally inquisitive, so she’d chalked up his curiosity to his gender. “I dropped him off at school and will pick him up by one thirty so he can audit his university math class.”
“He wasn’t traumatized?”
“Not at all.”
That seemed to please him. “A chip off the old block.”
“Yes,” she said carefully. “He’s not afraid.”
Dark eyes glistened with pride. “You’re sure he’s fine?”
“Positive.”
“He’s spending next Wednesday night with me, right?”
“He’s looking forward to it.” Which was true. Nate and Clarke were very different in so many ways, but that did not undercut the love.
“Have you thought any more about returning to town permanently? If you come back to town, we’d have a better chance of figuring this all out, whatever it is. I can find an apartment for a few months.”
“We’re staying put, Clarke.”
“We have to talk about all this soon.”
“I know. And we will. I promise.”
He looked as if he wanted to pull her into an embrace but instead cleared his throat. “What about the damage at the ranch?”
She was relieved to be off the topic of them. “I’ve already called the ranch manager, and he’s coming out midday with his crew to see what he can do about the cleanup. Have you inspected the damage?”
“I’m headed out there now.”
She did not like the idea of him on her property without her there. It was not that she expected him to do anything nefarious, but the ranch was her space, not theirs, and he did not belong there.
“Okay.”
“I’ll warn you now, Ann, that last night’s fire had all the hallmarks of the College Fire.” As he stepped toward her, she sensed the restrained energy. He was trying to maintain a calm front, like a cowboy wooing a wild mare, but it was a struggle. “Elijah set that fire.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I can’t prove it yet. But I will.”
“Joan believes he might not have set the College Fire.”
His gaze darkened. “Then she’s a damn fool. What the hell is it with her?”
“She’s trying to make sure no one else gets hurt.”
He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “You know why she’s out here, right?”
“Because Elijah was released from prison.”
“That’s a convenient excuse. She’s been put on leave by the Philadelphia police. She’ll likely lose her job soon.”
“How do you know that?”
“I made some calls. She screwed up an investigation. Miscalculated her interviewing prowess, which led to the release of a crazy woman who’d burned her roommate alive. Joan is fast and loose with the facts now, just as she was in college.”
“That’s not true.”
“I know she painted me as some kind of albatross around your neck in college.”
“Joan had nothing to do with our breakup. You wanted to get married, and I wanted to wait. You pushed, and I felt backed into a corner.” Footsteps sounded outside the classroom. “I don’t want to get into this with you now.”
“We need to talk about this.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“My son was in your home when the shed caught fire.”
A muscle pulsed in his jaw, as it did when he regrouped. “Come to dinner with Nate and me next Wednesday. It would be nice for the three of us to share a meal as a family.”
“We’ll have family time at his birthday party. It’ll be fun.” She added the last bit just as much to convince herself as him.
“That’s not the same. I want the three of us to share at least one meal.”
She drew in a slow breath. “All right. Next Wednesday. Got it.”
His frown softened into a grin. “Thank you.”
“Sure. Of course.”
The classroom door opened, and two young women walked in. Clarke stepped back. “I’ll pick Nate up after his class and see you later tonight when I drop him off,” he said quietly.
“Nate finishes with class at three.”
“Good.” He glanced over his shoulder at another set of students. “See you then.”
“Terrific.”
Clarke strode down the center, pausing for several girls to pass, and then went out the door. Ann carefully opened her lecture material and tried to refocus.
A few whispers rose up among the women and men, and she raised her gaze to see Elijah walking in, his textbook tucked under his arm. If he was aware of the comments, he did not show it. His pace was unhurried and his posture relaxed as he took a seat in the front row. He carefully opened his notebook and clicked the end of his pen before he looked up and smiled at her. “Good morning, Professor Bailey.”
Gideon returned to the jail as Ryan was being processed out. It had taken the young man a day to recover from his binge and another to find a bondsman before he could post bail with the magistrate.
Ryan looked up, his still-bloodshot eyes reflecting grief and anger. “Thanks for coming.”
“You had something important to tell me?” Gideon asked.
“Yeah.” Ryan threaded his belt into the loops on his pants and fastened the buckle. “I’ve been thinking about Lana.”
Gideon escorted Ryan out of the holding area and through the security doors to the lobby. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I know a diner.”
Ryan nodded, sliding into the front seat of Gideon’s SUV without a word. Gideon drove across town and parked in front of the Buffalo Café. Inside, the sweet scents of cinnamon and maple syrup blended with the crispy tang of bacon. A tall waitress with red hair poured coffee for both and took
