by JoAnn Durgin
The harsh lines of Millicent’s face softened, and she nodded. “That’d be Marty Kendrick’s boy. Now we’re getting somewhere. Little Ned likes The Boxcar Children books. They’re advanced for him, but his mama’s been in here asking for them so they can read them together.”
“Do you have any books he might be able to read by himself? That might be better.”
“To keep him occupied while his dad plays checkers at Mahoney’s every afternoon?”
“You know about that?”
Millicent waved her hand. “Honey, everybody in town knows that. You’ll learn soon enough that people in Evergreen know your business whether you want them to or not. Why do you think that sister of yours and Seth built their house on the outskirts of town?”
“Because Caroline is extremely smart.” Millicent probably didn’t even realize she’d called him honey. He didn’t hear that endearment often, and it sounded kind of nice.
“Yes, she is. Follow me, and let’s go find young Ned some books. I think you might be okay for a city slicker,” Millicent said over one shoulder.
“Don’t let it get around town. Might spoil my reputation.”
“You still need to open your own library account.”
Sidney grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, Miss Millicent.”
Chapter 10
With the short stack of library books for Ned tucked under his arm, Sidney stepped into Mahoney’s. The door was propped open this time so the annoying bell didn’t jingle to announce his arrival.
Isabella was nowhere in sight as Sidney strolled up and down a couple of aisles. After grabbing a can of shaving cream and a bottle of shampoo, he stopped to look over the selection of men’s vitamins since he’d forgotten those, too. Maybe it was psychological, but he needed to take a vitamin every morning, even if it was an over-the-counter brand instead of the insanely expensive kind a partner’s wife had coerced him into buying.
As Sidney carried his selections to the counter, he wondered what Isabella’s threshold was for using a credit card since he only had fifty and hundred dollar bills. Stopping in at Evergreen Bank seemed advisable.
“Clive, stay away from me! Stop right there. I’m warning you. Don’t take another step.”
Sidney halted at the sound of Isabella’s voice. What on earth? Sounded like it came from the backroom. Was that Clyde or Clive? Wasn’t Clyde the name of one of her employees? Surely it wasn’t him.
“Come on, baby. You know you want me. You’ve been coming on to me ever since I hit town.” That voice was deep and low, the words nothing less than….smarmy.
“That’s a lie, Clive! I feel nothing for you. You hear me? Nothing!”
Somehow, Sidney found this conversation unbelievable if not improbable. Not to mention Isabella didn’t sound convincing. Straining to hear anything else, he lowered the can of shaving cream and the other items to the counter one at a time.
Silence ensued. Sidney carefully stepped around the end of the counter, trying to be as quiet as possible. The floorboards creaked, betraying him. Stopping, he held his breath. No sounds emerged from the backroom but neither did anyone come to the front counter to check. Where was Tommy?
If Isabella was in danger, he needed to help her. At least Evergreen must not have many shoplifters. Still, Sidney would think Isabella would keep a closer eye on the store. He darted a glance around the upper perimeter but didn’t see any security cameras. That didn’t surprise him. She could stand to clean around the ceiling fans. An old store like this must get a lot of dust.
The man was speaking again, but his voice was so low that Sidney couldn’t make out the words. Smack! What was going on here? Sounded like Isabella slapping the guy’s face. What if the man was manhandling her, forcing himself on her?
“Ouch! What was that for? I oughta teach you a lesson you’ll never forget,” the man snarled.
Foolish move or not, Sidney needed to take action. If something happened to Isabella, and he’d overheard and done nothing about it, he’d never forgive himself.
“Okay, that does it, buddy! No one treats a woman like that.” Sidney barreled around the corner. Barging into the backroom, he stopped short. Isabella sat at a small table with a man sitting beside her who looked about fifty—balding, average-looking, chewing on something. Papers were strewn across the table. They both looked up at him with curious expressions.
“Hey, Sid.” Isabella lifted a brow with a small smile. With her hair in a high ponytail and a light blue UCLA T-shirt, she looked casual, comfortable. Adorably appealing.
