In Every Heartbeat - By Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,70

you to think about it. Take a day. Or the weekend.” His gaze shot somewhere behind Pete’s shoulder, and his smile grew. “Or if you’d rather not put it off, you’ve got a chance right now . . .” As he spoke, he pushed away from the table and lurched into the aisle. “Miss Conley, good morning.”

Pete jerked his head to find Libby standing at the end of the table, blocked from passage by Roy’s body. Her eyes darted back and forth between Pete and Roy, confusion reflected in their velvety depths.

“Good morning,” she said without smiling.

“Peg leg and me were just talking about you.” Roy flicked a grin at Pete then tipped toward Libby. “But I think we’re done. I’ll leave you two alone to . . .” He twirled his pointer finger in circles at Pete then ambled off with his hands in his pockets.

Libby watched him go, her face marred by a scowl of displeasure. She spun back to face Pete. “What are you doing, talking with him about me?”

She sounded hurt. Betrayed. Heat rose from Pete’s middle and filled his face. “Libby, I . . .” He swallowed. How could he explain?

Sinking into the chair across from him, she searched his face. “He was just trying to get under my skin, wasn’t he? You weren’t really discussing me.” She blew out a big breath, nodding as if assuring herself. Sending a venomous look at Roy’s retreating back, she pursed her lips. “Just like Roy, trying to create problems where none exist.” Then she licked her lips, a pained expression creasing her brow. “At least . . . I wish no problems existed between us, Petey.”

Without thinking, Pete reached out and took her hand. He squeezed. “None that can’t be fixed.”

Relief broke over her face. The beauty of her innocent smile nearly tied his heart in a knot. How he wished he had the freedom to openly profess his love for her. But he couldn’t—not without taking something precious away from her. He quickly released her hand and stumbled to his feet. “I . . . I have to go. I have a train to catch.”

She rose, too. “A train? Where are you going?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he observed Roy in the far corner of the dining hall, watching them. The man no doubt would assume Pete was convincing Libby to consider him as a potential beau, so he probably should end the conversation quickly. Yet he didn’t want to leave Libby’s presence just yet. “To Clayton.”

Her eyes flew wide. “You are? Why?”

“To see my . . . to visit the Leidigs.”

Libby gasped. Did Petey already know about Oscar Leidig sitting in a jail cell, awaiting execution? “You’re going to see your brother?”

Petey looked confused. “My parents. I . . . hadn’t thought about seeing my brothers or sisters.”

So he didn’t know. But maybe his parents intended to tell him. “Did they summon you?”

“It’s my idea. Something I’ve needed to do for a long time.”

Petey sighed, and his gaze drifted away.

She darted around the table and touched his arm. He gave a start and looked down at her. Peering into his sad, haunted eyes, Libby felt as though she were looking once more at the artist’s drawing of the courtroom scene. She couldn’t let him go by himself. If Oscar Leidig was Petey’s brother, then his parents would certainly tell Petey. She couldn’t allow him to receive this news from people who cared so little for him they’d cast him aside when he was just a child.

“I’m going with you.”

Petey shook his head. “You can’t do that, Libby.”

“Why not?”

“Several reasons.” He flicked one finger upward. “I only have one train ticket.”

“I can buy my own.”

He put a second finger in the air. “You have assignments to do.”

“I can work on them away from the campus.”

Shaking his head, he held up three fingers. “It would be unseemly for us to travel together, unchaperoned. I won’t sully your reputation.”

Libby suspected, based on Alice-Marie’s scathing diatribe from a few days ago, that Libby’s reputation was already in question by a few people on campus. But she didn’t want to damage Petey’s. Especially when he intended to become a minister. She bit down on her lower lip.

He put his hand on her shoulder. “I appreciate your willingness to go with me, but—”

An idea struck. “What if Alice-Marie came, too? Could she serve as chaperone? After all, you and Bennett and I all traveled together and no one questioned