Key Witness by Christy Barritt Page A

gut-wrenching. “It’s fun if you like rubbing elbows with people who think they’re more important than they are. Don’t get me wrong—they’re powerful and rich and many of them are generous. But it’s all about schmoozing and networking and I’ll-rub-your-back-if-you-rub-mine.”
    “Not your scene?” Denton glanced at her, the glow from the fireplace casting shadows across his gaze. Something about the way he looked at the moment made Elle want to reach up and touch the stubble at his cheek. She kept her hands firmly on her milk and cookies instead.
    She shook her head, turning her attention back to his questions and away from his dashing good looks. “No, not my scene. Just a necessary evil.”
    He grinned and turned another page. “Fancy-schmancy events wouldn’t be my scene, either.”
    “I actually prefer being around small groups of good friends. Crowds make me feel suffocated and slightly overwhelmed.”
    “You’re the opposite of your father, then?”
    She let out an airy laugh. “Most would say that. I try to put on a good front, though.”
    “I don’t know. I can see some of the same determination in your eyes. Crowds may not be your preference, but you’re good at being surrounded by people.” He paused on a picture. He pointed to it before casting her a questioning glance.
    Elle caught a glance at the snapshot and froze. The very subject she’d hoped to avoid, the subject that still made her gut squeeze. So much for keeping the conversation at a surface level. She cleared her throat. “I thought I’d gotten rid of all of those pictures.”
    “Boyfriend?”
    She glanced away from the picture and at the fireplace for a moment, watching the flames dance and crackle. Its warmth heated her cheeks and should have made her feel cozy and at ease. Instead, her throat felt dry and achy. She licked her lips before looking back at Denton. “Ex-fiancé, not boyfriend.”
    “You were engaged?”
    “Until about eight months ago. Sometimes I think our breakup hurt my father more than it hurt me. He saw Preston as his protégé, I suppose.”
    He moved the book away and leaned against the couch, draping an arm casually along the back. “What happened?”
    She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “Long version or short?”
    “Not as many details as you’d give your girlfriends but more than you’d give a stranger.”
    She had to smile at that. At least Denton didn’t pull any punches. She respected that. “Preston and I met at one of my father’s fund-raisers. He was—is, I should say—a brilliant businessman. He starts companies then sells them, makes a bundle of money, and moves on to start new businesses. He was fun and exciting. He fit right in with my family and we had a whirlwind romance, as they say.”
    “There’s a ‘but’ coming.”
    “Yeah, there’s a ‘but.’ The ‘but’ is that he lived for the next venture. Not only in his career, but in his relationships. He had what some people would call a wandering eye. I tried to justify it at first, say it was just a guy thing. Then he cheated on me.”
    “Ouch.”
    Her heart thudded as she remembered those eye-opening moments when she’d realized their relationship was anything but ideal or perfect, when she’d realized it was filled with heartbreak and that she had to make some decisions that would affect the course of her future.
    “Yeah, ouch. Preston apologized profusely afterward and promised to never do it again. I decided to give him another chance and that’s when I came across some text messages from other women. Who knows how many women he’d been cheating on me with? One day I realized I couldn’t live the rest of my life with someone who acted like that. As much as I treasure forgiveness, it wasn’t worth losing my self-respect.”
    She hesitantly pulled up her gaze to meet Denton’s. Her heart pounded in her ears as she waited for his response. Would he feel pity? Would he see her as weak? His gaze held