don’t suppose many men would have done that. I was a flirt who loved to see the reaction that I could get from men. You were older than most men I’d dated, and you sent my ego sky-high. But after that disappointment, or maybe because of it, my attitude towards men changed. I still like to play, and I guess I’m still a flirt, though not intentionally. What I’m saying is that the experience with you changed me, and I’m grateful.”
“You’ve changed, all right. I wish I were meeting you now for the first time, but that can’t be. How’s Tyra? Did she marry Whitley?”
“Yes. They live in Baltimore with his son, Andy, and his aunt. They’re expecting a baby in about six weeks.”
“How nice! Give them my best wishes.”
Darlene stood. “I must be going. I got in fromMemphis a little less than two hours ago. All the best, Edward, and thanks.”
She passed a newsstand, bought a copy of the Maryland Journal and headed home.
“I sure would like to know who you had to see the minute you got back in town,” Maggie said to Darlene as soon as she entered the house.
Darlene hugged Maggie. “Oh, I had to check out a few things with an old flame.”
“An old flame! You ain’t had but one, and that one didn’t last long before you sent him packing. Let’s see how long this one hangs around.” Maggie slipped an arm around Darlene’s shoulder.
“How do you know there’s someone?”
“Darlene, you’re as transparent as glass. I’m looking at you. I hope for your sake that he’s worth that look of delight on your face.”
Chapter 4
I t did not surprise Darlene to see Clark walk into the house later that day. He considered it his responsibility to watch over her. Because she loved her brother, she tolerated his controlling ways. She heard the key turn in the lock. “Want to bet that’s Clark? Tyra is married and busy these days, thank goodness,” she said to Maggie.
“Hi, there,” Clark said to Darlene, bringing her into his arms for a hug. “I see you managed to get home. What were you doing in Memphis in the first place? Can’t that law firm hire a private investigator?”
“The other partners didn’t think the case was worth it, which is probably why they gave it to me in the first place. They didn’t want me to go to Memphis, but nobody tells me where I can go. I may be the youngest in the firm, but I’m still a partner.”
He took a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, grabbed a handful of potato chips, straddled a kitchen chair and sat down. “What else have you been up to, and don’t say nothing? You haven’t once protested the fact that I’m treating you as if you were a child. Could it be that, all of a sudden, you realize that you aren’t?”
She walked over to him and patted his shoulder. “Don’t bother to fish, Clark. It’ll be a waste of your time.”
He looked at Maggie, who was taking a roast from the oven to baste it. “Did she give you this same line, Maggie?”
Maggie rubbed her hands across the front of her apron. “She didn’t dare give me a line. You know I can read Darlene like an open book. It’s time you backed off, Clark. Darlene is a grown woman, and she’s entitled to as much privacy as you are.”
He drained the bottle of beer and got up. “I guess that puts me in my place. It also tells me something’s going on. What time’s dinner?”
“You’re getting to be just like a Yankee. Dinner! Humph! What I’m cooking is supper, and that’ll be ready at seven o’clock,” Maggie said.
Clark patted Maggie’s cheek. “I want you to know that eating at seven is a Yankee custom. Southerners eat dinner early.”
“Yeah,” Maggie said in the tone of one who has lost the point. “Whatever.”
After dinner, Darlene and Clark helped Maggie clean the kitchen, and then Darlene raced upstairs, took aquick shower and crawled into bed. Anxiety had all but frayed her nerves, so much so that her skin tingled. Why didn’t he call? Suddenly, she
“You’ve changed, all right. I wish I were meeting you now for the first time, but that can’t be. How’s Tyra? Did she marry Whitley?”
“Yes. They live in Baltimore with his son, Andy, and his aunt. They’re expecting a baby in about six weeks.”
“How nice! Give them my best wishes.”
Darlene stood. “I must be going. I got in fromMemphis a little less than two hours ago. All the best, Edward, and thanks.”
She passed a newsstand, bought a copy of the Maryland Journal and headed home.
“I sure would like to know who you had to see the minute you got back in town,” Maggie said to Darlene as soon as she entered the house.
Darlene hugged Maggie. “Oh, I had to check out a few things with an old flame.”
“An old flame! You ain’t had but one, and that one didn’t last long before you sent him packing. Let’s see how long this one hangs around.” Maggie slipped an arm around Darlene’s shoulder.
“How do you know there’s someone?”
“Darlene, you’re as transparent as glass. I’m looking at you. I hope for your sake that he’s worth that look of delight on your face.”
Chapter 4
I t did not surprise Darlene to see Clark walk into the house later that day. He considered it his responsibility to watch over her. Because she loved her brother, she tolerated his controlling ways. She heard the key turn in the lock. “Want to bet that’s Clark? Tyra is married and busy these days, thank goodness,” she said to Maggie.
“Hi, there,” Clark said to Darlene, bringing her into his arms for a hug. “I see you managed to get home. What were you doing in Memphis in the first place? Can’t that law firm hire a private investigator?”
“The other partners didn’t think the case was worth it, which is probably why they gave it to me in the first place. They didn’t want me to go to Memphis, but nobody tells me where I can go. I may be the youngest in the firm, but I’m still a partner.”
He took a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, grabbed a handful of potato chips, straddled a kitchen chair and sat down. “What else have you been up to, and don’t say nothing? You haven’t once protested the fact that I’m treating you as if you were a child. Could it be that, all of a sudden, you realize that you aren’t?”
She walked over to him and patted his shoulder. “Don’t bother to fish, Clark. It’ll be a waste of your time.”
He looked at Maggie, who was taking a roast from the oven to baste it. “Did she give you this same line, Maggie?”
Maggie rubbed her hands across the front of her apron. “She didn’t dare give me a line. You know I can read Darlene like an open book. It’s time you backed off, Clark. Darlene is a grown woman, and she’s entitled to as much privacy as you are.”
He drained the bottle of beer and got up. “I guess that puts me in my place. It also tells me something’s going on. What time’s dinner?”
“You’re getting to be just like a Yankee. Dinner! Humph! What I’m cooking is supper, and that’ll be ready at seven o’clock,” Maggie said.
Clark patted Maggie’s cheek. “I want you to know that eating at seven is a Yankee custom. Southerners eat dinner early.”
“Yeah,” Maggie said in the tone of one who has lost the point. “Whatever.”
After dinner, Darlene and Clark helped Maggie clean the kitchen, and then Darlene raced upstairs, took aquick shower and crawled into bed. Anxiety had all but frayed her nerves, so much so that her skin tingled. Why didn’t he call? Suddenly, she
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