about the assessing look he turned on her, and she was suddenly aware of the sticky icing on her fingers.
When in doubt, take refuge in good manners, her mother always advised. Deidre wiped her hand on a napkin before extending it.
“Mr. Glassman, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sure my father-in-law is relieved to have someone to...” She’d started to say assist, but this man didn’t look as if he’d ever been an assistant to anyone. “To take over the extra caseload. I know the office has been very busy.”
“Please, call me Jason.” His deep voice held nothing more than conventional courtesy, but the clasp of his hand lingered a bit too long, and his dark eyes studied and probed, as if to warn he’d know everything about her before he was finished. “I’m just getting settled in. I understand we’re neighbors, as well.”
“We’re all neighbors here in Echo Falls.” Adam glanced from one to the other as Deidre pulled her hand away, his voice uncertain. “I was just telling Jason how happy we’ll be to have his help with planning the celebration.”
“Not planning, just listening. I understand no one else was available tonight, and the judge thought the office should be represented. I’m just holding a watching brief.” The way his eyes held hers made it sound as if she were the one he was watching.
Deidre gave herself a mental shake and took a step back behind the protection of the coffee urn. Jason Glassman would have better luck turning his measuring look on Dixie. She’d know just how to respond.
“I see the chairwoman is ready to begin.” She nodded toward the fireplace, where Enid Longenberger was shuffling through her notes. “Maybe we’d better take our seats.” Busying herself with the arrangement of trays, Deidre gave the two men plenty of time to find chairs before she slipped into one as far away from Glassman’s disturbing presence as possible.
What had the judge been thinking? Surely he couldn’t picture this man settling into a quiet career in Echo Falls. He looked as if he’d be bored to death in a week. Certainly he did nothing to dismiss that opinion as he sat, eyes half-closed, through the inevitable suggestions, ranging from the mundane to pie-in-the-sky ideas that would only happen if a benevolent billionaire decided to lend a hand.
The meeting dragged on even longer than she’d expected, with Enid obviously determined to give everyone a chance to offer an opinion. Deidre found herself taking surreptitious glances at her watch. Dixie claimed to enjoy staying with Kevin, and she’d never let Deidre pay her, so she made a special effort not to keep Dixie out too late.
Finally, the subcommittees had been assigned, a general outline of ideas approved and the last grumbler had been satisfied. Enid banged down her gavel with an air of decision, and people started filing out the doors, some lingering to rehash the meeting with their friends, as they often did. Deidre kept herself busy clearing up the coffee service as the room slowly emptied. She didn’t think Jason Glassman would approach her again, and she didn’t want to give him any excuse to do so. Something about the man set her nerves on edge, and she didn’t think it was the attractiveness and underlying masculine sexuality that Dixie had obviously noted.
When she went outside, locking the back door behind her, Deidre realized she had dallied almost too long. The lot behind the library was empty except for her sedan, and darker than it usually seemed—or maybe that was just her mood.
The streetlamp in front of the building was blocked by the roof of the library, and the closest one in the other direction didn’t extend its light this far. The massive brick block of the bank building on the other side of the lot effectively hid it from view of anyone passing on Main Street, giving it an isolated feeling.
Deidre walked quickly to the car, heels echoing on the concrete, fingers clasped around her keys. She’d never felt unsafe in Echo Falls after dark, and she wasn’t going to let an odd case of nerves make her start now. Unlocking the car, she slid in and slammed the door, feeling like a rabbit darting into its hole.
She turned the key in the ignition, listening for the comforting purr of the motor. The engine gave a sputter, a grinding sound and then stopped. Nothing. She tried again. She couldn’t have stalled it. But there was still nothing. The engine was dead.
It was pointless to keep turning the key. Fumbling for her cell phone, she tried to come up with the most sensible course of action. If she called the auto club, they’d undoubtedly send someone out from Williamsport, a good thirty miles away, and she’d be stuck here for an hour. She could try one of the people who’d been at the meeting, but they wouldn’t be home yet, and she suspected none of them were entered on her cell phone. If Dixie weren’t babysitting—
A sharp rap on the window next to her sent her heart jolting into overdrive. She turned to see Jason Glassman peering in at her, his strong-featured face an ominous mask in the dim light.
“Trouble?” He raised an eyebrow, giving his face a hint of caricature, and she was swept with a feeling that trouble was exactly what the man represented.
JASON TILTED HIS face to the available light, making sure the Morris woman recognized him. With a slight nod, Deidre lowered the window manually, apparently deciding he was trustworthy.
She was wrong. Her car wasn’t starting because he’d made sure it wouldn’t. Nothing serious. A mechanic would spot the loose connection in thirty seconds, but he was banking on Deidre not even looking under the hood.
“My car is dead.” She glanced at her watch. “I can’t imagine what’s wrong.”
He shrugged. “I’m not much of a mechanic, but I’ll be glad to wait with you while you call your garage. Or my car is here, and I can easily take you home.”
Now she managed a smile. “The garage will have closed at five, and nothing short of a three-car pileup would get George Frazer away from his television at this hour. If you’re sure you don’t mind...” Deidre was already opening the door.
“Not at all. We’re neighbors, aren’t we?” So easy. She didn’t suspect a thing. Too bad the drive was so short, but at least he’d have some chance of talking with her. “I’m parked out front.”
They walked together along the alley toward the street, their footsteps echoing on the concrete. Shadows lay around the building, and it surprised him that Deidre didn’t seem warier. Maybe small-town living deadened the instincts.
“I appreciate the offer. It’s certainly time I relieved my babysitter.”
“Teenagers always have the meter ticking, I suppose,” he said lightly, wondering who watched the judge’s grandson when she wasn’t there.
“It’s not that. A friend of mine is staying with my son. I hate to call a teenage sitter on a school night, especially when I think a meeting might be lengthy.”
They’d reached his car, and he opened the passenger-side door so she could slide in, then went around quickly to get in and start the car. “It wasn’t my imagination then. It did go on and on.”
“And on,” she said, amusement in her voice. “I’m afraid it wasn’t a very good introduction for you. But typical. Everyone has to have their say.”
“Even if someone else has already said it.” He
