Wednesday, September 9, 2020
9:15 a.m.
Tension rippled up Ann’s back as she stood behind the lectern at the head of the class. She glanced up toward the clock; her nine-thirty class would not arrive for another fifteen minutes, but she was already wishing away the next hour. Normally, she did not arrive to her classroom so early, like she had when she was a new teacher. But today, sitting in her office was nearly unbearable.
The secrets of the past were clawing their way to the surface, and she was terrified what it would mean for Nate.
She glanced at her notes, tried to focus on the day’s lecture. She had given this class and its lectures twice during the last academic year and was so well versed in the subject that she did not really need notes. But as she stared at the neatly typed words, her thoughts jumped back in time to the night she had been alone with Elijah at the student center.
He had been a gentle lover, handling her as if she were made of a fine china. That had bothered her, because she had craved something rougher, more primal, the kind of joining an anonymous couple might share.
When it was over, she had not found the release she had been seeking. And Elijah had stared at her with eyes that reflected a kind of puppy love that only made her feel worse. She had been his first, he whispered, and he wanted to see her again.
Ann had dressed quickly, gathered her books, and told him it would not be possible. She was already practicing her denials, but he insisted on walking her home, which she allowed in order to avoid a scene.
Ann had not been totally honest with Joan. She had seen Elijah again a few days later . . .
“I did it wrong the last time,” he said, closing the door behind him.
All traces of the sensitive young man were gone, and in his place was a darker, edgier persona. “What?”
Nerves in her belly tightened, even as a thrill of excitement shot through her. Last night, Clarke had come by. They had had sex, but she had gone through the motions.
“You want it different.” There was emotion. “I saw.”
“What?” She moistened her lips.
“Take your shirt off.”
“What?”
“Do it.”
Intrigued, she reached for the hem of her blouse and pulled it over her head. Her nipples hardened under the thin fabric of her bra.
“Take all of it off,” he said.
“What about you?”
“This is what you want, isn’t it?”
She hesitated before whispering, “Yes.”
“Then get naked.”
She slid off her bra and then her jeans and panties. When she stood bare before him, he smoothed his hands over her shoulders and then turned her toward the wall. He did not hurt her but held her firmly in place as he leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck. His pants zipper opened, and then he pushed into her hard. She gasped, curling her fingers into fists, and arched toward him.
When she came, she went limp against the wall, her heart pounding fast.
“You won’t forget this fuck. Ever,” he said.
And then her house had burned to the ground. And then the doctor told her she was pregnant. And then Clarke and she were married. And then . . .
Steady footsteps sounded in the hallway outside her room, and she knew it was Clarke. His heels always struck the ground as if he were rushing to the next fire.
Color rose in Ann’s cheeks, as if she had been caught recalling the forbidden. She closed her notebook and braced for another sales pitch involving her moving back into town. His wide shoulders filled the doorway, and he was dressed in his uniform.
He strode down the aisle between the long tables set up classroom-style. His aftershave curled around a lingering scent of smoke and reached out for her. Ann had always loved his scent. For a second, he was the old Clarke, and she was the old Ann. Surprised and troubled, she cleared her throat.
“Your office said you came to the classroom early,” he said. “You didn’t answer your cell.”
“It’s on silent.”
“What if Nate needs you?”
“I can see his texts.”
“Is he all right?” Clarke asked.
“He’s fine.” Nate had been curious about the damage and insisted on inspecting it before school. Boys his age were naturally inquisitive, so she’d chalked up his curiosity to his gender. “I dropped him off at school and will pick him up by one thirty so he can audit his university math class.”
“He wasn’t traumatized?”
“Not at all.”
That seemed to please him. “A chip off the old block.”
“Yes,” she said carefully. “He’s not afraid.”
Dark eyes glistened with pride. “You’re sure he’s fine?”
“Positive.”
“He’s spending next Wednesday night with me, right?”
“He’s looking forward to it.” Which was true. Nate and Clarke were very different in so many ways, but that did not undercut the love.
“Have you thought any more about returning to town permanently? If you come back to town, we’d have a better chance of figuring this all out, whatever it is. I can find an apartment for a few months.”
“We’re staying put, Clarke.”
“We have to talk about all this soon.”
“I know. And we will. I promise.”
He looked as if he wanted to pull her into an embrace but instead cleared his throat. “What about the damage at the ranch?”
She was relieved to be off the topic of them. “I’ve already called the ranch manager, and he’s coming out midday with his crew to see what he can do about the cleanup. Have you inspected the damage?”
“I’m headed out there now.”
She did not like the idea of him on her property without her there. It was not that she expected him to do anything nefarious, but the ranch was her space, not theirs, and he did not belong there.
“Okay.”
“I’ll warn you now, Ann, that last night’s fire had all the hallmarks of the College Fire.” As he stepped toward her, she sensed the restrained energy. He was trying to maintain a calm front, like a cowboy wooing a wild mare, but it was a struggle. “Elijah set that fire.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I can’t prove it yet. But I will.”
“Joan believes he might not have set the College Fire.”
His gaze darkened. “Then she’s a damn fool. What the hell is it with her?”
“She’s trying to make sure no one else gets hurt.”
He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “You know why she’s out here, right?”
“Because Elijah was released from prison.”
“That’s a convenient excuse. She’s been put on leave by the Philadelphia police. She’ll likely lose her job soon.”
“How do you know that?”
“I made some calls. She screwed up an investigation. Miscalculated her interviewing prowess, which led to the release of a crazy woman who’d burned her roommate alive. Joan is fast and loose with the facts now, just as she was in college.”
“That’s not true.”
“I know she painted me as some kind of albatross around your neck in college.”
“Joan had nothing to do with our breakup. You wanted to get married, and I wanted to wait. You pushed, and I felt backed into a corner.” Footsteps sounded outside the classroom. “I don’t want to get into this with you now.”
“We need to talk about this.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“My son was in your home when the shed caught fire.”
A muscle pulsed in his jaw, as it did when he regrouped. “Come to dinner with Nate and me next Wednesday. It would be nice for the three of us to share a meal as a family.”
“We’ll have family time at his birthday party. It’ll be fun.” She added the last bit just as much to convince herself as him.
“That’s not the same. I want the three of us to share at least one meal.”
She drew in a slow breath. “All right. Next Wednesday. Got it.”
His frown softened into a grin. “Thank you.”
“Sure. Of course.”
The classroom door opened, and two young women walked in. Clarke stepped back. “I’ll pick Nate up after his class and see you later tonight when I drop him off,” he said quietly.
“Nate finishes with class at three.”
“Good.” He glanced over his shoulder at another set of students. “See you then.”
“Terrific.”
Clarke strode down the center, pausing for several girls to pass, and then went out the door. Ann carefully opened her lecture material and tried to refocus.
A few whispers rose up among the women and men, and she raised her gaze to see Elijah walking in, his textbook tucked under his arm. If he was aware of the comments, he did not show it. His pace was unhurried and his posture relaxed as he took a seat in the front row. He carefully opened his notebook and clicked the end of his pen before he looked up and smiled at her. “Good morning, Professor Bailey.”
Gideon returned to the jail as Ryan was being processed out. It had taken the young man a day to recover from his binge and another to find a bondsman before he could post bail with the magistrate.