I sat down beside my brother. A moment later, our waitress strutted over with a big smile—Crystal. She looked happy to see us…well, to see DeWayne. She barely made eye contact with me. As always, the big doofus seemed oblivious to it all.
If David hadn’t already fixed us yummy soup for lunch, I would have placed an order for my standard Moose Muffin Salad, which was just a glorified chef salad with breaded chicken strips on top. It also happened to be the specialty of the house. I ordered a mug of hot chocolate and watched Crystal sashay her cute little behind back to the kitchen. “That’s some package.”
DeWayne said, “Huh?”
Like I said, clueless.
Could he really be that oblivious? I mean, I know men are dense and all, but really! Shaking my head, I said, “Never mind.”
“What Vicki is trying to say, Officer Smith,” Paul nudged DeWayne, “is that Crystal Maynard likes you.”
DeWayne’s rugged face flushed red as he flashed a glance after her. “You’re full of it.”
“Come on, DeWayne,” I said. “Didn’t you notice her hanging all over you last night?”
“She was just being friendly.” He promptly hid the “aw-shucks” look on his face by forking some mashed potatoes into his mouth.
Paul caught my eye and grinned. I guess he was married long enough to be aware of at least some of the nuances in male/female nonverbal communication. Dropping the subject, he asked, “We were talking about the new residential development going up along Silver Creek. What do you think of it, Vicki?”
Silver Creek was the fancy new subdivision being built by none other than Liz’s husband, Gene Eklund, and his former business partner, Lamont Williams, on land formerly owned by Matt Borman’s dad. “I’m sorry that our town’s growing so fast, actually, and spreading up that far, but it’s no surprise. You can’t stop progress, right?”
“I suppose not,” Paul said, and DeWayne nodded.
For the past twenty years, the population of nearby Heber and Park City had exploded, especially after the 2002 Winter Olympics were hosted in Utah. Apparently, home prices were so much cheaper here than in places like California that people could sell their small homes there and use the equity to pay cash for McMansions here.
Well, I certainly couldn’t complain. I had the biggest house around, though I shared with paying guests. Most of the bedrooms—a total of fifteen, counting the carriage house suite and the last two rooms, due for completion next summer—were guest rooms in my mystery bed-and-breakfast called the Who-Dun-Him Inn.
Hearing men’s deep laughter sounding behind us, we turned. The older men seated at the Round Table were still smiling. I noticed Paul’s wistful gaze lingered on them. Receiving an invitation to sit at the Round Table was definitely an item on his bucket list.
As I turned back around, I caught a glimpse through the window of a young woman on the sidewalk, her pregnant belly too big for her to zip her stylish pink ski jacket over it. She held a cell phone to her ear and looked upset.
Back with a tray, Crystal set a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of me, along with a napkin and a spoon.
“Thanks,” I said, looking up at her.
“Oh, no problem,” she said as she set down the two plates in front of the men. Then she hesitated. “I heard you talking about that Silver Creek development. My dad thinks it’s a crying shame things can’t just stay the same as they are now.”
DeWayne looked up and smiled. “What do you think?”
She giggled. “I think the homes are real pretty. I wouldn’t mind moving up there myself. When I get married again, I mean.” This she said with a meaningful look at DeWayne.
Paul’s cell phone rang and he answered it. “Okay, we’ll be right over.” He slipped the phone into his pocket “Come on, DeWayne. Homer’s cows got loose again.”
Homer Dodd had more cows than anyone else in the county, and more trouble keeping them on his property than anyone else, too.
Crystal said, “I’ll box these meals up for you.”
“Thanks.” DeWayne watched her more closely this time as she walked away. He hadn’t already noticed? Really?
She returned with the boxes, which she handed to the men.
“I’m waiting here until David texts to say that he and Zach are leaving the library and heading to the pet store.” Pets and Vets was right across the street from the library.
They waved and headed toward the door.
