He’d ripped my heart out and trampled on it without a second thought. Since then, I’d moved on, but my ex had realized his mistake and turned on the charm.
I glanced at his house. His car was in the driveway instead of at the bank. Maybe he’d decided to take the afternoon off, too. Jonette and I had been out here ten minutes, and he hadn’t bothered us. Maybe he’d finally gotten the message I wasn’t interested.
Instead of feeling relieved, my stomach tightened. Change seemed to be my constant companion these days. Charlie was a jerk. I knew that, but what was Rafe? It worried me that I doubted the man I loved. It worried me more that I might have lousy taste in men.
Madonna whimpered softly as if she knew of my emotional turmoil. I petted her broad head until she calmed. I felt better, too. Ariel barked at a falling maple leaf, making Jonette laugh, bringing my thoughts full circle.
“Be bold. Make a puppy choice,” I reiterated, grabbing up a handful of stiff grass and tossing it in the air as if I were judging the wind for a golf shot. Madonna eyed the bits of falling grass with apprehension. “The rest of us are stuck, waiting to take our cue from you.”
“That’s putting a lot of the responsibility on me.”
A puppy tugged at my shoelaces. “Responsibility’s a bitch, isn’t it?”
My friend’s gaze sharpened. “Are we talking puppies or something else?”
I could fob her off, but this was Jonette. If I didn’t tell her what was on my mind, she’d nag it out of me. “Something else.”
“And?”
Gulping a deep breath, I started with my least worrisome problem. “Mama asked Britt to give her away at the wedding, and he was worried I’d be mad. I’m not, but her choice surprised me. I never saw it coming. Heck, I didn’t even think she’d want anyone walking her down the aisle. I thought she’d want to bask in the spotlight by herself.”
“Your mom’s always had a soft spot for Detective Dumb-as-Dirt.”
“True. I asked her at breakfast about her rationale, and she gave me a frosty look as if I’d mortally wounded her by even mentioning it.”
“You mad about that?”
“I don’t have any right to be mad. She can ask whomever she wants. It isn’t like granddad could do it. He’s been gone twenty years.”
Jonette glanced over at me, speculation in her eyes. “You’ll have the same problem when Rafe asks you to marry him.”
“That’s not happening. Not in the near future. Maybe not in the distant future either.” My stomach knotted tighter. “He won’t let me in.”
My friend nodded with understanding. “Men.”
I sighed the air from my lungs, trying in vain to release my deep-seated fears. “Britt said Rafe was more than the victim’s long ago boyfriend. According to Britt, they had been speaking by phone monthly.” I paused to gather my courage. “He was still involved with Starr Jeffries while seeing me socially.”
“Damn him. I thought he was a decent guy. I should’ve known better.” Jonette sat up ramrod straight. “Did you get checked for STDs?”
I couldn’t breathe. I’d been so worried about my hurt feelings that I hadn’t considered any other angles of Rafe sleeping around. Because of my hysterectomy, we’d stopped using condoms after the first couple of times. I shivered. “Wouldn’t I have symptoms if there was a problem?”
“Call your doctor first thing on Monday. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“I’ll do that as a precaution. I want to believe Rafe didn’t cheat on me, but since I was oblivious to the fact that Charlie cheated on me for months during our marriage, I’d be a blockhead to trust blindly.”
“Say no more. Men are scum. Except for Dean, of course.” Jonette waited until a dump truck rumbled past on the street before she continued. “Who really killed Starr?”
“I don’t have the slightest idea. Rafe doesn’t want me to nose around, either.”
“That never stopped you before. Besides, we don’t
I glanced at his house. His car was in the driveway instead of at the bank. Maybe he’d decided to take the afternoon off, too. Jonette and I had been out here ten minutes, and he hadn’t bothered us. Maybe he’d finally gotten the message I wasn’t interested.
Instead of feeling relieved, my stomach tightened. Change seemed to be my constant companion these days. Charlie was a jerk. I knew that, but what was Rafe? It worried me that I doubted the man I loved. It worried me more that I might have lousy taste in men.
Madonna whimpered softly as if she knew of my emotional turmoil. I petted her broad head until she calmed. I felt better, too. Ariel barked at a falling maple leaf, making Jonette laugh, bringing my thoughts full circle.
“Be bold. Make a puppy choice,” I reiterated, grabbing up a handful of stiff grass and tossing it in the air as if I were judging the wind for a golf shot. Madonna eyed the bits of falling grass with apprehension. “The rest of us are stuck, waiting to take our cue from you.”
“That’s putting a lot of the responsibility on me.”
A puppy tugged at my shoelaces. “Responsibility’s a bitch, isn’t it?”
My friend’s gaze sharpened. “Are we talking puppies or something else?”
I could fob her off, but this was Jonette. If I didn’t tell her what was on my mind, she’d nag it out of me. “Something else.”
“And?”
Gulping a deep breath, I started with my least worrisome problem. “Mama asked Britt to give her away at the wedding, and he was worried I’d be mad. I’m not, but her choice surprised me. I never saw it coming. Heck, I didn’t even think she’d want anyone walking her down the aisle. I thought she’d want to bask in the spotlight by herself.”
“Your mom’s always had a soft spot for Detective Dumb-as-Dirt.”
“True. I asked her at breakfast about her rationale, and she gave me a frosty look as if I’d mortally wounded her by even mentioning it.”
“You mad about that?”
“I don’t have any right to be mad. She can ask whomever she wants. It isn’t like granddad could do it. He’s been gone twenty years.”
Jonette glanced over at me, speculation in her eyes. “You’ll have the same problem when Rafe asks you to marry him.”
“That’s not happening. Not in the near future. Maybe not in the distant future either.” My stomach knotted tighter. “He won’t let me in.”
My friend nodded with understanding. “Men.”
I sighed the air from my lungs, trying in vain to release my deep-seated fears. “Britt said Rafe was more than the victim’s long ago boyfriend. According to Britt, they had been speaking by phone monthly.” I paused to gather my courage. “He was still involved with Starr Jeffries while seeing me socially.”
“Damn him. I thought he was a decent guy. I should’ve known better.” Jonette sat up ramrod straight. “Did you get checked for STDs?”
I couldn’t breathe. I’d been so worried about my hurt feelings that I hadn’t considered any other angles of Rafe sleeping around. Because of my hysterectomy, we’d stopped using condoms after the first couple of times. I shivered. “Wouldn’t I have symptoms if there was a problem?”
“Call your doctor first thing on Monday. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“I’ll do that as a precaution. I want to believe Rafe didn’t cheat on me, but since I was oblivious to the fact that Charlie cheated on me for months during our marriage, I’d be a blockhead to trust blindly.”
“Say no more. Men are scum. Except for Dean, of course.” Jonette waited until a dump truck rumbled past on the street before she continued. “Who really killed Starr?”
“I don’t have the slightest idea. Rafe doesn’t want me to nose around, either.”
“That never stopped you before. Besides, we don’t
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