Cast the Cards Read Online Free PDF Page B

safe again and stop
wasting potential and time, you know?”
    “I
do. It was a mess here for awhile.” His gaze shifted to the bustling bar, but
his mind went back to the past. A lingering sadness had tinged everyone and
everything in town the rest of the year. Parents held their children a little
tighter. Kids went in when the sun went down. An unspoken curfew had been
issued for teens. The campus issued a buddy system mandate and passed out
pamphlets about being aware of your surroundings and how to escape an attacker,
along with a rash of self-defense classes and speakers. It would help bring
some comfort for others, never him.
    “How
long are you here for?”  he asked, eager to change the subject when pain
appeared in the depths of her eyes.
    “Just
through the weekend. I had a half day today. I’ll drive back Sunday to be at
work Monday.”
    “You
staying at your parents’ place?”
    “Yeah,
it would crush them if I didn’t. Speaking of my parents, I should probably head
home soon.” A quick look at the bucket told him they’d worked their way through
the half dozen. Any more alcohol and driving might get iffy.
    “Why
don’t you stop by the station tomorrow and take a look at some files? Everyone
knows you. It wouldn’t be strange if you stopped in to chat and look over some
unsolved cases. I know it’s not much but it beats sitting around waiting for
Clark to pop back in.”
    “Agreed,
sounds like a plan. Any particular time?”
    “I’m
open. Let’s exchange numbers.”
    He
pulled out his smart phone and she followed suit. They exchanged phone numbers
and he settled the tab. Out in the parking lot they paused by their cars. The
soft scent of honeysuckle teased his nose. He wanted to move closer and inhale
deep.  Silence stretched between them, and he found himself at a loss.  This
was the first time they’d had a civil conversation since everything happened. It
felt good. Not quite the same as before but nice nonetheless.
    “You
seem to like bluntness, so I’m going to come right out and ask. When this is
over are you driving back off into the sunset and forgetting about me again?”
    She
winced. “I deserved that. No, I want to work our way back to where we once were
if you’re game.”
    “I
am.”  He drank in her beauty. It was like an episode of The Twilight zone. 
Perhaps this was how it had been for Clark. The boy had been in love with her
since the twelfth grade.  
    “Good,
I’m looking forward to it.”  An almost shy smile graced her lips. He couldn’t
help the answering smile that formed.  Look at us making nice.
     “I
am too, Vannah.”  He’d had plenty of friends over the years, male and female,
but none had come close to Clark or Vannah.
    Pausing
with her hand on the door, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “This really
happened right? We saw Clark today?”
    “Unless
we’ve both flown off the deep end at the same time, yeah, I think we did.” He
nodded. As the heat of the moment faded and the day came to a close, doubt
crept in.
    “I
don’t know that I believe in ghosts Carey.”
    “Worst-case
scenario. We look into the case and come up with Zilch, right?”
    “Right.”
She nodded.
    “I’ll
see you tomorrow then.”
    He
watched her until she was buckled up and drove off. You could never be too
careful and to say he had an overprotective streak a mile long when it came to
her would be a gross understatement. When he turned and got into his black
sedan, he flinched. Clark sat in the passenger seat. His expression was stoic
and his eyes stormy. It’s definitely real, Vannah.
    “You
like her, don’t you?” Clark asked. His lips were flattened into a straight
line, and his nostrils flared. 
    “It’s
Vannah. Of course I like her.”
    “Yes,
but its different now. I saw how you looked at her. There was nothing brotherly
about it.” Clark jerked his head in the direction Vannah had gone. The
possessiveness made Carey want to take a step back. His