Season of Love

by Jill Sanders

  “Your… is up in the air,” Carter called back.

  Lilly stood up from the pose. “Come on back, I’m decent.” She rolled her eyes and held in a laugh.

  Carter walked in. “We really need to find our own places,” he mumbled as he walked by them. “I’m heading in early.” He grabbed a soda from the fridge and moved towards the door.

  “It’s eight in the morning,” Corey replied.

  “So? You want me to stick around while your woman does more of…” He motioned to her, and she laughed.

  “My parents do yoga…”

  “God,” Carter interrupted, “now I have that image stuck in my mind as well.” He shook his head and made her laugh even more. “See you later.” He touched his brother lightly on the shoulder. “I’ll try not to imagine your woman’s ass today.”

  Corey chuckled. “See you at work.”

  “Sorry you’re stuck with the Honda.” Carter smiled. “Me and my Vette are hitting the road.”

  “The Vette’s here?” Corey asked, standing up.

  “The delivery company dropped it off yesterday. You rode home in it last night.” Carter shook his head as he walked out.

  “I was out of it,” Corey told her after his brother had left.

  “I could tell...” She pulled him into a hug. “I thought you’d take me into work today.”

  “Don’t you want a shower and a change of clothes before you go back to work?”

  “I have clothes.” She nodded to a bag that sat just inside the door. “And I thought we could share a shower.” She felt him grow hard against her. “Yeah, I thought you’d like that idea.”

  She walked through the back door of Classy and Sassy half an hour before the doors opened. Riley was already there, unpackaging their latest orders.

  Riley walked over and hugged her when she saw her. “I didn’t get to say it last night, but congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” She held in a giggle. “I’m getting married.” She sighed.

  “Bitch.” Riley nudged her and laughed. “Come on, we have all this to unpackage and hang up before we open our doors.”

  They were still working on hanging and tagging everything when Lilly unlocked the front door.

  There wasn’t a line, but still, seeing a few people get out of their cars and head towards the front door in the snow was still exciting.

  Within the first hour, they had made what she liked to think of as her daily quota.

  While she’d been out of town, her brother had delivered the rest of the furniture she had fixed and stored in her parents’ garage. Which meant it was time she went bargain and antique shopping again then got busy doing her magic to turn the items into something desirable.

  Lunchtime came, and Corey walked over their order. They sat in the back room, eating the sandwiches he’d made them.

  The small white bandage she’d put over his three stitches that morning was peeling off. So before she allowed him to return to work, she changed his bandage and checked the area for any signs of infection. There was a good-sized goose egg growing around the area and when she touched it lightly, he hissed.

  “Take some more pills,” she said. “You should be home, resting.”

  “Later. Apparently, Robin has the flu, so we’re short staffed.”

  “Hire more.” She smiled and kissed his forehead softly.

  “Yeah, that’s the plan.” He grabbed her hands and pulled her closer. “I called your mom’s friend. The one with the daughter.”

  She nodded. “Rob and Rose.” She smiled. “And?”

  “Right, well, Rose and her father, Ric, are out of the country right now at an art opening in Milan, but Roberta…” He paused.

  “Rob,” she corrected.

  He shook his head. “I just can’t imagine a woman named Rob, not after hearing her voice. She sounded… very feminine.” He smiled.

  “She is, but still fits her name. Trust me.” She chuckled. “Go on,” she encouraged him.

  “Anyway, Rob promised me that Pride would be their first stop when they returned. They also told me to tell you congratulations.” He pulled her hips closer and she straddled him. He kissed her, and she felt every part of her body jump with excitement. “So, congratulations,” he said when she pulled back.

  She laughed. “Right back at you. Do you know, all morning, people have been coming in just to tell me that?”

  “So, bad sales day?” he asked.

  “No.” She smiled. “We’ve already hit the daily quota.”

  He leaned up and kissed her again. “I’d better get back at it. Are you coming over to my place tonight?”

  “No.” She tried to hide her smile.

