Page 69 of Hot to Trot

"Ugh, stop scaring me like that, Aunt Frances."

"CIA, remember?"

"But do you really have to sneak upon people? Wear a charm bracelet or something."

"I recognize that little wrinkle in your forehead. You were deep in thought, staring at that phone of yours. What's got you upset? The play?"

"Nope, I don't expect perfection from these guys. Just something passable."

Aunt Frances smiled. At least what seemed to be a smile. Could have been a grimace. Itwasdim. "That doesn't sound like you. Passable? Ho hum? Not my Sum-Scarlet."

"I can't make them care about this. Acting isn’t important to these guys."

"So make it important. Give them a stake in it. Do they know how the town feels about the book? It's pretty much the way the town felt about the center and Rick when Phoenix was being built. People gave it the side eye.”

"What do you mean?"

“A lot of folks around here didn't want the rehabilitation center near our town. Terms likethievesandlowlifeswere tossed around. They sure changed their tune when those fellows showed up to help rebuild the community after the tornado. Rick and his ex-gang members were a godsend. So compareThe Magpie's Jewelto the center. Let them create a platform about judging a book by its cover."

Scarlet studied her aunt's hands as they tapped a tune on the wooden arm of the chair. "You're pretty darn smart."

Her aunt grinned. ”Yes, darling, you get it from me."

“And my sass.” Scarlet paused, thinking about who she was and how she was perceived. “Still, when it comes to some things, I'm as dumb as a... as a..."

"Post? Brick? Sick camel?" Aunt Fran said.

"Sick camels are dumb?"

“Sorry. Got carried away."

For a moment, they sat in silence. "Can I ask you something, Aunt Fran?"

"Shoot."

"What do you think of Adam Hinton?"

"The chief?"

"Yeah."

Her aunt gave her a piercing look. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't really know much about him. Like how he ended up in Oak Stand."

Aunt Frances seemed to be digging around Scarlet's psyche with that gaze. Scarlet hated when she did that. Hated more the thought of what she might uncover. "You're not trying to get dirt on him or something, are you? Because he's a good man."

"You know me better than that. I don't have a grudge. I guess I sorta like him."

''As inlike himlike him?"

She didn't want to answer. So she didn't.

“Well, the council hired him out of a pool of applicants. They were smart for once and brought in someone from the outside. Let's face it, Dan Drummond was a good ol' boy and some changes needed to be made."

Scarlet had deduced as much. But she wanted to know about Adam. Who was he? Where had he come from? And why had he chosen Oak Stand?

"He's divorced. I got that tidbit from Roz. She says his ex-wife calls every now and again, which makes Adam grumpy."

---