Her throat burned with unshed tears. “I’d keep them all forever if I could. But then I’d never be able to take anyone new.”
“And the problem never goes away.”
“No. It doesn’t.”
He was wearing a blue knit shirt that matched his eyes. Though he appeared relaxed, she always got the impression he was like a panther ready to pounce at any moment.
“Winnie?” He straightened and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Yes?”
“Someday…when you feel you can trust me…I’d like to know why these women mean so much to you.”
Reminders of the past always brought nausea. Humiliation. “Can’t I simply be doing my civic duty?”
“It’s personal. I see it in your eyes. I’d be honored if you would share that story with me. When you’re ready.”
The kindness and compassion in his steady gaze threatened to turn her into a blubbering mess. “I need to make a phone call,” she said, brushing past him abruptly before she succumbed to the tears his probing had caused. “I’ll be down for lunch at noon.”
Seven
Winnie never came down to eat. According to Mrs. Cross, Winnie was tied up on a conference call and having lunch at her desk. Larkin accepted the excuse at face value and took his Reuben sandwich out to the porch to eat. He loved Winnie’s house. And he could only imagine how the peace and tranquillity helped heal the broken women who’d been given a raw deal.
As he stared across the lawn to the brick house in the distance, he tried to solve the puzzle of Winnie’s past. She had declared her parents to be lovely people, even though they had no clue about raising a child. And he also knew Winnie had never been married. His background check had confirmed that. He hadn’t told Winnie he had dug into her past. But it was part of the job. Trying to determine if an old disgruntled boyfriend might have read the article and seen a chance to grab the golden ring. But Winnie’s past was an open book. At least as far as he had been able to discern.
She found him at one o’clock on the dot. Not giving him time to respond, she opened the screen door and headed out. “I’m going now to tell them you’re coming. And I’ll explain why I feel it necessary to leave for a few weeks. I’ll call you in about fifteen minutes.”
Whatever Winnie had said about him must have quieted any fears over having a man in the house. By the time he arrived, the residents had gathered in the family room. Though the ragtag mix of women and children was unusually solemn and guarded in posture, their eyes were wary, not scared.
He introduced himself briefly, and then in layman’s terms explained the various security measures he had installed. “You have nothing at all to worry about. I hire the best employees in the nation. They are discreet and committed to the job. But if you ever feel threatened in any way, this alarm by the front door will summon someone in under a minute.”
There were only two questions. After that the women melted away, wraithlike in their ability to blend into the woodwork.
Esteban lingered, one chubby thumb stuck in his mouth. He removed it slowly. “We played outside today. Mi mama said it’s because you put up that tent thing.”
Larkin grinned. “It’s called a tarp. And I’m glad you like it. How old are you?”