Page 119 of Let It Breathe
“Eric?”
“Yeah?”
“Who else?” Clay asked. “Who else are they looking at for suspects?”
Eric sighed. “Let’s go grab a beer.”
Clay frowned. “Very funny.”
“Sorry.” Guilt clouded his face. “I forget sometimes.”
“No one else seems to be able to. That’s why they’re accusing me, isn’t it?”
Eric shook his head and looked away. “I don’t know.”
Clay felt something in his gut sink. Part of him had been hoping Eric would deny it, would tell him it was crazy to think his name might make the list of suspects.
And part of him really wanted that beer.
“It’s probably just a formality,” Eric assured him. “The fact that they want to talk to you—I doubt it means anything.”
Clay nodded. “What did the family say? Do they think I set the fire?”
“No,” Eric said. “I don’t think that’s the real issue here.”
“Do you think I did it? Do you think I’m capable of that?”
Eric hesitated, then shook his head. “You’re capable of a lot, but not that. I think you’re a guy who’s gotten a shitty deal here. You’ve screwed up a lot in the past, that’s for damn sure. But you’re trying, and maybe you’re due for a break.”
Clay didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Instead, he stared down the hill as Leon came ambling toward them, ears pricked at attention.
Eric saw him coming and stepped back, covering his groin. “Shit. Not what I need right now.”
Clay reached out and began scratching behind the alpaca’s ears. Leon made a rumbling sound in his throat and leaned into Clay’s hand, eyes closed in bliss. Eric took a step closer and Leon opened his eyes, lowering his head to crotch level.
“Dumb animal,” Eric muttered without venom as he stepped back again.
“He’s just fickle,” Clay said. “There’s no rhyme or reason to who animals decide they like.”
“Pretty much like women.” Eric turned back to stare at him. “There anything you want to tell me?”
Clay stopped scratching Leon and looked at his oldest friend. “About the fire?”
“About anything.”
He frowned and went back to scratching. “Nothing I can think of.”
Eric nodded once. “Okay, then.” He turned and started to walk away, giving Leon a wide berth. Then he stopped and turned back around. “I always knew you loved her.”
“What?” Clay stared at his best friend, pretty sure he hadn’t heard right.
“Reese.” Clay watched Eric swallow, watched him breathe deeply the way he always had when he needed to say something important and didn’t know how to get it out. “When we were in college. I knew you loved her first, but I didn’t care. I wanted to date her, I wanted to marry her, and I didn’t give much thought to anything beyond that.”
Clay looked at Leon, not trusting himself to meet Eric’s eyes right then. He concentrated on scratching the delicate spot right on the back of the alpaca’s ear.
“Obviously, Reese wanted to marry you, too,” Clay said.
“We both knew it wouldn’t work. Deep down, we both knew. It was safe and friendly, and we thought that’s all it took. I shouldn’t have gone after her. That’s part of guy code, too, you know.”
