Deadly Row, A - By Casey Mayes Page 0,39
Maybe I’ll have a bite or two after all.”
He took the plate, along with a bottled water on ice, and moved to the window. “Care to join me?”
“Sure thing,” I said as I took a seat.
As Zach ate, he nodded a few times, but conversation was kept at a minimum. When he finished, I saw him looking longingly back at the cart. “Wasn’t there enough for you?” I asked.
“I was just thinking some dessert might be nice.”
I laughed. “I thought you were too tired to eat.”
“What can I say; I just got my second wind.”
“If you’re serious, we could always order something else.”
He clearly thought about it for a few seconds, then said, “No, I’d better not. You can if you want to, though.”
“Maybe later. Were you able to make any more progress after I left?”
“Nothing worth talking about. I need to let things percolate a little right now.”
“In other words, you don’t want to discuss it.”
“If you don’t mind,” Zach said a little apologetically. “You know how I get.”
“Better than anyone else in the world. We could watch a movie, or some television, if you’d like.”
“To be honest with you, I’d rather just sit here and watch night fall on Charlotte. We’re never going to get a view like this again, and I want to memorize it as much as I can.”
“I think that sounds perfect.”
As we sat there in relative silence, I marveled at how lucky I’d been to find someone who matched me so well. There were no awkward silences between us, or words spoken just to fill the emptiness. Zach and I were in sync enough to let those quiet times envelop us, and to enjoy the lack of chatter like the gift that it was. When we went to sleep later that night, I felt as though my center was calm again, just as it had been in Parson’s Valley. It was my new home, and I loved it, but wherever Zach was, that was truly where I belonged, and everything else was just a matter of geography.
WHEN I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING, THE BED WAS empty. I started searching for a note or something from my husband when I realized that I’d forgotten all about my scheduled breakfast with Lorna. It was too early to call her, so I’d have to phone her from the road. I’d been looking forward to seeing her again, but if I waited to leave until after we had breakfast and chatted a little, it would cost me too much time. I was sure she’d understand, and if she was free, I’d have to try to reschedule for the next day.
I found Zach in the shower when I walked into the bathroom.
“I thought you’d already be gone,” I said.
“Hey, it’s only seven.”
“I know, but you get obsessed when you’re working, and don’t try to deny it.”
“I went for a run,” Zach admitted. “You know how sometimes it helps clear my head.”
As the shower stopped and I handed him a towel, I asked, “Did you have nightmares again?” When my husband was wrapped up in a case, he often had bad dreams from trying to put himself into a killer’s mind. It was no wonder he reacted that way, though he didn’t want anyone else to know that he wasn’t always the calm, levelheaded guy he presented to the world.
“Yeah, they were pretty tough.” He frowned for a second, then said, “You’ve got a big day today. Breakfast with Lorna, and then a drive to Hickory.”
“I’m canceling breakfast,” I said as I took over the shower. “From the sound of Uncle Thomas’s voice, I’m not delaying my visit by an hour.”
“Are you afraid he’s not telling you everything?”
“He’s a man,” I said. “Most of you seem to be reticent by nature when it comes to talking about your health. I’m amazed he even went to the doctor in the first place. That alone tells me it must be serious.”
“We think we’re bulletproof most of the time,” Zach admitted. “When we’re not, we try to deny it until we can’t.”
“I don’t get you,” I said.
There was no response.
“Zach? Did you hear me?”
From the bedroom, I heard him ask, “Were you talking to me?”
“No, but you could tell me when you leave the room.”
He chuckled. “Sure I could, but what fun would that be?”
I stepped out of the shower, and my husband handed me a towel in turn. “I could get used to this.”
“What, fresh towel service every morning?”
“Sure, that, too,