True believer - Nicholas Sparks [65]
Lexie followed his gaze. “Oh, don’t worry about Rodney,” she said. “You’re with me.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” he said. “I kind of get the feeling he isn’t all that happy that we showed up together.”
She knew Jeremy was right, although she was thankful that Rachel was beside the deputy. Rachel always had a way of keeping Rodney calm, and Lexie had long thought that she’d be perfect for him. She hadn’t, however, figured out a way of spelling it out for him without hurting his feelings. It wasn’t the sort of thing she could bring up while they were dancing at the Shriners’ Benefit Ball, was it?
“If it’ll make you feel better, just let me do the talking,” she said.
“I was planning on it.”
Rachel brightened when she saw them coming up the steps.
“Hey, you two!” she said. When they were close, she reached out to tug on Lexie’s jacket. “I love your outfit, Lex.”
“Thanks, Rachel,” Lexie said. “And you look like a million bucks, too.”
Jeremy said nothing, preferring to examine his fingernails as he tried to avoid the evil eye that Rodney was sending his way. In the sudden silence, Rachel and Lexie glanced at each other. Reading Lexie’s clues, Rachel stepped forward.
“And look at you, Mr. Famous Journalist,” she sang out. “Why, one look at you, and women’s hearts will be fluttering all night.” She flashed a broad smile. “I almost hate to ask, Lexie, but would you mind if I escorted him inside? I just know the mayor is waiting for him.”
“Not at all,” Lexie said, knowing she needed a minute alone with Rodney. She nodded to Jeremy. “Go ahead, I’ll catch up in a minute.”
Rachel clamped onto Jeremy’s arm, and before he realized it, he was being led away. “Now, have you ever been to a southern plantation as fine as this one?” Rachel asked.
“I can’t say that I have,” Jeremy answered, wondering if he was being thrown to the wolves. As they passed, Lexie mouthed a silent thank-you and Rachel winked.
Lexie turned toward Rodney.
“It’s not what you think,” she began, and Rodney raised his hands to stop her from continuing.
“Look,” he said, “you don’t have to explain. I’ve seen it before, remember?”
She knew he was referring to Mr. Renaissance, and her first instinct was to tell him that he was wrong. She wanted to tell him that she wasn’t going to let her feelings run wild this time, but she knew she’d made that promise before. That was what she said to Rodney, after all, when he’d tried to gently warn her that Mr. Renaissance had no intention of staying.
“I wish I knew what to say,” she said, hating the guilty note in her voice.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
She knew she didn’t. It wasn’t as if they were a couple or had ever been a couple, but she had the strange sensation of confronting an ex-spouse after a recent divorce, when the wounds were still fresh. Again, she wished he would simply move on, but a little voice reminded her that she’d played a role in keeping the spark alive these last couple of years, even if it had more to do with security and comfort on her part than with anything romantic.
“Well, just so you know, I’m actually looking forward to things getting back to normal around here,” she volunteered.
“Me, too,” he said.
Neither said anything for a moment. In the silence, Lexie glanced off to the side, wishing that Rodney wore his feelings with a bit more subtlety.
“Rachel sure looks nice, doesn’t she?” she said.
Rodney’s chin dropped to his chest before he looked at Lexie again. For the first time, she saw the tiniest of smiles.
“Yeah,” he said, “she does.”
“Is she still seeing Jim?” she asked, referring to the Terminix man. Lexie had seen them together in the green truck mounted with a giant bug on their way to Greenville for dinner during the holidays.
“No, that’s over,” he said.