Page 7 of Gator's Gambit
“Is that true, Milly?” She gives me a tiny meow, as if answering in the affirmative. “Well then, up you come.” I lean over to pick her up, and she immediately snuggles into my neck, purring loudly in my ear.
“Wow, you must give off some seriously good energy, because she doesn’t go to just anyone. Milly’s selective about who she chooses to cuddle with.”
“Me too, Milly. Me too, girl.” Fancy’s snort of amusement has me grinning.
“That’s not quite how I remember high school going.”
This time I laugh outright. “Damn, busted in a lie, Milly-girl. What’s a guy to do?’ Again, I get a meow from the purring cat, who is now kneading my injured shoulder like she’s being paid to.
An almost carbon copy of Milly comes strolling into the room and makes a beeline for Fancy. The cat hops up onto the chair opposite to her injured side, settles down with its head on her thigh, and stares at me unblinkingly. “This is Evie. She’s Milly’s litter mate and the more aloof of the two.”
“Yeah, I can see that from the stare-down I’m getting.” I’m not sure what it is about the cats having joined us, but it’s as if our awkwardness with each other has eased and conversation flows. It’s like we saw each other last week rather than years ago, and I remember how much I enjoyed spending time with Fancy back then.
She’s easy to talk to, an incredible listener, and always had the best advice for teenage woes. I swear the woman is an old soul in a young body.
Time flies by, and before I know it, Mrs. Gilmore’s inviting me to stay for lunch. Checking my watch, I see I’ve been here for hours – far longer than I’d intended. To be honest, I’mnot sure what my intentions were coming here, but I saw the Dunkin’ Donuts in town while running errands for Mama and remembered how much Fancy loved their coffee and donuts.
“Thanks for the invite, Mrs. Gilmore, I truly appreciate it, but I’m taking Mama and Em to lunch today. I should get going,” I say, getting to my feet. I run my hand over Milly’s soft coat before placing her down gently beside her sister. Without thought, I lean over and drop a quick kiss on Fancy’s head.
The surprise on Mrs. Gilmore’s face has me wanting to slap myself on the forehead when I realize what I’ve done. To her credit, she recovers quickly and says, “Oh, that’s lovely. I’m sure Evelyn’s looking forward to it. I know how much she misses you.”
“Truth be told, I miss her and the girls too. It’s difficult to get home as often as I’d like.” Turning to Fancy, I continue, “I’ll see you around, Pooks. Take care of yourself.”
“See you around, Bean. Thanks for the visit.”
“I’ll be right back with lunch, sweetheart. I’ll just see Godric out.”
Knowing better than to argue with southern hospitality, I wait for her to precede me down the hall. We reach the front door, and Mrs. Gilmore lets us out onto the porch, closing the door quietly behind her. My interest is peaked by her behavior, and I wait for her to give voice to whatever’s on her mind. It takes her a moment, but when she does, I don’t like what I hear.
“I need to get something off my chest. It’s been bothering me since not long after Fancy got home, but I need you to promise this stays between us.”
Without hesitation, I agree. “I promise. Anything I can do to help.”
Mrs. Gilmore hesitates for a long moment, then nods. “I think she’s in some kind of trouble. I think she’s come home to hide out from something.”
“What makes you think that, ma’am?”
“My Fancy is a levelheaded girl. Not one to get nervous over every small thing or jump at shadows. Since she’s come home, it’s like she’s constantly looking over her shoulder. I’ve never known her to be easily spooked by things.”
“Has Fancy mentioned anything to you that might point us in the right direction to figure out what could possibly be going on?”
“Not really, no. She mentioned a few months ago that a client had been acting weird but that she’d told them she couldn’t help them anymore. Other than that, nothing. There’s nothing concrete to go on, just motherly intuition that says something is off.”
“Well, if you’re anything like my mama – and I think you are – then there probably is something going on. I can’t promise I’ll get it out of her, but I’ll do my best to help in any way I can. It’s the best I can give you.”
“That’s enough for this mama. Thank you, my boy.” Reaching down, I give the woman a gentle hug.
Checking my watch, I see I need to get a move-on. “Ah, best I get going before I get my heinie kicked. Take care, Mrs. G. I’ll see you.”
“Have fun and say hi to your mama for me.”
“Will do,” I say, waving as I make my way to the car.
The short conversation with Mrs. Gilmore occupies my mind on the way to fetch Mama and my sister, Emma. Thinking back to the other day and now today, I can see what she means. Fancy’s never really been one to jump over loud noises and people unexpectedly coming up behind her. But today, every little sound had her jerking in fright. Curious.
I reckon it bears digging into, and I know just the man for the job.
3
