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“That’s awesome, Hez,” Savannah said when he finished. “I definitely picked the right lawyer! Do you think I’ll be in the clear by the end of the semester?”
“I think you’re in the clear now, but we should have more certainty in a couple of months.” Hez couldn’t help a note of lawyerly caution. “You never can be sure, of course.”
She gave a relieved smile. “Excellent—for both of us. You must be looking forward to getting back to Birmingham.”
“I, uh, haven’t made a decision about that.” Hez cleared his throat. “You know, Tupelo Grove has been growing on me.”
She looked down into her cup and swirled it. “Hmm. You’ll need to talk to Jess about that. I don’t know if she has a position budgeted for you after December.”
He blinked and swallowed. Savannah had trouble being direct about anything negative concerning their relationship, but her message came through loud and clear. She hadn’t asked him to stay or even hinted that she’d like it if he did. Instead, she punted to Jess, who had always resented him as an intruder. “Ah, okay. Good to know,” he forced out.
“Thanks for stopping by,” Beckett said, his frown now transformed into a smug grin.
“No problem. I just finished work and was on my way to grab some dinner.” Hez patted his midsection, though he didn’t feel hungry anymore.
A hint of concern showed in Savannah’s eyes. “You just finished work?”
He mentally kicked himself. Why had he forgotten that she hated his workaholism almost as much as his alcoholism? “I was just killing time until you were done with your grief support group. I know how hard this time of year is for both of us.” The memory of her sobbing at Ella’s grave sent a sudden jag of pain and guilt through his heart.
Savannah stared down into her cup again and said nothing.
Hez decided to leave before things got even more awkward. “Have a good evening.” He turned and walked away.
Before he’d gone a hundred yards, Hez realized he was heading in the wrong direction. He was walking toward downtown Nova Cambridge, which had a collection of restaurants catering to faculty and students. But that was the last place he wanted to go now. His gut felt like it was full of cold gravel, and he couldn’t think of anything more depressing than sitting alone in a restaurant while Savannah was out with Beckett. Besides, he needed to get back home to Cody, who hadn’t been out since noon.
He cut across a parking lot and walked back on a parallel street so he wouldn’t have to go past his wife and rival again. Stately old homes lined the mostly deserted sidewalks. Antique streetlamps cast pools of light but did little to relieve the darkness. Hez didn’t mind. It fit his mood.
A movement in the shadows half a block away caught Hez’s eye. Someone was standing beside a huge Spanish moss–draped oak tree. Hez froze, peering into the night. The figure moved again. The man was looking down a side street, watching something. Hez realized he was near University Grounds, and the man would have a good view of the porch—especially the corner where Savannah and Beckett were sitting.
Something about the guy seemed familiar, but Hez couldn’t place it. He stepped closer. Staying away from the streetlamps, he crossed the street and snuck up behind the guy. As he approached, his view came in line with the man’s—and it was clear that he was watching Savannah and Beckett or someone sitting right next to them.
The guy ran his fingers through shaggy hair—and Hez knew why he looked familiar. His hand shook and his movements were jerky and fidgety. Hez had seen it at least a hundred times in the past two years: The guy was an addict going through the first symptoms of withdrawal. He was hours past due for his next fix or drink, and it was starting to affect him. So why was he out here rather than feeding his craving?
He whirled and caught sight of Hez. His eyes widened and he dashed off without a word, almost instantly vanishing into the night.
Hez stood on the sidewalk, trying to commit the man’s face to memory. Wavy brown hair, glasses, dark brown eyes, thin nose and lips, early thirties, about five-foot-two. It was dark and Hez had only gotten a split-second look, but he was sure he’d recognize the man if he saw him again.
Part of the reason he could picture the man’s face so clearly was that he’d seen it before in better light. But where?
* * *
Savannah took a sip of her cider. The cooling temperatures had plummeted her mood, not the desolate expression she’d glimpsed on Hez’s face as he walked away from University Grounds.
The number of students on the porch had thinned out, and she was ready to call it a night herself. Hez’s appearance had upended the evening.
Beckett’s arm dropped from the back of her chair enough for his hand to settle on her shoulder. “You okay?”
Maybe he’d gotten the wrong idea from her invitation. “I’m fine. It’s getting chilly.”
His arm didn’t return to its former position. “Supposed to go down to forty-eight or so tonight.”
The warmth radiated off his skin, and she leaned forward to curl her cold fingers around her mug of hot cider. When she leaned back, he’d pulled his arm to his side. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’d love to spend more evenings like this with you. Sans an impromptu appearance by Hez, of course.” Beckett’s eyes went cold. “Has he always liked making an entrance to try to upset you?”
“He wasn’t trying to upset me—he wanted to make sure I was okay.” She rolled the taste of cinnamon and nutmeg around on her tongue before continuing. “He’s an attorney. They’re used to attention.”
But was that fair to say about Hez? He had always cared about the law and justice. It was one thing that had attracted her early in their relationship. He worked too many hours, and while that pattern obviously hadn’t changed, his motives were good.
