A Very Important Guest by Mary Whitney Read Free Book Online Page B

wait to see you today.
    Her heart crumpled, but she kept her feelings in check. She wanted to see him as well, yet she couldn’t because they wanted to see each other for different reasons. She wanted to feed off his warmth and charm, while he most likely wanted to have a laugh or two and get laid. She deleted the text.
    The next message popped on her phone’s screen two hours later.
    When are you getting to work today? I want to be around.
    “Humpf,” she said. That one was easy to delete.
    Another one appeared on the dot at noon.
    Where are you? I miss you.
    Staring at the screen, she whispered aloud, “I miss you, too” and closed her eyes to stop the tears which demanded to be released. He might truly miss her, but seeing him would only hurt her more in the long run. She shouldn’t deepen her self-inflicted wound. She turned off her phone, thinking she didn’t really need it on anyway. If she was going to stay at home, the nursing home would call that number if they needed her.
    Later that evening, she looked up from working on her laptop at the kitchen table when she heard a car pull into the drive. She quickly found her calendar on her computer—had she forgotten an appointment with the realtor? She really wasn’t presentable. When she saw her night was clear of commitments, she exhaled in relief. Guessing it was probably a neighbor checking in on her, she started for the door.
    She peeked out the living room’s sheer curtains and saw what looked to be a rental car. Rental cars were distinct on the island because locals avoided buying any car that might mistake them for a tourist. She frowned, not knowing who it might be.
    The doorbell chimed, and she went over to the peephole. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she stepped back from the door to assess the situation. Her car was out front, so it was obvious she was at home. She looked down at her cut-offs and tank top. No bra. Shit. Her hair needed brushing, her face needed washing, and a quick sniff of her armpit said her whole body needed scrubbing. She was a disaster, but she had to get through this, and she knew she could.
    The bell rang again. Swallowing hard, she reached for the doorknob and opened it to see Will, his hands in the pockets of his shorts and his face full of concern.
    “Hi,” he said.
    “Hi,” she said in a squeaky voice.
    “I’m sorry to intrude, but are you okay? I got worried about you.”
    After years of self-protection when asked about her feelings, Abby had become an unusually good liar. She sighed and said flippantly, “Just busy. Sorry about not getting back to you.”
    He twisted his mouth as his expression became more troubled. “It’s okay. Do you want to get dinner?”
    She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “I’m kinda’ swamped. Not tonight.”
    Will nodded, but it was with a slow motion that signaled suspicion rather than understanding. “What about tomorrow?”
    As she raised her hands, she came close to telling him the truth. “I don’t know. You’re leaving on Saturday morning. Shouldn’t we just leave it with last night?” She smiled at the end, hoping that would stop the conversation.
    He scowled and shook his head incredulously. “No. At least not for me.” He looked around the portico as if he was trying to contain his anger. “What the fuck is going on? Do you have a boyfriend?”
    “No,” she said, feeling a chink in her armor.
    “Then what is it? You’re not acting normal.”
    She grasped for a defense. “You don’t know me.”
    “You’re right, but I know you well enough.” With each word, he became angrier. “And I know people. I’m a fucking politician. I can tell when something is up.”
    The fierce look in his eyes made her sputter. “It’s just … just … you’re leaving. I’m staying. That’s it.”
    “That’s it?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Why does that have to be it?”
    Her voiced saddened. “Because anything more isn’t a good idea.”
    “That’s what you