Page 57 of Crumbling Truth
Still, I couldn’t quite pinpoint why such mundane things seemed so natural when it came to Esther, as though they were simply meant to be.
I must have been staring blankly down at my empty plate for longer than intended, because when I glanced up, Esther was watching me with those silky black brows drawn almost together over her pale eyes.
“Everything okay?” she asked, her tone light despite the concern written across her features.
“Yes, totally fine. This is just…really nice. I like being around you.” The words sounded stupid as soon as they left my mouth, but her expression eased.
“It is nice,” she agreed. “You’re pretty handy to have around, you know.”
For at least a short while, I would bask in the blessedly normal joy of having breakfast with the beautiful woman sitting across from me. Real life could remain tucked into a little box to be dealt with some other time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Esther
Itriedtoquellthejitters brought on by walking into the tiny Spruce Hill police station andalmostsucceeded, thanks to Theo’s warm hand wrapped around mine. He seemed more worried about the prank calls than I was, which in turn increased my own anxiety.
Rose Hanson, however, put my mind at ease just as quickly. She was matter-of-fact, sharp as a tack, and beautifully competent. “Hey, Theo. Hand it over and go fetch me a Coke from the break room fridge, would you? Want anything, Esther?”
Laughing, I shook my head and sat down in the chair across from Rose’s computer. Before I was even fully seated, her attention toggled between the phone and her computer screen. Theo returned a few minutes later, slid the can across the desk to Rose’s waiting hand, and lowered himself into the chair beside me.
“The email came from the same phone as the calls,” she said eventually.
I frowned. “Is that good or bad?”
Rose waved her hand from side to side. “Both. It means the number blocker they used for the phone calls doesn’t matter, because we’ve got the source from the email. They didn’t block that, either because they didn’t know how or because they didn’t realize it would show up like that. The bad news is that it’s a prepaid cell phone like you can get at most convenience stores, so it’ll be harder to track down who bought it.”
“Harder, but not impossible?” Theo asked.
“Are you doubting my skills?”
He held up both hands. “Of course not.”
Rose glared at him for a second before typing a few more things into her computer, then she passed the phone back to me. “I want to know if you get anything else, okay? I’ll keep working on this in the meantime and will let you know if I find any answers.”
We both thanked her before heading back out into the cold. Flurries were in the forecast, though it was always a toss-up whether any snow would stick to the ground at this time of year. I leaned into Theo when he wrapped his arm around my waist.
“You’re like a furnace,” I told him, snuggling close.
He waggled his eyebrows dramatically. “I’ll warm you up any time, sweetness.”
Just before we pulled into the driveway, Theo’s phone started playing an oldies song. I burst out laughing as his cheeks grew pink, but he winked at me before answering the call.
“Oliver, sir, how can I help you?”
The conversation ended quickly. I knew it involved some kind of invitation, even hearing only one side of it, and was formulating my excuse when Theo ended the call. He must have seen in my face that I wasn’t ready for another outing, because he leaned over and pressed a reassuring kiss to my lips before he spoke.
“They asked if we’d come to dinner at their apartment tonight. Julian’s cooking. We don’t have to go, Esther,” he said gently.
“Please don’t take this to mean I want to get rid of you, because I don’t, but I think you should go on your own. You guys have been friends for a long time, and just because I’m an unrepentant introvert who can’t handle so many outings in a short time doesn’t mean you should suffer for it.”
Theo huffed a little at that. “Yes, because spending my evenings with you is such a hardship.”
I set my hand on his knee and said, “I’ll still be there when you get home, Theo. We can’t live in each other’s pockets for the next however many weeks, anyway. While I’m absolutely willing to be your excuse to not see people you don’t want to spend time with, I thought Ollie and Julian were the two you’d want to see more of before you go home.”
“You’re right,” he conceded with a sigh. “I’ll tell them I’ll be there. What are the chances of coming home to find you naked in my bed?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Slim to none, but you can swing by the guest house and offer your best pickup line. If it’s good enough, I’ll come home with you.”
