Deadly Greetings Part 8

"Can Lillian come too? She's working in back."

After she glanced around the shop, Sara Lynn asked, "Are you planning to leave your store untended again?"

I knew my sister meant well, but it was my shop, and my decision alone whether we closed it or not. "Honestly, I doubt we'll miss a single customer."

Sara Lynn shook her head. "If you don't mind, I'd like it to be just the two of us."

"I don't mind, but who knows how Lillian's going to react?"

Sara Lynn said, "Don't worry. I'll take care of her." She called out, "Lillian, I need some time with my sister. Would you mind watching the store?"

Our aunt came out smiling. "I'd be delighted. You two have fun."

I was feeling guilty just abandoning her like that. "Can we bring you back something?"

"No, I'm fine. Just be back by two if you could."

"Why, do you have a hot date?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Lillian replied.

Once Sara Lynn and I were outside, she said, "Is she serious? Is that woman ever going to slow down?"

"If she does, I for one will be disappointed in her. She gives me fresh hope every day. So, where are we going?"

Sara Lynn appeared to think about it for a moment, then said, "I haven't been to Hurley's in a while. How does that sound?"

"Outstanding. Now I'm glad I skipped breakfast."

"Jennifer, you really should . . . oh, never mind, you won't listen to me anyway."

"That's one of things I love about you, Sara Lynn. You know how to choose your battles."

Chapter 7.

After we'd placed our orders, Sara Lynn smiled at me. "What is it?" I asked her.

"We've been together ten minutes and you haven't once asked me what we're doing here."

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready," I said as I ate one of the warm rolls with some honey b.u.t.ter Jack Hurley had brought us personally. Jack owns Hurley's, and he's a longtime friend of the family's. In fact, he dated Sara Lynn at one time, and I wondered if the special treatment was for me or for my big sister. Sara Lynn had been married to Bailey for what must have felt like forever, while Jack seemed like he had more kids than Baskin-Robbins had flavors. Still, there was a secret smile the two of them had shared when he'd brought the rolls, and I felt like I was twelve years old again-in other words, completely invisible.

Sara Lynn reached for another roll, then pulled her hand back. "I'd better not if I'm going to have room for my lunch."

I grabbed the one she'd ignored. "I'll find a way to make room. These are too good to just leave."

As I ate, Sara Lynn asked, "So how's business?"

"It's fine. How's yours?"

"Forever Memories is on stable ground, as always." She took a deep breath, let half of it out, then said, "I've been hearing rumors that you're not doing as well."

I dropped the half-eaten roll on my plate. "And who did you hear these rumors from?"

"That's not important," Sara Lynn said. "What matters is-"

I rarely interrupt my sister, but I wasn't about to let that go. "It might not matter to you, but it does to me. Now tell me who's saying I'm in trouble."

She looked primly at me as she said, "Jennifer, I'm not going to betray a confidence."

"Then you shouldn't have brought it up. Sara Lynn, n.o.body knows how I'm doing, and that includes Lillian."

Sara Lynn's gaze dropped down for just a moment, but it was enough. "Oh my word. You're saying that our aunt is telling the world I'm failing?" I couldn't believe it. Lillian was more than just my aunt, more than my only employee. In a very real way, I considered her a partner in my business. The revelation that she believed I was failing hammered me between the eyes.

I stood up and threw my napkin on the table.

"Where are you going?" Sara Lynn asked.

"I'm going to set Lillian straight."

"She didn't say anything," Sara Lynn snapped.

"Don't lie to me, Sis. You're lousy at it."

Sara Lynn snapped, "If you'd give me a moment to explain before you go off like a firecracker, I'd appreciate it."

I wouldn't sit back down, but I didn't head for the door either. "So talk."

Sara Lynn looked around us, obviously caring about what other people at the restaurant thought. As for me, they could all kiss the wind if they didn't like the way I acted. Finally, my sister said, "All right, Lillian didn't say anything, at least not directly. I happened to ask if she was on any kind of salary yet, and she joked that she was taking her pay in supplies."

"I can afford to pay her," I said levelly, and I could, if I stopped eating and cut back on a few other nonessentials like that. "Did it ever occur to you that getting supplies instead of cash was her idea?" While Lillian hadn't asked for that arrangement, it was working out fine for me.

"My mistake then," Sara Lynn said in a soft, humble voice that made me repent my latest outburst. I picked up my napkin, put it back in my lap and said, "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm the first one to admit that I'm a little touchy when it comes to my shop. If I thought Aunt Lillian was unhappy with our arrangement for a second, I'd work something out with her. Sara Lynn, I'm not making a fortune, but between special orders and my walk-in trade, I'm doing okay."

Sara Lynn looked honestly repentant. "I wasn't trying to pry, Jennifer." I let that go, which I thought all in all was pretty big of me. She continued. "I just worry about you so."

"Sis, if I fail spectacularly or if I end up running a dozen stores, this is exactly what I want to be doing with my life, okay? You know I don't believe in regrets. I'm giving Custom Card Creations all I've got, so no matter what happens, in the end I can look back and feel well pleased that I did my best."

Jack put our plates down and said, "I don't know whether to applaud or salute. That was some speech, Jennifer. Are you running for office?"

"I'd throw a roll at you, but they're too good to waste," I said.

Sara Lynn added, "My little sister was just rea.s.serting her independence."

"When doesn't she?" Jack asked. Then he stepped back out of the way in case I changed my mind and threw something at him after all. "Is there anything else?" he asked.

