physics would still apply. I can’t believe people are willing to spend ten dollars to sit through such drivel.”
“Well, I liked it,” Monica said.
They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence. Monica’s arm now felt awkward draped through his, but disentangling it might send the wrong message. It was a relief when they arrived at the passenger-side door and separated. She waited as he opened the door for her, then slid inside.
As he started the engine Monica searched her mind for something to say. Lately she’d been censoring herself before speaking, trying to tone down her persona. She hated herself for it, but she’d seen the look in his eyes sometimes after she’d opened her mouth. What was she always telling her son? People gotta love you for who you are. Well, she thought ruefully, that applied less as you got older. Truth of the matter was, a forty-year-old woman didn’t get a lot of love either way, especially when she lived in a small town. And after a long series of failed relationships, she wasn’t in the mood to give up on this one when it was still so new.
She examined Howie’s face as he drove, hands positioned precisely at ten and two o’clock on the steering wheel, odometer nailed to the speed limit. His nose was a little beakish, brown eyes magnified by his glasses, thin lips. Not bad looking, though, and he had that luscious thick brown hair. A few times she’d reached over to tuck it back for him, and was secretly delighted when it immediately flopped down. It was, quite frankly, the only thing about him that was unplanned and unruly. When it came down to it, Howie really wasn’t her type. She’d always gone for burly guys like Zach’s dad, oil riggers, loggers, men who worked with their hands. She’d figured Howie would be a welcome change, that maybe that had been her mistake all along, falling for the wrong kind of guy. Unfortunately, by their third date they’d more or less run out of things to talk about, which was why she’d suggested they go see a movie.
“What do you want to do tomorrow night?” he asked, breaking the stillness.
Monica felt a rush of joy. He wanted to see her again. “I hear they’re showing 2001 in the park. Figured we could go and you could explain how none of that actually happened.”
He laughed, and Monica grinned in the darkness. She loved his laugh, it didn’t appear often but when it did it was a hearty belly laugh, warm and full. “Tell you what. Next time I’ll choose the film.”
“Sure.” Monica whacked his arm playfully. “But we gotta have some ground rules. Nothing with subtitles—I’m not going to the movies to read, for God’s sake. And no documentaries, unless they’re about polar bears.”
“Polar bears?” He arched an eyebrow, glancing at her across the car interior.
“Sure, I just love those darn things.” She continued chattering, her doubts about their relationship once again overwhelmed by her enthusiasm. Sure, they faced some obstacles, not the least of which was the long-distance thing once the case was over. But Zach was heading off to college soon anyway, and then she’d be free to move anywhere she wanted. And opposites attracted, right? As she watched Howie push the lock of hair from his eyes before setting his hand back into position on the steering wheel, the trace of a smile still on his face, she glowed. Even if it didn’t work out, a little late-summer romance was just what she’d needed.
Nine
“Where are we on the interviews?” Kelly asked.
Monica shuffled through the papers in front of her. “Let’s see—I’ve spoken to parole officers on my side of the state line, everyone with a taste for young boys has been accounted for, no one’s gone off the grid, everyone’s been checking in nice as you please.” She glanced up. “Would help if we knew exactly when Randy Jacobs disappeared, though. Nothing to keep one of ’em from killing when he wasn’t sitting across from his
“Well, I liked it,” Monica said.
They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence. Monica’s arm now felt awkward draped through his, but disentangling it might send the wrong message. It was a relief when they arrived at the passenger-side door and separated. She waited as he opened the door for her, then slid inside.
As he started the engine Monica searched her mind for something to say. Lately she’d been censoring herself before speaking, trying to tone down her persona. She hated herself for it, but she’d seen the look in his eyes sometimes after she’d opened her mouth. What was she always telling her son? People gotta love you for who you are. Well, she thought ruefully, that applied less as you got older. Truth of the matter was, a forty-year-old woman didn’t get a lot of love either way, especially when she lived in a small town. And after a long series of failed relationships, she wasn’t in the mood to give up on this one when it was still so new.
She examined Howie’s face as he drove, hands positioned precisely at ten and two o’clock on the steering wheel, odometer nailed to the speed limit. His nose was a little beakish, brown eyes magnified by his glasses, thin lips. Not bad looking, though, and he had that luscious thick brown hair. A few times she’d reached over to tuck it back for him, and was secretly delighted when it immediately flopped down. It was, quite frankly, the only thing about him that was unplanned and unruly. When it came down to it, Howie really wasn’t her type. She’d always gone for burly guys like Zach’s dad, oil riggers, loggers, men who worked with their hands. She’d figured Howie would be a welcome change, that maybe that had been her mistake all along, falling for the wrong kind of guy. Unfortunately, by their third date they’d more or less run out of things to talk about, which was why she’d suggested they go see a movie.
“What do you want to do tomorrow night?” he asked, breaking the stillness.
Monica felt a rush of joy. He wanted to see her again. “I hear they’re showing 2001 in the park. Figured we could go and you could explain how none of that actually happened.”
He laughed, and Monica grinned in the darkness. She loved his laugh, it didn’t appear often but when it did it was a hearty belly laugh, warm and full. “Tell you what. Next time I’ll choose the film.”
“Sure.” Monica whacked his arm playfully. “But we gotta have some ground rules. Nothing with subtitles—I’m not going to the movies to read, for God’s sake. And no documentaries, unless they’re about polar bears.”
“Polar bears?” He arched an eyebrow, glancing at her across the car interior.
“Sure, I just love those darn things.” She continued chattering, her doubts about their relationship once again overwhelmed by her enthusiasm. Sure, they faced some obstacles, not the least of which was the long-distance thing once the case was over. But Zach was heading off to college soon anyway, and then she’d be free to move anywhere she wanted. And opposites attracted, right? As she watched Howie push the lock of hair from his eyes before setting his hand back into position on the steering wheel, the trace of a smile still on his face, she glowed. Even if it didn’t work out, a little late-summer romance was just what she’d needed.
Nine
“Where are we on the interviews?” Kelly asked.
Monica shuffled through the papers in front of her. “Let’s see—I’ve spoken to parole officers on my side of the state line, everyone with a taste for young boys has been accounted for, no one’s gone off the grid, everyone’s been checking in nice as you please.” She glanced up. “Would help if we knew exactly when Randy Jacobs disappeared, though. Nothing to keep one of ’em from killing when he wasn’t sitting across from his
Similar Books
