Burying Water (Burying Water #1)(88)
“Did you know?”
“Just found out. I would never have brought you to The Cellar without telling you what he really wanted. I swear.”
“I don’t want anything to do with it.”
Boone nods slowly, his eyes in the direction that mine are, the direction in which Alex just disappeared. “She’s scared. That’s what that was.”
I sigh, because that’s all I can do. “Yup.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” He slaps my back once before walking away.
A painful knot forms in the base of my throat.
Because I know that I’ve lost her.
She’s never going to leave him.
THIRTY
Water
now
I nearly stumble over my own two feet when I round the corner to find Ginny sitting in the truck.
She holds up a horseshoe. “Lulu needs her own sign.”
“Okay . . .” I climb in and crank the engine, unable to keep my gaze from wandering over to her wide-brimmed hat and the oversized purse tucked under her arm.
“What?” she snaps.
“Nothing, it’s just . . . you’re actually going into town?”
“Well, not if you’re just going to sit there all day, holding the steering wheel.”
I put the truck into gear, avoiding a confused-looking Felix who simply stands in the middle of the driveway, like he doesn’t know what to do with himself without Ginny there. “How long do you think it will take to get that engraved? I can drive you back right after. I’m sure Dakota won’t mind.”
“I have some errands to run, anyway. They’ll take me a few hours. Maybe you can drive me back over lunch.”
“Errands?”
“Yes, errands.” She sets her jaw and I know I’m not going to get any more out of her. So I tune the radio and settle into the drive.
And think about Jesse. Since that night last week, we’ve been alternating between apartments for the last few nights. Thank God he left my apartment early this morning. I’d hate to think what would happen if Ginny caught him strolling down my steps. Though she seems to have warmed up to him a bit since she saw what he helped me with in the barn. She didn’t even comment on the fact that he needed to be in her barn in order to do it.
As we approach the main street, I notice her hands curl tighter around the straps of her purse, until her knuckles are white. “I can go with you to do your errands, if you want, Ginny.”
“I’m not a child.”
Okay . . . “Don’t forget, Hildy’s coming out with Zoe tonight, after school.”
She shakes her head, mumbling, “The girl thinks I’m senile.”
“Who’s that?” Meredith nods toward the small woman standing next to Ginny, their backs to us as they watch Zoe and Lulu trot past.
“That’s Hildy. She and Ginny were childhood friends.”
By the time Zoe and Hildy drove up in Hildy’s black sedan an hour ago, Ginny had changed out of two different outfits, swept the porch, given Felix a good brushing, and was sitting stiff on her swing, her arms folded in her lap.
I couldn’t tell if she was nervous or excited. I suspect a bit of both, though she wouldn’t admit it to me.
Seems there was nothing to be worried about, though. One minute out of her car, Hildy was hugging Ginny and Ginny was letting her.
“I hear Ginny went into town today. I never thought I’d see the day.”
I chuckle. “Yes. She had ‘errands.’ ” I air-quote the phrase. I honestly don’t know what she spent her time doing. Aside from the engraved horseshoe, I drove her back empty-handed. I think maybe she just wanted to rejoin the land of the living, if only to wander among them for a few hours.
“You wouldn’t believe how much of a fight that stubborn mule put up over the gallbladder surgery. I didn’t even know something was wrong until I saw her hunched over outside the barn. Apparently she’d been having digestive issues for years. And even after the gallbladder attack, she still refused surgery. Honestly, I think it was me telling her about you, and my suggestion to have you move here, that motivated her to go in at all.”
“That’s . . . crazy.”
She sighs. “That’s Ginny.”
“Well, Zoe asked if her friend could board her horse here. If Ginny agrees—which I’m pretty sure she will—then she’ll have an excuse to go back into town for a new horseshoe.”
“Huh.” I turn to find Meredith with her arms folded over her chest, smiling at me.
“What?”
I get a tiny head shake in response. “Come on. We’re going to grab dinner at the rodeo. Jesse can meet us there.” She ropes an arm around my shoulders. “You two have been spending a lot of time together.”
If, by a lot of time, she means every moment that we’re not at work, then she’d be right. I honestly didn’t think that anyone had noticed, but I guess I was wrong. I duck my head as I feel my cheeks begin to burn.
“And you haven’t had any issues?” She hesitates. “I’m asking as your doctor, not as a nosy mother.”
“No issues.” Nothing but hours feeling like I’ve fallen and somehow landed in my own private heaven.
“Good. I’m glad.” Her words are encouraging, but the worried frown over her brow has me second-guessing her.