Louisa straightened the papers. “I don’t want to bother her with any of this. Maybe it doesn’t matter anyway.”

But one look at him told her it did matter—at least to him.

She wanted to kiss him. She knew she shouldn’t, but she really did. She wanted to take every question spinning around his head and answer it, to make sense of the things he not only wanted—but needed—to know.

If she helped him do that, would he forgive her then?

“Okay,” she finally said. “Let’s go wake the old girl up.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

THEY TRIED FOR FIVE STRAIGHT MINUTES to wake Maggie, but she slept like the dead. A poor analogy, Cody realized as soon as it popped into his mind.

The woman not only talked in her sleep; she fought in her sleep, and twice Cody ducked out of her way only seconds before getting clobbered.

Louisa didn’t even try to quiet her laugh.

“Go ahead and laugh,” he hissed. “But if she swings at you, I’m not going to save you.”

She covered her mouth with her hand, but another giggle escaped.

Maggie stirred again, this time flopping her head over to the opposite side. She let out a giant exhale right in Louisa’s face.

Louisa drew back and grimaced. “Ew, I think she ate pickles.”

Cody couldn’t help it. He laughed. And as soon as he did, Louisa’s entire face beamed. She prided herself on making people smile, and even he knew he was a particularly difficult case.

“I can ask her tomorrow,” Louisa whispered. “About the statements.”

He stood. “Okay. Are you leaving now?”

“Yeah. I should get home.” She grabbed an afghan off the couch, unfolded it, and draped it over Maggie’s lap.

She was kind in the simplest ways. It made him want to know her—not the person he thought she was or the person she had been, but who she’d become. Who was that girl? Would that girl like him? Would that girl want to go out for dinner?

They walked in silence toward the entryway, and Louisa switched the lights off. She lingered a moment by the door. Cody followed her gaze into the living room, where Maggie snored softly by the blue light of the television.

“I’m going to miss her,” Louisa said quietly. She glanced at him and smiled, then turned toward the door.

He followed her outside into the warm June air. The sky was especially dark that night, the result of either a new moon or a thick fog, he wasn’t sure which. A dog barked in the distance, but otherwise they were completely alone. Maggie lived near the water and not much else. Her closest neighbor was a short walk away.

“She’s lucky to have you,” Cody said, aware that his voice disturbed the silence like a rock thrown into a still pond.