Sidney stared at her like a simpleton. “Izzy.” Something inside him shifted.
“What’s up?” She pushed a plate across the table. “Sweet roll?”
“No, thanks.” Moving his hands to his hips, Sidney shook his head. Talk about feeling like a colossal fool. “I, um, thought you might be in some kind of trouble. I heard… Never mind. My mistake, apparently.” He shifted his gaze to the man. “Clive, I take it?”
“Gerald Watkins.” He shrugged and continued chewing.
“I’m sorry,” Isabella said. “Forgive my lack of manners. Gerry, this is Sidney Prescott. He’s Caroline’s oldest brother.” Was it his imagination or did her voice hold a bit of respect?
Sidney managed a somewhat curt nod. “Nice to meet you, Gerry.”
“Same here, Sid. My wife has some of your sister’s jewelry. She does real good work.”
“Yes, she does, thanks.”
“It’s expensive but worth it.”
Sidney swallowed a not-so-gracious comeback. “I’ll be sure and give her your regards.” Walking farther into the room, Sidney lowered the stack of library books on the table with a definitive thud. “For Ned.” He darted a glance at the painting on the easel. Judging by the gazebo, she was painting Evergreen Park. The painting was lovely.
“Oh, that’s so nice of you! I hadn’t had a chance to get over to see Millicent yet.” Isabella’s surprise was evident as she shuffled through the books. Her smile was full of gratitude. “Thank you, Sidney. I really appreciate it.”
“Welcome. I figured I might as well try and make myself useful. By the way, I’m now the proud owner of a lifetime membership at the Evergreen Public Library.”
Isabella’s brown eyes sparkled. “Then I’m sure you’re Millicent’s hero. Do you need to buy something? Tommy ran an order across to the sporting goods store and should be right back any minute, but I can come out if you’re ready to—”
“Nothing that can’t wait until later. I’ll see you around.”
Sidney left the backroom and headed straight for the open front door. In this case, he almost wished that stupid bell would ring to announce his departure. After all, his exit would be more dramatic that way, and Isabella seemed to like drama.
~~♥~~
Liesel handed Isabella a glass of lemonade. Settling into a white wicker chair, she carefully lowered her steaming mug of hot tea to the small table between them. “Are you sure you don’t want a sandwich or something to eat? It’s no trouble. I made cookies for the guests.”
“No, thanks. I need a listening ear more than anything else.” Isabella glanced over the expansive yard. “Ah, the view from the front porch at Landon’s. Such a great place to be in the summer. Did Caroline tell you she chatted with Seth about the birds and the bees right here on this porch?”
“I heard something about it, but it was more about the birds than the bees from what I understand. Let me guess. You want to chat about Caroline’s brother.”
Isabella sighed. “Is there anyone in town who hasn’t heard about Sidney?”
“Driving a car like that? I doubt it. He couldn’t fade into the town landscape if he tried.” Liesel tucked a long strand of blonde hair behind one ear and gave Isabella a weary smile before taking a sip of the tea.
“The baby still suffering from colic?”
“Yes, but I’m hoping it’ll get better soon,” Liesel said. “I talked to Mom last week, and she
told me I was the same way. I never knew that before, and I did some research this morning. The two most common causes of colic are reflux and food or formula allergies. He’s still so young, and I’m only breastfeeding him at this point. It’s possible he has an allergy to something in my diet.”
“Hard to believe a baby could have allergies already.”
“Wheat and dairy are two of the most common offenders. You know Paul’s had issues with dairy, so I suppose it’s possible…” Liesel waved her hand. “There are so many variables, and I’m too tired to try and figure it out. I’m praying he grows out of it sooner than later.”
“Tell you what,” Isabella said. “I’m going to come over one afternoon whenever you say, and I’ll take the baby and Bella to the park and then bring them back here. You and Paul can take a drive and treat yourselves to a long lunch. Just make sure to leave a bottle of breast milk.”
