Page 86 of The Charmer

"And then the bar?"

"Nah, not tonight."

"You need an early evening after the fun yesterday." Mom successfully hid her smile behind her muffuletta, but I still heard it.

"You're behaving a bit odd today," I informed her.

It seemed I took more after Isabeau. I was far too direct when it came to family. But even in business, I rarely beat around the bush.

"It's not every day that I see the change in my eldest son that I always hoped to see."

My eyes bulged. "The change?"

"You had a light-bulb moment. I can tell."

"I'm not going to argue with that." I looked around. "Do you still need my help with anything? I don't have to go by the office."

"No, you've really done more than enough. I'm feeling guilty now. I think you might've strained your shoulder."

"It's just aching."

"You could drop by your grandmothers' shop. They have this divine new concoction cream that helps with muscle relaxation. I don't know where those two come up with the recipes, but they’re always good."

"I don't doubt it, but the smell is usually too..."

"Feminine?" Mom asked, winking at me. "They're ahead of you with this one. They have it in two versions, for men and for women."

"Now I'm interested."

"But a word of warning. If you do visit them, you might get a lot of questions."

I chuckled. "Thanks for the heads-up."

On second thought, my shoulder was much better already. And I had more important things to do today—namely, figuring out my next steps in regard to Georgie.

Chapter Twenty-One

Georgie

"You're in a great mood today," Zelda said as I bounced about the shop. That was an understatement. I was smiling constantly. "Is it because of that huge sale you just made?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I replied quickly, then turned around and arranged some of the new merchandise on the shelves. "How was the celebration yesterday?"

"Super crowded, but you know, the more the merrier. How was yours?"

"Fantastic."

"So that's why you're in a good mood."

I looked at her over my shoulder. She was sporting a shit-eating grin. Clearly, she didn't believe my story about the sale.

"Hey, you're keeping secrets, but that's quite okay. We all do."

I turned around abruptly. "What do you mean, 'we all do'? What aren't you telling me?"

She put a hand on her hip. "Huh, so this isn't a two-way street, huh? I have to tell you everything, and you don't tell me anything?"

"I'm not sure exactly what to say," I admitted.

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