Trying not to stare at the man, I stepped aside. “If you don’t mind, could we go into the kitchen? I don’t want any guests to overhear us.”
“Lead the way.” He flashed a heart-stopping smile.
Oh dear.
“Got a question for you, Miss Keeton,” he said as I led him toward the kitchen. “Did I just pass the mayor on the way out?”
I fought the urge to punch something as I slid open the pocket door. “Call me Sasha. Yes. He was . . . checking on the inn,” I explained, weighing my words. I doubted the detective would take too kindly to me spewing less than flattering adjectives like I wanted to.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
“Would you like anything to drink?” I offered, changing the subject.
“I’m good but thanks for the offer,” he replied, glancing around the kitchen. “Cole said you discovered something missing that might pertain to Angela Reidy?”
“Cole didn’t give you the details?” I leaned against the counter.
“He did, but I want to hear them from you.”
“Oh.” Taking a deep breath, I knocked my hair back over my shoulder. “Angela keeps an extra key here. From what my mother explained, she had a habit of locking herself out. The key was here yesterday morning. I remember seeing it. I actually touched it,” I told him, clutching the counter behind me. “I don’t even know why I did that. I saw it and thought of Angela, and then I fell down the stairs.”
“I looked into that.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small notebook like Derek had. “I want you to tell me about that.”
I quickly told him what had happened yesterday morning and then moved on to how I discovered the missing key. His gaze sharpened when I explained that I’d gone out to the cemetery. I ignored the look. “That’s when I discovered the missing key. My mother didn’t take it, and the only other person who has been here is Daphne, and she would have no reason to pick it up.”
“Can you show me the room?”
“Sure.” I took him to the door and pushed it open, shivering as we stepped down into the chilly room. “This was a part of the old servants’ kitchen. That door there leads outside.” I gestured at the exit that opened up under the stairs that led upstairs to the apartment balcony. “I don’t know if it was locked, but we normally keep it that way. Staff has keys. The other door goes to the staff stairway—the one I was coming down yesterday.”
“And you can get to the cellar from there?” When I nodded, he asked, “Can you give me a few minutes?”
“Sure. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Smiling, he nodded. “Thank you, Sasha.”
He walked toward the corkboard and I saw that his back was just as attractive as his front. Wow. Back in the kitchen, I made a fresh pot of coffee, and I’d just poured myself a cup when the door opened. Detective Conrad was back, hands empty. “Would you like a cup?” I felt like I had to offer again.
“Trying to lay off the caffeine,” he replied.
“That sounds like a sin.”
He grinned. “It hasn’t been easy, that I will admit.” Stopping in front of the kitchen island, he said, “I’m going to have forensics come out here. Just going to be one guy, have him dust for prints and take some pictures. If you want, he can come in through the back and the guests won’t even know he’s here.”
“That would be good.” I took a sip of the coffee. “I would like for the guests not to be aware of any of this.”
“That is easy to do.” Leaning at the waist, he propped his elbows on the counter. “I can have a guy here in about an hour. Make sure he stays out of everyone’s hair.” He paused. “Got to say, I appreciate the fact you’re observant.”
“I’ve learned to be,” I admitted, cradling my mug with both hands. “Do you think the missing key is related to Angela’s disappearance?”
“Not sure, but we’re checking all avenues until something turns up.”
Reading between the lines told me that all the avenues they’ve searched so far had turned up zilch. Unsettled, I took a sip of my coffee. “How can someone disappear without a trace?”
“Happens more than people realize,” he remarked, eyes meeting mine. “I think you know that.”
“True,” I murmured, lowering my cup. “I do know that. Probably more than anyone, but sometimes I forget.”
“That’s human nature.” A few seconds of silence stretched out and then he shocked the hell out of me. “I went to the academy with Cole.”
“E-Excuse me?”
“Wasn’t in law enforcement around here. I was up in Morgantown when everything was going down. Didn’t realize you and him had a thing back then until I transferred down here and took a city position. That was about a year after the Groom business.”
“Oh,” I murmured, lifting my mug. “I . . . I didn’t know that.”
“Didn’t think you did. He talked a lot about you back in the day. Told him more than once to track your ass down.” Detective Conrad flashed a quick, very charming grin. “Even told him that marrying Irene was a mistake. His heart wasn’t there, no matter how badly he wanted it to be.”
My lips parted as I jerked my hand back, splashing coffee on my hand. I didn’t even feel the warm liquid. What did he just say?
