Page 61 of Exposure of Murder

“Sounds like fun,” she replied.

Ethan couldn’t help noticing she was shivering. “Come on, let’s get you home so you can get warm.”

“This has been fun, but dang, it’s chilly tonight,” Jane said. They walked back to Ethan’s truck, and he drove her home. Pulling into her driveway, he turned off the truck.

Ethan didn’t want the evening to end. He hadn’t had this much fun in a long time, but if Jane were tired, he’d walk her to the door and leave.

“Are you coming in?” she asked, a glint of hope in her eyes. “We can make a fire and talk.” She bit her lip.

The invitation was clear.

Thirty-Two

That settled it. Who was he to disappoint a woman who invited him in? “I’d love to.”

They shucked their coats in the front hall. Ethan noticed wood already set up in the fireplace.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.

“Are you having something?”

“I think I’ll have a glass of sherry.” She glanced around the room. “It’s a perfect night for it.”

Okay then, they were doing this. “If you have scotch or bourbon, I’ll have a glass, and I can light the fire, if you want.”

“Definitely light it. I have bourbon. Is that all right?” Jane said.

“Works for me.”

Jane walked back into the kitchen while Ethan found long matches, checked the setup of the wood, adjusting it a little to burn better, and ensured the flue was open. No sense lighting it, then burning down her house on the first date.

Ethan glanced around the room, taking in details he’d overlooked before.

Framed pictures of family were on the bookshelves. He picked one up. A smiling man had his arms around Jane. He’d bet that was Mike. They looked so happy together.

The walls were adorned with pictures capturing family moments at the beach, possibly in Florida, as well as pictures of friends and different events. Everyone was smiling.

He looked at the bookshelves. There was a selection of books by famous authors, books on the history of Beaver Creek—he’d like to read one of those—and Jane’s novels. She’d written quite a few.

He picked one up and flipped through it. It seemed well-written, and she seemed to have a good deal of knowledge about crime. He winced. That was kind of scary, considering her pond was the scene of a crime. He placed the book back on the shelf.

Why had she given up writing? One of these days, he’d ask her about that.

“Here you go.” Jane returned with their drinks and handed one to him.

“Is this your husband?” He pointed to the one picture.

“Yes.” She gave a small smile. “Mike was always smiling like that.”

“You must miss him a lot.” It was a statement. No one could deny the love in their eyes. Had Corrine ever looked like that at him? Bah. No sense getting maudlin over what was. He was here with a beautiful, sexy, smart woman.

Jane placed the drinks on the coffee table and sat next to him. “I do, but a lot of the pain of his passing is gone, and now I just have good memories to replace it.”

“The pain of loss never goes away, does it?”

She shook her head. “No, but it gets easier with time. Do you still feel the pain of heartbreak when you think of Corrine?”

Corrine! Ethan wondered how she found out about her. He shouldn’t—small town, big gossip. And her friends knew about Corrine and him. No mystery there.

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