Page 20 of A First Sight
“Just a minute.” She bent her head as she dug in her purse. “I know I have it. It has to be here. It has to.”
There was an edge to her voice that had me moving up next to her, concern growing. She sounded like she would cry, and that thought made me sick.
The clerk shifted uncomfortably. “Ma’am, people are waiting. If you can’t pay…”
“I should have something here.” She shook her head and wiped at her eye with the back of her hand.
I knew both Uncle Ben and Stellan would understand what I did next.
“I’ll pay for the lady’s meal.”
She turned toward me, damp eyes wide, cheeks flushed. I watched relief turn into pride and knew she was about to argue.
“I can’t let you do that.”
I stepped next to her and handed the clerk my credit card. “Add a second order of the same for me and put them both on my card.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need you to pay for me. I have my own money.”
Knowing who her family was, I had absolutely no doubt of that. While the McCrae clan didn’t have a reputation for expecting preferential treatment, everything I ever heard about Patrick McCrae said his family was the most important thing in the world to him. Even if I was wrong about being related to him, she earned enough at her job to pay for lunch.
I couldn’t tell her any of that, though. She had to think I was merely a stranger who knew nothing more about her than what I had observed.
“I’m sure you do.” I gave her what I hoped was a warm but not overly familiar smile. “But we can all be forgetful at times.”
After a moment, she nodded. “All right.”
“Thank you.”
She laughed, and the sound made my stomach twist in a good way. “I think I’m supposed to be thanking you.”
“I’m glad to be of help,” I said honestly.
“It’s silly, really,” she said, her eyes darting from my face and then back again. “Usually, my boyfriend takes care of things like this because he doesn’t like me carrying money or credit cards. Says it isn’t safe.”
I wanted to tell her that what wasn’t safe was having nothing she could use to pay for a cab or something else she might need. An emergency card would’ve prevented her from needing a stranger to intervene.
But I held my tongue.
It wasn’t my place to say anything. After all, I didn’t know the circumstances or context. Perhaps I was reading too much into it.
“Here you are,” the clerk interrupted any further conversation.
As she reached for her bag, her sleeve slid up her arm, and that was when I saw it.Them. Four circular bruises on her forearm, the same space and size that would come from someone grabbing her. Hard.
“Oh.” Maggie tugged her sleeve down. “I’m perpetually clumsy.”
Before I could respond, she hurried off.
“I’ve seen her here with her boyfriend before,” the clerk said, surprising me. “The guy’s an asshole. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if those are from him.”
My previous excitement at speaking to her, playing the white knight, disappeared under worry and anger. The word of a deli clerk and my suspicions weren’t enough to draw accurate conclusions. However, I could no longer keep my promise to Uncle Ben and Stellan. Until I knew she was safe, I couldn’t stand by and watch. I needed to get involved, learn more about her and her boyfriend. I couldn’t walk away.
It was time to reach out to Mel’s PI friend again.
EIGHTEEN
DRAKE
