Page 20 of To Bring You Back
He hadn’t done any of that. About a week after he’d returned to California, Gannon had begged her to tell Fitz because he didn’t want to live with the guilt and deceit. She’d refused. Gannon had kept the secret, but then he’d fired Fitz.
At that point, she should’ve never breathed a word of it to Fitz. But shortly after he’d returned, he’d wanted to elope.
If she’d stayed quiet and married him, would he still be alive? Wouldn’t that have been a fair price to pay? Her silent guilt for his life?
Instead, she’d told him what she’d done, and her confession had been part of his undoing.
Confession couldn’t wash all sins clean, at least not in this life. Maybe God would still allow her into heaven. She’d be a pauper there, and still she’d have gotten off easy.
She turned and aimed for a quiet tone that couldn’t be overheard outside the office. “The only reason I would talk to you about this would be if it could bring him back.”
“What if talking about it broughtyouback?”
Impossible. Nothing could restore the innocence she’d lost. Anyway, she never wanted to go back to being a person who would utterly fail the way she had. “You might not understand being happy in a life like mine, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with how I’m living.”
Frowning, he pulled a scrap of lined paper from his pocket and held it out to her.
She took the slip. Another phone number. “What’s this?”
“My direct number. The other one was Tim’s, but if you change your mind about talking to me, I don’t want you to have to go through someone else.”
“And you trust me with it?”
“Do whatever you want with it. I’ll get a new one if you share it.” He took his helmet from the desk. “I hope I’ll hear from you, but if I don’t, I’ve said my piece. I’m staying in the area, but I’ll leave you alone.” Without another glance in her direction, he let himself out.
Loss pulled at her like an undercurrent. He’d thrown her out into the deep with all he’d said, then he’d left her to swim against the current alone. And for once, she couldn’t blame him.
6
The July sun soaked into Adeline as she stood on her front lawn with a painter. When he’d done some work at the church, he’d done good work on schedule for a reasonable price. If she could afford to hire anyone, he would be the guy.
He made notes on his clipboard, then walked up to one of the windows, squinting at the frame. Bruce must’ve been watching from inside, because when the painter got close to the glass, the dog started barking. After a surprised jump, the man made another note about whatever had required closer scrutiny.
Her Saturday lunch shift at Superior Dogs started in a couple of minutes, and the longer he inspected and measured for the quote, the more she imagined dollar signs adding up. “Do you have a ballpark number?”
He stopped at the worst corner of the porch, took off his glasses, and looked the column up and down. “Needs more than paint.”
“You wouldn’t have to paint the deck or railings. They’re being replaced.” She was getting a quote on that work too, despite Drew and Chip’s offer. She hated the thought of inconveniencing friends.
“How about the ceiling?” He motioned up with the clipboard.
No one had mentioned a structural problem with the section of roof over the porch. “I could paint that. Can you quote the job with and without?”
Another note for the clipboard.
“Do you have everything you need from me? I have to get to work.”
“Sure, I’ll finish up here and get you the quote in a couple of days.”
“Okay.” She hated the suspense, but the delay would give her time to get the bass appraised. She might be able to do that this afternoon, between the lunch and dinner shifts. Once she had dollar amounts from the music store, the painter, and the carpenter, she could make decisions. Did she have to sell the bass? Did she have to accept the church’s help with the porch? She’d rather not do either, and she certainly hoped she wouldn’t have to do both.
Even with no special gallery event today, plenty of tourists wandered the streets between her house and the lake. Without taking much notice of the line at the window, Adeline let herself in the trailer. Thanks to the cooking surface, the temperature hovered several degrees warmer inside the trailer than out. Asher stood by the grill, blotting his forehead.
After a glance over the orders Asher had taken so far, she moved to the window. One couple stood about eight feet back, not making eye contact, so theirs was probably the order in process. Closer, a big gray pit bull sat politely. Another pit bull, this one brown-and-black brindle, stood by the customer at the menu who had both dogs’ leashes clipped around his waist like belts. Sunglasses shaded his eyes, but a recognizable full sleeve tattoo of a forest covered his right arm.
“John?”
His gaze shifted from the menu, and a grin split his face. He pulled off his sunglasses and hooked them on the neck of his T-shirt. “Hey, Addie. Long time, no see.”
