Page 43 of Evidence of Secrets

His plans to woo Laura and come clean just went up in smoke. He couldn’t do this over the phone, so his talk with Laura would have to wait until he got home.

“Sure. I’ll pack and leave ASAP.” Hank walked into his bedroom and grabbed a bag. “Give me the details.”

Hank had a go-bag already packed with essentials, so he added another shirt and pair of pants and called Logan.

Logan was waiting for him in the lobby, and they walked to the garage to get Hank’s Grand Cherokee.

He’d been driving for a couple of hours, listening to the radio and thinking about Laura. Relationships weren’t his strong suit, but even he knew leaving her without discussing what had happened was a big no-no.

“Does this happen often? Hank? Bro, I hope you’re not asleep.”

“What?” Something poked him. Hank shook his head.

“How often do you have to go to another state?” asked Logan.

“Hmmm. Not too often. We take turns. Most of the work is in Florida.”

“Did you ever talk to your woman?”

Hank growled. “What is this, twenty questions? Then we sing ‘Kumbaya’?”

“I’m taking that as a no.” Logan nodded to himself. “You’re up shit’s creek. You know that?”

“Yeah.” Hank sighed. “I was hoping to settle things with Laura today, but this came up. I’m hoping…” Hank shook his head. “I’m hoping I’m not too late when I get back.”

“Glad I don’t have female troubles.” Logan laughed. “Although I wouldn’t mind.”

“It’ll happen.” Hank knew Logan wanted to settle down but was cautious because of his abusive upbringing. If anyone deserved a good relationship and a happy ending, it was Logan.

He could say the same about himself.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Wednesday had come and gone like a bad dream.

Laura slipped into bed, the moon shining through the curtains throwing shadows in the corner of her room. The room felt claustrophobic, like her relationship with Hank. She missed him. Yes, she was still upset that he never told her that he owned the building. However, Laura thought he might have called before now. That is, if she meant anything to him. Maybe he was a player, just playing with her, hoping to get in her pants, which he did. And it was fantastic.

One thing Laura would not do was call Hank. She did nothing wrong. Why did it feel like she had? Had he kept it a secret for a reason? They weren’t a couple, so would he have told her if they were? Maybe she wasn’t being fair to him. At least she needed to hear his side of the story, if he thought she was important.

Bah. Sleep was what she needed. Today Laura was going to get up, embrace life and solve her problems. Tomorrow morning would come too early. The man who was going to buy her car was meeting her at the bistro at eight o’clock. No one would be there that early. The car was the first to go for cash. The only other thing of value she owned was her grandmother’s ring. If sales didn’t increase dramatically, that would be next, then bankruptcy.

Jaimie had mentioned days ago in passing that Ryan Hall had expressed an interest in buying a restaurant, Maybe hers? If she was selling, that is. But Laura was on the fence about Ryan. Something about him was off-putting. She thought he was savvier than he let on. Ryan asked a lot of questions and tried to flirt, but she wasn’t interested. He had no restaurant history, but he had cash. Maybe he’d be a good silent partner. Could she trust him? She didn’t know much about him. Then again, why would anyone even want to invest in a restaurant these days?

Tomorrow, after the lunch crowd left, she was meeting Sam at Cool Beans to ask her opinion. Cool Beans was close to the bistro, and since she’d be doing a lot of walking, it was convenient. Sam had been her best friend since high school, and she valued her opinion. Although many times, Laura wished she had a brother or sister to confide in. But that’s all it was—wishes.

* * *

“Hi, sweetie. How are you?”asked Sam as they air-kissed by the table Sam had secured by a window. Sam looked cheerful dressed in brown cropped pants and a white silky sleeveless shirt topped with a see-through blue print jacket. Unlike her own gray chef shirt over black pants and clogs.

“Oh, you know.” Laura shrugged. “Crappy.”

“Uh-oh.” Sam leaned back in her chair. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t call you here to complain.” Laura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Well, I did, but now I feel guilty about wasting your time.”

“Stop.” Sam reached over and took her hand. “You are one of my best friends. We’ve known each other since high school. Talk to me.”

The knots in Laura’s stomach got tighter. She did not want to talk to Sam about her problems.

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