Page 24 of Forever and Other Lies

“Overheard Mom and Vanessa. Margie Stayner came into Vanessa’s salon for a wash and set, talking all about it.”

“Wash and set?” Nick’s eyebrows shot up.

“Yeah, you know, the old lady helmet hairstyle that lasts a week.” Derek chuckled. “Margie’s daughter lives across from Leighton and Piper. She saw the whole thing. Saw Piper hand back the flowers and slam the door in your face.”

“She must have pretty good eyesight,” Nick muttered. “So? What’s it to you?”

“It’s going to take more than flowers and a lame apology to win her back.”

“How do you know my apology was lame? Does Margie have supersonic hearing too?”

Derek lifted an eyebrow. “No, I just know you well, my friend.”

“Okay, yeah, it was pretty lame,” Nick sighed, taking another swig. “What can I do? She’s really angry. I hurt her, and she isn’t going to forgive me anytime soon.”

“You need a grand gesture,” Derek advised. “Like Ryan Gosling did in ‘The Notebook’.”

“You watched ‘The Notebook’?”

“Don’t look so shocked. Mom and Vanessa were watching it last night. They had an amazing charcuterie board. I’d sit through a musical for mortadella and gruyere.”

In addition to gossiping, his mother and sister-in-law had gushed over Ryan Gosling’s character, Noah, and his grand gesture of restoring the old house where he and Allie had spent their last night together.

A police cruiser pulled up to the curb just as Ophelia Meddler stepped out of her house.

“Looks like the Meddler called the Po-Po on us,” Derek chuckled.

“Hey Burke,” Nick called out to the officer. “What’s up?”

“Got a disturbance call.” Burke climbed out of the cruiser and approached the lawn.

“Oh, yeah? Who’s causing a disturbance?” Nick asked.

“Apparently, you and Derek are.” Burke shrugged.

“We’re just sitting on my roof enjoying the view. No disturbance here.” Nick grinned.

“Nick’s right, Mrs. Meddler,” Burke said, turning to the woman. “Drinking on the roof isn’t an offense. It might be stupid, but it’s not illegal.”

Ophelia threw her hands up and stalked back across the street.

“Careful, Burke. She might turn the hose on you again,” Derek called down.

Ophelia stopped walking and turned. Her glare could have set him aflame. “Oh, she’s calling my mother.”

“Yep.” Nick nodded his head in agreement.

“Did you see that video of her hosing down Burke when he refused to charge Shamus for a noise complaint?” Derek chuckled.

“Guess she doesn’t like bagpipe music,” Nick commented.

“Come back once your shift is over. We’ll fire up the barbecue,” Nick yelled down to Burke.

“Sounds good,” Burke said, heading back to his cruiser. “Maybe take the drinking to the back deck.”

“Yeah, okay.” Nick saluted.

“Are we too old to put a flaming bag of poop on her front porch?” Derek asked.

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