Liesel’s eyes grew wide, and she looked as though she’d burst into tears any second. “I don’t know what to say. You’d really do that? That’s so unselfish, and the sweetest offer I’ve had in weeks. Months, maybe.” She knew how much Liesel missed her mother. If it weren’t for her father’s health, Isabella figured they’d probably never have moved away from Maine. At least Beverly was able to fly back quite often for visits.
“Well, you don’t have to cry about it.” Reaching into her purse, Isabella pulled out a tissue and handed it to her friend. “Here, take this.”
“Don’t pay any attention to me.” Liesel dabbed beneath her eyes. “You know how I am. I don’t operate well when I don’t get at least five hours of sleep. I’m sure that has something to do with it. We’re heading into the tourist season, and there’s a lot to do around here besides taking care of the kids.” She smiled through watery eyes. “Don’t tell on me, but it’s really nice to sit and share a few minutes of girl talk. I’ve missed this lately. You and Caroline are like my oasis in the desert. I don’t know what I’d do without either one of you.”
Isabella reached for Liesel’s free hand and squeezed. “Love you, my friend.”
“You, too.” Liesel checked her watch. “I have about twenty minutes until the kids wake up.”
“I need to get back to the store by then, anyway,” Isabella said. “Have you hired more of the local girls to help you out this summer?”
Liesel nodded. “All taken care of, thank the Lord. Now, tell me what’s on your mind.”
“Here’s the thing, Liesel. I’m not sure what to make of Sidney. I’ll admit at first I thought he was pompous, arrogant, and borderline chauvinistic.”
“I hear a but in there somewhere.” Liesel smiled from behind her mug as she took a drink of her tea. “Ah, it’s the perfect temperature now.”
“Ned Kendrick almost succeeded in toppling the pickle jar yesterday. Sidney rushed into the store and saved the day—well, at least the jar. He also made a suggestion to borrow library books to keep Ned occupied and out of trouble.”
“That’s a good idea,” Liesel said. “I’m surprised you haven’t moved that jar before now. I’ve always said it’s an accident waiting to happen. I remember Clara chasing a few pranksters out to the front sidewalk through the years. She’d threaten them with her broom. From what Mom told me, Marty Kendrick was one of the worst culprits when he was a kid. As they say, the apple must not fall far from the tree.”
Isabella enjoyed a long drink of her lemonade. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“So, tell me more about Sidney.” Liesel shifted in the chair and sipped more of her tea.
Isabella briefly filled her in on the ice cream incident at Barron’s the night before and how Sidney made an appearance. “Then he shows up in the store this morning with a big stack of books he borrowed from the library for Ned,” she told Liesel. “You have to give credit to a man who braved a verbal smackdown from Millicent. I found his gesture very considerate. Noble, even. Great follow-through, too, because you know how guys can be selectively forgetful.”
“I call it selective hearing, but the concept’s the same.” Liesel said.
“Gerry was in the backroom with me earlier today, and we were running over lines from the play he’s in at the Bethel Playhouse next month. We were going over a scene that’s confrontational and intense. Don’t let it get around, but it’s not that well-written and riddled with clichés. Anyway, Sidney overheard, misunderstood, and he—”
“Get out!” Liesel slapped one hand on her leg. “Don’t tell me Sidney seriously thought it was real?”
“Yep. He sure did. Sidney barreled straight into the backroom to defend my honor real.”
“Oh, Isabella, that’s priceless,” Liesel said once she stopped laughing. “I think I’m going to like this guy. I’ve heard how he roared into town, and all the guys are swooning over that sports car—not to mention half the women are swooning over the man in the car—but Sidney sounds like a decent guy at heart. Besides, he’s Caroline’s brother. That alone gives him a definite advantage, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so.” Isabella shifted to face Liesel, tucking one leg beneath her. “Sidney told me he’s running away from home.”
Liesel’s brows lifted. “That’s odd. I mean, what high-powered lawyer does something like that? Was he joking?”
Isabella shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
“How long is he staying in town?”
