and Barry did a slight negative shake to his head. I didn’t hesitate. I leaned down to hug Thursday and to tell her the room was hers for as long as she needed it.
Barry’s cell phone went off, and he stepped away to answer it. I could tell by his expression it was business and wasn’t surprised when he said he had to go. It seemed natural to walk him to the door. When we got to the entrance hall, we stood facing each other for a moment.
“Do you really think it’s a wise idea to let Thursday hide out at your place?” Barry said in a voice barely above a whisper. He gestured toward the living room and the rising and falling of conversations that sounded like an argument. “I thought you were so interested in being alone.”
I had to stand close to hear him and shrugged before giving a tired laugh. “I think that ship has sailed. It seems there’s always someone or some animal showing up at my door.” To punctuate the comment, the banging on my bedroom door increased in volume. Something had been on my mind, and I decided to ask for his professional opinion. “Do you think it’s strange that Thursday is acting so, well, so as if her world hadn’t been turned upside down? She seems so calm.”
Barry let down his bland detective demeanor and became Barry my friend. “Yes and no,” he said, clearly liking that I was asking for his input. “It could mean that she doesn’t care that her groom got stabbed, or worse—that she was involved.”
I started to react with a vehement head shake, but Barry continued. “Or it could be her coping mechanism. She may have shoved everything under her mental rug for a while. Eventually, it will come out, and then the you-know-what will really hit the fan.”
I started to ask Barry why he hadn’t mentioned the bloodstained shirt I’d stepped on, but he touched my arm and totally changed the subject. “I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me and go to Jeffrey’s play?” He mentioned a day and time.
My eyes narrowed as I imagined having dessert alone and sitting next to an empty seat at his son’s play because something had come up at work and he’d had to go. His eyes flared and I knew he knew what I was thinking. “It won’t be like that. Look, I’m giving you advance warning and I have the night off. I’ll even turn my phone off.”
“So, you’re asking me on a date?” I said, blanching at the juvenile term for people our age.
“Take it any way you want. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a changed man. No more pushing for things my way. If you don’t want to get married, no problem. You want to be just friends, fine with me.” He looked at me expectantly. “Well?”
CHAPTER 6
“ SO, WHAT DID YOU SAY?” M ASON ASKED AS WE SAT together on my couch. Jaimee had accepted that Thursday wasn’t leaving with her and left. The animals had been released from the bedroom, and the two dogs and two cats did some major sniffing to find out who had been there. Thursday had hugged her dad, taken her crocheting and retreated to her room. Once we were alone, I’d told Mason about Barry’s invitation. He seemed less than pleased and even more agitated when I said I’d accepted.
“I wouldn’t want to miss Jeffrey’s play,” I said. “Barry says he’s a changed man. He has no problem with us being just friends.” Mason leaned back deeper into the leather cushions. The concept of Barry being different seemed very upsetting to him.
“There’s no reason to go overboard on the platonic thing with him. I thought this was going to be a time for us,” he said in a disappointed tone.
I looked around at the living room that just a few minutes before had been full of commotion, and then toward the fourth bedroom where his daughter was holed up. “You’re kidding, right? Things are complicated enough.”
Mason tried, but he couldn’t come up with an argument for that. “Maybe when everything settles,” he said hopefully, and I nodded in
Barry’s cell phone went off, and he stepped away to answer it. I could tell by his expression it was business and wasn’t surprised when he said he had to go. It seemed natural to walk him to the door. When we got to the entrance hall, we stood facing each other for a moment.
“Do you really think it’s a wise idea to let Thursday hide out at your place?” Barry said in a voice barely above a whisper. He gestured toward the living room and the rising and falling of conversations that sounded like an argument. “I thought you were so interested in being alone.”
I had to stand close to hear him and shrugged before giving a tired laugh. “I think that ship has sailed. It seems there’s always someone or some animal showing up at my door.” To punctuate the comment, the banging on my bedroom door increased in volume. Something had been on my mind, and I decided to ask for his professional opinion. “Do you think it’s strange that Thursday is acting so, well, so as if her world hadn’t been turned upside down? She seems so calm.”
Barry let down his bland detective demeanor and became Barry my friend. “Yes and no,” he said, clearly liking that I was asking for his input. “It could mean that she doesn’t care that her groom got stabbed, or worse—that she was involved.”
I started to react with a vehement head shake, but Barry continued. “Or it could be her coping mechanism. She may have shoved everything under her mental rug for a while. Eventually, it will come out, and then the you-know-what will really hit the fan.”
I started to ask Barry why he hadn’t mentioned the bloodstained shirt I’d stepped on, but he touched my arm and totally changed the subject. “I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me and go to Jeffrey’s play?” He mentioned a day and time.
My eyes narrowed as I imagined having dessert alone and sitting next to an empty seat at his son’s play because something had come up at work and he’d had to go. His eyes flared and I knew he knew what I was thinking. “It won’t be like that. Look, I’m giving you advance warning and I have the night off. I’ll even turn my phone off.”
“So, you’re asking me on a date?” I said, blanching at the juvenile term for people our age.
“Take it any way you want. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a changed man. No more pushing for things my way. If you don’t want to get married, no problem. You want to be just friends, fine with me.” He looked at me expectantly. “Well?”
CHAPTER 6
“ SO, WHAT DID YOU SAY?” M ASON ASKED AS WE SAT together on my couch. Jaimee had accepted that Thursday wasn’t leaving with her and left. The animals had been released from the bedroom, and the two dogs and two cats did some major sniffing to find out who had been there. Thursday had hugged her dad, taken her crocheting and retreated to her room. Once we were alone, I’d told Mason about Barry’s invitation. He seemed less than pleased and even more agitated when I said I’d accepted.
“I wouldn’t want to miss Jeffrey’s play,” I said. “Barry says he’s a changed man. He has no problem with us being just friends.” Mason leaned back deeper into the leather cushions. The concept of Barry being different seemed very upsetting to him.
“There’s no reason to go overboard on the platonic thing with him. I thought this was going to be a time for us,” he said in a disappointed tone.
I looked around at the living room that just a few minutes before had been full of commotion, and then toward the fourth bedroom where his daughter was holed up. “You’re kidding, right? Things are complicated enough.”
Mason tried, but he couldn’t come up with an argument for that. “Maybe when everything settles,” he said hopefully, and I nodded in
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