Exposed to You (One Night of Passion 2)

She didn’t give Katie time to respond, but turned and plunged out the front door, the rental car keys clutched in her hand. Unfortunately, she’d left her purse in the guesthouse. She hadn’t wanted to risk retrieving it and running into Everett, so when she’d asked Seth for the keys, she also asked for some cash in case of an unlikely emergency. He’d given her a concerned, questioning glance as he dug for his wallet in his pocket, but hadn’t interrogated her in front of Rill and Katie, which she appreciated.

A lump had formed in her throat by the time she reached the spot where Everett and she had turned off the road earlier for their jog. What was wrong with her? she thought desperately when she suddenly had to blink to see through a film of tears.

She hardly knew Everett. This was supposed to be a fun, sexy weekend. It’d been a challenge for her, a risk to do something as crazy as have a fling with a man like Everett, but she’d taken that chance. She didn’t want to blow it now by getting all . . . involved.

She had no interest in getting her hooks into Everett, any more than she wanted to allow him to return the favor. Joy didn’t expect a serious relationship. She didn’t want one. He could do whatever he wanted, including spending the better part of an hour talking to Jennifer Turner in private, serious conversation—and who knew what else—before Jennifer had finally left.

Joy irritably swiped at her eyes and put on Seth’s sunglasses, which were sitting on the console.

The two of them had looked quite serious, talking while standing together in the shade of the front porch, Everett’s feet planted on the first step of the stairs so that their bent blond heads were closer in height. Joy hadn’t spied, of course. Katie and she had walked into the kitchen with empty glasses after Everett and Jennifer had been gone for twenty or so minutes, and Katie had wondered out loud what had happened to Everett. She’d flicked back the curtain on the front door to peer outside, and Joy had been unlucky enough to see the pair of them standing there in what appeared to be intimate, intense conversation. She’d caught a fleeting image of Everett’s eyes on Jennifer’s face, his expression solemn. Katie had quickly released the curtain.

“Oh, they’re still talking.” Joy had suspected Katie’s tone and smile were a little too cheery given the circumstances. Her need to flee had started to build at about that point. She’d been thankful when Everett finally came back inside and told her he planned to go and shower off his tattoos.

This way, she had a clear path to the car and temporary escape from the source of her bewildered longing.

Thirteen

Joy came to a halt at the turnoff at the base of the hill. Which way was the Ohio River? Seeing no signs, she turned left toward town.

The diner appeared to be the only open establishment in the woefully dilapidated Main Street of Vulture’s Canyon. It was as if the hot, oppressive summer day had cast a spell on the tiny town, Joy thought as she parked and approached the restaurant. Maybe everyone took a siesta in the afternoon? There was seemingly little else to do around here but sleep when the sun was at its most fierce.

Bells tinkled above her head as Joy walked into the blessedly cool diner. An older, gray-haired woman stood behind the counter wearing a flowery kurta and colorful beads around her neck. The only other occupant of the restaurant—a wiry man in his thirties wearing a grimy-looking baseball hat and sitting on one of the counter stools—didn’t look up from whatever he was examining in his hand.

“Hello,” Joy greeted the waitress, walking up to the counter.

“Hello,” the woman said in a mellow voice, closing her book. Joy had just been going to ask for directions to the river, but found herself examining the chalkboard menu with interest. In addition to traditional diner fare, there were some tempting vegan and vegetarian dishes and sandwiches. “Too bad I had such a big lunch,” she said. “Your menu looks terrific. Do you get a lot of your ingredients from the local communal farm’s co-op?”

“Yes,” the woman said, approaching her. “One hundred percent organic, guaranteed fresh. You visiting Rill and Katie Pierce?”

The man wearing the hat looked up. Joy noticed his ears stuck out from the side of his head beneath the sides of the cap.

“Yes. How did you know?” Joy asked.

“You’re a stranger. Chances are, if you’re a stranger in Vulture’s Canyon, you’re visiting the Pierces.” The woman smiled, and Joy instantly liked her. “Besides, Katie told me she was expecting guests this weekend when she was in on Friday morning.”

“Do you know Katie?” the man asked her abruptly.

“Yes,” Joy replied. The man set what appeared to be a toy model car on the counter.

“I’m Olive Fanatoon and this is Errol,” she explained, nodding toward the man.

“I’m Joy Hightower,” Joy said, shaking the woman’s hand. “I’ve heard Katie mention you. You help her watch Daisy, don’t you?”

“That’s right,” Olive said, smiling widely.

“I was hoping to get directions to the river. I’d like to do some sketching, and I heard from Katie the view is lovely.”

“I live on the river,” Errol said. He alighted from the counter stool and came toward her, his hand outstretched. At first she thought he was coming to shake her hand, but he kept his hand in a fist. Joy glanced at the woman behind the bar dubiously, but extended her hand. The man dropped a piece of metal into it.

“It’s nice,” Joy said after a moment of examining the model race car.

“Ferrari 150° Italia,” Errol said bluntly.

“Katie’s got him hooked on cars now,” Olive said. “He used to just focus on model airplanes.”

“Katie’s uncle is Howard Hughes, the famous pilot,” Errol stated.

“Not an uncle, just a distant relative,” Olive said with a rehearsed air that gave Joy the impression it was a familiar correction.