“Yes, actually. Friends with benefits,” she said. “You’ve heard of that, right?” Of course she had, but Claire didn’t want her to think she was trying to get away with less than the truth.
“Everyone’s heard of that, except maybe the ladies you see on Thursday nights. Some of them grew up in the Big Band Era. So you’re not really…dating.”
“Nope. Just sleeping together.” And their encounters generally included some force-feeding, but no one would care about that. It wasn’t sensational enough. “Does that answer your question?”
Leanne gaped at her. “Do you realize who he is, Claire?”
“I know he’s amazing in bed. That’s all that matters at the moment.”
“But just a couple nights ago you were warning me not to ruin my reputation. Now you’re going to sew a giant F on your chest? Be the talk of the town? Even when Isaac tries to be discreet, people pay too much attention to him. He’s a celebrity around here, for crying out loud.”
Claire angled her chin in a belligerent fashion. “You said you don’t mind gossip. Maybe I decided to take a page from your book.”
They glared at each other—until Leanne broke the silence.
“Claire, listen. I—I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were so close to the edge. I know what happened with Mom really did a number on you, but you’ve always been strong. I guess…I guess I figured you could move on if I could. Losing her wasn’t easy on me, either. But…I feel responsible for this, as if I pushed you into his arms. We haven’t been getting along and that hasn’t left you with anyone you can really talk to. But I don’t want to see you hurt again.”
Claire didn’t want to hear this. She bent over her desk to count the number of clients remaining on the schedule. Already dead on her feet, she wished she could just crawl into bed.
Fortunately, her workday ended at four, only two hours away. Maybe she’d have time for a nap before the big date. “Come on, you’re overreacting. What do you think he’s going to do to me?”
What he’d done to her before, of course. At least Leanne wasn’t asking about April. The book group ladies must not have mentioned seeing her car there when they went to Leanne’s house. It could get back to her eventually, but it wasn’t now and that was a small blessing. Maybe with such big news as her involvement with Isaac hitting the gossip scene, that tidbit would fall by the wayside completely.
One could hope. She’d didn’t want to hurt Roni.
“You’re kidding!” Leanne said. “Isaac Morgan’s a bona fide heartbreaker, and no one knows that better than you. And now you’re on the rebound. He’ll chew you up and spit you out.”
God, even her hard-drinking sister could plainly see what was in store. Still, Claire wouldn’t acknowledge the danger. If she did pay a price for her actions, she’d suffer without letting anyone know, unless, of course, that price included pregnancy. But she’d deal with that if she had to. “I won’t get hurt. He’s just a friend, a way to break up the monotony.”
Leanne slid her tongue over her teeth. “He’s got to be more fun than that geriatric book group you’ve got going.”
“Those ladies aren’t geriatric.”
“Half of them are over seventy.”
“So? They’re nice.”
“I’m not talking about nice. I’m saying they can’t give you the same kind of thrill.”
“No woman can.”
“Not very many men, either,” she said with a conspirator’s laugh.
Claire didn’t find that comment funny. The appreciation in her sister’s voice jammed a shard of fear into her chest. “Wait a second. You’ve never been with him, have you?” The question alone made it difficult to breathe. Say no. Please say no, or I’m going to be sick right here…?. She’d heard the vehicles that sometimes came and went in the night, but she usually didn’t get up to see who was driving. She didn’t want to know. Not knowing made it easier to pretend Leanne didn’t entertain as often as she did.
Her sister winked at her. “I’m not the type to kiss and tell.”
There was no time to push for more. Selina Spangler had walked in for her cut and color.
Myles King got up and closed the door to his office almost as soon as Isaac arrived. “I’m glad you came by. Rusty Clegg asked me to have a word with you.”
Isaac removed his sunglasses. The drive to Libby took thirty minutes, and the sun seemed especially bright today. “Rusty already told me to back off, if that’s what you’re intending to do.”
“Rusty was upset by your conversation, which is why he asked me to intervene. David meant a lot to him.”
“David meant a lot to many people. That’s one of the reasons I believe you owe it to Pineview to confirm that he died the way we think he did.”
Myles didn’t take even a second to respond. “I’m not sure I’ll like what you have to say any more than Rusty did.”
Great, not only had he been tipped off, he’d been prejudiced. Refusing to let that upset him, Isaac took the seat across from Myles. If he was going to get anywhere with Les Weaver, he needed the sheriff’s help. “I don’t blame you,” he said. “Murder one is a serious accusation.”
“Not only that but I don’t want to get the whole community up in arms until I have proof. David’s parents have been through enough, losing him the way they did, and at such a young age. Claire has been through enough, too. She still hasn’t recovered. All you have to do is look at her to know that.”
Which was why Isaac thought it was time to intervene. “You don’t think I’ve considered what you’re saying?”
The sheriff’s chair squealed as he pulled it away from the desk so he could sit. “I guess where I get confused is this—what’s your interest in the situation, Isaac? Why are you getting involved?”
His interest was Claire. Now that she was back in his life, he wanted to be sure she achieved the resolution she needed. But he also knew how quickly everyone would doubt him if he said he was trying to do a good deed. No one would believe it was that simple. Although he hadn’t landed himself in trouble in years, they’d treat him like he was the big bad wolf coming to blow down the poor widow’s house.
The people of Pineview had tolerated—more kindly than some towns would have—an abandoned child in their midst, but they possessed very long memories. They would never let him live down his past. “Someone’s got to make sure it is what it appears to be. Might as well be me.”