Crystal and I watched them leave. As the door closed behind them, Crystal sighed. “That is one good man.”
Two good men, I thought. And, oh, boy, Crystal definitely had her sights on DeWayne.
Crystal’s father, seated at the Round Table in the corner, raised his mug of root beer. “You could do a lot worse than DeWayne Smith, Crystal, baby.”
Oh, yeah, DeWayne had better watch his step with this one! If she had Daddy’s approval, he was as good as gift-wrapped. Paul might never forgive him if he got invited to sit at the Round Table first.
I watched the two men climbing into Paul’s police car before they pulled out.
The pregnant woman was no longer out front, and when the door to the café opened, I saw it was her. She didn’t make eye contact with me or anyone else, concentrating on her cell phone as she ended the call and followed the hostess to a booth. She still looked like she was crying.
Crystal seated her two booths over from where I sat. I turned back to my mug, drinking half of it. My cell phone sounded its Despicable Me minion laugh as a text message popped up, saying David and Zach found some really cool books on dogs and would be a little longer than originally planned.
I decided to wait here in the warmth of the café for a few more minutes. Maybe even have some dessert. Perhaps some of that symbolic pie I had planned on earlier today to show I really was moving on with my life.
And boy was I ever. I just knew David was about to kiss me. And, more importantly, I was about to let him.
The cook, Monica Bailey, came out from her usual post in the kitchen, and hugged me. “Crystal said you were here. How’re you doing, honey? It’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”
“Whatever.” I laughed. “You were at my parents’ party last night.”
“I know, but I mean, seen you here. We miss you. You could have your job back any time, you know.”
“Thanks, but it’s working out better for me to be home with Zach. And my business is doing well.”
“I know. It’s for the best, yada, yada, yada.” She laughed. “Well, I’ve missed you, anyway. Do you want a dessert or something?”
I nodded. Time for some symbolism. “I’d love a piece of cherry pie.”
“I’ll send Crystal out with a piece. Á la mode?” When I nodded, she gave me another quick hug before making her way back to the kitchen.
It was the noon hour and the Moose Muffin Café began filling up. The girl next to me pulled out her phone again, and put it to her ear. “Hi, Stacy….No….Yeah….My stepdad said I can’t come home until after I’ve had the baby and given it up for adoption. As if.”
She spoke loudly, seemingly oblivious of the fact that half the people in the café were eavesdropping. We couldn’t help it, even if we weren’t trying to hear the drama. I originally thought she was in her twenties, but after hearing her, she sounded more like fifteen or sixteen, maybe seventeen. Sometimes, it was hard to tell. She could even have been my age.
When Crystal dropped off my cherry pie á la mode, I thanked her and waited for her to wander off to another table before whispering, “Okay, Robert. This is it. I’m really doing it.”
Taking a taste, I savored each delicious bite. I’d already eaten half of the portion when the girl caught my attention again.
“No. Gene’s not here yet. I can’t believe he’d keep me waiting like this.”
Gene? The name shocked me, and I found myself staring at the girl.
Pregnant. About seventeen. Talking about Gene.
Could this possibly b
e the young girl Gene managed to get pregnant?
I caught Crystal’s wide-eyed glance as she paused in the middle of the floor.
I sat there, stunned, the evidence sitting right before my eyes. Yes, the girl was cute in an adolescent way, but why on earth would a grown man ignore my talented, gorgeous, sexy, intelligent sister to rob the cradle? Oh, wait, I just described myself, only I didn’t feel gorgeous and sexy at all.
Could Gene be messing with a minor?
Anger began to rise from within me.
Suddenly, the girl squealed and said, “There he is. I’ll call you later.” Racing out of the café, she slipped into her too-small jacket.
I sat, still stunned, as I watched her catch up to Gene. He climbed out of his Jaguar two doors down, in front of his real estate office. When he caught sight of her, he put his arm around her shoulders.
That did it!