“Think he got respecting you confused with giving you space, but it all worked out again. Funny how life does that.” He straightened, completely oblivious to the fact my jaw was on the floor. “Anyway, I’m going to call—”
“What did you say about Cole being . . . being married?” I asked, knowing—just knowing—I heard him wrong, because if Cole had been married, he would’ve said something. He had to have said something.
Detective Conrad’s nostrils widened slightly as the skin between his brows creased. “Aw shit,” he muttered.
I stared at him.
“Cole was married.”
Chapter 18
Cole was married?
Those three words were on a vicious cycle despite the more pressing things going on—say, like the highly attractive detective currently calling a forensic specialist to come dust for prints.
My heart was thundering in my chest as Mom roamed into the kitchen. I numbly introduced her to the detective and then excused myself. I needed a few moments alone to really process what I’d just learned.
I walked through the dining room, rubbing my palm against my sternum. I didn’t know what to think or how to feel. We hadn’t seen each other for ten years, and I had been with other people. It wasn’t like I had thought Cole was celibate and saintly, waiting patiently for my return. I figured he had been in relationships, and for the longest time I believed he was married, living out the happily ever after I’d wanted so badly to be a part of. But he hadn’t said anything to give the impression that he’d been married.
How could Cole not mention that? Being married seemed like a super important detail when you were talking to someone about second chances and breaking down Teflon walls.
Then again, we’d only been back in each other’s lives for a week.
Only a week.
Plopping down in the chair behind the front desk, I realized that we were moving way too fast—I was moving way too fast. Obviously, there hadn’t been a lot of time for Cole and me to have multiple in-depth conversations, but being married was something major. Something I thought someone would bring up pretty quickly.
I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, the ache in my temple slowly receding. Mom’s laugh carried from the kitchen, and I had no idea what the detective could be saying while investigating possible evidence related to a missing person that would make someone laugh. Otherwise, the inn was quiet. The guests were out, and in those moments, I realized what I was feeling wasn’t so much disbelief.
It was hurt, and it was stupid, because I didn’t think I had the right to be hurt over the fact that Cole had indeed moved on to the point that he got married. I’d left this town. I’d left him, and just because I hadn’t moved on
, I hadn’t expected the same from Cole.
It hit me then, much like it had the night before when I woke up and saw Cole sitting there, that I didn’t just love him, I never stopped loving him. He’d burrowed his way in, digging deep and carving out a piece of my heart just for him, all those years ago, and he was still in there.
That’s why discovering that he was married from a virtual stranger hurt. That’s why I was questioning what the hell I was doing when it came to him.
Screw the being-alone-and-sorting-things-out part. I needed to call Miranda and tell her what I’d learned.
Opening the desk drawer where I stashed my cell, I reached for it. Her phone rang and then went to voicemail. Knowing she hated voicemails, I hung up without leaving one.
Rising, I shoved my cell into the back pocket of my jeans as the door to the inn opened. I looked over, and my heart stuttered as Cole walked in.
It had started snowing, and sprinkles of the white stuff dusted his shoulders and hair. Grinning, he thrust his fingers through his hair, brushing the snow off as he said, “Hey, babe.”
“Hey,” I whispered, and the damnedest image formed in my mind. Cole in a tux standing at an altar as some faceless but most likely beautiful woman in white slowly approached him.
His brows creased together. “You okay?”
“Yo, Landis.” Detective Conrad was in the sitting room. “Can we talk for a second?”
“Yeah.” Cole’s gaze remained trained on me. “You all right, Sasha?”
I wanted to blurt out the whole marriage business, but now was not the time, so I nodded and smiled. “Sure.”
He studied me for a moment and then walked over. Detective Conrad clapped a hand on Cole’s shoulder. They headed toward the dining room, passing Mom on the way.
Her hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck in a low bun, but several thin wisps framed her face. She placed her hands on the desk and leaned over, whispering, “That is one attractive man, isn’t he?”
My lips twitched. “Yes, he is.”
“Such a small town,” she said, glancing over her shoulder, “and I’ve never seen that man. I would’ve remembered seeing that man.”
That made me laugh. “He went to the academy with Cole apparently.”
Her gaze shifted back to me. “Is that so?”
I nodded, wanting to tell her about Cole being previously married, but before I could say anything, the inn doors opened yet again. This time it was new guests.
By the time we had them checked in and upstairs, James was banging around in the kitchen preparing the evening meal, and an older man had showed up from the police department. I caught a quick glimpse of him, and luckily he wasn’t wearing anything that showed he was from a forensics unit. Cole and Detective Conrad were in the old kitchen with the investigator, and looking for things to keep my mind busy, I realized we hadn’t grabbed the mail yet.
