Page 137 of Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance

But for Catalina, I will return to the belly of the whale.

I stop by the office on a Friday morning, hoping to catch Jester in a jovial mood. I bring his favorite coffee and an entire box of Voodoo Doughnuts.

When I arrive, he’s arranging pencils in the original broken Charlie Brown mug that he repaired so many weeks ago, before everything went downhill.

“I see you found a second life for it,” I say, kicking the door closed behind me.

He narrows his eyes. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, showing up here.”

“I come bearing gifts.” I set down the coffee and doughnuts.

He sniffs the cup and opens the lid of the box. “You’ve bought yourself five minutes of my good graces.” He sips the coffee and sighs. “Just like Kelsey used to bring.”

My gut tightens at the mention of her name. He knows somehow, because he sits back in his office chair, palms rubbing together like he’s got something good to say. “You miss her, don’t you?”

“Who?”

“Who? You’re asking who?” He shakes his head. “Both of you are out of your minds.”

“Have you talked to her?”

Jester peers at the selection. “Did you think these doughnuts would buy you the price of information about Kelsey?”

I stand there, trying not to lose my cool. “Did you get a wedding invitation?”

He looks up at that. “What are you talking about?”

“She was on a total fast track. Family approval. Planning on turning their old homestead into a bed-and-breakfast.”

He looks genuinely perplexed. “At her dad’s farm?”

Wait. What ishetalking about?

“Did she take him to meet her dad?” I was joking, but now I wonder.

“It’s too early in the morning for this conversation,” Jester says. “Who do you think Kelsey is marrying a scant ten days after she came here to say goodbye?”

This is the most frustrating conversation I’ve ever had with Jester. “That’s what I’m talking about. She’s moving to that Wyoming homestead with her tree farm lumberjack.”

“You haven’t talked to her, have you?” Jester counts on his fingers. “For, well, practically the entire month!”

“Of course not. She found what she wanted. She doesn’t work here. Why would I?”

Jester slams the lid down on his box. “Because you two were friends, you ol’ fool. You damn yokel. Take back your bribes, mister. I’m not telling you a thing.”

I sigh. It doesn’t matter. Kelsey is gone. I can’t do anything about it. “I’m not here about Kelsey. It’s aboutRomeo and Juliet. I need to get in touch with Luigi Casperra’s team. Catalina is about to walk on this project.”

He stares at me with angry eyes, but finally turns to his computer. “Next time, an email will do.” He fires off a message to me. “There. It’s in your inbox. Good day.”

But he picks up the box of doughnuts and slides them into his drawer, as if he’s afraid I’ll take them away.

I glance over at Kelsey’s desk. It’s still empty. I guess they haven’t found a replacement for her. I’m not surprised. Desdemona had trouble hiring someone before Kelsey, and the word is bound to have gotten around that she fired this one abruptly.

Something glitters on the corner, small and sparkly. It’s in arm’s reach, so I pick it up.

It’s the tiny tip of one of her unicorns’ horns. It must have broken when she packed.

“Was this Kelsey’s?”

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