Ch.23 - Enid

Sunday was hot, with temperatures reaching the triple digits, not the best day to be cooped up inside with a bunch of paint fumes.

It is what it is. Enid let out a long sigh and pulled her short, brown bob into a ponytail, the bundle of hair jetting out behind her.

She swiped her forearm along her brow, wiping away beads of sweat. She'd already taken down the blinds, covered the woodwork with tape and poured the paint into a pan. Now all that's left is to give these walls a much needed makeover. A splash of color was in order, she was tired of always playing it safe. She'd finally decided on a light shade of Silky Tangerine to cover up the Classic French Gray that had been there before. Enid added paint to the roller and started a slow rotation along the middle of the wall. Swipe by swipe, she made a large patch of color then stepped back to admire the transformation.

Perfect. So much better than dumb ol' gray. She smiled to herself and got back to her chore.

As she worked, her thoughts drifted back to the cookout at Charlie and Talia's. An afternoon out had been a welcome addition to an otherwise hectic day. Relaxing and having fun with good company was therapeutic, and something she didn't typically allow much time for. It was nice to finally let off some steam, even if she did have to come home to a big, empty house afterward. I need to make more time for fun. That beautiful granddaughter of mine won't be young forever. . .

Smiling to herself, she thought about how happy the baby had been having a little friend to play with. The girls were so adorable together, and Betsy is such a wonderful lady. Not at all what I imagined Ryan's wife would be like. Not that that's a bad thing. . . they say opposites attract.

As gruff as he was, she thought Ryan was a hoot, and the differences between him and his wife only balanced them out. He'd been a good friend to Charlie over the past year. Charlie had mentioned the trouble he'd been having. Ryan was a military man, three tours overseas. Apparently, he'd seen and done things he kept bottled up inside. Charlie said he suffered from PTSD, and she could sense that unease when she looked in his eyes. Ryan was a troubled man, a casualty of war. Like so many brave men before him.

So sad, she sighed. If she didn't know better, she would swear Charlie suffered from Post Traumatic Stress himself. As hard as he tried to hide it, something had changed in him over the past few years. And she understood why, how could she not? What he'd been forced to do. . . She prayed Talia would be able to convince him to see Dr. Blair. Everyone needed someone to talk to and Charlie definitely had things he needed to get off his chest.

Jackson. . .

The image of their new neighbor gave her a chill. There was something about him that made her uneasy. He'd certainly been pleasant enough both times she had seen him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was off. The odd feeling had nagged at her conscience the entire night before.

I don't like him, she admitted. Although she couldn't say why. With any luck, he wouldn't be in town for very long. She hoped he wrote his articles quickly then went back to Louisiana where he belonged. But Charlie seemed to like him, and he was normally a good judge of character. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. . .

But she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, and that typically meant trouble. Jackson seemed guarded, as if he was being careful not to say too much. And a man with secrets could be a dangerous thing.

Even though the room was quite warm, the hair along her arms stood at attention. She hadn't felt this uneasy about someone in quite a while. The last time had been. . .

Stop it! You're being ridiculous, she scolded. You're making mountains out of mole hills. No wonder Charlie is amused every time you open your mouth. You're going to sound like the town quack if you keep up this nonsense.

Enid rolled the paint on the wall, taking care not to drip on the floor. She stood back to check her work. Not bad for an old lady, she grinned.

A soft gust of wind made its way in through an open window, blowing around the tiny wisps of hair along her face. She turned into the breeze, enjoying a moment of relief from the sweltering heat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure approaching up the driveway, heading toward her front porch. She hadn't been expecting company. Enid's eyes flew open in surprise when she realized who it was.

Setting the roller into the tin of paint, she lifted her hands to her hair, making sure it was in order.

"Knock, knock," came a voice through the front screen. "Anyone home?"

Heart pounding, Enid raced toward the door. "Mr. Easterwood! I mean. . .William. Such a pleasant surprise." She beamed as she held the door open for him. "Please, come in."

