Page 241 of Love Bites

CHAPTER14

Later that afternoon when I parked the Bronco in Aunt Zoe’s drive, Addy and Kelly were kneeling on the front porch. Between them sat one of the moving boxes we’d used this spring, “Layne’s Books” scrawled on the side. Addy looked up from the box and waved as I killed the engine.

I shoved open the door, but stayed in my seat, letting my head fall back against the headrest as the aroma of warm pine and sun-cooked gravel filled the cab. Spending the last four hours listening to Ray schmooze his clients and reel in two new deals had renewed the pounding in my head.

I had two weeks until Jane pulled the plug on me, and the one person who could help take my job off life support kept turning his nose up at every house I showed him. The Sea of Failure had me trapped in its riptide, dragging me out beyond the buoys. It was only a matter of time until the sharks picked up the scent of fresh blood and had a frenzy on my sorry ass.

The slam of a screen door across the street interrupted my Life-Sucks monologue. I frowned at the sight of Harvey scurrying toward me down Miss Geary’s front walk.

I hopped out of the Bronco as he crossed the street. Had the dirty old buzzard already worked his mojo on Aunt Zoe’s neighbor? “Where’s your truck?”

“In Beatrice’s garage.” Harvey scowled away my raised brows. “Did you hear about that little girl from Spearfish?”

“Mona told me.” I kept my voice low, glancing at the kids to see if they were listening. The flood of giggles flowing our way put my gut at ease. “I’m still shocked the girl escaped.”

“You should get your kids a couple of those alarm-whistle dealies she used.”

I closed my door and leaned against it. “I tried on my way home, but the Piggly Wiggly didn’t have anything like that. They recommended a couple of hardware stores down in Rapid.”

“Ever considered mace?”

“No way. They’d spray each other with it.”

The creak of Beatrice Geary’s screen door turned both of our heads.

“Willis?” Beatrice stood on the porch in a hot pink satin robe that reached her calves and showed off her high-heeled slippers topped with red fuzzy puffs. She smiled when she saw us. “Oh, hello, Violet. I almost didn’t recognize you with your hair down. You look very smart in that shade of green.”

“Thanks, Miss Geary.” After my night of spinning in the sheets, mentally retracing my steps through the Hessler house ad nauseam, I’d dragged my hind end into the bathroom and found Medusa aping me in the mirror. The extra hour I’d spent ironing my shirt and skirt, trying to tame my hair, primping here and there, had made me late for work. In the end, Doc had barely noticed any of my hard work. That’s what I got for dressing to impress.

Harvey squinted at me. “You don’t usually leave your hair down. What’s going on?”

I ignored Harvey’s scrutinizing stare.

“Did you have an appointment with an important client?” Beatrice asked.

“Uh, yes.”

“Who?” Harvey pressed.

“None of your beeswax.”

“As your bodyguard, I’m making it my beeswax.”

“Supper’s ready, Willis,” Beatrice said.

Whew! Saved by the dinner bell. As Beatrice sashayed back inside, I grinned at Harvey. “Willis, huh? You never let me call you by your first name.”

“Yeah, well you never bake cherry pies for me.”

“Baking is against my religion.”

“Or let me butter your muffin.”

I grimaced at a disturbing image of Harvey and Beatrice in a compromising position. “My muffin is off-limits.”

Snickering, he patted my head. “I’ll be over after supper.”

After watching him bustle up Miss Geary’s walk, I trudged through Aunt Zoe’s front yard toward the girls.

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