Ethan looked stunned. “She abandoned two kids?”
“Walked out and never came back. The money ran out, the utilities got turned off. Melissa’s been stealing what they needed to survive.”
“No one noticed?” he asked. “No one called social services?”
Liz thought about her own childhood. “You’d be amazed at how many kids slip through the cracks. I’m going to see Roy tomorrow. I wanted to go there while the girls are still in school.” She glanced at him. “Would you mind taking Tyler? I don’t think he’s ready to see Folsom Prison.”
“Sure. Bring him by the office.”
“Thanks.”
“What’s going to happen to the girls?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m hoping Roy has a plan. If he doesn’t, my family just got bigger.”
“You’d take them?”
She nodded slowly, thinking if there wasn’t anyone else, she didn’t have much choice. She knew nothing about teenage girls, except she’d once been one. She hoped that was going to be enough.
“That’s a lot to take on,” he said.
“You’d do the same for one of your brothers or sisters.”
“Probably. If Mom didn’t take them first.”
“She is a tiger.” Liz did her best to keep her tone light.
“You’ll like her a lot more when you get to know her.”
“Something else to look forward to,” Liz murmured, hoping she wouldn’t be in town long enough for any of Ethan’s family to be an issue.
“Having Roy’s kids in your life would change everything,” he told her.
“I know. I’m still kind of in denial. Better to wait and see what happens than start any planning now. If the arrangement is permanent, then we’ll all figure it out together.”
She looked up and saw him staring at her. “What?”
“Just waiting for you to admit you were killing me over and over again in your books.”
She shrugged, trying not to smile. Or be happy that he’d obviously read her books. “You should be flattered. You’re a recurring character in a successful series of books.”
“I’m a dead body. Not much to be flattered about.”
“You always get a name and a history.”
“Along with a very graphic description of my death.”
This time she did smile. “You’re a tough guy. You can handle it.”
He smiled back. “I’m hoping to persuade you to move on to another victim.”
“The writing muse is a tricky thing.”
He leaned against the counter. “You don’t believe in muses.”
“How do you know?”
“You wouldn’t give up that much power to a force you couldn’t control.”
He was right, but it startled her that he had figured it out. No doubt their pesky past was to blame. Before she could figure out what to say, the oven timer dinged.
Saved by the bell had never sounded so good.
THEY MADE IT THROUGH DINNER talking about safer topics. The catered food was excellent, the wine good enough that she didn’t protest when he refilled her glass twice. The result was a pleasantly full feeling combined with a slight buzz. Liz wasn’t drunk, but she was glad she was walking rather than driving home.
“Does the town look different to you?” Ethan asked when they’d finished eating. It had grown dark outside. A cool breeze drifted in through the open windows.
“There’s been a lot of growth,” she said, turning her glass slowly. “Those new houses out by the golf course. When I left, I’m not sure they’d even broken ground on the lots. There are a few new businesses. Daisy’s place is now the Fox and Hound.”
“Daisy’s place has been five different restaurants in the past ten years. No one knows why—it’s a good location. Lots of foot traffic.”
“There are new people, too,” she added, glancing at him. “And some old. I ran into Pia yesterday, along with your sister.”
Although she was watching carefully, nothing about his expression changed.
He seemed to sense her scrutiny and frowned. “What?”
“I thought you’d have something to say about her.”
“Pia? Why?”
“Because she’s here. Because when I first found out I was pregnant, I came back to tell you only to find you in bed with her.” She held up her hand. “Sorry. That’s not truce material. You’ll tell me that I left and you could see whoever you wanted. That will hurt my feelings, then I’ll yell and we’ll fight and I’m tired of fighting. At least for tonight.”
“You don’t need me here for this conversation, do you?”
“Apparently not.” She sighed. “I do have a question about her, though.”
“Pia?”
She nodded. “In high school, she was really horrible, right? Mean and bitchy and not someone you’d leave a small child with?”
“She wasn’t the nicest person.”
“Good. Then it’s not my imagination. Because she was totally different yesterday. Friendly and nice. It was so unexpected, I felt like I was having an alternate-universe experience. I started to wonder if I was remembering the past wrong or something.”