have been rigged, but the table? The remote?
Dammit! He couldn’t wrap his mind around what he saw, or how easy her explanations fit with the facts as he knew them.
Why did it matter? Why did she matter? Had she put some type of hex on him? Some Druid spell that left him dangling? Is that why she had burrowed under his skin to the point where he dreamed of her every night?
Todd prided himself on keeping women at arms’
length. He refused to allow anyone to get close as long as he worked the streets. It wasn’t fair to a woman to stay up all night worrying about his well-being. He remembered the long nights as a child when his mother waited anxious by the phone, waiting for his father to call. He promised himself he wouldn’t do that to another person. Ever. Yet here he was, all but living with Myra. She made him dinner every night, albeit mainly sandwiches, but he didn’t really care. She answered the phone when he called, wistful and happy to hear his voice. Now this.
He had a boatload of shit piled high on his doorstep.
87
Catherine Bybee
Todd didn’t know what to believe.
He downed the Scotch, looked at the glass, and then let out a miserable laugh at the irony of his choice of drink.
****
Lizzy was over half an hour late. Holiday shoppers filled the crowded mall. Christmas carols blared through the speakers of each shop and courtyard. Harried parents pushed children around in strollers and dangled bags upon bags of merchandise.
If it wasn’t for the sinking pit Myra felt in her stomach, she might have enjoyed all the sights and sounds. But with every passing child wailing in protest at being dragged into yet another store, Myra felt their agony as if it were her own.
Todd left early in the morning even though he wasn’t due to go to work. He didn’t leave a note or any word of what was going on in his head. She thought the worst.
Myra sat at the far end of the overstuffed mall, completely out of place, with no idea what her future would hold. Maybe Lizzy had decided against their meeting, against believing her story, maybe she’d avoid her just as Todd was doing.
With her head in her hands, she tried to block out the noise around her and concentrated on what to do next.
A huge swell of relief exploded when Lizzy sat down next to her, chatting away as if they were in the middle of a conversation. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic is a bear out there. I had to park a mile away.” Liz glanced her way. “Hey, are you okay? What happened?”
“I didn’t think you were coming,” Myra managed.
“I told you I would. Geez, get a grip,” Lizzy teased.
88
Silent Vows
Myra’s laugh threatened to turn to tears.
“Man, there’s no need to cry. I’m not worth all of this.”
“It isn’t only you.” Myra sat a little taller, drawing courage she didn’t feel. “Todd doesn’t believe me.”
“Doesn’t believe what?” Lizzy hauled her bulging purse to her lap.
“Everything! Anything... Oh, I don’t know. He thinks I’m crazy.”
“Did you tell him everything?”
“Aye. All of it.”
“Did you show him your little...” Liz waved her hand in the air. “Gift?”
She nodded. “Now he won’t even look at me.”
“Oh. Well. It’s a lot to believe. Even for a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend? What is that?”
“You know. Companion. Lover?”
Eyes wide, Myra shook her head. “It’s not like that. He isn’t a boyfriend.” She lowered her voice to a mere whisper. “We don’t...”
“Right.”
“No, really.”
“Has he kissed you?”
“Yes, but...”
“Are you sleeping with him?”
“No!”
“But you are living with him.” Liz smiled.
“Only because I had no other place to go.”
“But his opinion means something to you?” With a nod, Liz continued. “You told him absolutely everything?”
“Everything.”
“Then give him some time. If he doesn’t haul you off to the funny farm, then he believes you. Or he’s crazy about you. Either way you have
Dammit! He couldn’t wrap his mind around what he saw, or how easy her explanations fit with the facts as he knew them.
Why did it matter? Why did she matter? Had she put some type of hex on him? Some Druid spell that left him dangling? Is that why she had burrowed under his skin to the point where he dreamed of her every night?
Todd prided himself on keeping women at arms’
length. He refused to allow anyone to get close as long as he worked the streets. It wasn’t fair to a woman to stay up all night worrying about his well-being. He remembered the long nights as a child when his mother waited anxious by the phone, waiting for his father to call. He promised himself he wouldn’t do that to another person. Ever. Yet here he was, all but living with Myra. She made him dinner every night, albeit mainly sandwiches, but he didn’t really care. She answered the phone when he called, wistful and happy to hear his voice. Now this.
He had a boatload of shit piled high on his doorstep.
87
Catherine Bybee
Todd didn’t know what to believe.
He downed the Scotch, looked at the glass, and then let out a miserable laugh at the irony of his choice of drink.
****
Lizzy was over half an hour late. Holiday shoppers filled the crowded mall. Christmas carols blared through the speakers of each shop and courtyard. Harried parents pushed children around in strollers and dangled bags upon bags of merchandise.
If it wasn’t for the sinking pit Myra felt in her stomach, she might have enjoyed all the sights and sounds. But with every passing child wailing in protest at being dragged into yet another store, Myra felt their agony as if it were her own.
Todd left early in the morning even though he wasn’t due to go to work. He didn’t leave a note or any word of what was going on in his head. She thought the worst.
Myra sat at the far end of the overstuffed mall, completely out of place, with no idea what her future would hold. Maybe Lizzy had decided against their meeting, against believing her story, maybe she’d avoid her just as Todd was doing.
With her head in her hands, she tried to block out the noise around her and concentrated on what to do next.
A huge swell of relief exploded when Lizzy sat down next to her, chatting away as if they were in the middle of a conversation. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic is a bear out there. I had to park a mile away.” Liz glanced her way. “Hey, are you okay? What happened?”
“I didn’t think you were coming,” Myra managed.
“I told you I would. Geez, get a grip,” Lizzy teased.
88
Silent Vows
Myra’s laugh threatened to turn to tears.
“Man, there’s no need to cry. I’m not worth all of this.”
“It isn’t only you.” Myra sat a little taller, drawing courage she didn’t feel. “Todd doesn’t believe me.”
“Doesn’t believe what?” Lizzy hauled her bulging purse to her lap.
“Everything! Anything... Oh, I don’t know. He thinks I’m crazy.”
“Did you tell him everything?”
“Aye. All of it.”
“Did you show him your little...” Liz waved her hand in the air. “Gift?”
She nodded. “Now he won’t even look at me.”
“Oh. Well. It’s a lot to believe. Even for a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend? What is that?”
“You know. Companion. Lover?”
Eyes wide, Myra shook her head. “It’s not like that. He isn’t a boyfriend.” She lowered her voice to a mere whisper. “We don’t...”
“Right.”
“No, really.”
“Has he kissed you?”
“Yes, but...”
“Are you sleeping with him?”
“No!”
“But you are living with him.” Liz smiled.
“Only because I had no other place to go.”
“But his opinion means something to you?” With a nod, Liz continued. “You told him absolutely everything?”
“Everything.”
“Then give him some time. If he doesn’t haul you off to the funny farm, then he believes you. Or he’s crazy about you. Either way you have
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