Death on a Deadline

anymore?”
    “Then it’s better to know and be done with it. I’m going to slip out the back door while you answer the front.”
    “Sure you don’t want to stay?”
    She laughed. “I’m positive. Call me when he leaves and I’ll be over to stay the night, though. I’m looking forward to our sleepover. Even if I am just playing the role of bodyguard.”
    We hugged carefully, being mindful of my bruised shoulder, and then she was gone.
    I opened the front door to find Alex, his arms laden with grocery bags. “Let me help you with that.”
    “Thanks, but I’ve got it. Just show me the kitchen.”
    I led the way into my small kitchen. “Can I help?”
    He unloaded his arms and motioned toward a barstool. “If you’d hold that stool down, I’d appreciate it.” He grinned. “Seriously, I’d love it if you want to talk while I cook. You need to be resting.”
    “I’ve been resting all day,” I said, but I sat down anyway. It’s amazing how a little car crash can sap your energy.
    “Do you know what happened last night?”
    “Did you eat lunch at the diner?”
    He nodded.
    “Then you probably know as much as I do.”
    “Is it true someone ran you off the road?”
    “ ’Fraid so.”
    He frowned. “Can you leave this alone?”
    I shook my head.
    “I was afraid of that.”
    I sighed. How many times could one person get the same lecture? I was going for the Olympic record. “Do you mind if we don’t talk about this tonight? I’ve already promised Mama I’d be more careful. For now, I want to forget it.”
    “Sure.”
    For the next few minutes, Alex got acquainted with my kitchen and kept up a running commentary about the food he was preparing. He opened a bag of salad into a bowl and sprinkled shredded cheese, real bacon bits, and chopped tomatoes onto the top of it. “Ranch?” he asked.
    “Do you have to ask?” We’d both always loved Ranch dressing.
    “I was hoping you still felt that way. It’s the only kind I brought.”
    When the oven was preheated, he popped the rolls in and placed the salmon on the indoor grill. “Hope you don’t mind that we’re keeping it simple tonight.”
    “This is simple?” I tried to raise an eyebrow but failed miserably. I might as well face it. At almost thirty, chances weren’t good that I would suddenly be able to pull off that little feat. Especially with the bandage on my head. “For me, this is gourmet. When did you start cooking?”
    “Right after college. I dated a girl that loved to cook, and I was fascinated by all the dishes she made. It didn’t take long for me to realize I could save myself a lot of headache and learn to cook.”
    As soon as he said the words dated a girl , jealousy seared through my stomach. It wasn’t like I thought he hadn’t dated, but he’d said it so casually.
    “So you left her brokenhearted?” My smile felt forced. Was this his normal way of doing business? Love ’em and leave ’em? Maybe I’d just been the first in a long string of women who started using his brand of soap after he left so they could still feel close to him.
    He froze with the seasoning shaker suspended above the salmon. “Not hardly.” He narrowed his eyes. “Is that what you think of me?”
    “I don’t know what to think of you,” I said quietly, my stomach churning. Why hadn’t I saved this conversation until after supper?
    “Let’s make a deal,” he said as he seasoned the salmon.
    “What?”
    He plunked the shaker down on the table. “We’ll enjoy the meal and each other’s company. Then afterwards, we’ll sit down and talk.” He extended his hand. “Deal?”
    I hesitated. Could I do it? My heart desperately wanted this time with him. I put my own hand in his. “Deal.”
    While we ate, we reminisced, but by unspoken agreement, we limited our nostalgic journey to the years before we dated. As we finished up, he sat his glass on the table. “How’s Carly doing now, really? I can’t believe she never remarried.”
    “She handles it pretty well, I think, but she has some trust issues.” I thought of her sauna confession about Elliott, but I wasn’t about to tell Alex about that.
    “Remember how you cried when she ran off with Travis to get married?” he asked.
    I nodded. “Almost like I knew what would happen, but in reality I was just fourteen and it felt like I lost my big sister. I couldn’t believe she kept it a secret from me. She was afraid I’d feel like I should tell Mom and Dad.”
    “Which