“No.” Her voice was final. “Please. Let me go. You have to—this is for the best. I promise.” Her shoulders slumped. “If you want to know more, ask your mom. I can’t talk about it. Not now.”
Everything moved too quickly after that. It was like looking underwater, with the light bending his perception of everything. Arlo felt constantly half a second behind everyone else.
Then the Land Rover’s engine roared, and the world snapped back into focus.
17
Jacqueline
“You might want to blink at some point.”
She’d been listening to nothing but the sound of the Land Rover’s tires on the road that it took Jacqueline a moment to notice Harrison was talking to her.
“Blink?”
Harrison was staring straight ahead at the road. “You’ve been staring into space ever since we got in the car, and that was a few hours ago. Your eyeballs must be dry as a bone.”
At least I’m not crying. Jacqueline gnawed on the inside of her cheek. She didn’t cry, though, not when she was sad. She got like this: eyes hot and dry, face and neck aching with tension. If she fell asleep without forcing herself to relax, she’d wake up with a three-day headache.
It was all so… familiar.
She made herself blink. Her eyes stung, but she still didn’t cry.
I’m still the same person I was before. I was stupid to think that any new life I had, any new relationship, would be any different to before.
Jacqueline sighed and pressed her hands against her eyes. “Sorry. I haven’t exactly been a thrilling conversationalist during this drive.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” Talking won’t help. She dropped her hands in her lap. “Oh—you’ll want to turn here. If you go in on the main road, you’ll get caught up going through all the rest of town before we make it to the sheriff’s office.”
“You know, sometimes I’m happy to live in a town with a single two-lane street, and some days I’m downright ecstatic.” Harrison turned into the street Jacqueline had indicated. “It took Lainie a few weeks to really get her head around the idea that there’s no ‘next block over’ in Hideaway. Things are either a ways down the street, or a few hours’ drive to the next town.”
Jacqueline closed her eyes briefly. I can see where this is going. “Next right,” she said out loud.
“Thanks.” Harrison was quiet for a moment. “You know, some things take time to…”
“Please don’t. Whatever you’re about to say.”
Harrison sighed. “The Sweets are… well. Difficult. But not everyone in Hideaway Cove thinks the way they do. Whatever happens, Lainie and I will have your back. And Arlo will, that goes without saying.”
Jacqueline didn’t know what to say. Lainie and Harrison didn’t know a thing about her, but they were on her side? There was no one in Dunston she could expect that of.
Because they still think you and Arlo will end up together. Jacqueline couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat. Harrison thought Arlo would have her back?
She had his. That’s why she was doing this. Better to cut it off now than leave things to fester.
“Th-thanks,” she managed. “Sheriff’s just up ahead.”
Harrison pulled up outside and Jacqueline almost jumped out of the car, she was so glad to exit the conversation. Movement flickered behind one of the front windows and Jacqueline waved.
Home again.
Her whole body felt heavy, but it was easy to plaster on a smile. After all, this was no worse than coming back to work after Derek left, was it? At least no one here knew that she’d failed to make the grade for another man.
The office was quiet; just Deirdre at the desk, with the green reflection in her glasses giving away the fact that she was playing bridge on her computer, not doing work, and the sound of Reg somewhere in the back. Jacqueline interrupted Deirdre long enough to introduce her to Harrison and was about to ask after Eric when Reg burst through the door.
“There she is! You’re here for the runaway?” Reg didn’t wait for her to answer. He swept past her and pumped Harrison’s hand. “And here’s the man to complain to, I’m guessing. Harrison Galway? Pleased to meet you. Reg Hunt. So, you’re mayor down there these days, eh? How you finding that in, ah…”