mistake. Sure, it started out fun. Watching those teenage girls drool over Rob made Bridget feel special, because she got to sit across from him. The poor guy hadn’t a clue, which was kind of nice. But then Tori had driven past and pulled a U-turn. She should have known something was up.
Maybe she could find out what Charlie looked like without going through Rob. Henry Murdock, for instance. Or she could quit being a wimp and just ask Rob straight-out. Why would he object?
Rob was leaning against the glass, talking on his phone and Tori stood a polite distance away. She glanced Bridget’s way several times. The hairs on the back of Bridget’s neck prickled. What was Tori planning?
He pocketed his phone. Tori glanced once more, her devilish grin telling Bridget the show was on. Standing in a position giving Bridget a full view, Tori took his hand and swayed her hips back and forth. She batted her eyes, rested a hand on his shoulder, leaned in, and planted her lips on his cheek.
Why stop at his cheek? Go for his lips and twist the dagger a little more.
Bridget pursed her lips and clenched her fists. Tori’s conduct had never bothered Bridget before, so why did her chest hurt? Maybe if it were anyone else but Tori. Still, who was she to tell him who he could and couldn’t see? She had no intention of dating him.
Tori caressed his cheek with her thumb, probably rubbing off her lipstick as an excuse to touch him some more. If Tori thought Bridget was a threat, she would have left it on as a brazen reminder of what she owned.
Rob returned, sat, and smiled. No sign of lipstick on his cheek. “Sorry about that. It was one of the guys at work.”
Bridget pushed her salad around with her fork. “I guess when you own a business, the place never closes, huh?”
“Something like that.” He took a bite of his burger. “Something wrong with your salad?”
She shook her head and took a bite, but her stomach wasn’t in it.
“Tori’s your cousin, right?”
“Yeah. Kate hired her straight out of college.” A smarmy comment was on the tip of her tongue, but she refrained.
“You have a lot of cousins?”
“My dad was one of five and they all had kids. You do the math.”
“Wow. I can’t even imagine. How about you? Any brothers or sisters?”
She shook her head, but took the opening. “Did you only have the one sister? Or do you have other siblings?”
“Just Charlie.”
“Did she go to Woodland High?”
“Yeah. Why? Did you know her?”
“I don’t know. The name’s not familiar, but that doesn’t mean anything. Do you have a picture of her?”
“Sure.” He put the burger down and wiped his hands on a napkin before pulling his wallet from the back of his jeans. “It was taken a few years ago, but if you knew her in high school, then it’s probably okay.”
He removed the photo and handed it over. She hesitated for a moment. What if the woman wasn’t her hallucination? Then again, what if she was? Fear wouldn’t solve her problems, only the truth would. Bridget took the photo.
Rob had a goofy grin and an arm wrapped around a woman—his sister. Bridget smiled at the sight, at his happiness. Again, she pictured herself in his arms, like she had done with those stupid wedding photos. As if that would happen now. He belonged to Tori, which was for the better.
Bridget blinked back to reality and paid more attention to the woman in the photo. A woman with long dark hair and dark eyes. A woman who was every bit the hallucination she’d conjured. Or should she say ghost guest? Did that make her any less crazy though?
“Well?” he asked.
She returned the photo. “She looks familiar, but that’s all. How did she die?”
“I’d like to think she died of a broken heart, and maybe she did, but the reality is, she committed suicide.” He returned the photo to his wallet.
“No foul play?”
He frowned and shook his head. “She left a note.”
Wow. She not only had a ghost for a roommate,
Maybe she could find out what Charlie looked like without going through Rob. Henry Murdock, for instance. Or she could quit being a wimp and just ask Rob straight-out. Why would he object?
Rob was leaning against the glass, talking on his phone and Tori stood a polite distance away. She glanced Bridget’s way several times. The hairs on the back of Bridget’s neck prickled. What was Tori planning?
He pocketed his phone. Tori glanced once more, her devilish grin telling Bridget the show was on. Standing in a position giving Bridget a full view, Tori took his hand and swayed her hips back and forth. She batted her eyes, rested a hand on his shoulder, leaned in, and planted her lips on his cheek.
Why stop at his cheek? Go for his lips and twist the dagger a little more.
Bridget pursed her lips and clenched her fists. Tori’s conduct had never bothered Bridget before, so why did her chest hurt? Maybe if it were anyone else but Tori. Still, who was she to tell him who he could and couldn’t see? She had no intention of dating him.
Tori caressed his cheek with her thumb, probably rubbing off her lipstick as an excuse to touch him some more. If Tori thought Bridget was a threat, she would have left it on as a brazen reminder of what she owned.
Rob returned, sat, and smiled. No sign of lipstick on his cheek. “Sorry about that. It was one of the guys at work.”
Bridget pushed her salad around with her fork. “I guess when you own a business, the place never closes, huh?”
“Something like that.” He took a bite of his burger. “Something wrong with your salad?”
She shook her head and took a bite, but her stomach wasn’t in it.
“Tori’s your cousin, right?”
“Yeah. Kate hired her straight out of college.” A smarmy comment was on the tip of her tongue, but she refrained.
“You have a lot of cousins?”
“My dad was one of five and they all had kids. You do the math.”
“Wow. I can’t even imagine. How about you? Any brothers or sisters?”
She shook her head, but took the opening. “Did you only have the one sister? Or do you have other siblings?”
“Just Charlie.”
“Did she go to Woodland High?”
“Yeah. Why? Did you know her?”
“I don’t know. The name’s not familiar, but that doesn’t mean anything. Do you have a picture of her?”
“Sure.” He put the burger down and wiped his hands on a napkin before pulling his wallet from the back of his jeans. “It was taken a few years ago, but if you knew her in high school, then it’s probably okay.”
He removed the photo and handed it over. She hesitated for a moment. What if the woman wasn’t her hallucination? Then again, what if she was? Fear wouldn’t solve her problems, only the truth would. Bridget took the photo.
Rob had a goofy grin and an arm wrapped around a woman—his sister. Bridget smiled at the sight, at his happiness. Again, she pictured herself in his arms, like she had done with those stupid wedding photos. As if that would happen now. He belonged to Tori, which was for the better.
Bridget blinked back to reality and paid more attention to the woman in the photo. A woman with long dark hair and dark eyes. A woman who was every bit the hallucination she’d conjured. Or should she say ghost guest? Did that make her any less crazy though?
“Well?” he asked.
She returned the photo. “She looks familiar, but that’s all. How did she die?”
“I’d like to think she died of a broken heart, and maybe she did, but the reality is, she committed suicide.” He returned the photo to his wallet.
“No foul play?”
He frowned and shook his head. “She left a note.”
Wow. She not only had a ghost for a roommate,
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