by Jessica Beck
“Take your time,” Emma said. “I’ll start sweeping the front.”
The heat was oppressive, stealing my breath away with its intensity when I walked outside. I feared for my donuts, and I was glad when we finally made it to the parking lot. Once we were at Max’s car and had the donuts safely stashed away with the air conditioner blasting away on high, he turned back to me and asked, “Emma seems happy, doesn’t she?”
“She’s so glad to be back in town working at Donut Hearts, I could probably get her to work for nothing, not that I ever would.”
“College isn’t for everyone, is it?”
“Well, she’s still going to the community college, and I suspect she’ll try going away again in a few years, but for now, I’m thrilled to have her with me.”
It was clear that Max had more on his mind than Emma’s wellbeing. Finally, he asked me, “When are you going to talk to Emily for me, Suzanne? You know how close she and Emma are, so if you let something slip to her too soon, I’ll be doomed from the start.”
I had to bite my lip to keep from being snippy. “As soon as I finish shutting down for the day, I’ll walk over to Two Cows and a Moose,” I said. “Until I speak with Emily, I won’t say a word to Emma about it.”
“That’s perfect. Do me a favor, would you? Call me no matter what she says, okay?”
That sounded fair to me, so I agreed. “Don’t get your hopes up, Max. After all, I can only do so much.”
“It’s too late, they are already sky high,” Max said with his characteristic grin. “Talk to you soon.”
I walked back to Donut Hearts, not sure exactly what I was going to say to Emily. I’d state Max’s case, and then I’d let her decide without trying to exert any undue influence on her. Now that Max was gone, I realized that it had happened again. Somehow, my ex-husband had reached out beyond the grave of our marriage, and he had somehow managed to pull me back in.
At least he’d managed to distract me, if only for a few moments, from the stranger who’d come in threatening my father’s memory, and if nothing else, I owed him something for that.
Chapter 2
“Hi, Emily,” I said as I walked into Two Cows and a Moose a little later that day. Her stuffed animals were on their usual perch sitting together on a shelf above the register, and I was amused to find them all dressed in old-fashioned swimsuits, as though they were ready for a dip in the 1800s. They each wore big, bold sunglasses, and Emily had even added little patches of white that looked as though they all had sunscreen on their snouts. “My, aren’t they dressed nicely today. They’re ready for the beach, aren’t they?”
She laughed. “Cow and Spots were fine with their outfits, but Moose had a fit about wearing the swimsuit I made him. He always has had such a quiet dignity about him, and there are times when he resists my best efforts to dress him up like his pals.”
I had to look twice at her to see if she was kidding, and I still couldn’t tell. Emily and her three stuffed-animal friends had shared a bond while she’d been growing up that was unreal at times. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that she didn’t believe in her heart that they were real and carried on actual conversations with her, but if it was crazy, it was a kind of insanity that I could get behind. Whenever I was around the four of them, three stuffed and one human, I tended to suspend all disbelief myself, and there were moments when I expected one of them to chime into the conversation at any second. “How’s business?”
“It’s going great,” she said. “This is one of my busiest times of years. Have you seen my new line of paperback novels?”
Leave it to Emily. If she found something her customers wanted, she did her best to make sure that she could satisfy their needs with one-stop shopping. There were three new racks of paperbacks, and not just for bestsellers, either. As I scanned the titles, I found a preponderance of brightly covered mysteries that were all warm and inviting. Some showed images featuring food, while others exhibited cats, crafty items, front porches, and warm surroundings.
“There are a lot of new mysteries, I see,” I said.
“My clientele just lap them up,” she replied. “And why not? There’s something cozy and comforting about these books. Besides the usual readers, I get folks who tell me about going to visit loved ones in the hospital, or worse, trying to get over the loss of folks they loved, and they always seem to turn to this particular kind of book. There’s something so reassuring about the small towns these authors write about, despite the prevalence of murder.” Emily looked around her store, and upon seeing that it was mostly deserted, she added softly, “Don’t tell anybody, but I’m writing one myself in my spare time.”
“I didn’t know that you were a writer,” I said. “That’s awesome.”
“Well, I’m not one yet, at least not published,” she admitted. “But I just had to try my hand at it.”
“How’s it going so far?” I asked her.
Emily frowned a bit. “It’s harder than it looks, I’ll say that.”
“Anything worth doing is worth the struggle, though, wouldn’t you say?” It wasn’t the most subtle segue in the world, but it was all that I could manage.
“Something tells me that we’re not talking about books anymore,” Emily said.
“We aren’t,” I replied. “The real reason that I’m here is because of Max.”
My friend’s smile quickly faded. “Now he’s roped you into this, too, has he? The man has some kind of nerve, Suzanne. I can’t believe you agreed to help him, especially since you were the one who warned me about him in the first place.”
“I know; believe me, it sounds crazy to me even as I’m doing it. He wants another chance with you.”
“So he keeps saying,” she replied. Her expression softened for a moment as she asked, “Do you think he deserves it?”
“That’s not really a fair question to ask me, is it? All I’m saying is what happened between us shouldn’t affect the two of you.”
