Page 61 of V is for Valentine
“I’m trying to buy the lot next to my warehouse. The price doubled.”
Felicity started to say that she was sorry that had happened when she realized where this was going.
“You think I told someone.”
His expression clouded. “It’s easy to let things slip.”
“I didn’t let anything slip.”
“You’re the only person in Holly who knows.”
Her lips parted, but she pressed them together again. She refused to defend herself against a bogus charge. “Good night, Danny.” She opened her car door, afraid to speak for fear of what might come out of her mouth. They might be nemeses, but they had a code of honor—or at least she did. He’d asked her to keep it secret and she had.
“Felicity—”
She got into her car and closed the door. Hard. Seconds after the key was thrust into the ignition the Audi was in reverse, wheeling out of there.
She caught sight of him in the rearview mirror, following her as they turned onto the street leading to their homes.
Why did he have to live next door?
She wasn’t going home. Not yet. She needed to burn off this angry energy before settling in for the evening with her dad. If she showed up like this, she’d become the happy participant in a game of twenty questions, because no one, not her sisters, and not Danny, read her like her dad.
And maybe she needed to ask herself why she was so angry.
Because Danny believing the worst of her smacked of emotional betrayal?
Or because being angry felt safe?
Both.
She drove to Tess’s Forever Home animal shelter on autopilot. Maybe feeding dogs would help center her.
Except that the lot was empty when she drove in.
The one time she needed Tess to be working late, she wasn’t.
As her car idled in the parking lot, she pulled out her phone and called her work associate, something she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do while in Holly.
“Hello,” Viv, her associate cooed into the phone. “How are you?”
“Great,” Felicity lied. “Just thought I’d touch base and see how things are going there before I show up on Monday.”
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“Yes. It’s been a remarkably smooth week. Nothing out of the ordinary. You picked a great time to be gone. We’ve barely missed you—and I mean that in a good way.”
“Good.” Felicity cleared her throat. “Excellent.”
“I’m sure something will explode when you get back,” Viv said helpfully.
Felicity gave an obligatory laugh, then ended the call.
So much for work as a distraction.
She drew in a deep breath and stared out the windshield at the snowy park on the opposite side of the lot.
