source of it.
“What changed you?”
“God.”
Some of the skepticism faded. Shock, then interest flickered. “Why God now? As I recall, you used to indulge me in going to church with me when we were in high school, but you always said you never put much stock in God or religious things.”
“I know. Then I became a cop.”
“Seems to me that might convince you more than ever that God didn’t have much to do with the world and those in it.”
Surprised at her astuteness, he nodded. “At first.”
“Then?”
“Then I got a preacher for a partner.”
A brow lifted. At least he wasn’t boring her.
“He could find God in any situation. Didn’t matter if it was a homicide or a burglary. I’ll never forget. We had a young mother killed by her husband. We got him and the evidence to convict him. But something about that case really got to me and all of the ‘God is still good’ stuff my partner kept spouting bugged me. I finally shouted at him, ‘Where was God when this guy was beating the life out of her?’ He looked like I’d slapped him. Then he said something like, ‘Eli, I don’t understand evil, I don’t understand God’s way all the time. What I do know is that at least the children who were supposed to be home, weren’t. That was an act of God.’ I’ve never forgotten that.”
“Oh.”
“A neighbor had come by to take the kids to play at the park. That’s why they weren’t home.”
“Your partner sounds like an exceptional man. Where is he now?”
“With the God he loved so much.”
She flinched. “I’m so sorry. Was he killed in the line of duty?”
“No. Cancer.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.
His own throat felt too tight so he cleared it, shoved his hands into his pockets and paced the small area between the shelves where she stood and the back door that she now had armed. “I miss him. But his influence…” He shrugged, finding it hard to get the words out. “Watching him die, I was helpless in a way that’s hard to describe. I’ve never lost anyone really close to me. I mean my mom ran off but that was her choice. But losing him…”
Her rapt attention spurred him on.
“Watching Mark go through what he did and his wife standing right by his side through the whole thing…”
“Makes you evaluate your own life, doesn’t it?”
She understood. She’d been through it, was going through it, with her mother. Of course she understood.
“Yes, exactly. One day I woke up and realized I wanted that kind of faith…and that kind of woman by my side. And I wanted to be the kind of man Mark was. I know I have a long way to go, but I hope I’m at least making some progress.”
Holly set the clipboard with the inventory sheet onto her desk. “I’m glad for you, Eli.”
He cocked his head. “Thanks. I think.”
Unsure how to respond, she walked to the large refrigerator on the back wall and opened the door. “I have to make a delivery to Sue Anne at the diner.”
“What is it?”
“A Valentine’s basket.” She pulled it from the refrigerator. Full of fresh fruit, chocolate and a teddy bear, it was pretty heavy. With a grunt, she set it on the table and pulled two balloons from the plastic bin to her left.
Helium squealed as it whooshed into the latex. Two ribbons and a pretty bow around the handle of the basket and she was ready. “Sue Anne’s husband is in Iraq. He knew she’d be visiting her folks in Virginia for Valentine’s and wanted me to deliver it early.”
“Nice. I’ll go with you.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“I’m not doing it out of necessity. And we have a pickup to make, remember?”
Looking at his stiff jaw and narrowed eyes, she wondered if it would be worth the energy arguing with him.
Deciding it wasn’t, she made her way to the front of the store to inform Jessica where she was going.
Two silent minutes later, Eli opened the door to the diner for her.
And she ran smack into Alex.
When he spotted them, he stopped and narrowed his eyes.
Eli shifted and prepared for a confrontation. Alex didn’t like them being together, that was obvious, but then the man’s expression softened, morphed into a sheepish grin. “Holly, Eli.”
“Alex,” Holly said, wariness oozing from her.
He cleared his throat. “Uh. I just wanted to say I’ve been working on the break-in at your store and so far I’ve come up