  “No?” He frowned.

  “Nope.” She shook her head.

  “Why not?” She could tell he was thinking of how to persuade her to come over.

  “Because… we’ll be at our new place.”

  He frowned. “Our…”

  “Riley has agreed to postpone moving out of her parents’ place. She thinks the apartment would be a perfect place for us to stay until our home is built.”

  He looked up at her, then slowly stood, holding her next to his body. “You… we’re moving into the apartment across the street? Together? Tonight?”

  “Well, most of my things are already there. My dad and brother spent the morning hauling everything I’d packed up, since I was ready to move this weekend anyway. Your stuff will have to come later when it can.” She smiled. “But I bet you can pack a bag or two to last until then.”

  “Hell, yes, I can.” He swung her around. “Tonight, in a real bed, with you.” She winced. “What?” He noticed her look.

  “I have pink sheets,” she blurted out.

  He laughed and hugged her. “Honey, for you, I’d sleep on the floor butt naked.”

  She smiled. “Then it’s settled. Tonight, we’re staying at our place.”

  Riley walked in then. “Lilly, I need…” She stopped when Corey rushed her and hugged her.

  “Thank you,” he said, kissing her cheek.

  “For?” Riley’s eyebrows raised.

  “The apartment,” Lilly answered.

  Riley smiled. “You two deserve a place of your own.”

  He hugged her again before she escaped to the front of the store.

  After saying goodbye to Corey out the back door, she walked into the front where Riley was waiting for her.

  “Okay, I think my gift really went over well with him,” Riley started, but stopped when Lilly hugged her. “And you.” She laughed.

  “Thank you,” she said again. “I can’t believe you’d keep living at home for me.”

  Riley rolled her eyes. “It is a sacrifice—home-cooked meals, free maid service, free laundry.” She sighed as Lilly pushed her playfully. “You’re welcome.” Riley’s smile fell slightly. “I’m super jealous, you know that?”

  “Yeah.” Lilly sighed.

  “The way he looks at you.” Riley tilted her head. “I can only dream of having someone look at me like that.”

  Lilly wanted to tell her someone already did but didn’t think it was her place. Besides, she knew what her cousin would say.

  “Someone will,” she said instead, “someday.” She hugged her again.

  Her father and brother stopped in a little over an hour later to tell her that they were done moving all of her things into the apartment.

  “George and I have already claimed your room as our new game room, so don’t think of coming back,” her dad joked, and she gave them both hugs.

  The rest of the day was filled with people coming and going. She was surprised to see Blake Shelby back at her store.

  “You’re back.” She walked over to the woman who was admiring an antique mirror Lilly had found in Iian and Allison’s barn and had cleaned up.

  “Yes.” Blake turned towards her with a smile. “Your cousin Matthew called and wants to meet.” She smiled. “I was early and thought I’d stop in to see if you ha
ve anything new. I like this.” She turned to the mirror.”

  “Thanks, it’s two hundred years old. I found a stamped date on the back.” She walked over and took the mirror off the wall to show the stamp. “I kept it as close to the original as I could.”

  “I love it.” Blake shook her head.

  “For a client’s house?” Lilly asked.

  “No, for myself.” She smiled over at her. “I sort of collect old things. Besides, I have a mirror fetish.” She chuckled.

  “You don’t look like the vain type,” Lilly joked.

  “I’m not, I just love the way they used to make mirrors. Did you know…”

  Just then the front door opened, and a dark figure stepped in from the snowy day. Lilly’s attention was immediately drawn to the gun in the hands of the person, and so she didn’t notice much more about the figure.

  Blake tensed beside her and gripped her bag behind her.

  Lilly raised her hands slowly. “I… take whatever cash we have.” She glanced around the store. There wasn’t anyone else in the space. Riley had disappeared into the back a few minutes earlier with the task of steaming a few clothes before she hung them on the racks.

  “I don’t want your money,” the person hissed. “What I want is for you to call your boyfriends over here.” The figure stepped closer and Lilly realized it was a woman.

