She Wore Mourning by P.D. Workman (best desktop ebook reader .txt) 📕

“Oh… well, it’s not a fun story. Nothing you want to hear.”

“I do, though. You’ve got me curious.”

Zachary hummed. “Not yet,” he said. “It’s not a story I tell casual acquaintances. Maybe later… when we know each other a bit better.”

“You’re very secretive.”

“I’m just… a private person. There are a lot of things in my past that I’d rather forget. If I have to keep telling the story, I can’t leave it behind.”

“I don’t like secrets.”

“It’s not a secret. Just private,” Zachary repeated.

“Huh. Does it apply to New Year’s too? Do you have bad feelings about New Year’s?”

“Not specifically.”

“Good. Why don’t we do something, then?”

Zachary’s spirits perked. “I’d like that,” he said. “What did you have in mind?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Maybe you can help me with that. I don’t want a big party. Maybe a smaller gathering, or maybe just watching TV with a big bowl of popcorn.”

Either way, the last strike of midnight signaled not only the playing of Auld Lang Syne, but also a kiss. So far, his dates with Kenzie had not been very intimate, and he looked forward to the possibility of that changing.

“I like the popcorn idea,” he said. “But I’m open to whatever you want to do.”

“Great! I’ll put together some options and run them by you, but I’d better be getting back to work here.”

“I did have one more thing,” Zachary inserted before she could cut him off. She didn’t hang up the call.

“Oh. Sorry! What was it you called about?”

“I didn’t call just to ask you, but I did want to know…”

“Fire away.”

“I wanted to know if it’s possible to break a rib coughing.”

“Well!” She giggled at that. “That’s a funny question. The answer is yes, it is possible. Not real common, but possible. You can break a rib coughing or sneezing. Or blow a blood vessel in your face or eye and end up looking like someone battered you. Or you could have an accident because of coughing or sneezing, banging your head on something in front of you with the force, or tripping, or breaking a tooth or a filling. Or crashing your car. You could do an internet search. There are lots of bizarre injuries that can be attributed to coughing or sneezing.”

“Huh.”

“Is this a case, or just random trivia?”

“It is a case, actually. A case involving spousal battery… or maybe just a cold.”

“That’s a tough one. She could be telling the truth. Or it could just be a more creative version of ‘I walked into a door.’

“Any way to tell?”

“No. Not really. Just watch for patterns. A broken rib from coughing isn’t something that should reoccur with any regularity. Especially in the absence of a cold or pneumonia. Keep an eye on her.”

Kenzie had suggested they begin with a nice dinner at the local inn, which was renowned for the on-site chef and his expensive creations. Zachary’s pocketbook would certainly take a hit, but he imagined that the dress Kenzie would pick out for such a fancy restaurant on New Year’s Eve would be well worth it.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Kenzie had checked. “We’re not going to run into your ex there?”

“No. Bridget has other plans for New Year’s.”

“You know her plans?”

“She told me over Christmas,” Zachary assured her. “Besides, I know the kind of things she likes to do New Year’s Eve, and quiet little restaurants in out-of-the-way places are not on the list.”

“Okay. I just want to make sure. I feel like we always end up running into her or getting a call from her, and I want this one to be just you and me.”

“No one else,” Zachary promised. “She’s going to be with her new boyfriend. They aren’t going to be anywhere near the inn.”

After dinner at the inn, they would return to Zachary’s apartment and have popcorn in front of the TV, if they still had enough room for it. Zach knew that fancy gourmet meals tended to be smaller than the typical burger or prime rib dinner, so he figured he’d still have room for popcorn. He’d been craving it ever since Kenzie suggested it.

He would have the perfect evening with Kenzie, with no interference by Bridget or anyone else.

Chapter Fourteen

The inn’s reputation was well-deserved. Zachary had been a little nervous about trying anything gourmet, which made him think of caviar and escargot and other kinds of raw fish and meats. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stomach anything too unusual. He usually returned to meat and potatoes as his comfort food.

But the restaurant’s New Year’s menu had been excellent. A whole series of small courses, with tastes from all around the world. Even if a diner didn’t like one item, there were so many to choose from that skipping over one or two courses along the way was not a problem. Zachary left the inn with Kenzie, feeling satisfied but not overstuffed. He’d still be able to eat some popcorn while they watched old movies on TV, or whatever Kenzie felt like watching. He didn’t care what it was, as long as he got to cuddle up with her on the couch. She had on a daring red dress, and he was looking forward to the chime of midnight, if not earlier.

He helped Kenzie with her coat as they stepped outside and were assaulted by a biting cold wind. At least she’d had the presence of mind to bring more than just a filmy wrap to cover her up while she was outside. A smart woman dressed for the weather in spite of fashion, prepared for any car trouble rather than relying on the car heater for the evening.

“What’s that?” Kenzie asked, pointing.

Zachary held the car door for her, then went around to the driver’s side to pick up the flyer pinned under the windshield wiper. He got into the car and started it up, making sure everything was set to warm before dropping his eyes to the flyer.

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