Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1) by Lily Harper Hart Page B

got home. He’d never given her a key – he didn’t like people in his personal space – so she’d been forced to sit on his porch for more than an hour.
    When she’d suggested a nice dinner out, Nick balked. Not only did he not want to go out to dinner, he also didn’t want to spend any time with Cassidy. He had no idea why, but her very existence was starting to grate on him.
    She was always so nice and friendly. She was never in a bad mood. She never tried to force him into things he didn’t want to do. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her. “Except she’s not Maddie,” a voice whispered in the back of his mind.
    It wasn’t the first time he’d heard the voice. It had reared its ugly head every time he dated a woman over the past decade. He’d learned to ignore it. It was easy when Maddie wasn’t there. Now that she was back, it was darned near impossible. Nick knew he was at a crossroads. He just had to pick a direction, and the one he was leaning toward was going to devastate Cassidy.
    So, he’d agreed to dinner. She wanted a nice night out. She wanted seafood and a view. He could give her that. For now.
    “We haven’t been here since our first date,” Cassidy enthused, her eyes shining as the hostess led them across the dining room. “I’m so excited.”
    “I’m glad,” Nick said.
    “Aren’t you excited?”
    “Sure.”
    “Will this table work?”
    Nick smiled at the hostess. “It’s fine.”
    “Oh, do you have something by a window?” Cassidy asked hopefully.
    “I’m sorry,” the hostess said. “They got the last one.”
    Nick lifted his head to stare at the couple the hostess was referring to and pulled up short. The sight of Maddie sitting there – he didn’t even recognize her at first – was enough to throw him. Her date’s identity as he held her hand across the table felt like a semi-truck rolling over him when realization dawned.
    “Todd.”
     
    MADDIE felt like she was caught in a trap. It was bad enough she was stuck on an uncomfortable date in an outfit that left little to the imagination, but Nick’s arrival was creating enough pressure on her chest to virtually smother her.
    “Oh, hi,” Cassidy said, her voice bright.
    “Hi,” Maddie replied dully.
    “Winters.” Todd’s tone was terse.
    “Winthrop.” Nick’s tone was deadly.
    “Oh, do you two know each other?” Cassidy asked, oblivious.
    “We all went to high school together,” Maddie explained.
    “Oh, that’s great,” Cassidy said. “We can all sit together and catch up. Our lunch the other day got cut short. We really wanted to sit at a window anyway.” She turned to the hostess. “Can we just sit with them?”
    The hostess shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”
    “I don’t think … .” Nick broke off, unsure.
    “Yeah, we’re on our first date,” Todd said. “That’s not really a group activity. I’m not going to be able to flirt with her if I have an audience.”
    Nick narrowed his eyes as he regarded Maddie. “You know what? It sounds like fun.” He took the open seat between Maddie and Todd and plopped down in it. He reached over and snagged one of the menus from the hostess. “Have you ordered yet?”
    “We were just about to,” Maddie said.
    “Winters, do I infringe on your dates?” Todd asked.
    “Sit down, Cassidy,” Nick ordered. “I left the seat right by the window open for you.”
    Maddie glanced at Cassidy and found the girl’s face hard to fathom. It was a blank slate, but there was something there lurking in the depths of her eyes. After a moment, Cassidy plastered an obviously fake smile on her face and settled in the chair Nick had indicated.
    “I really love this place,” she said. “Oh, I’m Cassidy, by the way.” She extended her hand in Todd’s direction.
    “Todd Winthrop.”
    “And you all went to high school together?”
    “Yup,” Nick said.
    “Did you all hang out?” Either Cassidy was oblivious, or she was purposely leading the