“’Fraid not—although I probably should’ve stayed. Now I’ll have to go back later and apologize to my mom.”
Once she could smell the food, Lourdes realized she was hungry and pulled some slices of bread from the loaf he’d gotten out. “What happened? Don’t tell me you got into an argument with your brother or his wife.”
“No. Noelle’s causing trouble again.”
“Trouble? That’s vague.”
He slathered a piece of wheat bread with mayonnaise. “Trust me, you don’t want to hear any more about it.”
“Actually, I do,” she said. “Maybe it’ll take my mind off my own screwed-up life. What’s going on?”
“Basically, she’s unhappy that I’m not more receptive to her advances.”
Once he was finished with it, Lourdes took the knife. “More of the same? Why would that ruin dinner?”
“Because she seems to have turned a corner. She’s figured out that we’re never getting back together—and now she’s angry.”
“Good thing I’ve committed to do the cooking from now on.”
He added several slices of turkey to his sandwich before handing over the meat. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Of course. Don’t let my tear-streaked face fool you.”
His smile slipped away, replaced by a rueful expression. “I just hope she leaves it at what she’s done already.”
“Which is...” She piled on some more turkey but skipped the cheese. She didn’t want the extra calories.
“She’s been telling lies, spreading rumors, trying to make me look bad.”
Lourdes dabbed mustard on her sandwich. “You can’t be worried that anyone will believe her. Everyone around here knows you—and her. Don’t they?”
“For the most part, but we each have our own circles. Thanks to what she’s been telling her parents, they hate me. And I’m getting the feeling that Olivia is torn. She wants to believe her sister and fall in line with her family for a change, even though she’s well aware that Noelle is hardly reliable.”
“How could she want to side with the same sister who purposely stole you away from her?”
“Now that she’s happily married, I guess it’s easier to forget the past. Anyway, bottom line, I don’t need all the shit Noelle brings into my life, and I’m getting tired of it.”
Lourdes placed a slice of tomato on her turkey. “So that’s what has you bugged.”
He put the top on his sandwich and grabbed it with both hands. “Bugged is too mild a word for what I’m feeling. I’ve put up with her for years. I’ve even tried to be good to her. I keep telling myself there’s no reason exes have to be nasty to each other. But nothing seems to get her out of my life.”
“She sounds like a very troubled person.”
“She’s not deep enough to be troubled. I’d leave it at difficult.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Ignore her. What else can I do? With any luck she’ll get bored and go in search of someone who’s more interesting to torment.”
“And if it doesn’t happen that way?”
“We’ll see what she does and take it from there,” he said, but no sooner were those words out of his mouth than his phone began to buzz—and when he looked down he frowned as if he didn’t like what he saw.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I can’t believe this.”
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s Ed Hamilton, the editor of the local paper.”
A cold chill ran down her spine. “Do you have any idea why someone from the paper would want to get hold of you?”
“No.”
“You think he’s calling about me.”
When he gave her a sympathetic look, she understood she’d lost her temporary safe haven.
15