A Winter Wedding

“Do you have a minute?” he asked.

Although she widened her eyes as if his desire to come inside surprised her, it didn’t. She’d guessed she’d hear from him. For a while there, he thought he’d gained the upper hand by threatening to withhold her spousal maintenance, but she’d punished him for that. Now she just needed to get him back in her bed, to remind him that there’d been some positives in their relationship, too. “I suppose so,” she said. “Now that I’m only working one job, it’s not like I have to rush off to Sexy Sadie’s.”

He didn’t comment on her job situation, even though she felt he owed her an apology. If not for the way he’d been treating her, she would never have caused trouble for herself there.

“Come on in.” Instead of leading the way, she stood back so he’d have to brush past her—and made sure his arm came in contact with her breasts.

“Did you ever get a new water heater?” he asked as she shut the door before following him into the living room.

“Not yet. My folks are having a friend install one on Monday. I’ve been showering at Olivia’s.”

“So you saw your sister this morning?”

“I did. Briefly.”

“Did she tell you that Lourdes is going back to Nashville?”

“No, but wasn’t Lourdes always planning to go back?” She gave him a patronizing smile to emphasize her point. “She’s a country music star, Kyle. It’s not as if she’d ever stay here.”

A muscle moved in his jaw, but his voice remained more pleasant than she’d expected. “I mean she’s going back much earlier than we thought,” he clarified.

“For good?”

“Looks like it.”

Even better. Lourdes had created a huge problem. It was comforting to know she’d soon be out of the way. Then maybe Kyle would quit wishing for something he wasn’t going to get and settle for a woman who did want him—like her. “I bet you’re broken up about that.”

“I wish she’d stay. But as long as I’m wishing, I also wish my plant hadn’t been damaged by that fire.”

She perched on the chair closest to him and leaned forward to allow him an unrestricted view of her best assets. Lourdes had an okay figure, but as far as Noelle was concerned, she could use a little more on top, especially for Kyle, who appreciated that sort of thing. “I had nothing to do with that,” she said.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

She smiled sweetly. “Positive.”

“Did Chief Bennett tell you that your fingerprints were found on the broken bottle recovered from my parking lot?”

“He did. He stopped by the shop earlier. But he said Genevieve’s fingerprints were also found on that bottle. And, like I mentioned to him, Genevieve’s are the ones that are out of place, not mine. I’ve been to your plant many times. I was in that very parking lot twice the night A.J. and I picked up that old water heater, remember?”

“You’ve reminded me of that before. And I do remember, since I was there, too. But nothing fell out of the truck. That bottle wasn’t on the ground when you drove off.”

“So? Maybe I’ve been to the plant since then, to see what you were up to. It’s not unusual that something of mine would be left behind, including a bottle Genevieve and I must’ve shared. We drank together a lot. I’ve never denied that.”

“But you are denying that you set the fire at the plant.”

Feigning what she hoped was a pretty scowl, she said, “Of course I deny it. It wasn’t me, Kyle. I’ve told you that.”

“Then why won’t you take a polygraph test?”

She gestured as if the very thought was ridiculous. “I’ve read about those. They’re not reliable. I don’t see any point in wasting my time.”

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