Page 250 of Love Bites

“Tell her to go hop in the Bronco. I’ll be there in a flash.”

“I want to go, too.” Addy’s tone had a few drops of whine poured into it.

“Not tonight, Sweetie.” Or ever, if I could help it. “I’ll just be a couple of minutes there and back.”

“Whatever!” The door slammed behind Addy.

I sighed. It was no wonder that lions sometimes ate their young.

“That one has your temper.” Harvey snickered.

“I’m going to give her a little more of it if she doesn’t knock off that attitude.” Standing, I grabbed my plate. “You coming?”

“I’ll ride shotgun.”

With Harvey, that usually had a dual meaning.

The trip to the Wymonds’ residence was quick and quiet. Kelly always seemed to hit the “mute” button when adults were present, yet I’d often heard her chattering away when Addy was her only listener—another one of the girl’s traits that made my neck bristle.

When we pulled into the drive, the hood was up on Jeff’s Toyota. Two jean-clad legs stuck out from under the truck. As Kelly hopped out of the back seat, Jeff wiggled out from behind the front tire.

After a “Hey, kid,” and a kiss on Kelly’s forehead, Jeff lumbered toward my open window. I reached for the button to roll it up, but Harvey killed the engine and took the keys before I could stop him.

“Hello, Violet Parker.” Jeff rested his forearms on my door, his face so close I could see his pores under the black smear of grease that ran down his cheek. His big, burly body filled my whole window, blocking my closest avenue of escape. He gave Harvey a quick nod.

“Uh, hi … uh, Jeff,” I said. He smelled like he’d spritzed himself with Penzoil and then dusted the sweet spots with powdered dirt. I didn’t care if he had an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or not. If Harvey’s hand hadn’t been clamped on my wrist, I’d have crawled over the old codger, bailed out his window, and sprinted down the road to safety.

“Thanks for bringing Kelly home.”

No sneers, no leers, no kooky gleam in his green eyes. Who was this man and what did he do with the monster from last week? “You’re welcome. Thanks for letting her stay over.”

“Are you available for lunch on Wednesday?”

“Uhhh.”No way! Huh, uh! Never ever!Harvey squeezed my wrist—hard. “Yeah, I think so.”

I flashed Harvey a glare that promised payback.

“Good. I need to talk to you about …” he hesitated, glancing at my ornery passenger, “something personal.”

Oh God, he knows I took the jacket!I swallowed a shriek of panic and somehow managed to make my cheek muscles smile. “Okay.”

“I’ll pick you up at your office.”

The only way I was going to ride anywhere alone with Jeff Wymonds was if I was hogtied and gagged with a gun pointed at my head.

“I have an early appointment.” I grabbed a business card from my ashtray and handed it to him. “Why don’t you just give me a call that morning and tell me where you want to meet.”

“Sounds good.” He pounded twice on my door frame with his fist, making me jump, and then pushed back and stuffed his hands in his pockets. A trace of the jeepers-creepers Jeff returned with his extra-wide grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “See you on Wednesday, Violet Parker.”

I nodded, the corners of my mouth trembling from forcing a smile for so long. If he called me by my full name throughout our whole lunch, I was going to stuff my napkin in his pie hole.

Afraid to take my eyes off Jeff for even a second, I practiced my ventriloquist act and muttered through frozen lips, “Give me the damned keys, Harvey.”

Harvey obliged without comment—for once.

I started the engine and backed out of the drive.

“See,” Harvey said as we reached asphalt. “He’s harmless.”

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