Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [348]
“Good Lord!” Greg backed up, only now noticing Harvey. “That’s the dog you took in?”
“Why are you checking up on me?”
But Greg was now preoccupied with Harvey. Maggie knew he hated dogs, though while they were together he had made excuses that he was allergic to them. Seemed the only thing he was allergic to was Harvey’s growl.
“Greg.” She waited until she had his attention. “Why are you here?”
“I heard about Richard.”
Maggie stared at him, waiting for more of an explanation. When one didn’t come, she said, “It happened days ago.” She stopped herself from adding that if he was so concerned, why did he wait until now.
“Yeah, I know. I did hear about it on the news, but the name didn’t ring a bell with me right away. Then I talked to Stan Wenhoff this morning about a case I’m representing. He told me about what happened at the morgue.”
“He told you about that?” Maggie couldn’t believe it. She wondered who else he had told.
“He was just concerned about you, Maggie. He knows we’re married.”
“We’re getting a divorce,” she corrected him.
“But we’re still married.”
“Please, Greg. It’s been a long day and a long week. I don’t need any lectures. Not tonight, okay?” She marched past him to the front door, letting Harvey lead, so that Greg moved out of the way.
“Maggie, I really did just stop to see if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.” She unlocked the door and hurried to reset the buzzing alarm system inside the entrance.
“You could be a little more grateful. I did come all this way.”
“Next time, perhaps you should call first.”
She was ready to close the door on him, when he said, “That could have been you, Maggie.”
She stopped and leaned against the doorjamb, looking up at him and into his eyes. His perfect forehead was creased with concern. His eyes startled her with flecks of dampness she didn’t recognize.
“When Stan told me about Richard…well, I…” He kept his voice low and quiet, almost a whisper, and there was an emotion in it she hadn’t heard for years. “The first thing I thought of was, what if it had been you?”
“I can take care of myself, Greg.” Her job had been an ongoing debate in their marriage—no, argument was a better word. It had been an ongoing argument between the two of them for the last several years. She wasn’t in the mood for any “I told you sos.”
“I bet Richard thought he could take care of himself, too.” He stepped closer and reached to caress her cheek, but Harvey’s growl cut the gesture short. “It made me realize how much I still care about you, Maggie.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. Damn it! She didn’t want to hear this. When she opened her eyes, he was smiling at her.
“Why don’t you come with me. I can wait while you get ready.”
“No, Greg.”
“I’m meeting my brother, Mel and his new wife. We’re gonna have a nightcap at their hotel.”
“Greg, don’t—”
“Come on, you know Mel adores you. I’m sure he’d love to see you again.”
“Greg.” She wanted to tell him to stop, that she wouldn’t be meeting with him and Mel probably ever again. That their marriage was over. That there was no going back. But those watery gray eyes of his seemed to replace her anger with sadness. She thought of Delaney and of his wife, Karen, who had hated Delaney’s career choice as much as Greg hated hers. So instead, she simply said, “Maybe some other time, okay? It’s late and I’m really wiped out tonight.”
“Okay,” he said, hesitating.
For a minute she worried that he might try to kiss her. His eyes strayed from hers to her mouth, and she felt her back tense up against the doorjamb. Yet in that moment of hesitation, she realized she wouldn’t resist the gesture, and that revelation surprised her. What the hell was wrong with her? There was no need to worry, however. Harvey’s renewed growl cut short any attempt at intimacy, drawing away Greg’s attention.
He scowled at Harvey, then smiled back at Maggie. “Hey, at least you don’t have to worry about security with him around.”
He turned to leave, then spun back around. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, pulling a clump of torn and