"This all looks wonderful," Sara Lynn told him. I took a healthy bite of my hamburger, then watched my sister spear an errant cuc.u.mber in her salad.

"I can't believe you call that lunch."

"Wait until you hit your mid-forties; then we'll have this conversation again."

I waved a steak fry in the air. "It's never going to happen. My metabolism just burns it right up." That was a lie and we both knew it, but my sister was too gracious to call me on it. I'd expected to lose weight when I'd opened my shop. Heck, that had been one of the entries in the plus column, but to my dismay I was gaining. If I kept packing in calories at the rate I was now, I wasn't going to be anybody's little anything anymore. There was a trail around the lake, and now that I had easy access to it, I'd lost my last excuse to not start exercising again.

We were nearly through with our meal when lo and behold, our brother Bradford came strolling into Hurley's. He took off his sheriff's hat, then said, "If I'd known we were all getting together for lunch, I wouldn't have been late. Oh, wait a second-that's right-n.o.body invited me."

I scooted over. "Don't let that stop you. Sit down and join us."

Sara Lynn nodded her approval, but Bradford wouldn't sit. "This isn't a coincidence. Jennifer, Lillian told me where you'd be. I need to talk to you."

"So talk," I said, eating the last fry I'd had every intention of leaving on my plate.

"Maybe we should do this later," he said.

Sara Lynn snapped, "Bradford Shane, if you think you're going to hide anything from me, you've lost what little you have left of your mind."

He sighed, and I knew that sound too well. My brother wasn't stupid; he knew when he was beaten. "It's about Wayne Davidson," Bradford said, his words weary and tired.

"What about him?" I asked. "You're not going to say you didn't fire him, are you?"

Sara Lynn asked, "What about your deputy?"

"Shh," I said to her, "I'll tell you about it later. Bradford, I'm waiting."

"I fired him all right. The only problem is, it looks like he's not going to give up that easily. You need to watch your step, Jennifer."

I could tell Sara Lynn was dying to ask what it was about, but she was going to have to wait. "Bradford, do you think he's going to do something?"

"When he's sober, he's as good a cop as I've ever seen, but when that boy starts drinking, I can't predict his behavior. Wayne won't leave town-he told me that point-blank-but I put a scare into him. If you so much as see his shadow or smell his cologne, call me. None of this 'brave single woman against the world' c.r.a.p, do you hear me?"

"I do," I said. I didn't know if my brother was trying to scare me, but he was doing a bang-up job of it anyway. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I'm late for lunch with my wife."

Sara Lynn said, "Give Cindy our love."

"I will," he said before he left.

My sister said, "Tell me about it."

"We both need to get back to our shops," I said, not wanting to dredge up the past again.

"Jennifer, family is above everything else. I'm waiting."

So I told her, everything from Wayne's stalking me at my business and my apartment to the crude pa.s.ses he'd made in the past. By the time I was finished, Sara Lynn was livid. I added, "Listen, there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't ask for his attention."

"I'm not angry with you," Sara Lynn said. "Our brother is a thickheaded clod."

I couldn't help myself; I started defending Bradford. "He couldn't fire him just on my say-so. You shouldn't be mad at Bradford. He was just trying to be fair."

Sara Lynn paid the check, barely nodding to Jack as she led me outside. "Fair is fine, but his first job is to watch over us. That's what family is about."

At least she was off my back. "Be nice to him, Sara Lynn. He's doing the best he can."

As she stormed off in the direction of the library to head Bradford off before he picked Cindy up, Sara Lynn snapped, "Then his best isn't going to be good enough for me."

I walked back to Custom Card Creations alone, glad to have a little time to myself. I hated it when Sara Lynn and Bradford fought, especially when I was in the middle of it, but we were all grown-ups, at least in theory, and if two of us were going to be battling, I was just glad to be on the sidelines for once.

I was nearly back to the shop when I heard someone call my name. "Hey, Jen, wait up."

It was Gail, and she had a perplexed look on her face as she approached me.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Jennifer, are we good? Is there something going on I should know about? If I've done something, you'd give me the chance to make it right, wouldn't you?"

I took her arm. "What on earth are you talking about?" I'd never seen Gail act that way.

"I just need to know if we're in trouble."

I hugged her and said, "We've never been better. What in the world has upset you?"

She pulled away and said, "I dropped by your place last night, but you weren't there. I couldn't believe you'd move without telling me."

Oh, no, I'd completely forgotten to let her know. No wonder her feelings had been hurt. "A new place just kind of dropped in my lap, and I couldn't say no." I told her all about my new apartment, leaving out the part about Frances haunting it. "You've got to come by. We'll have a housewarming party, okay?"

"That sounds great. I can't wait to see it." It was clear by the clarity in her blue eyes that we were on solid ground again.

I had a sudden thought. "Would you like to come over tonight? I can make us something," I said.

She grinned. "I'd love to, but I've got a hot date."

"Tell me about it," I said.

She nearly skipped away as she said, "I can't. I don't want to jinx it. I'll call you tomorrow." She stopped, then said, "Your phone number's still the same, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't change that," I said. "Have fun tonight."

"I'm going to do my best," she replied.

By the time Gail was gone, I suddenly remembered I wouldn't have been able to have dinner with her after all or meet Greg, either. My card club was meeting, and I had suspects to interview. There were too many things to juggle at the moment, but I was going to have to manage somehow.

Lillian wasn't alone when I walked up to the card shop and glanced in the window, but she wasn't talking to a customer. I couldn't be sure how I knew the man, since I could only see his back, but I did nonetheless.