Read Online Thread of Innocence (Joe Tyler Mystery #4) by Jeff Shelby - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jeff Shelby
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anyone's fault, but I also didn't see it going away anytime soon if Lauren refused to budge on letting her visit the Corzines.
“What about going with her?” I asked.
Lauren raised an eyebrow at me. “What are you talking about?”
“What if you went with her?” I said. “To Minnesota.”
“ Why the hell would I do that?”
I tapped my fingers on the arm of the chair. “Most of your concerns about her going were because she'd be by herself. And I agree with that. I don't think she should go alone.” I paused. “But it would be different if you went with her.”
Her eyebrow dropped, but she didn't seem thrilled by the idea. “I'm not in favor of her going to Minnesota. At all.”
“ But she's not gonna let it go, Lauren,” I said. “Think about it. Everything she's known for the last I don't know how long is there. It's natural for her to want some closure.”
“ What if she wants more than closure?” she asked.
I thought for a moment. “We'll have to deal with that if the time comes. We aren't giving her up. We know that. But I do think she's entitled to some closure. And if you went with her, she can get that and we aren't sending her alone.”
Lauren looked away from me. I wasn't sure she was buying my argument. I did, though, think it was a good compromise because I didn't think Elizabeth was going to drop it. And that might lead to things that could get ugly. And I also thought that it would be a good way to remove them from the picture for awhile while I did more investigating. The stupid email that I'd gotten was also in the back of my mind. I was really starting to think they needed to go.
“ Why me?” Lauren said, turning back to me. “Why don't you go?”
“ Because I think it'll give you some points with her,” I said. “If you're the one taking her, you're the one saying okay to her. And I think, right now, you both need that.”
If she disagreed with me, she didn't say so. She stared at her hands in her lap.
“I'll think about it,” she finally said.
I nodded and stood. “Okay.”
I was at the door when she said, “You still haven't given me an answer.”
I turned around and leaned against the frame. “About?”
“The baby?”
“ What answer?”
“ What you want?”
“ I thought we went through this yesterday,” I said, frowning. “I told you how I felt.”
“ Yeah, I know,” she said. “But I want you to tell me what you want.”
“ I honestly don't know,” I said. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak but I held up my hand to stop her. “And before you accuse me of indifference again, that's the truth. This week has been...overwhelming.” I pointed upstairs. “And she's been my first concern each day.”
Lauren nodded. “Mine, too.”
“So I haven't sat down and considered all of our options and how I feel about everything,” I said. “Hell, I don't even know what you and I are doing. I kind of think we need to figure that out before we can make any kind of joint decision. Because if we aren't together? Then, I'm sorry, but it really is your decision. I can give you my opinion and tell you what I want, but it would absolutely be your decision. And I'd support whatever you decided. Unconditionally.”
She thought for a moment. “What was your first reaction? When I told you?”
I stared at her. “You want the truth?”
“ Always.”
“ My first reaction was I couldn't believe we'd been so careless,” I said. “Not that I felt bad about it or anything like that. But that it never occurred to either one of us to use or even mention any kind of protection. We were like two high school kids who hadn't had the sex talk.”
“ I never got the sex talk,” she said, a small smile flitting across her face. “My parents were too embarrassed to bring it up.”
“ Mine, too,” I said. “So maybe that explains it.”
She laughed. I wasn't trying to be funny, though. I didn't want her to think I didn't care or wasn't taking
“What about going with her?” I asked.
Lauren raised an eyebrow at me. “What are you talking about?”
“What if you went with her?” I said. “To Minnesota.”
“ Why the hell would I do that?”
I tapped my fingers on the arm of the chair. “Most of your concerns about her going were because she'd be by herself. And I agree with that. I don't think she should go alone.” I paused. “But it would be different if you went with her.”
Her eyebrow dropped, but she didn't seem thrilled by the idea. “I'm not in favor of her going to Minnesota. At all.”
“ But she's not gonna let it go, Lauren,” I said. “Think about it. Everything she's known for the last I don't know how long is there. It's natural for her to want some closure.”
“ What if she wants more than closure?” she asked.
I thought for a moment. “We'll have to deal with that if the time comes. We aren't giving her up. We know that. But I do think she's entitled to some closure. And if you went with her, she can get that and we aren't sending her alone.”
Lauren looked away from me. I wasn't sure she was buying my argument. I did, though, think it was a good compromise because I didn't think Elizabeth was going to drop it. And that might lead to things that could get ugly. And I also thought that it would be a good way to remove them from the picture for awhile while I did more investigating. The stupid email that I'd gotten was also in the back of my mind. I was really starting to think they needed to go.
“ Why me?” Lauren said, turning back to me. “Why don't you go?”
“ Because I think it'll give you some points with her,” I said. “If you're the one taking her, you're the one saying okay to her. And I think, right now, you both need that.”
If she disagreed with me, she didn't say so. She stared at her hands in her lap.
“I'll think about it,” she finally said.
I nodded and stood. “Okay.”
I was at the door when she said, “You still haven't given me an answer.”
I turned around and leaned against the frame. “About?”
“The baby?”
“ What answer?”
“ What you want?”
“ I thought we went through this yesterday,” I said, frowning. “I told you how I felt.”
“ Yeah, I know,” she said. “But I want you to tell me what you want.”
“ I honestly don't know,” I said. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak but I held up my hand to stop her. “And before you accuse me of indifference again, that's the truth. This week has been...overwhelming.” I pointed upstairs. “And she's been my first concern each day.”
Lauren nodded. “Mine, too.”
“So I haven't sat down and considered all of our options and how I feel about everything,” I said. “Hell, I don't even know what you and I are doing. I kind of think we need to figure that out before we can make any kind of joint decision. Because if we aren't together? Then, I'm sorry, but it really is your decision. I can give you my opinion and tell you what I want, but it would absolutely be your decision. And I'd support whatever you decided. Unconditionally.”
She thought for a moment. “What was your first reaction? When I told you?”
I stared at her. “You want the truth?”
“ Always.”
“ My first reaction was I couldn't believe we'd been so careless,” I said. “Not that I felt bad about it or anything like that. But that it never occurred to either one of us to use or even mention any kind of protection. We were like two high school kids who hadn't had the sex talk.”
“ I never got the sex talk,” she said, a small smile flitting across her face. “My parents were too embarrassed to bring it up.”
“ Mine, too,” I said. “So maybe that explains it.”
She laughed. I wasn't trying to be funny, though. I didn't want her to think I didn't care or wasn't taking
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