With Good Behavior by Jennifer Lane

Author:Jennifer Lane [Lane, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime Romance Chicago Novel Fiction Prison
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

25. Unexpected Gifts

The next day, Sophie’s mind was on overdrive as she walked home after the last evening cruise. She’d asked Grant where he wanted to go for dinner, which had become their routine, and was summarily dismissed. Now their conversation played over and over as she walked …

“I got plans,” he’d brusquely informed her while stacking chairs on the deck.

“Oh,” she replied, and an awkward silence descended. “What kind of plans?”

“I’d rather not get into it, Sophie.”

She sighed. She’d been determined to take Hunter’s advice and truly get to know Grant before rushing to trust him, but recently her questions had smacked up against a brick wall. Deciding to be direct, she spoke in a clipped tone. “I was hoping the evasiveness you showed at dinner last night would be gone by today.”

“Well, it’s not like I know everything about you either,” he snapped.

Arching one eyebrow, she called his bluff. “What do you want to know? You can ask me anything.”

He exhaled loudly. “Look, I’m not trying to be evasive, it’s just … I have to go somewhere tonight, and I don’t want to go, but I feel like I have to go. And there will be some people there that I’m not looking forward to seeing again.”

“So then take me with you,” she offered, entwining her fingers with his. “At least you’ll have one friendly face on your side.”

“No, I don’t want you to go,” he said forcefully, pulling his hand free. Seeing her wounded look, he backpedaled, “Sophie, you remember those bad people I told you about? They’ll be there. It won’t be safe for you.”

She felt a flash of fear. “Then you shouldn’t go, either, if it’s not safe. Don’t go, Grant, please.”

Looking into her eyes, he was touched by her protectiveness.

She noticed him hesitate and continued, “You won’t be in violation of your parole if you go there, will you?”

“No.” Actually, he hadn’t thought about his parolee status. “It … should be fine. I have to go, Sophie. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Grant leaned in for a chaste peck on the lips, then hustled off the ship. Sophie was left staring at his quickly departing figure, wondering what the hell he was hiding.

* * *

“Hey, I’m home!” Sophie called to the empty hallway, pocketing her key as she entered the apartment.

She heard a muffled “In the bedroom!” and followed the sound of Kirsten’s voice to find her kneeling, partially swallowed by the closet. Bare feet and legs stuck out from under a skirt, then Kirsten emerged from the dark depths, holding two different sandals.

“Okay.” Kirsten smiled, hauling her tall body to a standing position, then precariously bending at the waist while balancing on one foot to slide on each sandal. “Which shoe looks better?”

Sophie eyed her stylish black shirt and denim skirt, tilting her head to one side as she evaluated a black wedge on Kirsten’s left foot and a turquoise open-toed shoe on her right. “Definitely the black.”

Kirsten exhaled nervously. “I thought so too. I’m so glad you’re out, um, that you’re back, to help me avoid fashion disasters.

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