Page 97 of Trouble Comes in Threes

She responded immediately.

You have to keep it to yourselves

I was slightly ashamed of how quickly I typed and sent: Okay

She didn’t respond for nearly half a minute, and I thought she’d decided it wasn’t worth the risk, but then a text popped up on my screen.

Just tell me when you can meet me and where

Then she sent: Neely Kate has to be there too, or no deal

Neely Kate let out a grunt of triumph as I looked up at Jed. “She says Neely Kate has to be there, or she’s not meeting me.”

Jed narrowed his eyes at his wife. “What did you two do?”

“Not a dog-gone thing,” she snapped. “And look how hypocritical you’re bein’. You’d let Rose go but not me?”

He started to say something, then wisely clamped his mouth shut. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

“When’s the meetup?” Dermot asked.

I texted: When and where?

I need some milk and bread, so tomorrow at the Piggly Wiggly at 2. But if I see any sign of your husband the sheriff or any other police officer, I ain’t saying a word

My heart sunk as I sent: My husband and his coworkers will be clueless. I promise

I hated that I meant it.

Chapter Twenty

Dermot left a few minutes later, telling us he’d be at the grocery store before two to help protect me and Neely Kate in case something went awry. But before he walked out the door, I asked him when I could talk to Austin.

He paused with his hand on the doorknob and glanced back at me. “He doesn’t want to talk to you.”

I couldn’t hide my shock. “Why?”

“No offense, but your husband calling me into the station made the kid scared of you.” He walked out the door before I could say anything more on the subject.

“Do you believe that, Jed?” I asked, turning to face him.

He made a face. “I can see how it would scare him off.”

“But he knew I was Joe’s wife after he got to the jobsite and still stuck around.”

“He might have people in his ear advising him to steer clear of you,” Jed said. He added, “Or Dermot might be trying to protect you.”

“He’s never lied to me before,” I countered.

Jed didn’t answer.

We sat at the kitchen table in silence for several seconds before I looked at the clock on the oven and realized it was dinnertime. We hadn’t figured out who was going to watch the kids or how I was going to explain going grocery shopping with Neely Kate if Joe was home.

“I need to make dinner,” I said, getting out of my chair. “I’m surprised the kids aren’t already in here complaining that they’re hungry.”

I jinxed myself—or Mikey heard me—because he came in seconds later, saying his tummy was rumbling.

I gave all the kids some cheese sticks while I started boiling water to make spaghetti.

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