Murder in the Marigolds by Dale Mayer (good books to read for 12 year olds txt) 📗

“Ha,” he said, “and maybe, just maybe, you were a little homesick and a little lost and a little lonely.”

“And you think I went with him for that?”

“Sure, it makes sense to me,” he said. “Maybe this is too much for you here.”

“What is too much?” she cried out, looking at him in surprise.

“Figuring out how to live on your own.”

“Didn’t you just hear me? I said freedom is what I was enjoying.”

“But maybe it’s not what you really want.”

She glared at him, her hands on her hips, and said, “It is.”

“So then you’re never getting married again, are you?”

“I don’t know if I am,” she said, raising both hands in frustration. “It’s too early to tell. I’m still caught up in this mess. Besides, what is it to you?”

He stopped, looked at her, and said, “Really?”

Something was going on here, and it had do with the relationship between the two of them. She just didn’t know how she would say anything to him. “I’m not ready,” she blurted out.

“And I get that,” he said, “and honestly I’m good with that.”

“You are?” she asked cautiously.

“Absolutely.”

He got to the front door, and she said, “I don’t want you to be mad.”

He looked at her, his expression gentle, as he shook his head. “I’m not mad,” he said. “If anything, this is actually encouraging.”

She tilted her head to the side. “In what way?”

“Well, maybe you were looking at going back with him,” he said cheerfully.

“I wasn’t,” she said.

He nodded. “And I didn’t believe you the first time,” he said, with a grin, “but I do now.” He lifted his hand and said, “We’ll talk later.”

“If you’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” he said. “No pressure.”

She smiled. “Thank you. You’re really a nice man.”

His head popped back in the doorway, and he shook it at her. “Don’t say that to a guy. It’s really not a compliment.” At that, he laughed.

She ran to the door to watch, her heart twisting a little as he pulled away, mesmerized by that grin on his face when he reached a hand out his truck window and said, “I’ll be back.”

Chapter 11

Monday, Nearly Noon …

Doreen nodded, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned against the doorjamb. Since he’d come into her life, he’d shown her something completely different in a man. Something completely different in a relationship. They were friends. Could friends become lovers? They certainly did the world over. Was it a good idea? She knew Nan would be dying for Doreen to jump into bed with Mack. But it wasn’t the whole bed thing that bothered her; it was what had happened afterward in her marriage that was the problem. That was where she’d become less than a whole person.

And how did that even work? How was she supposed to have faith in herself when she was the one who had made all these decisions that resulted in her being the person kicked out after all those years, the one who didn’t even fight for her own divorce settlement. As she saw her ex for the first time since she had left, she now realized just how much she had helped build up his business and how much she was a part of what he had created. And, for the first time, what Nick had said to her made sense.

She pulled out her phone and called him. “I don’t know if you know this,” she said, “but my ex was here today. Mack is on his way down to the station to talk to him.”

“Interesting,” Nick said in surprise. “What did he want to talk about?”

“Well, it was bizarre because he actually mentioned twice that he wanted me back.”

There was silence on the other end. And then he finally said, “So, are you going back?”

“Oh no, no, not at all,” she said, laughing. “I went for a walk with him because I was curious to see what he was up to. You know? To figure out just what shenanigans he was up to because he is that guy. But he did mention it several times and, only after I stopped to see Nan, and then Mack showed up, did I figure out the real reason Mathew wanted to go for a walk. He had somebody search my house while I was gone.”

“What?” Nick asked in outrage.

“Yes, and, of course, you’ll confirm with your brother, but I think Mathew was after Robin, the crooked lawyer’s, laptop.”

“And why would he want that?” he muttered.

“Well, I can think of all kinds of reasons,” she said, “but none of them good.”

“Of course not. Interesting that he actually flew down.”

“He has apparently asked to be allowed to get on his scheduled flight tonight,” she said. “I’m hoping Mack has a reason to keep him.”

“Me too. I’d love a chance to talk with him.”

“But you don’t get to, do you?”

“Only if he is willing,” he said. “But, otherwise, no, we’ll go through his lawyer.”

“We did talk about the fact that he doesn’t think I’m owed anything. But, at the beginning, he mentioned a possible settlement, but I think he was just trying to keep me off-center.”

“Oh, ouch.”

“No, it was a good conversation,” she said.

“And I suppose now you want me to drop everything,” he said in a resigned tone.

“Actually, no, I don’t,” she said. “As Mathew and I talked, I came to realize how much I had contributed to his business all those years and how I was actually a partner in things and not just plastic arm candy. Arm candy was the job description, and I played it very well, but it was almost twenty-four hours a day,” she said, as she stared out at the deck. “I’m not sure what kind of money we’re talking about, but I really don’t want him to get away with all of it.”

“Good,” he said. “In that case, I’m glad