“Great idea.” Dunc got up immediately after Amanda and followed her upstairs.
***
The videos didn’t hold any clues. Nobody was on them.
It was almost noon when workers finally cleared McCormick’s home. The front of the house had minimal fire damage. The fire hoses had broken windows. There was water and smoke damage to the front of their home. Dunc’s Halloween display had been wholly destroyed. Yellow warning tape had been put up around his entire yard, and kids came up and down the road to see what had happened.
Dunc had people in to begin cleaning within hours. His friends showed up, and by evening they had replaced all the broken windows and his front door. The pungent smell of smoke was overwhelming in the McCormick home, so Amanda invited them to stay in her house. She had a small spare bedroom. Dunc’s mother was more than happy to cook them dinner, even though Amanda had tried to have food brought in.
A good family-style dinner was what everyone needed. Dunc’s mother was an excellent cook. She made spaghetti with homemade meatballs and a delicious savory sauce. She even baked French bread from scratch.
Everyone helped clean up and then went to bed. It had been a long day. Dunc kept his distance from Amanda until evening. She came to the den where he was sitting alone and brought blankets and a pillow down for him. She wasn’t going to bed yet and had suggested they watch a little TV. They started out on opposite sides of the couch. Dunc positioned himself so that Amanda could not get too close to him. He pulled his feet up onto the sofa to take up all the room between him and Amanda with his legs.
“I get the distinct impression you’re a hedgehog tonight.” Amanda frowned at Dunc.
“What?”
“You’re trying to keep me away.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. You are.”
“Why does that matter?” Dunc began mumbling. “I don’t, don’t want anything.”
“Okay.” Amanda nodded. “Why are you so afraid of me?”
“What? I’m not afraid of you!” Dunc fidgeted and shifted positions. He nervously put his feet on the floor, keeping himself to the edge of the couch.
“Your friends told me you’re afraid of me.”
“My friends are ridiculous.” Dunc squirmed in his seat, uncomfortable with this entire conversation. “They still put out carrots for the Easter bunny. Milk and cookies for Santa and Captain America.”
“I’m not scary!” Amanda scowled at Dunc.
Dunc smiled and pointed at her. “Go look at yourself in a mirror right now.”
“I’m not scary.” Amanda sighed.
“You like to yell at me. I think I’ll go on over to my house and sleep.” Dunc was visibly shaking as he got to his feet. “I don’t want to interrupt your evening.”
“Sit down.” Amanda pointed at the couch. Dunc gave Amanda a questioning look. “What do you want?”
“Seriously?” Dunc sat back down and stared at Amanda. There were two things he wanted, but he could only say one. “I want you to be safe, and if that means moving, you need to leave.” Dunc lowered his voice to a whisper. “We shouldn’t play these games, Amanda. We’re going to hurt each other in the end, and I don’t want to hurt you any more than I want to be hurt.”
The look on Amanda’s face made Dunc regret every word he said. “What about what I want? Does that count, or have you made up your mind for both of us?”
“I saw the photo, Amanda.” Dunc lowered his eyes, recalling every detail. “You can’t be where he can find you. It would be better if you move and soon.”
“That’s not what I want.”
Dunc rose again, smacking his hand into his chest. He turned to face Amanda and spoke in a shaky voice. “If I catch Joseph anywhere near you, I may not be able to control myself. What he did was wrong, and he should not have gotten away with it. Do you want me to kill a man for you? Do you seriously want that from me? Because that is what you are going to get. Then I’ll probably hate you because you put me in that position. You could leave, and the problem will go away for both of us.” He didn’t believe he could ever hate her even as he spoke the words. He didn’t want her to leave, but he had to say it. This was for her safety.
Amanda stared at Dunc, her lower lip trembling. She didn’t like what he was saying, but he was honest. Now it was her turn. “Can’t we find a better solution together?” She walked up to him and touched his arm. He flinched away from her. “Duncan. We could look at this problem together. Tomorrow. There has to be a way to get him to stop coming after me.” She took another step toward Dunc, and he took a step away.
“Amanda.” Dunc’s resolve was beginning to waver. “I really like you. I’m an idiot. I want you to be safe.” He gave her a sad look, still trying to keep her from touching him.
“I like you too.” She snagged his sleeve. Then she let him go. “Sleep on it? I’ll leave you alone. Promise you’ll give it some thought? If we can’t come up with anything, then I’ll move.”
Dunc sighed. “Okay.” His shoulders sagged in defeat, and Amanda suddenly had her arms around him. Dunc lowered his face against the top of her head and inhaled. She smelled so good. He couldn’t help it. He nuzzled the top of her head, then gently kissed her hair. Amanda tilted her head up, and Dunc found himself gazing into her beautiful brown eyes. After a moment of indecision, she kissed him on the mouth before he knew what was happening. Her lips were
