Page 22 of Clean Sweep
“I’m looking at something else.” Landon leaned back in the chair. “I’m not 100% sure what it is yet, but . . . I have a feeling I’ll stumble on it. Maybe a park ranger or an auto mechanic or something simple.”
Leslie’s gaze dropped to the table top. Her eyes widened. “Okay,” she murmured.
Her modulated tone struck more fear in my heart on Landon’s behalf than the flared nostrils and tensed neck. Based on the puzzlement in her voice, she worked this out with each word she spoke.
“Okay.” She nodded once, lips pressed again. “I . . . okay. I guess there’s a lot to talk about, isn’t there?”
“This has nothing to do with me!” Starla blurted out, then slapped a hand over her mouth. Landon’s mouth tightened at the lips. His grip on her wrist seemed a little firmer. Blake looked up at this, crumbs from the cornbread on his lips. Celeste’s mouth hung half open.
As if she couldn’t hold it in, Starla cried, “I’m sorry, I just . . . I didn’t want you to think that our engagement had anything to do with his decision to leave medical school. I’m not pregnant, he wanted to stop medical school before I met him, and I love him so much.”
An eternity followed.
This lunch would hit the record books.
To my shock, Leslie softened. She reached out and put a hand on Starla’s arm. With a gaze full of long-suffering she said, “I understand, Starla, and I don’t blame you. Landon is his own man and always has been.”
Landon’s tight jaw loosened ever-so-slightly, but he watched his mom like he anticipated an attack. He should. If she didn’t, I might. Leslie glanced at him, and a flash of murderous rage caught me by surprise. It disappeared, but Landon hadn’t missed it. I bit back a laugh when he paled.
Oh, he was in for it.
A saccharine sweetness coated her voice when she spoke next. One that was subtle enough to pass by Starla’s terror unrecognized, but obvious for the rest of us.
“Let’s talk about this more in-depth after lunch,” Leslie said. She gazed around, looking at empty plates and dishes. “Landon, would you and Starla mind being on dish duty? Celeste and Blake, you can package up all the food that’s leftover, please. We’ll send it back to Jackson City with you tonight if anyone wants some.”
Then Leslie’s gaze slammed right into mine, sending a shockwave ripple all the way through my body.
“Tanner? May I please speak with you outside?”
5
LESLIE
My mind looped around itself, zooming like a race car.
I can’t do this.
I can’t do this.
I can’t do this.
The only thing that kept me from absolutely exploding was knowing that I had to step outside and talk to Tanner. Tanner, the impossibly handsome, had-to-be-here-at-the-exact-wrong-moment father of Celeste. Tanner, who stood back like an awkward shadow and tried to look everywherebutat me.
Why had I invited them in?
Why had I said yes to this lunch without talking to Landon in private first?
Why was my son such an idiot?
Tanner disappeared out the front door as soon he’d nodded to my request, as if he couldn’t get out fast enough.
Not that I could blame him.
I didn’t even know what I was going to say, I just knew I needed air. That the room around me thickened and wavered. If I had to maintain this facade for one more second, I wouldexplode.
The kids had zipped right to their assigned chores, and a friendly banter filled the air. Banishing the panicked thoughts, I yanked on a jacket and stepped outside.
Tanner stood on the porch, hands in his pockets. He stared out as I shut the door behind me and joined him. Neither of us looked at each other. I gazed on the empty neighborhood, the mountains in the distance, and the dirty rims of his truck. How often did he wash it?