“Suzanne, he cheated on you.”
“You don’t need to remind me. But I do believe people have the capacity to change, don’t you?”
“I’m not sure,” she said after a few moments of silence. “Even if it’s true, I doubt that it happens all that often.”
“You won’t get any argument from me,” I said. “You should do whatever you want, but I wanted to just put it out there.” I started to go, and then I decided that full disclosure was the best policy here. After all, I didn’t want to take a chance on ruining our friendship. “Emily, he bought out my donut shop’s inventory today, but only after I agreed to speak with you for him. That wasn’t a requirement, though. I think Max did it out of sheer jubilation, but I didn’t want you to hear about it and think that he bribed me into talking to you. I have too much respect for you and our friendship to do that.”
“Suzanne, I would never believe for one second that you could be bought,” Emily said, and then she added a wicked little grin as she said, “Not for donuts, at any rate.”
“Don’t kid yourself, he bought eleven dozen,” I said with a laugh, happy that all was well between us. “So, what do you think you’re going to do?”
“Hang on. Let me consult with my life coach experts.” She walked over to her stuffed animals and asked, “You heard what the lady said. What do you guys think?”
I half-expected one of them to answer.
I didn’t hear a reply, but perhaps Emily had. “That settles it. I’ll do it, but there’s only one condition that I’m going to insist on.”
“I’m sure he’ll do anything you ask to get another chance,” I said, hoping that my mission of mercy didn’t end up hurting my friend.
“It’s not something that I need from him,” Emily said. “If you believe that it’s possible that Max has changed, you have to have dinner with us, too.”
I would have rather broken my foot than go out with them on their date. “Are you sure I wouldn’t just get in the way?”
“I’m positive.
Take it or leave it. It’s the only way it’s going to happen.”
I could tell that she wasn’t about to budge. “When do you want to do this?”
“I’m free tonight if you are,” Emily said with a smile. “Given your schedule, I assume we need to make an early evening of it. What about five?”
“I’ll ask,” I said, knowing that Max would break any engagement he might already have for another chance with Emily. “Do you have any place in particular in mind?”
“I think the Boxcar Grill is perfect, don’t you?”
“Wonderful,” I said, wondering what my friend, Trish—the owner of the grill—would say about me going out on a three-way date with Emily and my ex-husband. “I’ll call Max and see what he thinks.”
As I started to dial his number, Emily put a hand on my shoulder. “You should know that I won’t hold you responsible for anything that happens tonight.”
“That’s comforting to know,” I said, hoping that she meant it.
As I expected, Max didn’t even hesitate accepting Emily’s conditions.
It looked as though I had more plans tonight than just meeting a blackmailer at midnight under the town clock.
It was hard to say at that point which event I was looking less forward to doing.
It was time to go home, but I didn’t know how I was going to possibly explain the two situations I’d gotten myself into to my mother. Before I’d moved back in with her after leaving Max, it wouldn’t have been that difficult to duck her until I’d attended Emily and Max’s big date and dealt with the man who’d accused my late father of murder, but since we were both living under the same roof again—a charming little cottage on the edge of the town park—things weren’t quite so easy. She could read me like an open book, so I knew that keeping anything from her would be nearly impossible.
When I saw that her car was missing from our driveway as I parked my Jeep in its usual spot, I nearly whooped out in delight.
Inside, perched on the stairway so I wouldn’t be able to miss it, was a note.
Dear Suzanne,
I’ll be gone most of the afternoon, and into the evening. Phillip and I have plans.
Love,
Momma
P.S. Don’t forget to eat something healthy.
Was there ever a time when our parents stopped trying to parent us? If there was indeed a cut-off age, it was pretty clear that I hadn’t reached it yet.
At least I didn’t have to explain to her what I was going to be doing later.
I glanced at the clock on the mantel over the fireplace and saw that I had plenty of time for a nap. Instead of going upstairs, though, where it was hotter than it had any right to be at this time of day, I turned on the ceiling fan above the couch, added a box fan’s breeze, and settled down on the couch for a quick nap.
I kept dreaming that drums were pounding in the background as I built a snow fort, and it took me a second to realize that reality was encroaching on my sleep. I sat up, glanced at the clock as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and realized that I’d overslept.
Then the knocking started again.
“Hang on. I’m coming,” I called out as I made my way to the door.
It was Grace Gauge, my best friend, and frequent co-conspirator. Grace, slim and blonde, was a perfect contrast to my brunette hair and ample curves, and we fit together as though our destinies had been planned from the very start.
“I knew you must have been asleep,” she said as I let her in. “Let’s go grab a bite, unless you have plans with Jake or your mother tonight.”
“I don’t, but I can’t,” I said as I shut the door behind her.
“Wow, that’s quite a cryptic answer,” she said. “Care to fill me in?”
“Only if you don’t mind listening while I grab a quick shower,” I said as I hurried upstairs to my own little en suite.
“Sadly, I’ve got nothing better to do, so lead the way,” she said with a smile.
