Chapter 5
He'd extricated himself from the conversation as quickly as he could. But he knew he would never catch up to her. Even at a normal pace she walked faster than him. And based on the hurt he'd seen on her face, her normal pace would be slow by comparison.
He didn't really know how to explain why he'd never told the man about her. There wasn't really a reason other than foolish pride. When they'd first started going out, he'd practiced introducing her in private.
Girlfriend, partner, lover, each more ridiculous than the last. He was too old for one, another felt much too cold for what they had and the other was too intimate for an introduction. The simple fact was, he wasn't sure what to call her.
It was easy when he was married, Val was his wife. Laura wasn't and he was pretty sure she didn't want to be. He'd hinted when they moved in together and she'd dodged the subject. So he'd let it go, figured he would give it time.
Standing outside of the door, he took a deep breath, praying she would let him talk before she started screaming. Using his key, he opened the door and pushed it open, peeking around the corner. The house was silent, eerily so.
"Laura…" He stepped in, listened for any sign of her. At the foot of the stairs, he called up, "Laura, can we talk? That wasn't what you think."
When he didn't receive an answer, he climbed the stairs. His heart pounded in his chest. Silence had not been what he expected. Storming, fuming, even screaming but silence was somehow more concerning.
The door to the bedroom was open, the room empty. He walked through, into the bathroom, also empty. A frantic search of the entire upstairs revealed Laura wasn't there. Returning downstairs, he checked the patio. The canoe, a source of much frustration, was the only thing he found.
He tried to calm down only to find himself racing up the stairs. He searched the closet of the extra bedroom relaxing a bit when he saw her suitcases and overnight bag. She hadn't left him. He told himself she'd probably just gone for a walk.
He would wait for her. Her not being at home was a good thing, it would give him time to think. Time to figure out how he would explain why the canoe man knew about Val but not about her.