When he grinned, desire simmered, and she remembered they had always been good together in bed. He knew her body better than any man did, and even if she was not in the mood for sex, he found a way to make her want him.
The term uncoupling sounded modern and almost innocent. But whatever ties that bound them were a tangled mess, much like a delicate gold chain left in a pocket too long. As tempted as she was to cut the chain and yank it apart, she could never do that, for Nate’s sake.
“It’s at four o’clock, right after school,” Ann said.
“I’ll be here.”
“Great.”
“What can I bring?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just bring yourself.” She knew her tone sounded bright enough to border on overcompensating.
A car pulled up the driveway and parked behind Clarke’s. Joan rose out of the car and, her purse strap firmly on her shoulder, strode toward them.
Clarke rustled Nate’s hair and smiled at Ann. “Good to see you again, Joan.”
“You as well.”
“I better get going,” he said. “I’ll see you on Thursday, and good luck in school, pal.”
“Clarke,” Joan said, clearing her throat. “I owe you a big thank-you.”
“For what?” Clarke asked.
“I was reviewing the College Fire files. As I was looking at the pictures, I realized you pulled me out of the fire.”
Clarke shrugged. “Yeah, I did. I thought you knew.”
“I had passed out. And I guess I didn’t try too hard to remember any of it. I always assumed it was a firefighter who saved me. Anyway, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Joan.” He tossed one last wave to Nate and then headed to his car. Joan watched him back around her car and drive off.
“Nate, can you set the table for dinner?” Ann asked.
“Sure.”
As he ran back into the house, Ann asked, “You okay?”
“How did Clarke know where to find me in the fire?” she asked.
“Gideon told him he had last seen you by the back bedroom.”
“That house was about to come down around me in those last seconds.”
“Clarke has never lacked for courage,” Ann said. “And for the record, Gideon handed me off to the first firefighter he saw and ran back to the house. Clarke was coming out with you over his shoulder just as Gideon reached the door.”
“No one ever told me.”
“We all thought you knew. And then you were gone. That moment has haunted both of us for a long time.”
Joan drew in a deep breath. “I don’t seem to be getting anything right. I’ve been suspended from my job, and my new pal is a convicted arsonist, so it would be nice if I could let that day go forever.”
Ann shook her head. “Let me know if you figure out how to do it.”
Dan Tucker parked his car across the street from what remained of the Beau-T-Shop. Tightening his hands on the steering wheel, he could barely contain his simmering rage. This meaningless destruction was Elijah Weston’s doing. He had seen this trouble coming and had been warning the cops for months. But they had not been listening and were now scrambling to do a full homicide and arson investigation to cover their asses. Anyone with half a brain could have solved this crime.
Cursing, he drove the few blocks to the boardinghouse. It was going to take more than a few spray-painted words to chase away Elijah. But he could arrange whatever trouble it would take to deal with that bastard.
He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.
“Yeah,” the gruff voice on the other end said.
“It’s Tucker. I’m outside his house.”
“Why?”
“I can’t stop thinking about the fire and him. He set it. He killed whoever it is the cops aren’t talking about. I fucking know it.”
“What do you have in mind, Dan?”
As tempting as it was to shoot Elijah between the eyes and dump his body in the wilderness, he wasn’t ready to cross that line yet. A good beating was more fitting, and though he could do it alone, there was safety in numbers. “I want to give him a message that will make him rethink living here.”
“More paint?” In the background, the television blared.
“Not this time. Thinking maybe he should get a dose of his own medicine.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out the lighter. He struck the flint and lit the flame until it got too hot to hold.
“What do you want from me?”
“It might take two of us. He’s bigger and stronger than I remember from high school.”