Grace jumped on my bed while I headed into the bathroom, and I left the door open so we could chat while I got ready.
I started to bring her up to date on my dinner plans with Emily and Max when she walked into the doorway. “Suzanne, have you completely lost your mind?”
“I know how it sounds, Grace, but what could I do? Max really cares about Emily, and if I can lend them a hand, why shouldn’t I?”
“Jake has turned you into a hopeless romantic, hasn’t he? Or are you just hopeless? Do you honestly believe that your ex could ever change?”
“It’s really not up to me to say, is it?” I asked. “Emily’s opinion is all that matters. Besides, how bad could it be? We’re eating at the Boxcar, and I’m going to be there the entire time.”
“I’ve got to see this for myself. I’m coming, too.”
I was afraid of that. My friend’s sense of curiosity might have been even bigger than mine. As I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, I said, “Grace, it’s sweet of you to offer, but I’ve got this covered.”
“Did you honestly think that I was tagging along to help?” she asked with a laugh. “This has “train wreck” written all over it. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I shut off the water and grabbed a towel. “I’m not about to try to keep you from going to the Boxcar, but I can’t invite you to our table. You know that, don’t you?”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be a discreet distance away. Do you think the next table over will be far enough?”
I had to laugh at that myself. “Just try not to be too obvious about it, okay?”
“I’ll try, but you should know better than to ask me to make promises that I can’t keep. So, what are you doing after the Great Debacle, I mean, the Big Date?”
“I’m planning on heading back here and going straight to bed,” I said as I dried off and put on my robe.
“Why so early? You usually stay up at least until eight.”
“As a matter of fact, I have a meeting at midnight,” I replied. I wasn’t going to let this stranger take over my life anymore and dictate what I could and could not do, though he’d done a pretty good job of it so far. The problem was that I didn’t trust him, so why would I meet him in the middle of the night without telling anyone else what I was up to? If I told Grace about it, I at least knew that she’d insist on being there, lurking somewhere in the shadows and out of sight.
“Is Jake coming over from Hickory?” she asked.
“No, it’s not with him. I’m meeting a blackmailer,” I replied.
Grace glanced at me, and there was no doubt in my mind that she knew that I was being perfectly serious. “Talk,” she said after positioning herself squarely back on my bed. “Hang on. What exactly have you done recently that you could be blackmailed for, and why am I just hearing about it now? Suzanne, if you’re going to get into trouble, I’m disappointed that you didn’t include me. It must have been fun if someone’s trying to blackmail you for doing it.”
“Are you quite finished?” I asked.
“Not yet. So, answer the question; why didn’t you invite me?”
“To the meeting tonight?” I asked as I picked something out of my closet that was a little nicer than my normal jeans and T-shirt.
“That, but more importantly, to whatever it was you were up to when you got caught.”
“It’s nothing that I did,” I said. “It’s about my father.”
Grace’s smile vanished quickly as she sat up on the bed. “Tell me everything.”
I told her all I knew as I finished dressing, and by the time I was ready to head back downstairs again, she said, “That’s it. I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m going with you tonight.”
“You can’t,” I said. “What if he’s watching the house? It would be too easy to spy on me here, and if he sees that I’m not leaving alone, he might not show up at all.”
Grace nodded. “I can see your point, but there’s no way that you’re going alone. Tell you what. I’ll get there half
an hour early and hide in the shadows. I’ll have my cell phone ready to call Chief Martin the second this guy does anything suspicious.”
“I’d appreciate that,” I said, “but you need to call the dispatcher. The chief is going to be out with Momma.”
“Do they typically stay out until one in the morning?” Grace asked. “Good for her.”
“I don’t keep tabs on her coming and going,” I said. “But then again, maybe that’s because I don’t want to know.”
“I totally understand that,” she said. “Wow, you are in for a busy night. No wonder you were taking a nap.”
“Try working my hours and see if you can keep from it,” I answered.
“No, thanks. I like my job just fine, thank you very much.” She studied her outfit and asked, “Should I change, too?”
“Why should you? You look better in your casual clothes than I do all dressed up, and besides, you aren’t going out on this date yourself, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. What time is the big event, anyway?”
I glanced at the clock. “It’s in ten minutes.”
“My, aren’t they the early bird diners,” Grace said.
“I’m afraid that’s in deference to me. Emily wanted me there to chaperone, and that was my one condition.”
“Then by all means, let’s go.”
She walked out of the house with me, and as I locked the door behind us, she said, “I’ll go ahead and meet you there. I don’t want them to think that I’m there to spy on them.”
“Wouldn’t that be true, though?” I asked with a smile.
“Of course it is, but I don’t have to be that obvious about it.”
I waited for Grace to drive away in her company car, and then I got into my Jeep. The air conditioner had a tough time with the heat we were having, and by the time I got to the Boxcar Grill, I was still too warm for my own comfort. Thankfully Trish believed in air conditioning, the colder the better. I’d grabbed a sweater on the way out of the house, no matter how crazy it must have seemed to any onlookers if they’d been watching me, but I knew that I’d most likely need it for Trish’s diner.