Page 86 of This Time Around
“How long has it been?”
“Six days.”
He frowned. “You don’t have much time left. Not according to the law, anyway.”
“I know.” She curled her fingers into the brocade fabric of the sofa, finding comfort in the familiar lines of the pattern. “But I want to be sure. Before I go blabbing to the county clerk or putting up a billboard telling everyone to come get the money, I want to find out if there’s a legitimate reason it’s there.”
Wade lifted an eyebrow at her. “Legitimate, or illegitimate?”
“Wade.”
He held up his hands in mock defense. “I’m on your side, Albatross. But we can’t let this drag out for very long, okay? There’s more at stake here than I realized when you first told me about it.”
Allie nodded and looked down at her hands. “I know that.”
The doorbell chimed, and Allie bolted off the sofa like it was on fire. She hurried for the door, not sure if she was more eager to see Jack or to escape the conversation with Wade. She threw open the front door to see father and daughter standing on the front porch.
“Hey, there,” she said, beaming at both of them with a smile she hoped didn’t look too guilty. “Good to see you guys.”
“Hey, Allie!” Paige beamed up at her, and stretched out her arms for a hug. Allie obliged, delighted by how unabashedly friendly this kid was.
Allie straightened up, not as sure how to greet him. This whole thing still felt a little awkward, and she wasn’t sure whether to treat him like a boyfriend or a casual fling, especially with Paige standing there. Did she shake his hand or hug him?
She was still pondering it when Jack solved the dilemma by brushing a quick kiss on her cheek and grinning at her. “Thanks again for doing this.”
“No problem. You know I love any excuse to shop.”
“I definitely remember.”
Allie turned to Paige. “You ready to go, Miss Thing?”
The girl had stooped down to pet BeeGee, who had flopped on his back like a fluffy disco ball with all four paws in the air. Paige looked up with her palm still resting on the furry belly. “Actually,” she said, enunciating the word with an extra syllable. “I was hoping maybe I could use your bathroom.”
“Oh. Yes, of course. Right this way.”
Allie started down the hall, then rounded the corner and pointed Paige toward the powder room. The girl scurried in, closing the door behind her. Allie started to move back toward the foyer, part of her hoping Wade would take the hint and stay put. Something about having him here felt awkward, and she’d just as soon pretend they hadn’t been in the middle of a secret conversation about stolen cash just thirty seconds ago.
But as they passed the threshold of the parlor, Allie’s hopes sunk. Wade stepped out and greeted the guests with a wave. “Hey, there,” he said, pumping Jack’s hand a few times. “Good to see you again.”
“Yeah,” Jack said, frowning. “You, too.”
Something flickered in Jack’s expression, something so faint Allie might have imagined it. She glanced into the parlor and remembered the window behind the sofa was open a few inches. Had he heard her conversation with Wade? Did he know about the reporting requirements or what that meant for him?
Or was he just annoyed at seeing her alone with Wade?
Wade’s expression was blank, which was no help at all. She studied Jack’s face instead, fighting to keep any traces of guilt from her expression.
But Jack was still looking at Wade. “Haven’t seen you for a while,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“Good, good. How about you?”
“Not bad.” Two thin frown lines appeared between Jack’s brows, but he was still smiling. “I thought Skye said last night that she had a late class today.”
“She did,” Allie said, trying to keep her tone breezy. “Wade just stopped by for a minute to visit with me.”
Jack’s gaze swung back to her, and Allie fought to keep her spine straight. She was determined not to look guilty. Wade was her best friend. She had nothing to feel guilty about. Not the conversation about money or Jack’s hang-ups about her engagement history or?—
“Hey, Wade!”
