Page 75 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

“Nothing.” She tapped the table with her index finger. “But that doesn’t stop me from wishing I could.” She snagged a packet of sweetener from the container. Then she turned her incisive gaze on him. “Now, what about you?”

An icy dread of fear snaked up and down his spine. He cleared his throat. “Really nothing to see here. Honestly.”

“Well, we have to find a way to prove your innocence.”

God, she was an amazing woman. Her eyes lit fire and her stance was that of a warrior—poised for battle.

“I don’t have innocence to prove.”That sounds wrong.“I didn’t do it. I know that. There won’t be any evidence because I haven’t been in Cali in two months.”

“But you used to be. You used to spend a lot of time with her.”

Mitch winced. “Not my finest moments.”

“One OJ, one coffee, and one tea.” Sarabeth laid the drinks on the table. “And the food order’s placed. We’re pretty quiet, so it shouldn’t be long.”

“Thank you.” Here, at least, Mitch could offer gratitude.

She gave them a smile before heading to another table where a patron was signalling.

“How much time?”

In other words—what was the level of intimacy between the two of them?

“Enough that I thought I knew her. She certainly knew everything about me.”

This time, Loriana cringed. “So there might be evidence of you. Of your presence.”

Here, he could reassure. “She’s, uh, anal retentive. Like massive obsessive. She’s not diagnosed—and I would never venture such—but she hired an entire cleaning crew to do her house once a week. Everything—and I mean everything—was done. Unless she kept something of mine, and I can’t think what it might be, there’d be no proof of me in her house.”

“Fair enough.”

“Look, I appreciate you wanting to help—”

“To stick my nose in things.”

“—but I really should be okay. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

She opened the metal teapot and stirred the tea bag. “The prisons have plenty of innocent people in them.”

That he couldn’t argue with. He added a dollop of milk to his coffee and stirred contemplatively. “So you’re planning a Christmas thing.”

She narrowed her gaze. “I see what you’re doing.”

He held up his hands in anI mean you no harmgesture. “I’m just curious.”

“Because you’ll come?” Her face lit with eager anticipation.

“I’ll think about it.”

“You going to see your dad?”

Awkward.“No. He’s not interested in me, and I don’t see why I’d put myself out there.”

“That’s really sad.”

He reached across the table to place his hand on hers. “Will you be in contact with your parents?”

She rotated her hand so their palms met and their fingers could intertwine.

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