From several rooms over, Coop loudly clears his throat, closing the bathroom door firmly enough that the sound echoes down the hallway.
Lord, these two men have all the finesse of a pair of grenades. “I’ll call you Monday,” I tell Theo in a gentler tone. “Okay?”
He glances up at me from under his lashes, then with his pen slowly circles something on his pad that he’s already written. When he holds it out to me to read, I sigh.
“You don’t have to be sorry, just stop acting like I ran over your dog. Deal?”
His eyes search my face. His gaze is filled with unspeakable loneliness, and that naked antipathy that I don’t understand but that raises all the tiny hairs on the back of my neck and sends a charge like electricity over my skin. It’s the same feeling I had at the diner and in the backyard at the party. That sense of unwilling recognition.
Of being seen by someone who doesn’t want to see.
Without responding, Theo turns abruptly and leaves. The sound of his boots heading toward the front door and disappearing through it are quickly followed by Coop’s farewell shout.
“Thanks, Megan! See you soon!”
The front door slams, and I’m left alone in my ruined kitchen, wondering what the hell Theo Valentine’s problem is.
And why I’m becoming so eager to find out.
6
I call Suzanne, who I figure is the best source of information in Seaside, considering she seems to know everyone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Suzanne, it’s Megan Dunn.”
“Megan! How are you?”
She sounds overly excited to hear from me, which makes me suspicious. “I’m good, thanks. How are you?”
“Fantastic! I just closed escrow on a place up in the hills that has an incredible ocean view and an even more incredible price tag. This cute young gay couple bought it and they’re going to sink a ton into renovations. I was just about to send Theo an email to let him know they’ll be contacting him.”
“Speak of the devil. That’s why I’m calling.”
She sounds confused. “About the gay couple?”
“No, Suzanne, about Theo. He came out this morning to give me a quote on the house. It was less than half the price of the other guys’, and he brought me these really incredible renderings that blew me away.”
“Oh, great!”
“No, not great. Because Theo was being Theo, and I’m not sure I can deal with that for the next few months while this project gets done. I already negotiated an agreement with Craig from Capstone, and I’m leaning toward keeping it because Theo is so strange.”
“Believe me, you’ll get used to his silence real quick as soon as you see the quality of work he does.”
“It’s not his silence that’s the problem. It’s his weirdness. Every time he looks at me, I get the feeling he’s either going to hit something or cry.”
Her matchmaker instincts kick in. “Maybe he has the hots for you!”
I snort. “Believe me, this isn’t the hots. This is more like the freezing colds. The guy can barely stand to be around me.”
Suzanne is thoughtful for a moment. “I mean, he’s odd, definitely, but I know for a fact he’s harmless, Megan. He’s a big guy, but he’s gentle as a lamb.”
“I’ve never met a lamb who goes around with a hurricane brewing over its head.”
After a pause, she says gingerly, “Okay, I’m going to say something now.”
I know that means it’s going to be something I don’t like. I wait for it, exhaling in annoyance.
“Maybe—and I’m only saying maybe—you’re just sensitive.”
I frown. “Sensitive? About what?”
“About men.”
“About men?” I repeat, puzzled.
“You know, because of your husband.”
“Oh. You think I’ve lost my ability to judge a person’s character because my husband died, is that it?”
“It’s just that nobody else has ever had a problem with Theo, sweetie,” says Suzanne in a placating tone. “Except you.”
Frustrated, I blow out a hard breath. “So I’m told. But I’m not imagining it, Suzanne. Even Coop said he’s never seen Theo act the way he acts around me. He said I ‘agitate’ him.”
“Coop said that? Huh. Well, that’s weird.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling you!”
“Maybe he’s jealous of your tan?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Maybe you remind him of someone he hates?”
“It’s possible, but I doubt it. His problem seems very Megan specific.”