  “My…” She shook her head.

  The gun rose slightly, the aim now landing dead center of Lilly’s chest.

  Lilly pushed Blake slightly behind her. “Okay.” Lilly’s entire body shook as blood pulsed through it.

  She’d been trained well by her uncles and father to know when to do something and when not to. Now was one of those times when any action she took would end badly. So, with slow motions, she pulled her cell phone from her back pocket.

  “Call them both, get them over here. They’re going to pay,” the woman hissed. She wore all black, from the knit black cap to the high-heeled boots. The black leggings hugged her body, showing a fit figure.

  Lilly noticed a wisp of blonde hair, which had fallen out of the cap.

  “Okay,” Lilly said, looking down at her phone. She hit memory, and as she looked at Corey’s name just above Robert’s, made her choice.

  “Hi, Corey,” she said clearly. “I think there’s someone over here who wants you and your brother to come over. Quickly,” she added. When the gun jerked again, she hung up. “He… they’re on the way,” she said, tucking the phone back into her pocket. “Why don’t we…” She nodded towards the back. “Wait for them in the back.”

  The woman took another step closer. Blake reached for her, but Lilly shook her off.

  “I told them they would pay. They don’t know what they did. They screwed everything up. My plans, all my hard work.” The woman was starting to ramble. “I earned it. I’m the one who had to deal with that old man…”

  Then it dawned on her. Lilly took a step closer and saw the woman’s face clearly for the first time. “Reece?”

  The woman’s eyes jerked to Lilly’s and she could see the wild look of someone too far gone mentally to return.

  “I told you they’d pay. It was supposed to be all mine,” Reece said, moving closer.

  Lilly back stepped slightly and got into position, thinking that Robert would come in the back, guns drawn. If she had to, she’d jump out of the way of the bullet if Reece happened to get off a shot. Once again, she nudged Blake behind her and a step away. The woman didn’t seem to want to leave her side. She gripped Lilly’s hips and hugged her.

  “What? The money? Corey and Carter’s grandfather’s money? It should belong to you?” she asked, trying to stall the woman.

  “Yes!” Reece hissed. “All that research to track the old man down. Finding one of the wealthiest men in the country right in my backyard.” She laughed. “Then I had to get that low-paying job at the stupid lawyer’s office,” she spat. “The easy part was convincing the old man to take me into his bed.” She shivered. “Letting him touch me, being what he wanted, then slowly convincing him to change his will. Or so he told me. How was I to know he was lying? Slowly, very slowly adding those drops into his drinks each time.” She smiled. “That part is the only enjoyment I got out of the entire mess.” She moved again and out of the corner of Lilly’s eye, she saw movement as Reece continued. “Watching the old man grow sick, convulsing on the floor, losing control of his bowels,” she hissed. “Seeing him suffer.”

  “You… poisoned him?” Lilly asked.

  “Not poison. After all, you can buy eyedrops everywhere.” Reece laughed, and the gun wavered between her chest and the floor.

  It happened so fast. She was expecting Robert to rush in and tackle the woman and cuff her. Instead, she watched in horror as her hundred-pound cousin flew from behind the counter. Riley’s blonde hair was flying as she jumped onto the larger woman in black.

  The gun went sailing across the floor, landing somewhere in the back of a dressing room with a loud thump.

  Lilly stood frozen in place, shocked as Blake rushed around her. A stream of pepper spray hit Reece fully in the face as Riley fought to hold her down.

  “Lilly! Help!” Riley screamed and coughed as pepper spray filled the room. “She’s bigger than me.”

  Lilly moved when she noticed that Riley wasn’t winning the fight with Reece. Even Blake scrambled forward to sit on the woman’s legs to try to hold her down as Lilly yanked Reece’s arms up and behind her back. The woman was screaming and kicking out, trying to get free.

  When Robert walked in the front door a few minutes later, gun drawn and followed closely by two armed deputies, he laughed out loud before yanking the woman off the ground and cuffing her.