Slipping out the front door, I hunkered down in my sweater as the brisk wind circled around me. Snow fell in a fine sheet, dusting the driveway. For once, I actually had boots on instead of flip-flops, but I was wary of the icy spots. I reached the end of the drive, and stepped outside the stone wall, reaching the mailbox. Wishing I’d stopped to grab gloves, I opened the lid and quickly yanked out the contents. There were several bills. Of course. Something from Triple A, and a small package about four inches long and narrow.
As I walked back up the drive, I turned the package over. Surprise flickered through me. The little brown package was addressed to me. Having no idea who it could be from, I glanced at the sender’s address.
“Where in the hell is your jacket?”
I glanced up at the sound of Cole’s voice. He was standing on the porch, the corners of his lips turned down. “In the back room.”
He prowled toward the steps. “Just in case you haven’t realized, it’s snowing.”
“I didn’t want to bother the investigator.” And I also was sort of avoiding him. I climbed the steps. “Besides, I’ve been outside for like two minutes.”
“It’s snowing,” he repeated.
“And I’m heading back inside now.” I walked past him, but he cupped my elbow. “Wha—?”
His mouth cut off my words as his other hand circled the back of my neck. The kiss caught me off guard, and I almost dropped the mail, but within seconds, I wasn’t thinking about what I held or anything other than the feel of his lips against mine. His kiss . . . damn, he always kissed like a man who believed he wouldn’t get another chance.
It was mind-blowing.
Lifting his mouth, he gently squeezed the back of my neck. “We need to talk.”
I believed that we needed to kiss again. I opened my eyes. A gust of wind blew snow onto the porch. A second passed, and then I remembered. My eyes flew to his.
“I know Tyron told you.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “Cole—”
His pale eyes held mine. “I didn’t want you to find out that way.”
“How did you want me to find out?” I pulled free, putting space between us, because with him holding me, standing right there, it made it hard to be objective.
“With the words coming out of my mouth,” he replied. “Let’s take this conversation inside.”
My heart was thumping, partially because of the kiss. “I have to make sure everything is good to go for dinner service.”
A brow rose as he opened the door. “Your mother is in the kitchen with James, and I’m sure they have it covered.”
Warm air greeted us as the door swung shut. “What about the detective and the investigator?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “Shouldn’t you be with them?”
He cocked his head to the side. “I should be right where I am, talking to you. Don’t shut me out.”
I squinted. “I’m not shutting you out.”
“You just found out that I was married from someone other than me,” he said in a low voice, angling his body toward me. “We need to talk about that, but you’re coming up with excuses to delay it. That’s shutting me out.”
Placing the mail behind the desk, I admitted he had a point. I glanced toward the sitting room. One of the guests was resting in front of the fireplace.
“Okay. Let’s go up to my apartment.”
We didn’t speak on the way up, taking the main staircase and hitting the staff one from the third floor. Once inside my apartment, I leaned against the closed door. Cole stood in the center of the room. He opened his mouth, but I spoke first. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was planning to. I know that doesn’t mean much at this point, but I was. Do you remember when we had dinner and I said there was stuff we needed to talk about?”
My brain raced back to the dinner, and I did remember that. “Okay. So the dinner got way off track with everything, but we’ve seen each other nearly every day since then. That’s kind of big news not to mention it.”
“You’re right.” He stepped forward. “But a lot of stuff has been going down. Every time there seemed to be a right time, more shit went down. I have no reason to purposely hide that from you.”
“I don’t . . . I don’t know what to think,” I admitted, tipping my head back against the door. I let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not like I believed you were single this whole time. There was even a part of me that accepted you had married. I wanted that—wanted you to be happy and in love. I really did.”
“I know.” He was another foot closer. “But I’m taking it you don’t like actually knowing that I was married.”
Hearing him say that made me want to cringe. “I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. I mean, it just really caught me off guard.”
Cole was in front of me, and I didn’t protest when he took my hands, tugging me away from the door. “Maybe you’ll know how to feel about it after I actually tell you.”
He led me to the couch, and when he sat, he pulled me down beside him. “Her name is Irene. I met her two years after you left. She’s not from around
here originally.”
I dropped my hands to my lap and stayed quiet, because honestly, what in the world was I supposed to say to any of this?
“She’s a teacher in London County,” he explained, “and we met at the gym.”