Page 25 of Dead Man's Alibi

Or he would be, if Jill wasn’t giving him the cold shoulder.

So she hadn’t liked that comment about Jakeofferingsomething.But he hadn’t been so far off base, had he?

Off base and being a dick on purpose to create distance after taking a step toward connection this morning.

He heardthatin his therapist’s voice.He decided to ignore it because she wasn’t right about everything.

Maybe.

Sam and Nate left first, followed by Jill and Glenda.Cal didn’t want to dawdle in happily married land, so he was on Glenda’s heels out the door.

“Did you read my notes on your scene?”he asked Jill, hoping she might have some more questions for him.

She didn’t so much as look at him.“Yep.”Then she strode forward at a quick clip, leaving him and Glenda in her dust.

“She’s not happy with you,” Glenda offered in her raspy voice.

It was still strange to have her talking.She still didn’t do it much.There were no superfluous words from Glenda Harrington, but she communicated what she wanted.

Like the obvious, apparently.

Cal shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.“Can’t imagine why.”

Glenda eyed him.It didn’t feelquiteso unnerving as it had before he’d remembered everything.

You hope you remember everything.

Which was not a thought he wanted to be having at all.

“If I were you, I’d come by the cabin in the morning and apologize.With donuts.”

He glanced down at the old woman.“You trying to get some donuts out of the deal, Glenda?”

She made a noncommittal noise, but he recognized that gleam in her eye.It was a gleam Aly sometimes got.

And they were both wrong to get it.So he should probably stop ignoring it and start cutting it off at the pass.

“Just so you know, I think your granddaughter is pretty great,” Cal said, not wanting to piss any more women off today.But…

“But?”Glenda asked, as if she could read his thoughts.

Hell, maybe she could.

Cal sighed.Weirdly, of everyone, he felt like he could be the most honest with Glenda.Of everyone in his orbit, she felt the most…likehim.After all, her traumas had led her to not speak for nearly twenty years, if not longer.She’d made some questionable decisions in the face of trauma.

Maybe she’d understand.

“ButI’mnot so great.”

Glenda inhaled, let it out.Then she shook her head and began to walk toward her truck where Jill was sitting in the driver’s seat.Waiting.

“Not so bad either,” she grumbled as a parting shot.

As shots went, it hit pretty hard.

Because he didn’t believe her, but he wished he did.

Chapter Nine