The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (51 page)

Although she knew who he meant she asked, ‘that guy?’

‘That Hennessey guy.’

‘I am meeting him, yes, but not until ten, we’re going to Gulfport for the day.’

Adela could see Dean struggling to hide his displeasure, he obviously didn’t like the idea of her seeing “that guy” again, but he smiled and said, ‘well I’m glad you came, I have some new stock I thought you might be interested in.’ He realised how that must have sounded and continued hurriedly, ‘I don’t mean I’m glad to see you in the hope that you might buy something, although if you did that would be nice, but I should be glad to see you at anytime…’ His voice trailed off as her smile grew wider and wider. He let out a breath, ‘sorry, I’m waffling aren’t I?’

‘Just a little.’ She said on a laugh. He laughed too and any tension there had been between them dissipated.

She said, ‘I’d love to see what literary wonders you’ve acquired since we last talked.’

He laughed again and bid her follow him into the back, but first he put the closed sign on the door so that they wouldn’t be disturbed.

Adela looked at her watch
, 9.15; she had forty five minutes to spend looking at Dean’s new acquisitions until she met Sterling. At least she didn’t have far to go as he would be waiting outside the shop for her. She half wished she had arranged to meet him somewhere else, outside the barber’s shop for instance, but then that would have looked like she didn’t want him anywhere near Dean, which she didn’t of course, she didn’t want a repeat of their earlier sparring,  but she didn’t want Sterling to know that.

She sat down on the comfy sofa in Dean’s little café and he showed her what he had purchased on a shopping trip to
Georgia. They were very interesting, at least to her. Some now out of print crime novels, and some books on the history of the Deep South, starting before the war and ending in 2003. She said she would take this book and four of the crime novels. He was delighted and when he said that he hadn’t had such a good sale since her last purchase, Adela realised he was only half joking.

Despite his obvious pleasure in her company she knew that part of him was happy to see her because she was such a good customer. As they chatted Adela tried to see in Dean anything of the deviousness that Sterling Hennessey had referred to the previous evening, but all she saw was a very nice, very amiable man who shared her interest in, and love of, books. Just then Adela heard Dean’s book shaped clock chime the hour, she said, ‘gosh, the time does go so quickly,’ she smiled at Dean, ‘especially when I’m talking about my favourite subject…books.’

‘It’s gone quickly for me too, but the enjoyment is not entirely because of the subject matter.’

She lowered her eyes and stood up uncomfortable w
ith his intense gaze, ‘well, thanks for the tea and the books of course; I know I will enjoy them.’

‘My pleasure, thanks for your custom.’

‘You’re welcome, Dean,’

He walked her to the door but once there he took her arm and said, ‘Adela…’ He paused and took a deep breath as if summoning up the courage to say what he wanted to say to her, ‘Adela, I know this is none of my business and feel free to tell me so, but you’re a very nice lady and I’ve enjoyed our talks. I’ve also come to care about you…about your welfare.’ Adela waited not liking where she knew this was going, before she could speak however he hurried on, ‘and because I
do
care I have to say that I don’t like your association with that guy,’ “that guy,” again thought Adela, ‘there’s just something about him I don’t like, something untrustworthy, something…dark.’

‘Dark?’

‘Yes, an undercurrent of, oh I don’t know, I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something in his eyes, something…

Adela interrupted getting irate now, ‘dark?’

He picked up on her annoyance but said quietly, ‘yes.’

Part of Adela wanted to laugh at Dean’s summation of Sterling Hennessey, part of her was annoyed with him, but a bigger part was very uncomfortable. First Annie’s theory that
Sterling was dangerous, now Dean’s opinion that he was dark, but mostly she was disquieted because she felt both of those things too. There was something about Sterling that was dark and dangerous, something hidden deep behind those astonishing blue eyes. They reminded her of the woods, so beautiful and inviting yet lurking in the undergrowth and behind the trees there was peril waiting to spring out on some unsuspecting, unprepared person. Oh what was she saying, she was letting Dean’s dislike of Sterling get to her and influence her thoughts.

She almost said “he said the same thing about you,” but thought better of it, partly because she could not see any of the things in Dean that
Sterling had spoken of. He seemed genuinely concerned and fond of her, so instead she mentally shook herself and managed to let the humour take control. She smiled and said, ‘Dean, I appreciate your concern, really I do, but there’s nothing dark about Sterling Hennessey. He has been a perfect gentleman at all times and he did save me from the panther remember, if he had wanted to cause me harm he would have let the creature eat me wouldn’t he? So please don’t worry about me.’

He stared at her for a moment as though she was a child not quite understanding what an adul
t was saying to her. ‘You think it’s because I don’t like him that I mistrust him when in fact it’s the other way around, I don’t like him because I mistrust him.’

She sighed he
avily, ‘Dean...

He cut her off by holding up his hand, ‘I know, I know what you’re going to say next, that it’s none of my business, which it isn’t of course,’ he took a step towards her so that they were only a foot apart before continuing, ‘but I like you, Adela and I don’t want to see you hurt, so please be careful.’

She felt her heart flutter uncomfortably and her stomach turned over at the warning so sincerely given. She let out a long breath and forced her shoulders, which had been hunched up, to relax as she said, ‘I promise I will be
very
careful. Besides, there will be a lot of people in Gulfport won’t there, so I’ll be perfectly safe.’

He seemed nowhere near convinced but smiled, ‘all right, have a nice day then, and please come to see me again tomorrow and tell me all about your day,’

With some relief she said, ‘of course I will, same time?’

