“Not another step, John Priest!” she yelled.
“Name’s Deacon Gates,” he replied calmly and I saw her body jerk.
As for me, my knees buckled and I had to lock them or I’d go down.
He’d surprised her so he got by her.
She recovered quickly and chased him up the stairs.
“Cassidy, get inside,” she ordered.
I was staring into Deacon’s eyes, my head tipping back to keep hold of them when he stopped nearly toe to toe with me.
“I’m calling Manuel!” she threatened, like five foot seven, at-least-seventy-pounds-less-weight-than-Deacon Manuel could help.
But he’d try.
And I couldn’t let that happen.
I pulled my eyes from Deacon’s and looked around him to my friend.
“I’ll take care of this.”
“Cassidy—”
“Honey, go home. I’ll take care of this and call you later.”
“This man, whatever his name is, hu—”
“I’ll take care of it, Milagros,” I interrupted her to say. “Love you, appreciate the support, but please, honey, go. Go on. Go home. I’ll call you later.” I drew in breath and finished, “Promise.”
Milagros glared at me, knowing me, knowing I was stubborn and ornery and even she couldn’t talk me down if I was intent on doing something. Then she stomped to our sides, eyes up to Deacon.
“You damage her more, only God will have mercy on your soul,” she snapped, glared at me again, did it a long time, then stormed to the steps. She stopped at the bottom and yelled up. “You call me, Cassidy! I don’t hear from you, I’m coming back, and I’m bringing every man I know with me!”
I sighed.
She tramped to her car.
I watched her get in and start to drive off before I looked up to Deacon. “You’ll give me a minute then you can come in.”
He said nothing, just stared into my eyes, face impassive.
He was good at that.
Nothing had changed.
So why was he here?
I didn’t ask.
I turned with difficulty since there wasn’t a lot of room for me to move between Deacon’s big body and the door. I got it open, slid through, and immediately corralled my confused and whining dog.
Bossy wasn’t going to see Deacon. If she remembered him, I didn’t want to get her hopes up. She thought he’d been gone for a job and he’d come back. She had him less time than me and was devastated as the weeks turned to months and he didn’t show.
I felt her pain.
For a while.