“I realize it’s short notice.” He paused. “I can’t keep this stuff here any longer.”
“I understand. It’s not a problem. See you first thing tomorrow.” She ended the call and then entered the staff room, closing the door behind her. Since she didn’t know how much stuff she’d have to go through, she planned to bring all the clothing back to the boutique and then inspect each item for the estimate. This way, she’d be in the boutique available to work. She doubted Jason would be too concerned with the number. Raising money wasn’t a priority for him.
She dropped her purse on the desk and pulled out the chair. There wasn’t a luncheon, but there was someone she wanted to speak with, and she needed an address.
After a flip-through of the phone book, Kelly found Delia Wyland’s address. To think, she’d almost tossed the brick of a book into recycling weeks ago. She grabbed a jacket and left to pay a visit to Delia.
Courtney was right. Delia did live near Pepper, but not too close. Kelly was grateful because there was a lesser chance she’d be spotted at the Wyland house.
Kelly arrived at the bungalow and knocked on the red door. Moments later, the door opened, and Delia appeared. She wore a bright tunic over black leggings and slippers. She also had a look that was a mix of curiosity and annoyance on her face.
“I’m not buying anything or changing my religion.” Delia went to close the door.
“Good, because that’s not why I’m here. I’m Kelly Quinn. I own the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique.”
“You’re going door to door to get clothes?”
“No. I’m here to talk to you about the day you were at Courtney’s Gift shop, and Tawny Fallow showed up. I saw both of you come out of the store.” Kelly wanted to be careful about what she said. Stating that she saw Delia chase Tawny while screaming at the top of her lungs didn’t seem to be the best way to get the woman to talk. She’d probably have the door slammed in her face.
“Not my finest hour, I admit.” Delia’s gaze cast down.
“We all have bad moments. You sounded furious with Tawny.”
Delia narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin. “I was. She ripped me off.”
“You enrolled in her PBF program?”
“I did.”
“It sounds like you didn’t have success with it.”
“Honey, look at me. You can see I didn’t have any success with it.” She glanced down at herself. Kelly guessed Delia chose a tunic to hide the extra pounds on her small frame. She’d seen it too often. Women trying their best to hide their bodies rather than love what they had now. Pounds came and went. It was a part of life. Dressing like a potato sack wasn’t the answer, and it wasn’t the way to feel self-confident. “Why are you asking about PBF?”
“My friend signed up recently…”
“Good Lord, not another one. How many women had Tawny scammed? I don’t have a lot of time. I’m working, but I can spare a few minutes. Come on in.”
“You work from home?” Kelly entered the home.
“I’m a virtual assistant.” Delia closed the door.
“Sounds interesting.”
“It can be. It’s also one reason I’ve packed on the pounds. Well, along with perimenopause. I’m home all day by myself. There’s no commuting, and there’s no other walking than from my bedroom to my desk over there.” She pointed toward the living room.
Kelly looked into the tidy room. Tucked into a corner were a desk and laptop among the tasteful furnishings.
“You signed up with PBF to lose the weight.”
“Sure did. I believed Tawny’s pitch. I had done a few of her free workouts and then signed up for the fitness program. I thought, since she lived in town, she was honest. Who would cheat a neighbor? Turns out, I was wrong.”
“Why do you say that? Doesn’t everyone have different results with fitness?”
“Of course, we do. I’m not an idiot,” Delia snapped, “I followed her plan faithfully for eight weeks, and I expected to see a change. Either on the scale or in how my clothes fit. I didn’t expect to lose all the weight I’ve gained in such a short period of time. But something should have changed. Well, nothing did. I even went to the doctor to check my hormones. She found nothing that would prevent me from losing weight.”
“Did you contact Tawny?”
“Certainly, I did. All I got from day one was generic replies to my messages. Keep up the good work. Way to work it, girl. Sweating is the way to reshape your body. You’ll see a change. Keep working. Blah, blah, blah.”
“Those were through her app?”
“Yes. A complete waste of time. I finally emailed her several times and got no replies. Then I started seeing online other women were experiencing the same thing, and it turns out, we had the same fitness plan. It was supposed to be customized to us. Tell me, why was I doing the same workout and eating the same foods as a twenty-something? I’m fifty years old.” Delia threw her arms up in the air, startling Kelly with the quick motion.
Kelly didn’t have an answer for Delia. Instead, she stepped back. “When you saw her at the gift shop, you confronted her about all of this?”
“Darn straight, I did. It was the first time I’d seen her in town. Trust me, I’d been tempted to go to her house, but doing something like that would be crossing the line. Then I finally saw her, and I couldn’t stop myself. I’m sorry your friend also fell for the scam.”
“Oh, I don’t think she did. Well, I mean, it seems to work for her.”
“Then, why are you here?”
“When you chased after Tawny…”
“I didn’t exactly chase after her. We left the shop together.”
Nice spin. “You threatened her before you walked away. I heard you.”
