River Bodies (Northampton County #1)(55)

“What can I get you? Coffee? Tea?” Jackie asked.

“Coffee would be great,” Matt said, smiling at Becca as she sat across from him at the table.

Jackie busied herself with the coffeemaker, looking over her shoulder first at Becca and then at Matt, pausing to stare at him a beat too long. When Matt bent down to scratch behind Romy’s ear, Jackie fanned herself and mouthed to Becca, He’s gorgeous.

Becca shrugged as if to say, I know.

The coffee brewed, and Jackie leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. An awkward silence followed. It wasn’t until Becca’s father started coughing that Jackie excused herself and left them alone.

“How’s he doing?” Matt asked of her father.

“Not good,” she said. “What are you doing here? I said I’d be in touch. I needed time.”

“I know you did. But I couldn’t stay away. I wanted to be here for you. I wanted to help you through this.”

“I know, and I do appreciate it, but . . .”

Before she could finish, Matt got up, started pacing. It was a habit he had whenever he was preparing for an argument, to plead his case. “No buts, Bec. Let’s not fight. I hate it when we fight. Besides, I’m here now.” He stopped and stood in front of her. “I’ve been thinking about us a lot lately. We’ve been together a long time. And it’s only right for me to be here with you when you’re going through something like this.”

“Matt,” she started to say, but Jackie walked back into the kitchen. Then someone behind Matt cleared his throat. Matt swung around. Becca looked up. Parker stood in the doorway. He was wearing his detective suit. Romy greeted Parker by sniffing his shoes, licking his hand at his side.

“You must be Parker,” Jackie said and shot Becca a look. “He called this morning while you were outside. He has some questions for Clint.”

“Parker.” Becca’s voice was strained. Her mind jumped first to an image of him lying naked in his bed, then switched to John standing by the river, how he’d pulled his motorcycle alongside of her last night only minutes after she’d left Parker’s place. And now Parker was here to ask her father questions.

Matt stepped forward, arm outstretched. “Hi. I’m Matt.”

The two shook hands, sized each other up.

“Becca’s boyfriend,” Matt added, winked at her.

Parker nodded, turned to Jackie. “Can you tell Clint that I’m here?” he asked and made a point of putting his hand on his hip, pulling his jacket back, revealing his sidearm. There’d been a second the detective mask on Parker’s face had dropped, a second for Becca to see the surprise register in his eyes when Matt had said he was her boyfriend. But it was more than just surprise. Underneath the stoicism, she saw how hurt he was, how angry and embarrassed he felt.

“Follow me,” Jackie said to Parker.

Parker nodded again at Matt, ignored Becca, and followed Jackie upstairs.

Becca stood, wanting to chase after him, to say she was sorry and she had every intention of telling him about Matt but there never seemed to be a right time. But Matt caught her by the elbow.

“What’s going on?” He slipped his arm around her waist. “Do you know that guy?”

“Yes,” she said, wondering how she could ever explain it to him, where she would even start. “He’s an old friend.”

“Just an old friend, huh? Are you sure he knows that?”

“Yes.” No. She hesitated, thinking of the right words. “Matt, listen, please. There’s something . . . I’m not . . . I mean . . . I can’t.”

“Shh.” He put his finger on her lips. “It’s okay. I know you weren’t expecting me to show up at your dad’s house. But I had to come, Bec. You leaving and me not knowing when you were coming back, well, it opened my eyes. It showed me how much I need you in my life, how much I want you in my life.”

“But,” she said, and he put his finger back on her lips.

He continued. “Let me stay and help you through this. Please,” he said and lifted her chin so she would look at him. “That’s all I’m asking.”

No, she wanted to say, that’s not all you’re asking. You’re asking for so much more. You’re asking me to look the other way, to forget about why I left for my father’s house in the first place, to forget you never came home that night because you were with another woman.

“There’s something we have to talk about,” she said. “There’s something you need to know.” She had to tell him the truth about Parker. It was only fair.

But Jackie returned again, interrupting them a second time. “They wanted to be alone to talk,” she said of Parker and Becca’s father. Then she pulled a mug from the cabinet. “Do you take your coffee with cream and sugar?” she asked Matt.

“Black is fine,” Matt said, eying Becca.

Everything was moving too fast, spinning around her like a whirlpool, a river current threatening to pull her under. And in the background, behind Jackie’s chatter and Matt’s words, were the murmur of her father’s and Parker’s voices and the rumble of a motorcycle racing by.





CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Parker stood at the foot of the bed, his face neutral, void of the burning anger in his stomach, the ache in his heart. Clint was struggling to pull himself up against the pillows that were meant to support his back even though the hospital bed was raised so he could sit and confront his visitor. Parker watched, unsure whether he should help, barely recognizing the man in front of him. He hadn’t seen Clint in the last ten years, not since the last time he’d knocked on his door looking for Becca. What a fool he’d been then. What a fool he was now.