Free Last Chance Motel 1 (Last Chance Romance Series) by Abigail Keam Page B

color.
    “I’m Dennis Reardon.” Dennis leaned over Eva to shake Mike’s hand. “I’ve been waiting for hours.”
    Eva got out of the jeep. “How did you know where to find me?”
    “It took a while since you went back to using your maiden name, but I finally tracked you here.”
    Mike cut in, “Eva, want me to stay?”
    “No, but thanks. I’ll be all right.”
    “Are you sure?”
    Eva turned to Mike. “I’ll be okay. You don’t need to stay. Really.”
    “If you say so. I’m only a phone call away.” He gave Dennis a hard look.
    Dennis looked at Mike and then at Eva, wondering what was going on between them.
    “I’ll see you in the morning then,” declared Mike, giving Dennis another sharp look.
    “Yes. Nine on the button,” concurred Eva.
    Reluctantly, Mike started his jeep and pulled onto the highway.
    “Who was that?” asked Dennis after Mike drove away.
    “Not that it is any of your business, but that was my general contractor. I just had dinner at his house.”
    “With his wife?”
    Eva, exasperated, spat out, “No, with his mother.”
    “He’s awfully old to be still living with his mom, isn’t he?”
    “Dennis! What do you want?”
    “Nodding at the motel, Dennis asked, “Can we go in?”
    “No!”
    “Look, Eva. I’ve come all this way to talk with you. I’m worn out. I’ve got something important to tell you.”
    “Why don’t you tell your new wife? I’m not interested.”
    Dennis’ face crumpled. “We lost the baby, Eva. There was something wrong with her heart. We had her only for a few weeks.”
    Eva felt sick. “I’m so sorry, Dennis. I had no idea.” She unlocked the gate and let Dennis through. Helping him with his luggage, she showed him into the office and through to the living area.
    Dennis looked about with a discerning eye. “You’ve done well, Evie.”
    Eva flinched at the use of his nickname for her and remained quiet.
    Dennis strode around the room looking at the details. Finally he poked his head in the bathroom. “Typical Eva. Keep the old look but full steam ahead on the bathroom amenities. No skimping there.” He smiled at her. “Looks fantastic. Top notch.”
    “You didn’t come here to discuss this motel.”
    “May I sit?” asked Dennis, looking longingly at the recliner.
    “Suit yourself.”
    “This is not the way I intended it to be.”
    “Sneaking up on me in the dead of night?”
    “I thought you were at the grocery store or something like that, so I waited.”
    “You never dreamed that I might have a date? Some kind of a social life?”
    “Was it a date?”
    Eva remained silent.
    “Of course. None of my business.” Dennis pushed back his hair. “I came to apologize for what I put you through.”
    “Please,” scoffed Eva.
    “I know you are skeptical, but I am really sorry for all that I did.”
    “It happens.” Eva tried not to sound angry, but Dennis was opening up old wounds. She really wanted him to go away.
    “After the baby died, things fell apart. We couldn’t keep it together. I blame myself too, but she was so young and lacked the maturity to handle this type of crisis.”
    “You shouldn’t diss the mother of your dead child. It’s unseemly,” snapped Eva.
    Dennis threw up his hands. “I’m not. I’m just telling you why things happened the way they did.”
    “And I guess you were the Rock of Gibraltar.”
    Tears welled up in Dennis’ eyes. “Oh, Evie. It was horrible.” He began to sob.
    Stunned, Eva gaped at the distraught man crying in her recliner. She patted Dennis’ shoulder as he shuddered. “I’m sorry, Dennis. I really am . . . for the both of you.”
    Dennis reached up, grabbing Eva’s hand and holding it tightly.
    She handed him a tissue with her free hand.
    Finally he stopped crying and blew his nose. The handsome face was swollen and red from grief.
    Eva got Dennis a glass of water.
    After drinking some water, Dennis seemed calmer. “All that time our baby was ill, I kept thinking