Page 66 of Declan
“Do not interrupt me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He told you to come here so you could see if you want to be here or with him. He’s giving you a choice, dear. Ballet or him. How did this come about?”
“He saw me dancing. I’d dance every Saturday after my dancercise classes were over. He happened to see me.”
“Ah, I see.” Wynonna nodded her head.
“Tell me what you see.” Elise wiped a tear away from her cheek.
“Elizabeth, when you dance, your entire body is moving perfectly and the joy on your face is hard to miss. He saw that and knew how much you loved to dance.”
“But I’m not dancing here. I teach. I was doing that in Clifton, and I was happy.”
“Are you happy here?”
“Wynonna—”
“Are you happy here?” Wynonna repeated.
“How is it you can interrupt but I can’t?”
“Because I’m older.”
Elise laughed. “I get it. Respect.”
“Quit stalling. Answer my question.”
Elise huffed. “No. No, I am not happy here. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You know where you belong. Go home.”
“I promised you two months, and I will keep that promise. I’ll leave at the beginning of December. That will give you time to find a replacement.”
“If that’s what you want. I want you happy too, and I honestly believe you will be happier back in Clifton.”
Elise hugged her. “You know I love you and I hate to disappoint you.”
“Oh, you’re not disappointing me. I’m happy for you.”
Later, as she drove home to her parents’ house, she wondered how she lasted this long without Declan in her life. There wereno phone calls or texts. She knew it was best because it would be so much harder if she had decided to stay here. But so many nights when she couldn’t sleep, she’d pick up her phone and stare at the photos of them together and she wanted to talk to him badly.
Elise sighed as she pulled into the driveway of her parents’ house. Her mother was so happy that Elise would be with them for Thanksgiving and she wondered what Declan was doing for the holiday. She was sure he’d be with his family. At least, she hoped so because she hated the thought of him being alone.
“Just hang in there, Declan Cavanaugh, I’ll see you soon,” she said as she shut the vehicle off, opened the door, then entered the house.
****
As Declan exited the office, holding onto Tank with a sturdy leash, he cast a wistful glance toward Elise’s studio, then let his eyes drift upwards to the shadowed windows of her apartment. The absence of light behind those panes mirrored the emptiness he felt inside. Though it had been his suggestion for her to pursue her dreams in New York, the void her departure had left was deep, and he missed her with an aching intensity. Despite the heartache, he wanted what was best for her, even if it meant enduring the pain of her absence.
After gently guiding Tank into the back of the vehicle, he slid into the driver’s seat, the leather cool against his weary frame. With a turn of the key, the SUV cruiser roared to life, its headlights cutting through the encroaching darkness as he maneuvered out of the parking lot.
The day had been grueling, stretched thin by an accident on Copper Ridge that demanded every deputy’s presence, extending his shift by a weary three hours. Along with snow falling heavily, it was a tiresome scene. Fatigue clung to him likea shadow, and all he longed for now was the solace of home, the cleansing embrace of a hot shower, and the sweet release of sleep. He desperately hoped for rest, for ever since Elise had left, sleep had been elusive.
Declan’s headlights carved through the inky night as he headed home. He watched a dark sedan ahead drift across the faded yellow centerline again and again. Each time the tires hissed on the edge of the asphalt before the car careened onto the gravel berm, its driver yanked the wheel to drag it back onto the road. The smell of damp earth rose from the shoulder, mingling with the faint acrid tang of burnt rubber. With a low sigh, Declan called in the license plate. After supplying the number, the reply crackled with a name he didn’t recognize, but there were no warrants or tickets. Nothing to give him a clue as to what he’d be dealing with.
He flipped on his emergency lights; beams of red and blue splintered over the trees. The sedan pirouetted wildly, crossing lanes. Declan lifted the PA microphone to his lips. “Pull the vehicle over now!”