‘Yes, that would be great. Bye, Adela.’

She turned to him and opened the door saying ‘bye, Dean,’ she was still smiling at him as she exited the shop and thus walked straight into Sterling Hennessey.

She drew back, an apology on her lips until she realised
who it was then smiled, ‘oh, good morning.’ The breath almost left her body, not with the collision but with the same shock she always felt when she first laid eyes on him after being apart. He looked so very handsome dressed in beige khakis and a Hawaiian type shirt

She was still staring open mouthed when he said, ‘good morning.’ He looked pointedly at his watch.

She looked at hers too and gave a small gasp, it was 10.11, she looked up at him, ‘oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise. I got talking to Dean and the time just went, but that’s no excuse for keeping you waiting, I’m sorry.’

He stared back at her his expression giving nothing away. 'Yes, eleven minutes I’ve been standing here waiting for you. In fact I was a little early, not wanting to keep
you
waiting so in fact I’ve been here fourteen minutes.’

She looked mortified
, ‘I can’t apologise enough, I…’

Suddenly his face was split by a huge grin as he held up his hand much as Dean had done a few minutes earlier. He said, ‘please, it’s all right, I was joking, honestly, you’re eleven minutes late for goodness sake. I would have waited an hour and eleven minutes for you if necessary.’

Her face showed relief that he had just been teasing her and disbelief at his words. He waited for her to say don’t be silly and he wasn’t disappointed, then she added, ‘your charm is never ending, Sterling Hennessey.’

‘Well that’s a relief. Although it wasn’t charm, but the truth.’

‘Is there a difference?’

‘I suppose some people would think so.’

‘Like me do you mean?’

‘Yep, like you.’

She laughed now, ‘but I really am sorry for keeping you waiting, I hate being late for anything, or anyone.’

‘I noticed. But it’s all right, I forgive you.’

‘Thanks, I appreciate that.’

He grinned and putting his hand on the small of her back he turned her towards where his car was parked saying, ‘shall we?’

When they were in the car and on the road towards Gulfport he said, ‘so it must have been a very interesting conversation you were having with old Maxwell to have made
you
late for something.’

She looked distinctly uncomfortable and shifted in her seat before saying, ‘er, yes, I bought some books from him, see.’ She picked up the package of books she had put in the foot well and showed him as if it was evidence.

‘What have you got there?’

‘A history of the deep south and four crime novels.’

He smiled, ‘you and your crime novels. But a history of my birthplace? I’m honoured.’

‘I love discovering new things about this country, and this book should be very enlightening.’

There followed a small silence which he broke by asking, ‘and what else?’

‘Oh that’s all, just those five books.’

‘No, I meant what else did you and good old Dean talk about?’

She was uncomfortable and to try and change the subject she turned the tables, ‘why do you call him old all the time?’

He shrugged, ‘because he is.’

‘He’s not; he’s no more than for
ty or so.’

‘As I said, old.’

She couldn’t help but smile, ‘you’re awful.’

‘Awful and silly and charming, what a combination.’

She laughed thinking she had successfully diverted him, but she had to think again when he asked, ‘so? Are you going to evade my question all day?’

She stiffened somewhat at his demanding tone and said somewhat heatedly, ‘I could say what I talk about with someone else is
my
business.’

He looked at her for a second before turning back to the road ‘and will you?’

‘What?’

‘Say it’s your own business?’

She bristled and her annoyance caused her to blurt out, ‘all right, we talked about
you
, but you knew that didn’t you? You just want to know what we was said.’

He answered simply and bluntly, ‘yes.’

‘He said you were not to be trusted, much as you said about
him
last night. I feel as thought I’m at a tennis match, but instead of tennis balls you’re hitting insults at each other. And they say women are catty.’

‘Catty?’ Does that mean spiteful?’

She shrugged, ‘similar.’

He laughed, ‘sorry, you’re right, it’s none of my business what you talked about over tea with good old Deanie.’

As annoyed as she was with him for questioning her on her private conversations she had to smile at that. Before she could stop herself she said, ‘he said you were dark.’

‘Dark?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well he’s just jealous because his hair is
more grey than any other colour now.’

‘I don’t think he meant the colour of your hair.’

He turned to look directly at her and said quietly, ‘I know.’

She was discomfited now
, ‘you’ll be crashing the car if you don’t look where you’re going then I’ll have to get a bus into Gulfport while you wait for a tow truck.’

He laughed and turned his eyes to the road ahead. ‘I think I like people thinking of me as dark, it adds a kinda mystery.’

She looked at him and although he was smiling there was a hint of seriousness in his expression. He said, ‘and what did you say when old Deanie had finished running me into the ground?’

‘I agreed with him.’

His head whipped round to look at her but she nonchalantly opened her bag and began to rummage in it.

He turned his eyes back to the road and she heard him make a “huh” sound. She looked at him and smile
d cheekily, ‘serves you right for asking personal questions, Mr. Nosey.’

His lips twitched
, ‘that’s
Hennessey
.’

She laughed, ‘all right, I told him not to worry and that you’d been nothing but a gentleman to me and also I couldn’t help but to trust you.’ He looked at her and frowned perplexed, she went on, ‘since you saved my life.’

‘That sure is a pretty good reason to trust someone.’

‘I thought so.’

He laughed, ‘I suppose you told him that I’d said the same things about him.’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘Why?’

‘Why would I, why would I fuel your dislike of each other?’

He shrugged again, ‘most women would love the idea of two men fighting over her.’