to pass up. He moved over to Langley's table and said, "Mind if I join you?"
"Of course not." Mark tipped his head toward the open chair as he set down his phone. "How are you today?"
"Good. I'm heading to the rehab center in a few. Wanted to get some food first."
"How's your rehab going?"
"Very well. The center and the therapists are impressive."
A gleam of pride entered Mark's eyes. "I'm happy to hear that. We're still rolling out some of our services, but I believe the rehabilitation center will eventually be one of the finest in the country."
"I believe you're right. How did you end up here in Whisper Lake? Were you working at another center before this?"
"Yes. I was at a clinic in Las Vegas, but I needed a change, and the mountains seemed perfect. Plus, I wanted the opportunity to manage such a new and cutting-edge facility."
"I can understand that."
"You've become good friends with Keira, haven't you?"
"I have."
"She probably told you that her mother and I grew up together."
"She mentioned that you dated in high school."
"We did, and it's been great getting to know Ruth again. We hadn't seen each other in years, but it feels like we picked up right where we left off."
"She doesn't seem different to you? Keira said her mother had an accident and a serious brain injury."
"She doesn't remember some things that I do, but she seems like she's doing very well," Mark replied. "I'm sorry she had to go through all that. But she's a fighter. She always has been. She raised Keira pretty much on her own."
"That's what I heard. Did you know Keira's father?"
"No. I never met him, but what I heard about him, I didn't like much. He always sounded selfish and narcissistic. But Ruth was in love with him. She says now she was too young when they married. She didn't realize what he was like. When you're young, you don't look too closely at things. You skip over red flags and ignore alarm bells, because attraction is a powerful thing."
"Are you speaking about Ruth or yourself?" he asked curiously, as Mark seemed to have gone off into the past.
Mark started, as if surprised and displeased he'd said so much. "Both, I suppose. I was married for thirteen years, but it was only good for the first three." Mark shrugged. "It was a mistake, but I got my son out of it, so I'll never regret the choices I made."
"Where is your son now?"
"He lives in Los Angeles."
"Do you see him often?"
"Unfortunately, no. My son blamed me for the divorce. There were so many things he didn't understand."
"Maybe one day he will. Does your ex-wife live in Los Angeles?"
"She passed away a few years ago."
That was new information. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It was sad. But we hadn't been together in a long time, so I didn't really know her anymore."
"Now you've reconnected with an old flame. I always think it's interesting when people who dated in high school find each other again decades later. It seems like it might be meant to be."
"We'll see. It is nice to talk to someone who shares some of the same memories." Mark lifted his coffee mug to his lips and took a sip. Then he said, "I'm not sure Keira thinks too highly of me. She seems suspicious of my motives."
"Keira seems to be a very fair-minded person," he said. "Maybe you should talk to her. Tell her more about yourself. She just wants to protect her mom. If you're up front with her, and you get to know each other, I'm sure she'll give you a chance."
"I hope so. Ruth is very important to me. I'd like to get to know Keira better. I definitely want Ruth's daughter on my side."
Mark said all the right things, but there was still something about him, something in his conversation that felt a little too smooth. He needed to shake him up a little, see if he could surprise him into saying something. "It's none of my business, but I was in the parking garage the other day and caught the end of a somewhat intense argument between yourself and a woman with dark-red hair. I hope everything is all right."
Mark stiffened. "I didn't see you."
"I hope she wasn't a dissatisfied patient."
"No. She has nothing to do with the clinic. I apologize if that was awkward."
"More concerning than anything else. She seemed very angry."
"She's just going through some personal issues. I've been trying