I stood up, ready to defend my sister’s honor from Gene’s stupidity and complete lack of class. As if, indeed. Why on earth would he allow his little floozy to come to his office to meet him? Silver City was a tiny town. Word was sure to get out.
Gene and Liz lived in Park City, but his office was here, in Silver City. What was he thinking by having her come to either town? Where everyone could see her?
Leaving the other half of my pie behind, I tossed enough bills on the table to cover my hot chocolate, dessert, and tip, before following the girl out the door.
On the sidewalk, Gene held the door to his office open for his minor mistake.
The girl, who was still on the sidewalk, turned. When she saw me, her face settled into a glare.
Without seeing me, Gene patted her belly and said, “I hope you’re taking care of my little boy.”
I don’t know what came over me; I really don’t. I’d never done anything like it before in my life. I picked up a rock and threw it as hard as I could at Gene’s car.
The rock pinged off the windshield, but it didn’t break, unfortunately.
Gene spun around and swore. “Liz? Oh, wait, Vicki.” He sounded relieved.
So I picked up a rock and threw it at him. I missed—not on purpose—but he looked appropriately wary, raising his hands up. “Liz?”
I looked at the girl again. Fifteen if she were a day, and at least eight months along. “My, my, my,” I couldn’t resist saying. “This will look great in court, won’t it?”
Gene shook his head. “This doesn’t need to go to court.”
The girl bristled, and immediately moved around Gene as if to sandwich her belly between us. “You promised me, Gene. Just because your wife is crazy doesn’t change that.”
“I don’t think this is my wife. She’s my wife’s sister. My wife would have busted the windshield and then taken me apart. You’d have been next.”
I stomped over toward them. “What are you thinking, Gene? How could you be that stupid?” I was so furious, I wanted to actually hit him with a rock next. Maybe I would have.
“It’s not what you think.”
“Well, then tell me what it is, because what I think is that you deserve to be strung up like any other pedophile.”
“He does not,” the girl yelled and started crying again. “You’re just mean and hateful and selfish.”
A few people coming out of stores began looking toward us. Normally, I would have gone out of my way—way, way out of my way—to avoid any kind of a public scene, but today, I was burning at a white-hot heat and didn’t care who observed me.
Not only did Gene get this girl pregnant, but now he was flaunting her around town? Liz would be mortified when she heard about this.
And now he dared to take her into his office? He opened the door again, and his underage girlfriend scuttled inside. He motioned to me, but I was too furious. “You’re going to get what you deserve, Gene Eklund! You can’t do things like that and just get away with them. You won’t get away with it.”
I stomped off and got into my car, squealing the tires halfway to the library. I was really glad Zach and David didn’t see my little temper tantrum. I was still so angry, I was trembling. I pulled in front of the library and waited. By the time the guys came out, ten minutes later, with their arms full of books, I’d calmed down. A little.
But not enough, obviously, as evidenced when David asked me what was wrong, followed by Zach saying I must have had a fight with somebody because my hands always shake when I get in a fight with someone.
David reached over and took one of my hands in his two. “Sure enough, you’re shaking.”
His touch did wonders for my mood. I went straight from being furious at Gene to being furious at David for managing to sneak through my defenses. Just like that.
He smiled at me. “Natural redhead, huh?”
I jerked my hand from his, and tried to hide my smile in return.
I was really glad he hadn’t gotten there in time to see me acting like such a fool.
Now I only had to decide whether to tell my sister I saw Gene with the pregnant twit. Or not.
But if I didn’t, who else in town would?
That expression, “caught between a rock and a hard place?” Yup. That’s right where I was.
~ ~ ~
My head still pounded and my hands were unsteady as I passed a large pen of at least a dozen adorable, tail-wagging puppies of different breeds, colors, and sizes. Zach cooed at them and poked his fingers through the mesh, and all the puppies came running.
