Page 7 of Vanishing Point
Men.They had all the luck.
He smiled. Kindly. But she recognized that type of kind. It was saved for victims.
Vi turned to look at Rosalie. Shock and betrayal stung deep. She’d done this. She’d…toldhim. “Why did you do this?”
Rosalie got that stubborn look about her, dark blue eyes flashing. “Because I wanted someone’s professional opinion.”
“It’s not yours to want a professional opinion on,” Vi said through gritted teeth. She turned to Thomas, trying to smile. “She shouldn’t have brought you all the way out here.”
He looked completed unfazed by any of this. He shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
“Surely whoever you go home to minds.”
“Not going home to anyone these days.”
He said that without breaking eye contact, with that same, easy forthrightness he’d always had. And she blushed in spite of herself, because that had sounded like fishing.
Because it was. Even though it shouldn’t be and she hadn’t reallymeantto fish. “I… I didn’t mean it like that.”
His smile was still kind, but a little…something else. Not pitying, she knew that, because it made her heart do all those old flippy things it used to.
“I know.”
Rosalie cleared her throat. Right. Vi wasfurious, and not talking to Thomas Hart aboutanything.
“I don’t know why Rosalie has overstepped like this, but I can assure you, everything is fine.”
“Have him listen to the voicemail and we’ll see if he thinks it’s fine.”
Vi glared at Rosalie. “It’s nothing,” she said through gritted teeth again, trying to send Rosalie a million warning glares.
Rosalie took none of them. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking even more stubborn. “It’s not nothing.” She turned to Thomas. “He keeps leaving her threatening voicemails.”
“Who is he?” Thomas asked, still standing on the porch like he dealt with this kind of thing all the time.
Because he’s a cop. “No one,” Vi said bitterly. “Now, you can go—” She was trying to edge Rosalie out of the way, close the door on Thomas as nicely as she could, but Rosalie reached out a hand and stopped the door’s forward movement.
“Her ex-husband. His name is—”
Vi felt as though the blood just…rushed out of her head. Tears threatened so fast, she didn’t know how to stop them. She had worked so hard to feel in control, to get herlifeback.
Rosalie wasruining it. “How dare you,” she managed.
“I am worried about your safety, Vi. I don’t understand why you won’t take this seriously.”
“Seriously? Seriously? I got out. I got divorced. Ileft.”
“He’s still harassing you.”
“I tried to stop him. Itried. And he very nearly had me committed. So I left. I ran away. Istayaway because there’s no beating him. He wants to poke at me, what do I care? As long as he stays most of a country away,Idon’t care. I’m not risking Magnolia to try to beat him.”
“What about stopping him?” Rosalie demanded.
“There is no stopping him. There never will be.” She looked from Rosalie to Thomas, embarrassment swamping her. She could not stand here and do this. She justcouldn’t. She’d saidher piece. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to check on my daughter.” Then she turned away from both of them and stormed upstairs.
She wasn’t hungry anymore.
Chapter Three
