The Lucky One(26)
“No.”
“I see.”
He smiled. “You say that a lot.”
“Yes, I do,” she said. Note to self: Stop saying it. “And you’re sure you don’t know anyone in town?”
“No.”
“You just arrived in Hampton and decided to stay.”
“Yes.”
“Where’s your car?”
“I don’t have one.”
“How did you get here?”
“I walked.”
She blinked, uncomprehending. “Are you telling me that you walked all the way from Colorado?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t think that’s odd?”
“I suppose it depends on the reason.”
“What’s your reason?”
“I like to walk.”
“I see.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. She reached for the pen, stalling. “I take it you’re not married,” she said.
“No.”
“Kids?”
“None. It’s just me and Zeus. But my mom still lives in Colorado.”
She pushed a sweaty lock of hair back from her forehead, equal parts flustered and bemused. “I still don’t get it. You walk across the country, you get to Hampton, you say you like the place, and now you want to work here?”
“Yes.”
“There’s nothing else you want to add?”
“No.”
She opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind. “Excuse me for a minute. I have to talk to someone.”
Beth could handle a lot of things, but this was beyond her. As much as she tried, she couldn’t quite grasp everything he’d told her. On some level, it made sense, but on the whole, it just seemed . . . off. If the guy was telling the truth, he was strange; if he was lying, he picked strange lies. Either way, it was weird. Which was why, of course, she wanted to talk to Nana. If anyone could figure him out, Nana could.
Unfortunately, as she approached the house, she realized the game wasn’t over yet. She could hear the announcers debating whether it was right for the Mets to bring in a relief pitcher or something along those lines. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Nana’s seat empty.
“Nana?”
Nana poked her head out from the kitchen. “In here. I was just getting ready to pour myself a glass of lemonade. Would you like some? I can do it one-handed.”
“Actually, I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute? I know the game is still on . . .”
She waved the thought away. “Oh, I’m done with that. Go ahead and turn it off. The Braves can’t win, and the last thing I want to do is listen to their excuses. I hate excuses. There’s no reason they should have lost, and they know it. What’s going on?”
Beth walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter as Nana poured the lemonade from the pitcher. “Are you hungry?” Nana inquired. “I can make you a quick sandwich.”
“I just had a banana.”
“That’s not enough. You’re as skinny as a golf club.”
From your mouth to God’s ears, Beth thought. “Maybe later. Someone came in to apply for the job. He’s here now.”
“You mean the cute one with the German shepherd? I figured that’s what he was doing. How is he? Tell me that it’s always been his dream to clean cages.”
“You saw him?”
“Of course.”
“How did you know he was applying for the job?”
“Why else would you want to talk to me?”
Beth shook her head. Nana was always a step ahead of her. “Anyway, I think you should talk to him. I don’t quite know what to make of him.”
“Does his hair have anything to do with it?”
“What?”
“His hair. It kind of makes him look like Tarzan, don’t you think?”
“I really didn’t notice.”
“Sure you did, sweetie. You can’t lie to me. What’s the problem?”
Quickly, Beth gave her a rundown of the interview. When she was finished, Nana sat in silence.
“He walked from Colorado?”
“That’s what he says.”
“And you believe him?”
“That part?” She hesitated. “Yeah, I think he’s telling the truth about that.”
“That’s a long walk.”
“I know.”
“How many miles is that?”
“I don’t know. A lot.”
“That’s kind of strange, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” she said. “And there’s something else, too.”
“What?”
“He was a marine.”
Nana sighed. “Why don’t you wait here. I’ll go talk to him.”
For the next ten minutes, Beth watched them from behind the living room window curtains. Nana hadn’t stayed in the office to conduct the interview; instead, she’d led them to the wooden bench in the shade of the magnolia tree. Zeus was dozing at their feet, his ear flicking every now and then, shooing away the occasional fly. Beth couldn’t make out what either of them was saying, but occasionally she saw Nana frown, which seemed to suggest the interview wasn’t going well. In the end, Logan Thibault and Zeus walked back up the gravel drive toward the main road, while Nana watched them with a concerned expression on her face.