  “Don’t mess with a Jordan,” Robert said and shook his head. “You ladies should come with warning labels.”

  Epilogue

  “I can’t believe the three of you took a mad gunwoman down.” Corey stood in the middle of Classy and Sassy with his arm wrapped tightly around Lilly, who was still slightly shaking.

  “Not us, her.” Lilly motioned to Riley. “It was all her.”

  Blake laughed. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” The woman turned to her, her dark eyes alight. “To see a hundred-pound woman fly through the air and tackle someone almost double her size. Taking her down. Then the gun went flying…” She shook her head as she smiled. “If I was an artist, I’d draw you as a warrior.” She walked over and hugged Riley.

  “I’ve been that a few times. My mother is Allison Jordan.” Riley smiled.

  “Right.” Blake nodded. “I remember now.” She chuckled.

  Just then, the front door flew open.

  “Speak of the—” Riley didn’t get out anything else before her mother rushed over and tackled her daughter into a bear hug.

  “What happened?” she asked as she held onto Riley. Her aunt’s eyes moved to Lilly’s and she cringed.

  “Your daughter wrestled a burglar to the ground,” Blake started.

  “She…” Allison’s mouth dropped open and she stood back to look down at her daughter. “Did what?” It came out as almost a hiss.

  Lilly winced. “Not the right thing to say,” she whispered to Blake. “Come on, why don’t I make you some coffee.” She took Blake’s arm and started to lead her to the back room. Corey followed closely behind them. She didn’t get far before the front door opened again and this time it was her parents that rushed in. She let out a loud sigh.

  “I’ll get you that coffee,” Corey said to Blake. “We’ll let the family have their moment.”

  It took almost an hour before everyone in the Jordan clan was soothed into believing they were all okay. Even Matthew had wandered in at one point, since Blake hadn’t shown up next door for their meeting.

  “Any woman who can help tackle a mad gunman—or gunwoman—and save my cousins, deserves a chance to decorate my haunted house.” He laughed and shook Blake’s hand. “You’re hired,” he said before leaving.r />
  Somehow, the entire group ended up over at Baked after they locked the doors for the night.

  “Not a burglar,” Corey said softly.

  “No.” She’d explained to Robert what Reece had confessed, but since she’d asked to talk to him alone, Corey and Carter hadn’t overheard. Now, sitting around the largest booth in Baked, surrounded by her family, she told them everything.

  “So, he was murdered?” Carter said after she was done.

  “Robert is going to contact the Seattle PD. There will be a new autopsy.”

  “Earl told us it was a heart attack,” Corey said.

  “Whatever the cause, it will be exposed,” she said. Just then Robert knocked on the locked front doors of Baked.

  Carter rushed over and let him in.

  “I thought you would all like to know that we found Reece Stein’s car abandoned a few blocks away. There’s fresh front-end damage with paint chips that match the color on your car.” He nodded to Corey. “She’s clammed up and wants a lawyer since we took her in, but with her earlier confession to Lilly, we have enough to charge her with one count of murder and two accounts of attempted murder.”

  “Thanks.” Corey shook the man’s hand. “Want a slice?” He nodded to the cold pizza.

  “Can’t, wife has dinner already ready for me.” He smiled. “Night.”

  “Night,” everyone called back.

  “On that note.” Lilly’s parents stood up, followed by Riley’s.

  “Don’t you two have your own place to go to tonight?” Riley joked.

  “Oh!” Lilly jumped up with excitement. “I almost forgot.” She pulled out the set of keys she’d attached to the key chain she’d picked out. “For you.” She handed it over to him and he laughed.

  “I love you…”—several women sighed— “more than pizza.” He chuckled as everyone laughed.

  They walked across the street and looked back at Baked and Classy and Sassy with their dark windows, hand in hand as their families’ cars disappeared down the small-town roads.

  “Look.” She pointed to the street lights. “They’ve hung the festive lights already.”

  “It’s the end of September.” Corey shook his head.