Page 41 of Out to Get Her
A redheaded woman with the same bright blue apron and a name tag that said “Theresa” placed a tall glass of ice water on the counter in front of Erin.
She didn’t realize how thirsty she was until she saw the condensation already dripping down the cold glass, but she sure as heck wouldn’t give Addie the satisfaction of drinking that.
Addie pointed at the glass. “My conscience is clear. How’s yours?”
“My conscience is just fine these days.” Erin resisted the urge to wet her lips.
“What’s this nonsense about a tire? You really got a problem or heat stroke?”
Erin was beginning to doubt her theory now. Addie seemed genuinely confused. And Erin had seen this woman in action enough to know that she was definitely not this good of an actress. Addie wore every emotion on her sleeve.
Still, it was all she had to go on. Someone destroyed Erin’s tire. Addie was the only one with a reason. Or at least with a visible grudge.
“You accused me of arson, stormed out of a cafe—”
“I did not storm out of anywhere!”
“—and then when I went outside to my car a few minutes later,someonehad slashed my tire.”
Addie’s lip quivered slightly as the woman was at a complete loss for words.
Dang it. Erin had been sure it had to be her.
“You thinkIdid that?”
“No one else was around,” Erin said. “Especially no one else who hated me as much as you do.”
Addie looked genuinely hurt by that. So much that Erin almost felt guilty about the accusation.
“I don’thateyou,” Addie said, her voice wavering slightly.
“You sure act like it.”
Her and everyone else around here. Erin was used to it. They all thought whatever they wanted about her, and they all decided long ago how Erin fit in their little pecking order. Spoiler: she didn’t fit at all.
So she was used to people hating whoever they thought she was.
She just wasn’t used to the vandalism.
Or the murder.
“I…” Addie paused, hunting down the right thing to say. “I just thought your grandpa gave you too much leeway. Since your parents… well, I know that was hard on everyone. Y’all were doing your best, but you have to know you didn’t always make the greatest choices.”
That was fair.
Dang it. She didn’t come here to agree with Adeline Weaver about anything.
“Wait a minute.” Addie slammed her towel on the counter and pointed a pink-painted finger at Erin. “You thought I stuck a knife in your tire, and you came here to call me out on it?” She lowered her hand onto the counter and looked Erin up and down. “You don’t scare easy, do you?”
“Never have.”
Addie nodded. “Good. Stay right there. And drink that.”
She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Erin alone at the counter.
Aw, hell.
She picked up the sweaty glass and took a long gulp of ice cold water, closing her eyes as the welcome liquid quenched her thirst and awakened her senses. She took gulp after gulp, glad Addie wasn’t around to see she was right about Erin needing water, then placed the empty glass back on the counter.
