A Life Beyond Us novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: Open House

Tom's POV

The open house was on Linden Street, a white colonial with a sign out front and Darcy's face on it.

I sat in the truck across the road for ten minutes with my hands on the wheel.

I had told Maura where I was going.

Rule one.

She hadn't liked it, and she hadn't stopped me either.

"Keep your phone in your shirt pocket," she'd said, "and turn on the voice memo before you ring the bell."

I turned it on.

I got out and crossed the street.

Inside, the house smelled of baked cookies that nobody had baked.

Darcy stood in the kitchen in a green dress with a clipboard, alone, and she looked up and smiled.

"Tom Poynter. In my house."

"It isn't your house."

"For three hours it is." She set the clipboard on the island. "Did you come to make an offer?"

"I came to ask what you want."

"Oh, honey."

She walked around the island slowly, and I stayed by the door.

"I've told you what I want for six years," she said. "You were just too polite to hear it."

"I was married."

"You were divorced that night. You were sobbing in my passenger seat and holding my hand."

"I was drunk and holding anything that was warm."

Her mouth went tight for a second.

Then it smoothed.

"I want one night," she said. "Tonight, room fourteen, eleven o'clock. No Maura, no Hugh. You walk in, you stay till morning, and I delete every file I own."

"No."

"You haven't thought about it."

"I thought about it when you texted me last night. I thought about it this morning. The answer's the same."

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