His Old Lady - Debra Kayn Page 0,55

wetting her hair. "Okay, but don't you find it a coincidence that my greenhouse was destroyed, and you decided to start spending time with me?"

"What are you getting at?"

She opened her eyes and lowered her chin, reaching for the shampoo. He took the bottle out of her hands and motioned for her to turn around. She pivoted and stared at the wall.

"I find it strange that you're here offering to help me deal with the fire," she said.

He worked the shampoo through her hair, using the tips of his fingertips. She closed her eyes as her neck muscles let go, and her head hung behind her. For someone who had strong, rough hands, the massage eased the tension out of her neck and head.

"If you're asking if the fire has anything to do with Tarkio or me, I don't think so."

"What about Uncle Walker?"

"That's a stretch." He gripped her shoulders, turned her, and then worked the soap out of her hair under the stream of water. "If I had one suspect, it would be your old boss."

She jerked her head straight and opened her eyes. Instantly her vision blurred, and her eyes burned. Tipping back again, she let the water run over her face and wash the suds from her eyes until she could open her eyelids again without any pain.

"Why would you think Cal is behind the fire?"

"Why has he been stopping by your house?"

Okay, he had a point. She wanted to know the same thing.

"I don't know. I figured it was to ask me to come back to work for him, or maybe he wanted to ask me out on a date, or maybe he wants to apologize for being an asshole. His wife divorced him, and he's...well, enjoying his newfound freedom a little too much when it comes to me."

He grunted. "You never said anything."

"I didn't have to, because you're not responsible for me."

"Bullshit," he muttered. "I could've stopped him."

She turned away from him and finished her shower, aware of him watching her. His change of attitude toward her left her off-balance. Half thrilled and half scared as if she was setting herself up for heartbreak. She'd gotten used to his rejections and found herself waiting for him to change his mind about staying with her.

"Curley?" She kept her back to him. "I don't want to belong to you anymore."

The tears she refused to let fall vibrated in her chest. She'd spoken the words to him many times over the years, but it was always in anger and frustration. Her hope was always that he'd confess to loving her, but she never was able to get the right response from him.

Now when she spoke the words, it was sadness that came out.

Having him again only to never really belong to him was her reality, and the truth sucked. She wasn't strong enough to believe she'd survive. The older she got, the more she had to face that she'd wasted a lifetime loving him.

The water grew cooler. She glanced behind her, expecting to face pure anger coming from Curley, and found herself alone in the shower.

Chapter 24

Curley

Closing the side gate to the back yard, Curley walked into the front yard, peering out at the street. Before he went to sleep, he wanted to make sure Faye's house was safe.

After two o'clock in the morning, he hadn't expected to see anything unusual. It was a safe neighborhood. Most everyone knew each other.

It was hard for him to believe, because of the cozy area, that someone hadn't recognized someone or something out of the ordinary. Or spotted the first plume of smoke when the fire started.

Stepping onto the porch, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one. Elliot swore there was nobody around when the fire department arrived. He found that odd on a Friday night. Almost too quiet for a small town. Where were the kids racing up and down the road in their ratty ol' cages? The middle-aged folks going to the bar? Someone had to be around and see something.

He suspected, because no one noticed anything until the fire was engulfed, the person who started the fire was from the area. Her enemy or Tarkio's? That's what he needed to figure out.

The door opened. Sensing Faye before she stepped out onto the porch, he stubbed out his smoke and pocketed the filter.

"I thought you'd left." She wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging her robe tighter.

"I haven't changed my mind. I’m still spending the night."

She