stood at the top of the steps, partially blocking her way.
“Hello.” Her gaze drifted past Ellie to Brett, then immediately locked back to Ellie. “Good God, what happened to you? Where’s your bike?”
“Nothing, I’m fine. Let’s just go inside.”
“What about your friend? Aren’t you going to invite him in?”
“He’s not…” Ellie’s back straightened, her shoulders heaved under a breath. “He has to go.”
All it took was a click of the older woman’s tongue and Ellie stepped aside so she had a straight view of Brett.
“You’ll have to pardon my daughter’s manners,” she said. “She seems to have left them in her equipment bag.”
“Ma’am.” Brett tugged the cap from his head, bobbed a brief nod, and stepped up onto the porch, his hand extended. “Brett Hale. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Gail Palmer. It’s nice to meet you, too.” Her head tipped a little to the left as she thumbed toward the house. “Would you like to come in for some coffee?”
Ellie didn’t say a word, just stood blinking down at the step she was standing on, her posture as rigid as Brett had ever seen it.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said, setting his ball cap back in place. “I, uh, I should get going.”
And just like that, Ellie’s shoulders relaxed. Before she turned for the house, though, she looked at him one last time, and while it’s possible he misread it, he’d have sworn her brown eyes softened a little.
“Thanks again.”
Brett lifted his hand in a short wave and took a couple of steps backward. “Good night, Ellie. Ma’am.”
“ ’Night.” Ellie cleared her throat and headed straight for the house with Gail right behind her, speaking in one of those mom whispers every child, grown or not, hates.
“He’s cute,” Gail said. “Is he your boyf—?”
“No!” Ellie’s voice, on the other hand, carried across the yard just fine. Maybe if Brett had been inside his truck he wouldn’t have heard it, but he’d been standing at the front bumper waiting for them get safely inside.
“And so well-mannered, all that ‘ma’am’ business. It’s almost like he’s military or…” Gail stopped at the door, whipped her head around, and stared at Brett for what couldn’t have been any more than a second or two but felt a hell of a lot longer. “Oh my God, Ellie,
are you dating a cop
?”
Chapter 4
“As soon as I get reassigned, I am gone.”
—Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens,
Justified
“Son of a—
ugh
!” Ellie slapped the letter from the Motor Vehicle Branch on the table and took a long sip of her wine. Poncherello must have thought he was
soooo
funny yesterday, telling her that a list of instructors would be included in the letter, yet conveniently neglecting to mention that he was the only one in the area.
“What’s the matter?” Gail’s question hung unanswered as she made her way into the kitchen. “Ellie?”
“Nothing. Want some wine?”
“It’s a little early, isn’t it?”
“Not according to my watch. See? Wine o’clock.” Ellie’s chuckle died in her throat when Gail didn’t so much as crack a smile.
Gail Palmer never drank before six P.M . and rarely had more than one glass. Last night, of course, had been an exception to the rule; she’d downed her first glass and half of another before reining herself in.
“I finally got hold of Gabbie. She asked if I wanted her to drive out here, but she’s leaving for Calgary in a few days, so I told her I’d go see her when she gets back next week.” Gail accepted the glass Ellie held out and took a short sip before changing the subject. “How was work?”
“Good. Busy for the middle of the week.” Ellie got the rice cooker going, then opened the fridge and started pulling out what she needed for dinner. “Hope you don’t mind stir-fry.”
“It’s fine…” Gail’s voice trailed off slowly. Then: “What’s…oh, Ellie, for goodness sake. Is this why you walked to work this