Delia stiffened. “You think I had something to do with Tawny’s murder? Sure, I’m angry and out several hundred dollars, but I wouldn’t kill someone over that. How dare you come into my home under false pretenses. You should go.” Delia opened the door.
Kelly was barely over the threshold before the door slammed shut. It seemed someone needed to work on her anger management. Maybe some yoga.
She dashed to her Jeep, flipping up the hood of her jacket to keep the light rain that started while she was inside, off her hair. In the vehicle, she debated whether to call Wolman. Kelly should tell her about the visit to make sure Delia was on the detective’s radar as a potential person of interest. But after what went down between her and Mark in the gift shop, she really didn’t want to talk to anyone connected to him at the moment. In fact, what she wanted to was erase the guy from her brain so she’d have no memory of him or his stupid “going solo” comment. Jerk.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement in a window by the front door. Delia was staring at her with a phone in her hand. It was time to go before Delia called the police and reported Kelly for something like trespassing.
Chapter 17
The rainy dampness penetrated Kelly’s body right down to her core. It was shaping up to be a miserable day. So, when the unexpected delivery came into view as she walked toward the boutique’s back entrance, it was a welcomed sight. She was giddy with delight. How could she not be? The start of the roof’s makeover was imminent. There was no turning back now.
Buck had gotten a dumpster delivered. On a Sunday of all days.
Standing with hands clasped and a silly smile on her face, for sure, she stared at the large metal container. Never had there been a more beautiful sight. There were days when she was sure she’d be broke and homeless with a cat. There were other days when she had seen the light of hope. She was eternally grateful for those moments. They got her through tough periods.
The sound of a car pulling into the parking lot drew her gaze away from the roof. She frowned at the sight of her uncle’s Mercedes.
“Great. Now what?” she mumbled, as s
he stepped away from the dumpster and readjusted the hood of her jacket. There was still a light drizzle, and she was hoping to get another day out of her blowout.
Ralph unfurled himself from the front seat of the car. He gave an appraising look at the dumpster and then up at the roof. “See you’re moving forward with the new roof.”
“I am.” Kelly plastered a smile on her face and added oomph to her voice. She wasn’t going to let him bring her down. Nope. She would be as resistant to his negativity as her new roof would be to all inclement weather.
He shoved his hands into his pants pockets, sweeping back the sides of his raincoat to reveal his navy suit.
“It’s going to be a mess for sure. You know, the roof could only be the beginning of the problems with this old building. Plumbing, electrical. Your line of credit may not be enough to cover all the expenses you could run into.”
Kelly’s smile slipped away as exasperation twisted inside of her. Just once, she’d like a visit from her uncle that didn’t revolve around him reminding her of her inexperience in running a business. It seemed the visits were an effort on his part to undermine her confidence. She hated to admit it, but if that was his goal, he’d accomplished it many times.
“Thanks for the heads up. You know, you don’t need to be concerned with my finances. I have everything under control.” No thanks to you.
“You think so?”
“Look, let’s stop doing this. Everything has been settled with the estate. I don’t see any reason for you continuing to come here if you’re going to be negative and intent on sabotaging my efforts to turn this boutique around.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He grinned like a Cheshire cat.
She barked a laugh at the blatant lie. “Really? The next time you and your buddy Jed plot to keep me from borrowing money, you should suggest he remove the photo of you two playing golf. Your plan didn’t work.”
“Your imagination is in overdrive. No wonder you’re running around town playing detective. Maybe if you spent more time taking care of your business, you wouldn’t need to rely on getting money from a bank for the roof repair.”
Kelly huffed. She’d had enough. She wasn’t going to be lectured anymore. It was time for her uncle to own his role in this whole matter.
“Maybe if you’d showed the slightest interest or respect to your mother, the business wouldn’t have fallen into disrepair.”
“Watch your mouth, young lady.”
The irritation she’d felt earlier turned into a raging anger in her belly. He was going to tell her how to speak? Not anymore. She’d had enough of his interference, lack of respect, and general disdain.
“Or what? Look, I have no idea what I did to earn such contempt from you. Whatever it was, I apologize. I’m sorry. I am truly sorry. It’s just I can’t go on like this anymore. If you’re not going to support me, then we should stay out of each other’s lives.” As she spoke those words, they sliced into her heart. Breaking off from her uncle meant she risked being kept out of Juniper’s life. She loved the baby and had tried to keep things civil between her and Ralph to maintain a relationship with her cousin.
“You’ll never be sorry enough for me.” His expression hardened, and it matched his tone.
She drew back. What was he talking about? What could she have possibly done to him? She began searching her memory, but what did it really matter now? He made it clear he didn’t want to have a relationship with her by his actions and deeds since his mother’s death.
“Whatever.” Kelly gave a dismissive wave and turned. She stomped back to the boutique. Inside the staff room, she shrugged out of her jacket. With all her might, she threw it on the desk. She was desperate for some form of satisfaction, but tossing the jacket fell short of her goal.
“That man is so irritating!”
A door slammed behind her.
“Right back at you!”
