The Inmate (22)

“Sorry,” I say. “I was being cautious.”

“I know. But it’s me, Brooke. I just wanted to know you were okay. You could have gotten in touch.”

When I was nine months pregnant, about to give birth to the son of a convicted killer, I had no interest in talking to old friends. Even Tim. But I can’t explain that to him. “I’m sorry,” I say again. “I needed time to heal.”

He’s quiet for a moment, mulling over my answer. “Fair enough.”

The waitress/former cheerleader, Kelli, returns with our drinks. She lays his glass down carefully in front of him and plunks my own more unceremoniously down on the table. She turns her attention back to Tim. “Are you getting any food today, Timmy?”

He looks up at her and smiles. “Not right now.”

“I can’t tempt you with any onion rings?”

Tim shakes his head no.

She winks at him. “Buffalo wings?”

“Nah…”

“Curly fries?”

Oh my God, is this waitress going to offer him every item on the menu one by one? But thankfully, after he turns down the curly fries, she finally goes off to another table.

“We went to high school with her, didn’t we?” I say.

Tim glances at Kelli, who is tapping her foot impatiently on the floor while she waits for two women to decide on their orders. “That’s right. You’ve got a good memory.”

“I think she was flirting with you.”

“Actually…” He lowers his voice a notch. “We went out a couple of times.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Seriously?”

He shrugs. “It wasn’t a big deal. Pretty casual.”

“Did you kiss her?”

I laugh at the way his face turns slightly pink in the dim light of the bar. The freckles may have faded, but he is still fair and his skin tone shows off his emotions way too easily.

“She and her boyfriend were on some kind of break,” he explains. “We went out two times, then she went back to her boyfriend.”

“She dumped you?”

“She didn’t dump me. It was two dates.” He glances behind him, where Kelli is taking some other customer’s order. “And even if she didn’t go back to her boyfriend, I don’t think there was going to be a third date. We weren’t a match.”

“Oh, I get it. I didn’t know you were so picky, Reese.”

“I’m not picky!” He takes a drink from his beer and licks foam from his upper lip. “I’m just waiting for the right person. And Kelli was nice enough, but it wasn’t her. Is that awful?”

“No, not awful.”

He traces a pattern on the condensation of his glass. “So how about you? Were you married before?”

“No.”

“Oh.” He nods. “So Josh’s dad…”

“Not in the picture,” I blurt out. “At all.”

And also serving a life sentence for murder. That too.

I’m used to getting a sympathetic look when I tell people I’m doing this all by myself, but that isn’t the look Tim gives me. It’s something different. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

“That sounds hard,” he finally comments.

“We’re fine.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t.”

“Look…” I take a drink of my own alcoholic beverage for courage. “I just want to be clear that my life is kind of complicated right now, and I’m not looking for… you know, anything. Except friendship.”

“Oh, good.” He leans back in his seat, which squeaks under his weight. “Because that’s exactly what I’m looking for too. Friendship.”

“Good then.”

“Perfect.”

I study him across the table as he smiles back at me. Tim is a good guy, he always has been, and I believe that if I tell him all I want is friendship, he won’t push anything further. He’ll respect my wishes.

After all, ten years ago, he saved my life.





Chapter 14


It’s sad that on a Saturday, I have nothing better to do than go grocery shopping. The shopping trip is literally the highlight of my weekend.

It was Josh who convinced me to go. First, he discovered we were out of Lucky Charms and wrote it in all capital letters on the shopping list that I keep on the fridge. He mentioned last night that we didn’t have any. Then this morning, he looked especially forlorn as he poured himself a bowl of Cheerios instead of Lucky Charms, repeatedly mentioning that he wished there were some colorful marshmallows in his cereal. Then he wrote it on the shopping list a second time.

He also pointed out that I could go shopping without having to get a babysitter. Josh has been pushing for a little more freedom, and to be fair, he’s old enough to stay by himself for an hour while I’m at the supermarket. So here I am, buying Lucky Charms and I guess eggs and cheese and bread and some other stuff we need.

While I am inspecting a head of lettuce in the produce aisle, I get the distinct feeling I’m being watched. I look over my shoulder and wince at the sight of a familiar face. It’s Kelli—that girl who waited on us the other night at the Shamrock. The one who was on the cheerleading squad with me, back before my entire life went to hell.