I was too upset for even darling puppies to fix. Pacing my way around the store, and by the big main street window, I glanced out to see if Gene or his mistress had resurfaced. Other people walked past, mainly to and from the Moose Muffin Café, but Gene was not amongst them.
How could he have done that? I was still fuming on behalf of my sister. Couples always ran into problems, but you couldn’t solve them by having an affair! He screwed up. Big time.
Behind me, I could hear Petey Sanchez, the owner of Pets and Vets, talking with David and Zach. In his fifties, Petey loved animals: caring for them, reading about them, and talking about them.
When a couple pushed open the door, ringing the little bell again, Petey welcomed them in.
The pet store was full of nooks and crannies—dog food here, dog clothes there, bunnies and guinea pigs in one corner, fish in yet another. It was a medium-sized store, and Petey’s two employees worked quietly to care for the animals while he schmoozed with the customers.
Leaning hidden against the side wall, I tried to force myself to breathe deeper. My head pounded in time with my heartbeat, and my stomach felt queasy.
I slid down the wall just a little, until I was half-perched against a shelf.
“Hey, Mom, look at this one!” Zach called out.
I couldn’t make any decision about a dog today. I already had to admit to my dead husband I was leaving him behind, then I fought with Gene and actually threw a rock at his Jaguar windshield. That was so out of character for me, I still had trouble believing I’d actually done it.
No. There was no way I could make a decision about anything else.
The walls were closing in. I had to get out of here.
Suddenly, David was in front of me, looking concerned, as he touched my cheek. “What’s wrong?”
“Why do you ask that?” I wasn’t ready to let David Weston into my life long enough to share something like that with him.
“Your hands were shaking. Your son thought you argued with someone. And you’re pale. It doesn’t take me being a reporter to pick up such blatant signs.”
My laugh came out shaky. “It was just Liz’s husband.”
“Not just her husband,” Petey said, and I jumped and whirled around. “Sorry to startle you, Miss Vicki.”
David stared at Petey. “Who else was with him?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said as I pulled on his arm to tug him away.
But Petey kept talking. “There was a young pregnant girl with him. Then things really heated up! Miss V
icki, here, threw a rock at his windshield. I clapped when I saw it happen! He’s got some nerve. I’m glad you did it, Miss Vicki.”
Okay, now would be an excellent time for the ceiling to crash down on me.
David, seeing my distress, nodded at Petey and thankfully steered the conversation back to dogs. “That does sound interesting. Hey, we’re looking for a dog for Miss Vicki’s son. Do you have any grown dogs? Or just the puppies over there?”
“Just puppies this week. Cute, little puppies that little boys love.” He motioned across the room to where Zach had climbed into the puppy pen and was now lying on the floor, with the puppies scrambling over him. My son was laughing and having a wonderful time.
It would be nigh unto impossible to get him out of here without a puppy, but I had to do it.
Petey shrugged. “We’ll have some older dogs next week. You can come back and see those.”
“Yeah, but how do I get Zach out of here today?”
David said, “I do Bears in Cub Scouts, not Momma Bear stuff.”
“Hey, you got me into this pet store. You have to help me get out of it,” I whispered, looking at my son again. I was beginning to really feel claustrophobic.
The hotshot reporter took action. “Right. Why don’t you step outside and I’ll talk Zach into coming out puppy-less. You may have to pay for a treat or something, though, to ease his pain.”
“Thanks,” I said, pushing my way past him, and sucking in a few breaths. “I’m okay with treats.”
I could see Gene’s office building even though it was half a block away. That didn’t make things any better. I found my Jeep and climbed in, reclining the seat, and closing my eyes to shut out the picture of my sister’s husband with his very pregnant teenaged mistress.
Liz was absolutely right. It didn’t matter how well he kissed or how desperately he claimed to want her back, there was no way Liz could return to Gene now.
Heather Horrocks - Who-Dun-Him Inn 02 - Inn the Doghouse Page 5