Free Turn Darkly by Heather McVea Page A

was she had a million questions. The fact she squelched her natural curiosity to ensure she was never in a position to compromise Lily’s secret, told Regan more about her feelings for the woman than she cared to admit. Leaving Lily was going to be one of the hardest things Regan had ever done.
    Lily had closed the space between her and Regan. The two women embraced, and Regan placed a gentle kiss on Lily’s cheek before releasing her, and descending the stairs. Walking to her van, Regan was torn between needing to leave, and wanting to stay.
    Her affinity for Lily had been created in a moment, and for a while, their paths intersecting had made this remote part of the world seem like home.
***
    “Did you get everything you needed?” William McCale stood next to the white VW van, wearing a green t-shirt that read Gravity Keeps Me Down across the front of it. Regan couldn’t help but smile at the man and his affinity for humorous attire.
    Brushing wisps of hair off her forehead, Regan loaded the last of her belongings into the van’s cargo area. Shielding her eyes against the afternoon sun she looked at William. “I did. Thank you for all your help and support.”
    The stocky man nodded. “Safe travels.” He extended his hand to Regan. “Sure you won’t go out in the morning?”
    “I’ll stop when I get tired.” She shook the man’s hand firmly, and slid behind the steering wheel of the van.
    “Wait up!” Jason’s voice came from just behind the van as Regan started the engine. “Were you leaving without saying goodbye?”
    Jason and she had shared a room for the past three weeks. In spite of Regan’s initial apprehensions, the man had been on his very best behavior and the two had become good friends.
    “Don’t be dramatic, Wiggles. We kiss-kissed and hug-hugged inside.” She teasingly stuck her tongue out at the man.
    “I’ll see you in a few months?” Regan had agreed to spend the holidays with Jason and his family in Dallas. For the first time since her parents’ death, she wasn’t dreading that time of year.
    “See you then.” She put the van in drive, and pulled away from the observatory. She had managed to stay on top of her data over the past three weeks. With the majority of the correlation complete, all she had left to do was write her conclusions. A wave of euphoria washed over her with the realization that her dissertation was over ninety percent complete.
    A few miles from the observatory, the euphoria came to a grinding halt as Regan drove past the mile marker sign for Howell. She had not been able to forget Lily, and had hated how the woman kept creeping into her mind at the most inopportune times.
    Committed to not getting any more entangled in the beautiful woman’s affairs, Regan had managed to fight several urges to pay the woman a visit. Now, she was driving right past Lily’s house, and directly through the center of Howell.
    Maybe it’s a sign? Regan shook her head, and turned the radio up, hoping the sound of OneRepublic’s Counting Stars would drown out the incessant voice telling her to detour.
    Her arms practically ached to turn the van into Lily’s driveway, but Regan willed her foot to stay on the accelerator, refusing to even look up the drive toward the houses. Her will power faltered at the Howell city limits, and she was surprised to find herself parked outside the Last Stop.
    Reverse, Andrews. Reverse! Even as her common sense and self-preservation were screaming in her head, her hands were independently putting the van in park, turning the engine off, and opening the door. Inexplicably, Regan found herself at the door to the restaurant, a thin film of sweat forming along her forehead and back.
    Now I have to go in. She’s probably already seen me. Taking a deep breath, Regan pulled the door open, a blast of cool air rushing over her.
    Waiting a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior, Regan scanned the room. To her dismay, Lily was nowhere to be