That irked Alonzo. “As long as you care about her from a distance.”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about you, Alonzo, and your return to Trinity Falls.” Leonard rested his right ankle on his left knee.
Alonzo wasn’t fazed. He’d stared down worse situations than a jealous ex-lover. “I haven’t thought about you at all.”
Leonard continued as though Alonzo hadn’t spoken. “I want to know what you were really doing all those years you were away from Trinity Falls and what brought you back.”
Alonzo looked at his watch again. This time, he used the act to cover his unease. Leonard’s demand had hit an open wound. “My bio’s on the Sheriff Department’s Web site.”
“You’re not going to answer me?”
“Why do I need to?”
Anger clouded Leonard’s cold, dark eyes. Alonzo returned the other man’s stare without expression. Silent moments ticked by during the battle of wills.
The high school math teacher and football coach finally broke the impasse. “You came back to town and thought you’d replace Paul.”
“That’s not precisely the way it happened.” Alonzo considered the other man’s reaction to the news he was marrying Doreen. It was greater than disappointment and stronger than resentment. What was it—and how dangerous could it be?
“Where were you while Paul Fever was dying and Doreen needed someone to lean on?” Leonard became more agitated. “You weren’t here and neither was her son.”
Alonzo’s temper stirred at the criticism against Doreen’s son, who also was Alonzo’s friend. “Paul didn’t want Ean to know he was sick. You’re aware of that.”
“You’re making excuses for him?”
“That’s not an excuse. It’s a fact. And I was here, Leo. You know that as well.”
He’d returned to Trinity Falls after his high school friend wrote and told him he was dying. But he’d returned for Paul, not Doreen. He’d spent a lot of time with Paul. It was during one of those times that Paul had asked whether Alonzo had left Trinity Falls because he loved Doreen.
Leonard stood and paced the room. “What makes you think you’re worthy of Doreen?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Alonzo struggled to maintain his implacable expression. His temper was rising. He tracked the other man’s progress past his desk to his dark wood bookcase tucked into the corner near his window. Alonzo maintained his silence.
“I can tell you’re hiding something.” Leonard turned to face him. “What is it?”
Enough was enough. He didn’t know Leonard’s game and he wasn’t playing it. Alonzo stood. “I will marry Doreen. I won’t answer your questions. Get out of my office.”
“You’re right. You don’t have to tell me.” Leonard wandered to the door. He stood with his hand on the knob and looked back to Alonzo. “But I’ll figure it out. Whatever you don’t want to tell me, I’m sure Doreen would be interested in knowing.”
Alonzo watched Leonard walk through the open door. His features remained impassive but his temper burned.
Does Leonard know something about my past? He acted as though he did.
What about Doreen? If Leonard told her about his past, would she turn away from him? Terror iced his temper. Alonzo sank onto his chair. He’d tried to convince himself to leave his past behind, but now Leonard threatened that. Should he tell Doreen himself or continue to hope his past would remain a secret?
Alonzo knocked hesitantly on Darius’s open office door in The Trinity Falls Monitor office Friday afternoon. He waited for the newspaper man to look up. “How are you settling into your new office?”
Darius spun his executive chair away from his computer monitor. A welcoming smile brightened his movie star good looks. His right arm swept the room, encompassing the stacks of files, competitor newspapers, and reports spread across the top of every desk and file cabinet in his office. “I’d say I’m pretty well settled in.”
“They might have some trouble getting you back out.” Alonzo considered the organized clutter that had invaded his friend’s office. The other man looked pretty busy. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea. He took a step back, searching for a graceful exit.
Darius gestured toward one of the two gray padded visitor’s chairs in front of his wood laminate desk. “Have a seat, Sheriff. What’s on your mind?”
He should have known the former newspaper reporter would sense a cover-up. Darius’s expression sobered when Alonzo pulled the door shut.
He crossed the room and took a seat. Did Darius realize his office smelled like newsprint? Separate from the clutter on his desk were personal mementos. On a shelf above his computer monitor stood a photo of Darius, posing with Ean and Quincy after a Heritage High School football game. On the far side of his keyboard was a framed photograph of Peyton sitting on the lip around Wishing Lake. She was laughing into the sun and her copper curls were bouncing on a breeze.
Alonzo turned to Darius. “I don’t know where to start.”