“Thank you for your help. We appreciate it.” Gil extended his hand to Mr. Loud Tie.
At least Gil remembered his manners. All she could think of was how she’d failed to find Paul for Josephine. She didn’t have any other way to contact him now. He obviously didn’t want to be found, but there was no way that a painting titled One and Only by a Mr. Clark was not done by Josephine’s Paul. She didn’t believe that. Couldn’t believe that. Refused.
~ * ~
Gil could actually feel Maddy’s disappointment on missing Paul. It was a cloud of tension surrounding her. She probably could just add that to his failures. If they hadn’t gotten robbed last night, they wouldn’t have overslept, and they wouldn’t have missed Paul. Why hadn’t he thought to set the alarm on his cell? Because he’d been exhausted. He knew that. But it didn’t change the fact they’d missed their chance to question Paul. He doubted that Paul could have convincingly lied to their faces and claim no knowledge of Comfort Crossing. Besides, if he knew that Josephine had never gotten his letter maybe he’d have conveniently remembered Comfort Crossing.
Gil and Maddy stood outside on the sidewalk. She was looking carefully up and down the street. He’d ruined her impression of New Orleans. He was sure of that.
“I’m going to buy you a pair of sensible shoes.”
Madeline looked at him. He was sure she was going to shoot him down. Tell him to shove off and get her back to Comfort Crossing, pronto.
“I’d like that. Could we pick up a new cell phone too?”
“You bet.”
“I’d say that I won’t let you buy them for me, but I have no money and no credit card…”
“Then it’s decided.”
“I’ll pay you back after I get it all sorted out.”
Gil didn’t answer that one, but he vowed he would not take her money. This was the least that he could do. Every time he looked at the white bandage on her neck, his breath caught and he realized how close they came to something even worse happening. She could have been stabbed or her throat cut deeper. The mugger could have dragged her away to who knows where. But he would not have let that happen. Never. He’d been so glad Maddy had read his thoughts when he nodded towards the trash can. She’d been quick with a jerk and tumbled out of the mugger’s grip.
He lightly took Maddy’s elbow, a bit surprised when she didn’t tug away from him. “This way. I saw a shoe shop down to the left.”
She did pick out what he’d almost consider sensible shoes. Some kind of black shoes that didn’t look too comfortable to him, but at least they didn’t have a heel. The shoe lady kept calling them flats.
Then he noticed Maddy looking at a pair of boots in the window. Cowboy boots with teal stitching on them. Now that’s a pair of boots he’d like to see Maddy in. Way out of her city slicker persona.
“Try them on.” Gil nodded toward the boots.
“Oh, no. I can’t”
“Well, yes you can.” Gil turned to the sales lady. “Bring her those in her size.”
“Gil, really. I can’t.”
“Just try them on.”
Maddy tried the boots on and walked over to the mirror. A brief smile crossed her lips as she turned this way and that.
“Comfortable?”
“Yes, but what would I do with a pair of cowboy boots?”
“Wear ‘em.” Gil grinned at her. “My treat.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Yep, you could.” Gil turned to the sales lady. “We’ll take both pairs.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Maddy looked up at him, her eyes finally losing the haunted look they’d held since last night. He’d buy her a hundred pairs of boots if it would keep away that tormented look.
“Thank you works. Then wear them.”
Maddy actually smiled up at him then, and he began to think that maybe, just maybe, things were going to be okay.
CHAPTER TEN
They left New Orleans without the promised exploration of the sights during daylight hours. Madeline was too exhausted from the ordeal of the night before and the fact they’d had very little sleep. Once they got out of the traffic of the city, Madeline was determined to question Gil about what had happened back at the bar when Crystal and Bryan had shown up. There hadn’t been any time to talk about it and it seemed that chance meeting had triggered the chain of events of the mugging, the emergency room trip, sleeping in late, and missing Paul. She figured Gil at least owed her an explanation.
“So, are you going to explain what happened back at the bar at the hotel? What made you so angry that you stalked out?” Madeline started her inquest, determined to find out what had happened.