“Loves him? She doesn’t love him. She is doing it because she’s worried about Katie.”
I ask a couple questions but don’t get far before Carrie has an eyebrow cocked at me. She can tell I’m curious. She always could read me like a book. “So the bed and breakfast looks nice. I’m going to get a room there and then go say hi to the folks.”
“I can’t say I blame you. But you know the parents are going to give you a hard time for not staying with them.”
I had considered staying at home, but it’s not a possibility. I know that my parents, especially my mom, will go through my work files if they aren’t locked up, and that would really be bad.
“I’ll explain to them that I have to work a little while I’m here.”
She holds her hands up. “What are you working on while you’re here?”
I don’t comment either way, but her eyes are looking back at me accusingly. “You’re here on business? So I guess that means you’re helping out Scott?”
I was already prepared for this. “No, I’m not really helping out. I just have someone I’m, uh, keeping an eye on, and I wanted to let the local PD know I was here and why.”
I leave it at that. I really hope the sheriff doesn’t tell Carrie about this and who I’m looking into. It won’t be pretty.
“So I’m going to go and let you get back to work,” I tell her as the bell over the door chimes, letting us know that someone is coming in.
She gives me one last hug, and with a promise to see her soon, I leave. My thoughts go instantly to Chrissy. I didn’t factor in the fact that she might be considering getting back with him. I don’t even have to question it. She doesn’t know all there is to know about David. I have to believe that because if she did, there’s no way she would consider taking her daughter into that situation. This just means I’m going to have to work faster.
With my thoughts turned toward Chrissy and David, I leave to go check in at the bed and breakfast.
3
Chrissy
Well, this was a big mistake. “David, I’m telling you that’s enough. I may have agreed to this date, but I’m not agreeing to you groping me in public.”
He’s acting like he’s got something to prove. He’s being crude, and I’m losing my patience with him. I can see his temper flare when I push his hand off my thigh. Grasping at straws, I tell him, “I’m a businesswoman and need to act accordingly in public if I want anyone to patronize my gym.”
But that seems to only enrage him more. “You’re still mine, Chrissy. No matter what that piece of paper says, you’ll always be mine.”
He’s getting loud, and I know things are only going to get worse.
I try to calm him down using tactics that used to work for me. “How is your food?” I ask, thinking I’ll distract him.
He snorts. I know this isn’t fine dining—it’s the Roadside Diner after all, but there’s not really a lot of choices in Forest Grove.
“What? It’s not bad.” I take another bite of my steak, and if you ask me, it’s cooked perfectly.
“No, what’s bad is that I’m sitting here talking to my wife like this is our first date or something. I want to move back home.”
His gaze is piercing. There’s no way I’d let him move back in the house. Not after the way he’s acted tonight. I thought we could take it slow, see where it goes, but only twenty minutes into the meal, I’ve already figured out that’s not an option. But I know I can’t argue with him, not here. He’ll cause a scene, and it will be all over town before morning.
I put my fork down and continue to try and distract him again. “Katie was asking when she’d see you again.”
It’s been weeks since he’s come to see her. Even though right now he doesn’t seem to be in the right frame of mind to deal with a four-year-old.
He shrugs his shoulders as if it’s no big deal. “I’ll see her soon.”
Frustrated, I can’t hold back my sigh. Why am I even trying? I need a break from him. He’s so much to deal with.
I stand up to go to the restroom, and David grabs me by the arm and slams me back down into the booth beside him. “You’re not going anywhere. Not until I say so.”
His aggressive move and words have me stunned and shocked into a state of unmoving disbelief.
When I finally recover, I rub my arm where he grabbed me. “I was going to the restroom. You’re making a scene.”
“Hold it. We’ve got business to discuss.”
“Business?”
David nods. “I can see you’re not even giving me a real chance. This is just for show. You think you’re going to divorce me, take my kid and the income from that workout shop away from me, but I’m not gonna let that happen.”