himself
down opposite her.
Resting his forearms on the table,
he regarded her. “You saw me leave that house the other morning.”
Not denying it, she nodded.
“It’s not my house.”
“I know.”
Taking a deep breath, he rubbed
one thumb across a scratch on the table top. “It belongs to a woman I’m
seeing, Harriet Keller.”
“Okay.” Now Lori suspected she
knew what this was about.
“She doesn’t want anyone to know
that we’re seeing each other.”
“Why not?”
“She just doesn’t.” Pain was
reflected in Tommy’s eyes.
“I still don’t see what this has
to do with me.”
“You saw us. Don’t tell anyone.”
Lori couldn’t believe it. “This is
why you came to my house yesterday practically baying for blood? Just to tell
me to mind my own business and not gossip?”
A muscle in his jaw clenched.
“Yes.”
Anger flickered through her. “A
simple request would have done.”
“I know. I’m making that
request.”
“In fact, you don’t even have to
request it. You know me, I don’t talk about things that aren’t my business.”
He glanced away, clenching one
fist on the table, the audible pop of his knuckles loud in the deserted café.
“I know.”
“So why make such a big deal out
of it?” she demanded.
“I didn’t…” He paused for breath
and looked back at her.
She glared at him.
“I did.” His shoulders slumped
suddenly. “Shit, Lori, I’m sorry. Harriet has me tied up in knots. She
doesn’t…” Again he hesitated, rubbing his hand over his jaw before scrubbing
tiredly at his eyes. “It is a big deal, for her at least.”
“Look, Tommy, it’s not my business
what you and this Harriet do.” She started to push to her feet. “I haven’t
told anyone and I won’t tell anyone. What you and your girlfriend do is
between you two.”
Grabbing her hand, he stopped her
from leaving the table. Looking up at her, he looked tired, disheartened.
“Lori, wait.”
“Tommy-”
“Please. I just want to talk to
you.”
At the hopeless expression in his
eyes, she nodded slowly and sat back down, the anger draining from her.
“Okay.”
Taking a deep breath, he released
her hand. “Harriet doesn’t want anyone to know that she and I are seeing each
other, that we’re…lovers.”
Not about to ask anything, Lori
just nodded.
“I’m resorting to sneaking around
after dark and in the early hours of the mornings, sneaking from her bed before
anyone can see us.”
A sudden thought struck Lori. “Is
she married?”
“No!” Tommy scowled again. “I
don’t condone cheating in marriage and I wouldn’t do it. You should know me better
than that, Lori Mackay.”
“I don’t know you that well at
all,” she returned. “We’ve never been what you’d call friends, just friendly.
So no, I don’t know, but even if you did it’s not my business.”
“Well I don’t, all right?”
She held up both hands. “All
right.” When he continued to scowl, she added, “I believe you. But still, why
are you telling me all this?”
“I just want you to understand.
You come home early in the mornings or late at night often, so…”
“You’re forewarning me if I see
your car at her house again?”
“Yes. No. Not forewarning
exactly.” His shoulders slumped. “Shit, Lori. How the hell am I supposed to
have a relationship with a woman when she insists no one knows?”
That was a question that Lori
didn’t really know how to answer, so she wisely kept her silence.
“I don’t want to sneak around,
hell, it’s really getting to me, and I don’t mean just the late and crazy
hours.” Tommy shoved one hand through his hair. “Damn it, you’re a woman.
What’s Harriet’s problem?”
She looked at him. “How would I
know?”
“Because you’re a woman.”
“Doesn’t mean I know what she’s
thinking.”
“Well, talk to her then, make her
see this is
down opposite her.
Resting his forearms on the table,
he regarded her. “You saw me leave that house the other morning.”
Not denying it, she nodded.
“It’s not my house.”
“I know.”
Taking a deep breath, he rubbed
one thumb across a scratch on the table top. “It belongs to a woman I’m
seeing, Harriet Keller.”
“Okay.” Now Lori suspected she
knew what this was about.
“She doesn’t want anyone to know
that we’re seeing each other.”
“Why not?”
“She just doesn’t.” Pain was
reflected in Tommy’s eyes.
“I still don’t see what this has
to do with me.”
“You saw us. Don’t tell anyone.”
Lori couldn’t believe it. “This is
why you came to my house yesterday practically baying for blood? Just to tell
me to mind my own business and not gossip?”
A muscle in his jaw clenched.
“Yes.”
Anger flickered through her. “A
simple request would have done.”
“I know. I’m making that
request.”
“In fact, you don’t even have to
request it. You know me, I don’t talk about things that aren’t my business.”
He glanced away, clenching one
fist on the table, the audible pop of his knuckles loud in the deserted café.
“I know.”
“So why make such a big deal out
of it?” she demanded.
“I didn’t…” He paused for breath
and looked back at her.
She glared at him.
“I did.” His shoulders slumped
suddenly. “Shit, Lori, I’m sorry. Harriet has me tied up in knots. She
doesn’t…” Again he hesitated, rubbing his hand over his jaw before scrubbing
tiredly at his eyes. “It is a big deal, for her at least.”
“Look, Tommy, it’s not my business
what you and this Harriet do.” She started to push to her feet. “I haven’t
told anyone and I won’t tell anyone. What you and your girlfriend do is
between you two.”
Grabbing her hand, he stopped her
from leaving the table. Looking up at her, he looked tired, disheartened.
“Lori, wait.”
“Tommy-”
“Please. I just want to talk to
you.”
At the hopeless expression in his
eyes, she nodded slowly and sat back down, the anger draining from her.
“Okay.”
Taking a deep breath, he released
her hand. “Harriet doesn’t want anyone to know that she and I are seeing each
other, that we’re…lovers.”
Not about to ask anything, Lori
just nodded.
“I’m resorting to sneaking around
after dark and in the early hours of the mornings, sneaking from her bed before
anyone can see us.”
A sudden thought struck Lori. “Is
she married?”
“No!” Tommy scowled again. “I
don’t condone cheating in marriage and I wouldn’t do it. You should know me better
than that, Lori Mackay.”
“I don’t know you that well at
all,” she returned. “We’ve never been what you’d call friends, just friendly.
So no, I don’t know, but even if you did it’s not my business.”
“Well I don’t, all right?”
She held up both hands. “All
right.” When he continued to scowl, she added, “I believe you. But still, why
are you telling me all this?”
“I just want you to understand.
You come home early in the mornings or late at night often, so…”
“You’re forewarning me if I see
your car at her house again?”
“Yes. No. Not forewarning
exactly.” His shoulders slumped. “Shit, Lori. How the hell am I supposed to
have a relationship with a woman when she insists no one knows?”
That was a question that Lori
didn’t really know how to answer, so she wisely kept her silence.
“I don’t want to sneak around,
hell, it’s really getting to me, and I don’t mean just the late and crazy
hours.” Tommy shoved one hand through his hair. “Damn it, you’re a woman.
What’s Harriet’s problem?”
She looked at him. “How would I
know?”
“Because you’re a woman.”
“Doesn’t mean I know what she’s
thinking.”
“Well, talk to her then, make her
see this is
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