looking for available jobs in Vista Verde, when the doorbell rang. Hoping it might be Kaiden, she ran a hand over her hair as she hurried to answer it.
But it wasn’t Kaiden. “Harry!”
“Hello, Skylynn.”
She stared at him, stunned. She had never known Harry Poteet to go anywhere, including visiting his parents, without first making an appointment.
Sky glanced past Harry to the house across the street. Was Kaiden home? Maybe looking out the window?
Harry cleared his throat. “May I come in?”
Sky gave herself a mental shake, wondering why she felt guilty for seeing another man. “Of course.”
She stepped back, her thoughts chaotic as Harry entered the house. What was he doing here? He looked fit and trim in a pair of brown slacks, a white button-down shirt, power tie, and brown loafers. His light brown hair had been cut recently, his cheeks were clean-shaven.
She led the way into the living room and gestured toward the sofa. “Please, sit down.” She took a seat on the chair across from him and folded her hands in her lap. “What brings you here?”
“You, of course. I know you’re upset about your grandfather’s death, but is that any reason to quit your job?”
“How’d you hear about that?”
“I saw Don Laskey at the club day before yesterday. He told me you had tendered your resignation.”
How could she have forgotten that her boss and Harry occasionally played golf together?
“I can’t believe you’ve decided to stay here,” he said, glancing around.
Sky followed his gaze, seeing the room the way he would. The furniture was well-worn and outdated, the carpet near the front window had faded. But a home wasn’t made up of material things, it was built on memories. And all of her best memories were tied to this house. “I like it here.”
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “How can you give up Chicago for this nothing town?”
“This is my home, Harry. I’ll thank you to remember that.”
“Skylynn, I thought we had a future together. We’ve always gotten along. We like the same things, the same people. I want you to come home with me.”
She stared at him, at his perfectly creased trousers, his carefully styled hair, and wondered why she had ever thought herself in love with him. “I’m sorry, Harry, I can’t.”
He sat up a little straighter. “Is there someone else?”
“Would that make it easier?”
His eyes narrowed. “Who is it?”
“There’s no one else. Coming back here made me realize I’ve never been happy in Chicago, never really happy with my job.”
The words never really happy with you, lingered unspoken in the air between them.
“I guess I wasted my time coming here.”
“I’m sorry, Harry.”
With a nod, he rose smoothly to his feet. “I won’t bother you again, Skylynn. I hope you don’t regret your decision.”
“I won’t.” Rising, she accompanied him to the front door. “Good-bye, Harry.”
With a curt “Good-bye, Skylynn,” he swept past her.
She watched him climb into the baby blue Cadillac convertible that was parked at the curb. Leave it to Harry to rent a high-end automobile.
She stared down the street long after he had driven away. Someone had gone out of her life again, but this time the decision had been hers, and she had no regrets.
Chapter 10
From his vantage point at the corner across from the McNamara house, Girard Desmarais watched the well-dressed young man get into his car and drive away. Girard had been keeping an eye on the McNamara house for the last two days and in that time, McNamara’s granddaughter had seen only two people—this young man, and the vampire, Kaiden Thorne.
The young man was of no consequence. But the vampire. . . Girard braced his hand against the side of a brick wall. He had no doubt the bloodsucker was searching for the same information he was. He lifted a hand to his cheek, his fingertips tracing the ugly scar that ran from his right cheekbone to his jaw and
But it wasn’t Kaiden. “Harry!”
“Hello, Skylynn.”
She stared at him, stunned. She had never known Harry Poteet to go anywhere, including visiting his parents, without first making an appointment.
Sky glanced past Harry to the house across the street. Was Kaiden home? Maybe looking out the window?
Harry cleared his throat. “May I come in?”
Sky gave herself a mental shake, wondering why she felt guilty for seeing another man. “Of course.”
She stepped back, her thoughts chaotic as Harry entered the house. What was he doing here? He looked fit and trim in a pair of brown slacks, a white button-down shirt, power tie, and brown loafers. His light brown hair had been cut recently, his cheeks were clean-shaven.
She led the way into the living room and gestured toward the sofa. “Please, sit down.” She took a seat on the chair across from him and folded her hands in her lap. “What brings you here?”
“You, of course. I know you’re upset about your grandfather’s death, but is that any reason to quit your job?”
“How’d you hear about that?”
“I saw Don Laskey at the club day before yesterday. He told me you had tendered your resignation.”
How could she have forgotten that her boss and Harry occasionally played golf together?
“I can’t believe you’ve decided to stay here,” he said, glancing around.
Sky followed his gaze, seeing the room the way he would. The furniture was well-worn and outdated, the carpet near the front window had faded. But a home wasn’t made up of material things, it was built on memories. And all of her best memories were tied to this house. “I like it here.”
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “How can you give up Chicago for this nothing town?”
“This is my home, Harry. I’ll thank you to remember that.”
“Skylynn, I thought we had a future together. We’ve always gotten along. We like the same things, the same people. I want you to come home with me.”
She stared at him, at his perfectly creased trousers, his carefully styled hair, and wondered why she had ever thought herself in love with him. “I’m sorry, Harry, I can’t.”
He sat up a little straighter. “Is there someone else?”
“Would that make it easier?”
His eyes narrowed. “Who is it?”
“There’s no one else. Coming back here made me realize I’ve never been happy in Chicago, never really happy with my job.”
The words never really happy with you, lingered unspoken in the air between them.
“I guess I wasted my time coming here.”
“I’m sorry, Harry.”
With a nod, he rose smoothly to his feet. “I won’t bother you again, Skylynn. I hope you don’t regret your decision.”
“I won’t.” Rising, she accompanied him to the front door. “Good-bye, Harry.”
With a curt “Good-bye, Skylynn,” he swept past her.
She watched him climb into the baby blue Cadillac convertible that was parked at the curb. Leave it to Harry to rent a high-end automobile.
She stared down the street long after he had driven away. Someone had gone out of her life again, but this time the decision had been hers, and she had no regrets.
Chapter 10
From his vantage point at the corner across from the McNamara house, Girard Desmarais watched the well-dressed young man get into his car and drive away. Girard had been keeping an eye on the McNamara house for the last two days and in that time, McNamara’s granddaughter had seen only two people—this young man, and the vampire, Kaiden Thorne.
The young man was of no consequence. But the vampire. . . Girard braced his hand against the side of a brick wall. He had no doubt the bloodsucker was searching for the same information he was. He lifted a hand to his cheek, his fingertips tracing the ugly scar that ran from his right cheekbone to his jaw and
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