Chapter Thirty

Breakfast the next morning was a conspiracy of denial. Mary Alice acted as though nothing had happened between them the night before. Bridge didn’t look too happy about it, but thankfully he went along with the pretense.

He announced he’d wrangled his replacement on the road crew, Officer Deane, into spending his Sunday afternoon off watching Watson for him.

“Let’s go to the Pasadena Policemen’s Street Fair this afternoon,” he said.

Mary Alice stared at him in consternation over her French toast. Was he serious right now? “No. I can’t.”

The last thing she wanted was to face a park full of Jack’s and her father’s old buddies and fellow cops.

Especially on Bridge’s arm.

“It’ll do us both good to get out,” he urged.

She shook her head firmly. “No. Not going there.”

“Give it a shot. Maybe you’ll find you don’t hate cops so much, after all, and I’ll have a chance with you.”

She couldn’t help half-smiling at his ironic but hopeful expression. “I don’t—”

“Come on. It’ll be fun. Booths crammed with crafty stuff for the cottage.” He winked. “Kettle corn and funnel cakes.”

He looked so encouraging she actually considered it for two seconds. She glanced down at her plate as her insides slowly twisted into tight knots.

Could she really do it?

He smiled and nodded. “You’ll be okay. I promise.”

Maybe it was time she faced her demons.

Maybe it was time she tried to put the unhappy past to rest.

And with Bridge’s support, she might just be able to get through it.