Absolution(78)

“I can’t blame her for wanting him to see her through rose-tinted glasses for just a little bit longer. I think that’s natural.”

“It’s dangerous, is what it is.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What happens when he finds out about all this stuff, the stuff she wants to keep hidden from him? How do you think he’ll react then? That’s a lot of shit to dump on someone who carries the kind of guilt that Jack does.”

“So you still think he’s gonna take off, at some point?”

He thought about the conversation he had with Jack in the car outside Barney’s. “I think it’s still on the table, yeah.”

“So you’re trying to protect her?”

He glared at her. “Obviously.”

She sat back in her chair, sighing. “She was so nervous on Friday night. I guess it was like a first date all over again.”

“We talked about that this morning when I went over there. I don’t know what happened because she didn’t exactly say, but she seemed pretty shaken up.”

“Even more reason not to push her into anything tonight, but I guess it’s too late for that now.”

Callum sat back in his chair and rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay.”

“So, any idea how you’re gonna work your way out of the doghouse this time?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Thought I’d give her a little space and see what happens.”

“Probably a good idea.”

“I’ll see her at the pool tomorrow night anyway. Hopefully she’s talking to me again by then.” He checked his watch. “Look, I gotta get going. I’ve got some stuff I need to do.”

As he walked out towards his car, he would’ve given everything he owned to have been able to drive over to Tom’s house, drag Jack out, throw him into his car and follow him to make sure he left town – for good, this time.

It would sure make things a hell of a lot simpler.



Ally glanced over the table at Jack, who seemed immersed in the menu. The diner was busy today. As seemed to be her usual state around Jack lately, she was filled with a strange mix of excitement and anxiety.

A distinct murmur had gone through the diner when they arrived together, and although Jack didn’t comment on it, she was sure he had heard it too. She wasn’t sure if that was the reason behind him choosing a corner booth or not, but it suited her. People would just have to get used to seeing them together – that was all there was to it. She tried not to let it bother her as she perused the menu.

“BLT,” she said finally, folding the menu up and laying it on the table beside her.

“That’s my line,” he smiled. “I thought you’d be all over the cheeseburger and fries, with extra cheese.”

“Not so much into the greasy stuff these days,” she shrugged.

There was much more to take into consideration now, and a healthy diet was better for her long-suffering system than a diet of grease and junk food. But he didn’t need to know any of that.

The waitress came to take their order and they chatted easily while they waited for their meals to arrive. It wasn’t until after they had finished eating that she overheard something from a nearby table.

Tom’s name, and Jack’s. And something she wished she hadn’t heard.

She looked over at him, and she could tell from the pained look on his face that he had heard it, too. The gossipers themselves seemed oblivious to the fact that they had been talking loud enough for half the diner to hear them. She hated gossip. It was rude and usually factually incorrect. She wanted to go over there and tell them to mind their own damn business, but she knew all that would do was give it credence. It seemed to feed on itself, and she was damned if she was going to be part of that.

“Ignore them,” she said firmly, catching Jack’s attention and holding it. “You know what it’s like around here, it’s a full-time occupation for some people. Don’t let it get to you. They’ll move onto someone else soon enough.”

He smiled tightly, but she could see it had hit a raw nerve. Better they got out of here and left the busy-bodies to it.

“Come on, let’s go,” she said, pushing her empty coffee cup away and slipping her jacket on. “It’s too nice outside to spend any more time in here listening to that crap.”

Jack quickly signaled the waitress for the bill. “You’re right. About that, and about the weather.”