“It’s the least I can do.”
“Another time.” He started to close the window.
“It’s my grandmother’s recipe for pork chops in mustard sauce, with fried potatoes and salad.”
He hesitated. “Pork chops?”
She nodded, seeing a small crack in his defense. Her grandmother was right when she’d claimed the way to garner a man’s interest was to wow him with her cooking. Unfortunately, the handful of recipes she’d gotten from her grandmother was limited. She did make a tasty meatloaf, though.
That crack closed almost as fast as it appeared. “Another time.”
It was hard to disguise her disappointment before she accepted his decision. “Okay, I understand you’re probably busy. How about I put together a plate for you to take with you?”
He looked away from her and then back. “Thanks anyway, I’ve got other plans.”
Earlier, he’d assured her he had nothing on his agenda. He’d lied in order to get out of spending time with her. Enough said. She got the picture.
“Sure,” she said, finding it hard to swallow his rejection. “Another time.”
He agreed with a quick nod. Hope knew without him ever saying it that he had no intention of following through.
She stood on her porch steps and watched as Cade drove away. As he pulled out of view, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever be able to understand what made him tick.
Her phone chirped with a special ring that told her it was her dear friend Tonya.
“Hey,” Hope said, happy to hear from her college roommate. “It’s been a while.”
“You were on my mind. How do you like living in Washington?”
“Love it.”
“Meet any interesting men?”
Sometimes Hope wondered if Tonya had psychic powers. “Now that you mention it, I have.” For the next ten minutes she relayed her brief history with Cade. “Do you have any words of wisdom?” she asked her friend.
“Patience,” Tonya said, without hesitation. “You took the first step. Let him be the next one to reach out.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then you have your answer. Some men are worth the effort and others aren’t. Let Cade tell you into which category he falls.”
After briefly catching up, Hope ended the call and mulled over the advice her friend had given her.
* * *
—
The next morning, before her first class, Hope stopped by Dean Wilcox’s office. She had to wait a few minutes before he was able to see her.
“More trouble with Pender?” he asked, as soon as she took a seat in his office.
“Unsure. I have a question, though.”
“Fire away.” He leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head, ready to listen.
“Did you happen to speak to anyone about our conversation after I left the school yesterday?”
Dean Wilcox frowned slightly. “What makes you ask?”
“My car was vandalized yesterday afternoon.”
He dropped his hands and straightened. “How so?”
She told him. “Did you mention what I told you about Scott to Coach Simmons?”
“I did, but it wasn’t until after practice. Coach said he’d make sure Scott understood if disciplinary action was taken because of his behavior, he’d have to pull him from the team.”
If Scott prized anything, it was his standing as the team’s quarterback. The reprimand would certainly be taken seriously. That didn’t mean that Scott’s friends or teammates wouldn’t act on his behalf, though. They were just as likely to make Spencer’s life miserable as Scott was. Dean Wilcox knew it and so did Hope.
“I’ll check into this, and if I find out anything I’ll let you know.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Hope told him.
At this point she would give anything to have not encouraged Spencer to pursue Callie. The price was too high for them both.
Chapter 8
Cade sat directly across from Harry in the group session on Wednesday afternoon. Of the four men and one woman in the group, he probably had the least of the physical injuries. Ricardo, who was close to Cade’s age, had lost his left leg and arm. Shelley, a nurse, was without her right hand, Dean was blind, and Silas was badly scarred from burns over a third of his body, including up his neck and over part of one cheek. The extent of their injuries helped Cade appreciate that he’d walked away with a barely noticeable limp. Yes, there was pain. Plenty of that, and not all of it physical.