He walked through the threshold and looked her up and down. "You look busy. I'm sorry to interrupt." A dimple in his left cheek popped out when he smiled at her.

Oh God, I must look ridiculous! Enid's hands flew to her ponytail and she gave it a tug, shaking out her hair as it fell into place around her face. "No, not at all. Just doing some painting. These walls are in desperate need of an update." She grinned back, trying not to look like an idiot. "So, what brings you by on a Sunday? There are no delivers today, are there?"

William shook his head. "Nope, that's not why I'm here. I can't stay long, I'm going to my daughter's house for dinner, but I wanted to talk to you about getting together sometime." He shifted hesitantly in front of her, as if it had been a while since he'd invited out a member of the opposite sex. "That is, if you still want to."

Did she still want to? "Yes! Yes, of course! I would love to—" Take a deep breath and calm down! "I mean, yes, William. That would be lovely." She bit her bottom lip and then dropped it suddenly. Would you stop! You're acting like a fool. Enid inhaled slowly, trying to soothe her racing pulse. "When were you thinking?"

He glanced down at his hands. "Well, I was thinking maybe Saturday evening, if you're not busy." His hazel eyes looked up and met hers. "There's a band called The Swingers playing at an event not too far from here. I'm not sure of you're into Big Band music, but it's always a good time. Lots of dancing and laughs. .  ." he trailed off nervously.

"Dancing?" She swallowed hard, her throat bone-dry. "Why, I haven't done that in years! It sounds wonderful, William. I would be honored to go along with you. Thank you for asking."

He looked relieved. "As long as you don't mind having a date with two left feet," he teased.

A date? She swallowed again. "Then you'll  match my two right ones."

William chuckled softly. "Saturday will work then?"

She nodded. "Saturday will work. The Ivy House is closed for the next couple of weeks so I can get some things taken care of. I take time off every few years to give it a little makeover. So, this weekend I'm free."

"If you need help painting, I've been told I'm rather good."

Enid felt herself blush. "Well, if you're as good with a brush as you are with hedge clippers, then you're hired." Holy hell, why was her heart beating so quickly? Was this what palpitations felt like? Wouldn't it be just her luck to have a heart attack right then and there, before their big night out.

William smiled and looked down nervously, then glanced back up, studying her face. "You—you have a little something—" He stepped closer, closing the gap between them.The warmth of his breath mingled with hers. With careful precision, he lifted his thumb to her cheek, the soft pad gently brushing over her fevered skin.

Enid felt her eyes flutter, the closeness taking her by surprise.

"There," he whispered, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Just a little smudge of paint. It's all better now."

Enid let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I, um. . .thank you." Her stomach twisted into a million knots as they stood staring at one another.

William stepped backward toward the door. "You're very welcome." He placed his hand on the handle and gave her one last smile. "I have to get going, but I'll see you Saturday then, if not sooner."

"We'll most likely run into each other before then. I'm expecting another package."

His eyebrows arched with curiosity. "Really? What's coming this week?"

Enid pursed her lips. "A hand-held scalp massager," she stated with embarrassment.

"A scalp massager?" His head tipped slightly to one side. "I didn't know there was such a thing."

She shrugged, a wave of heat working its way across her cheeks. "You never know when you're going to get a headache."

William looked confused, but smiled anyway. "I guess I'll see you soon then." He opened the door and vanished onto the porch.

Enid exhaled in frustration. A hand-held scalp massager? What was I thinking? She moaned and covered her face with her hand. I really need to stop shopping online.

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Hello and thank you for reading Secrets and Lies! If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving a vote/comment--I love to hear from you!

This chapter is dedicated to Wattpad reader @DalmaMorales! Thank you so much for your support! Stop by her page and see what she's up to.

Things seem to be heating up between Enid and William--they are so stinking cute! And no matter how hard "Jackson" tries to hide it, Enid can see something isn't right with him.

This week I would like to give a shout-out to readers in Moldova, Senegal, Rwanda, Nepal and Albania--thank you for reading!