“And your father? What happened to him?”
Her face went stony. “He’s dead too.”
“How did he die?”
She smiled and took a sip of her water, but she said nothing.
“Was he sick?” I pressed.
“He was born sick.” Shelly stared at me, her head cocked to the side. “But I’m pretty sure you know about that already.”
“He’s what made Lynn split into multiple personalities.”
She said nothing.
“So how did he die?” I asked again. I needed to know.
“He fell.”
Well, that was news. I knew I was treading in dangerous territory, but I couldn’t stop myself. “So he was just walking along and he fell down? Did he fall from a building? Did he fall from a bridge?”
“Why is this your business?” she asked sweetly. She looked around, like she was searching all the corners of the room for Megan again.
“I want to know everything about you.” Then I rushed on to explain: “That’s what people do on dates. They get to know one another.”
“Lynn doesn’t even know what happened to him.”
“Why not?” I took a sip of my water.
“What do you like to do in your spare time?” she suddenly asked, tilting her head like a curious puppy.
“I don’t honestly have a lot of spare time,” I admitted. This past week had been the most laid-back week I’d had in a very long time.
“What do you normally do?”
“I work.”
“And?”
“I work out.”
One eyebrow lifted. “You work out?”
I laughed. “A lot. I might not look like it, but I like to stay fit.”
Her eyes swept down my body. “You do look like it.”
“Thank—” My voice had gone smoky, so I cleared my throat. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied. “So you work out. And you play cards with your friends.”
I nodded. “And I work. That’s pretty much it. I go home to MeeMaw every night, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“You’re lucky to have her.”
“Who did you have, Shelly?” I asked quietly, like I was talking to a scared puppy that would bolt if I made too much noise.
“I had Lynn. She was all I had.”