His eyes lit up, and he puffed up his chest a bit. He leaned toward her, Mr. Discreet in the flesh, and told her about several crucial congressmen who’d agreed to coauthor a bill that would greatly increase future profits for CONSOL coal mining, Day’s biggest client. As he talked, she remembered how proud he’d been when he was accepted to West Virginia University for a degree in mining engineering, like his father, and not an Ivy League school. His father had remarried a sweet young thing—that was the only name Day ever used when talking about his stepmom. They were living outside of Denver, his father working on the board of a mining conglomerate. His father’s name still counted, and he’d helped Day meet the right people at CONSOL. It had been the perfect springboard for him.

She listened as he laid out what the proposed bill would do for his client, tried to share in his budding excitement, but her mind kept going back to a big shaggy dog named Smack sleeping on Davis’s feet.

When he pulled into the driveway of her condo on Vanderbilt Street, he turned in the seat and said, “Sit tight. I’ll get the car door.”

She waited for him to open her car door for her, as he always insisted on doing, and walked with him to the glowing porch light she always kept on. She yawned as she stuck her key into the front door.

“May I come in for a while?” he asked.

“Goodness, I’m sorry, Day, I’m stressed out, I guess, and—”

He took her shoulders in his hands, turned her, leaned down and kissed her. She stilled. Oh, no, she thought. Oh, no, this can’t be happening. Not Day. She’d sensed he’d been hinting at this, but she’d ignored it. She’d foolishly thought he would understand she wouldn’t follow him there. He lifted his head and looked down at her as he splayed his hands on either side of her head. He rubbed his cheek against hers and clasped her shoulders.

“Day, please, no, I—”

“Why not? Perry, you know I’ve been patient. You know I’ve wanted this. I’ve given you plenty of time to see me as a man who loves you. We’re not playmates any longer. It’s time, really, it’s time. I want you to marry me. Let’s go inside.”

She didn’t know what to say. Years ago, as a teenager, she’d have thought about it, maybe, but that was a different world. She’d rather cut off her arm than hurt him, but she had to stop this. Day, I’m sorry, but I don’t feel the same way. You’re my dear friend, you have been for my entire life, but I simply don’t love you, not in that way, not the way a woman loves a man.

She couldn’t get the words out, simply couldn’t. Maybe what she felt for him could shift and change and evolve, maybe. But tonight, she couldn’t handle it. She kept her voice calm and smooth. “Day, there’s so much going on right now, I simply can’t think of this, of us. We need to wait for this mess with my mom to get resolved, then maybe we can talk—”

He pulled back but kept his hands around her shoulders. “I’m surprised you didn’t know, Perry. Even my mom knows how I feel about you. Do you know she tried to convince me it wouldn’t work because we were raised together, like brother and sister, that all these feelings I have for you will go away when I meet the right girl? She loves you, though. You’ll both change your mind, you’ll see.” He stepped back, sighed. “I told her I was going to ask you to marry me tonight. I have the ring in my pocket.” He stopped, sighed again. “At least you’re not turning me down flat.” He gave her a twisted smile. “I don’t suppose you’d like to see the ring? No, I guess not. We’ll talk again when you’re ready, Perry, when all this is cleared up, all right?”

She nodded. “I think my mom would agree with yours.”

“All three of you are wrong.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead, stared down at her for a long second, and turned away.

Perry watched him as he walked to his car, watched the car cruise slowly down her quiet street. She stepped inside her condo, punched in her alarm code, and took off her heels, her toes breathing a sigh of relief. She walked into the kitchen, pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge, and looked out over her darkened driveway as she slugged it down.

She froze. She couldn’t believe it. Her beloved Harley was lying on its side, bashed to pieces.

Cranford Motel
Outside Mallardville, Virginia

Wednesday night

Blessed could walk now, his steps steady and smooth. He could even run if he had to, but not far, no, not too far yet. He was getting stronger by the day, though it was slow and hard going. But what was even harder to bear was realizing the part of him that was missing, a power that had bathed his very being with light and strength for as long as he could remember.