“Two or three weeks, or so he says. I haven’t talked with Caroline since yesterday after I showed him how to get out to the house. You heard about that, too, I’m guessing?”
Liesel nodded. “Of course. I have reliable sources.”
“I kind of gave him a hard time and made him prove who he was, but I felt like I had to protect Caroline, you know?”
“I’d have done the same thing,” Liesel agreed. “From the photos I’ve seen, Sidney doesn’t look like either Caroline or Bryce.”
“He doesn’t. As far as running away, Sidney’s one of the senior partners at the law firm, so I guess he can do whatever he wants,” Isabella said. “He told me he’s handed over his cases to Bryce and his other trusted associates. According to Caroline, Sidney never takes time off. As you can imagine, she was shocked when he showed up on her doorstep out of the blue.”
Isabella and Liesel both waved to a few residents driving by in their cars.
“If Sidney took the time to make sure his cases were handled, and announced his plans to leave, that’s not running away,” Liesel observed. “That’s taking a leave of absence.”
“Maybe he meant it more like running away in another sense.”
“Like what? Emotionally?” Liesel quirked her brows as she took another sip of her tea.
“I have no idea.” Isabella checked her watch. “I only have a few minutes, but there’s more. Aunt Clara marched into the store this morning with another one of her proclamations. This time, she announced that God told her I was going to marry Sidney.”
Isabella thought Liesel would sputter her tea. Instead, she lowered her mug to the table, the essence of calm. “Your dear sweet aunt. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
“I’m not worried.” Isabella frowned. “I know Aunt Clara has my best interests at heart but doesn’t she realize the pressure she’s putting on me by saying something like that?”
“It’s only pressure because you’re allowing it to pressure you, Isabella. Your aunt says lots of things. She’s lovable, she’s eccentric, but she’s also lonely since Phil died. She doesn’t mean any harm, but my take is that she’s matchmaking again. She says things to plant the idea in someone’s mind to oh, I don’t know, try and help them see a situation or another person differently.”
“Are you saying Aunt Clara made predictions about you and Paul?”
“Oh, yes.” Liesel nodded. “She sure did.” A slow-moving smile creased her face. “Suffice it to say that I didn’t like Paul early on. But Clara challenged both of us to dig deeper and get to know the person beneath the surface.�
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“I can’t believe you didn’t like Paul. You two are so perfect for each other. So, did Aunt Clara predict you’d marry him?”
Liesel waved her hand and smiled. “Dating, marriage, kids, the whole thing. And we’re not the only ones. I understand she predicted Caroline and Seth would get together from the first time Caroline was here in Evergreen.”
“From what I know, they made a strong connection even though they didn’t get together for a year or two later.”
“Kind of like the strong first connection you’ve made with Sidney?”
“The truth, Liesel? Sidney scares me.”
“Why’s that? He doesn’t sound scary.”
“You know what I mean. If I take the time to dig deeper and get to know him, I have a good feeling I’ll like him a whole lot better than I should.” She tapped her curled fist over her heart.
“That’s a problem?”
Isabella rose from the chair. “I suppose you’d say it’s only a problem if I allow it to become one. I need to focus on being his friend. But, at the same time, it might be best if I keep my distance. I guess the question in my mind is how to be his friend without being attracted to him. How and where do you draw the line?”
“You’re good friends with Joel, and he’s an attractive man.”
“Yes, but Joel doesn’t make my palms sweat and my breath catch in my throat whenever I see him. But none of this even matters since Sidney’s not a Christian, and he’s going back to Boston. A one-two punch. Make that a three-punch since Caroline more or less told me he’s not the kind of man who will settle for one woman.”
Isabella raised both hands in the air. “There you have it! Case closed.”
“Seems to me like the case is wide open, my friend.” Liesel smiled. “My advice, if you want it, is to relax and allow God to work. After all, look how He worked for Paul and me, and Caroline and Seth. Remember, Caroline wasn’t a Christian when she first came to Evergreen. As her story proves, anything can happen.”