Her uncle had followed her inside.
“We have nothing left to talk about.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. He advanced forward, but she remained rooted in place. She wasn’t going to acquiesce to him. She wasn’t going to back down.
“You’re wrong. Listen to me and listen good. You’re going to sell this place, take the money and move back to the city.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because it’s what’s best for our family.”
“Ha! If you wanted to do what was best for our family, you’d support me in making this business successful. This is your mother’s legacy for goodness sakes. Doesn’t it mean anything to you?”
“Family legacy. How rich coming from you. Tell me, how long will it be before you run off again?”
“I didn’t run away. I went to college and stayed in the city to work. Never mind. It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that I’m here to stay. Why do you think I’m having the roof redone? Why do you think I’ve invested in a new inventory system?”
“You wasted your money.”
“Why? Why do you hate me so much? Tell me, for goodness sakes! Get it out in the open!”
Ralph’s jaw tightened, and his posture stiffened. “Every time I look at you, I see Ariel in the hospital bed.”
Kelly jerked her head back. What in the world was her uncle talking about? He barely knew Ariel when she was growing up. Heck, he hardly knew Kelly when she was growing up. Though she did remember, he had gone to the hospital to see her friend after the accident.
“Uncle Ralph, I’m very confused. You know I wasn’t driving the car when the accident happened, right?”
“But you were there with her! And you left her!” He jabbed his finger into the air. “Because of you, Ariel was paralyzed!”
“What? You hate me because of the accident. You’re my family. How can you hate me so much because of that?”
“You can’t just hurt my little girl and then waltz away without taking responsibility! Because of you, my daughter is paralyzed!” Ralph staggered to a chair and dropped down, his hand covering his mouth as if he couldn’t believe what he’d said.
Kelly’s eyes widened; she couldn’t believe what she’d heard. It didn’t make sense. A sudden coldness hit her core, and she felt weak-kneed. She clutched onto the back of a chair opposite Ralph to steady herself.
“What? Your…your daughter? I don’t understand.”
Ralph ran a hand over his balding head and looked away from his niece.
“Ariel doesn’t know. No one knows. Only her mother.”
Kelly sank down onto the chair and stared at her uncle. What he’d said couldn’t be correct. Kelly knew Ariel’s dad. Geoffrey was a real estate agent and always made time for his daughter. From school events to taking Ariel and Caroline camping, he was always present.
He was Ariel’s dad.
“I…I…Wow, I can’t wrap my head around this.” Kelly rested her arms on the table. “Does Frankie know?”
He shook his head. “No one knows. And it’s going to stay that way. Do you understand me?” He lifted his gaze and glowered at her.
“Ariel’s parents have been married for years. Are you telling me her mom cheated?”
“I told you to watch your mouth! She’s a wonderful woman.” Ralph leaned back and shook his head. He looked like someone had let the air out of him. She couldn’t help but wonder if there were any more deep, dark secrets in her uncle’s past. “Things weren’t going well in their marriage, and they separated.”
Oh, goodness, she didn’t want to hear details. No details. She only wanted to hear how he was going to fix this. And by fix, she meant find a way to time travel back to before he followed her into the boutique and bared his soul to her. His cheating soul.
“Lily and I went on a few dates quietly. Then she had the chance to work things out with Geoffrey. They did. Not long after they reconcil
ed, she found out she was pregnant.”
“Wow.” Kelly dragged her fingers through her hair while she continued to digest what her uncle had just shared. “Watching her grow up and never being able to let her know you are her father must have been torture.”
He grunted.
“At least now I know why you despise me so much.” She rested her head in her hands. Everything finally made sense.
Right after the accident happened; Ralph had become cold, more distant than before. While her parents and sister verbalized their disappointment in her decision the night of the party, he’d barely said a word to her.
“She was always full of life. Active in everything,” Ralph said. “Then, one night, one bad decision, and she was disabled.”
Kelly lifted her head and looked at her uncle.
“You have to know I never meant for her to get hurt.”
“You left her.” His tone was accusatory and harsh.
“I did. But she decided to get into the car with Melanie.”
“You’re blaming Ariel?”
While Melanie had finally gotten out on parole after seven years, Kelly felt like she was still stuck in the prison of public judgment. It was time she got her pardon.
“I’m saying while I played a part in the events of the night, I wasn’t the one who got into a car with someone who had been drinking. And I wasn’t the one who drove drunk and crashed the car. There’s a lot of blame to go around. It just seems I got more than my fair share.”
Ralph drummed his fingers on the desk. “I can’t help it. When I see you, I see Ariel in the hospital. Broken. When I got the news of the accident, I went there and saw her fragile body lying there and her mother crying. It ripped my heart apart.”
Emotion caught in Kelly’s throat. She remembered the night. She remembered seeing Ariel hooked up to machines and fighting for her life. She remembered Mrs. Barnes wailing in the waiting room and her husband trying his best to comfort her. The night would be forever etched in her memory, along with the guilt of her choices.
How to Frame a Fashionista Page 19