Page 56 of Lost Hours
“Then please take me to Paisley.”
“This way.” Amy traveled to the end of the small room and turned left.
Nolan let Mina go first, and they kept up with Amy until she stopped in the middle of the room beside a plush booth. “This is Ernie’s favorite spot. Go ahead and have a seat, and I’ll send Paisley out to you.”
She rushed off, and Mina and Nolan slid into the booth on opposite sides of the table.
Mina’s focus remained on Amy as she disappeared through swinging doors. “Obviously, they haven’t heard about the mayor’s death. I’m glad it hasn’t made the grapevine yet.”
“Surprising for this town.” His proximity to Mina in the small booth left him uncomfortable, and he clamped his hands on his knees to keep from fidgeting. “Which is one of the reasons I found it hard to believe that the hotel clerk couldn’t find you that summer.”
She whipped her head around to study him. “Abby told me you followed up with Tommy.”
He wasn’t sure if now was a good time to talk about it, but they didn’t have anything else to do. “I didn’t give up until I talked to your parents.”
She locked gazes with him. “They never told me.”
He worked hard to keep his mouth from falling open. “All this time, I thought you were blowing me off.”
Her eyes softened, and she rested her hands on the table. “Just the opposite. For a very long time, I hoped you would come back. But when you didn’t, I had to move on, and that meant leaving town. Too many memories with you here.”
He wanted to take her hands, but didn’t know how she would react, so he resisted the urge. “I thought coming back here would be easy. That the beauty of the area and the scenery would take over. Enjoy the friendliness of the residents.”
“But it hasn’t been that way?” She looked like she was holding her breath as she waited for his answer.
“No,” he all but whispered. “I see you at every turn and remember the amazing week we had together.” He gave in and placed his hand over hers, the touch going straight to his heart. “Since this was all a misunderstanding, maybe we should give things between us another chance.”
“I don’t know.” She closed her eyes for a long moment. When she opened them he could see the doubt lodged there.
He tightened his hand on hers. “You still don’t believe me. Don’t trust me.”
She didn’t answer right away but took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve believed the worst of you for five years. It’s going to take me more than a day to change that.”
He studied her expression and found something else. Something he couldn’t decipher. But he would take a stab at it. “You need to talk to your parents, don’t you? You need to be sure that I did indeed go to their house back then.”
She jerked her hands free. “I’m sorry. I do.”
He wanted to keep pushing. To win her trust, but he could do no more for now. He had to give her time and space. Let her work things out for herself.
A short, dark-haired woman wearing a white blouse, black pants, and white apron approached the table. “Hi, Sheriff. Amy says you need to talk to me.”
Mina shifted to face the server. “Thank you for seeing us, Paisley. We have some questions about Mayor Sutton.”
Paisley’s eyes narrowed. “What do you need to know?”
“Did he have lunch here yesterday?”
“He did.”
“Was he alone?”
Paisley shook her head, and her ponytail swung in arcs behind her. “He was with a man I didn’t recognize. Usually Ernie introduces me to his guests, but this time he didn’t say a word.”
“Was it a business meal?” Nolan asked.
Paisley narrowed her gaze. “Didn’t seem like it.”
“Were they friendly?” Mina asked.
