by R A Wallace
“Oh, yeah?” Dan smiled. “I always liked Mayor Vance. She helped me out a lot when I took over the feed store.”
Megan looked over at the fruit trees. “Looks like most of your stock was cleared out.”
“Yes, we did well there. I’ll get some more in for the fall planting.” Dan turned another corner and began walking up another aisle. He casually took Megan’s hand into his. “Text me when you’re free for the TeaFest and we’ll go together.”
Megan smiled. That sounded nice. “Okay. I’m seriously craving the barbeque beef brisket.”
Dan nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yeah.”
Megan crossed the parking lot toward her truck to head over to Lauren’s. A police car pulled up beside her and a beautiful red head poked her head out.
“Hey, stranger,” Erica said.
“Hey, yourself. Do you have any time off soon?” Megan asked. The four friends usually tried to hook up when Erica had some free time.
Erica shook her head. “Not this weekend. With the TeaFest, it’s all hands on deck. Where are you headed?”
“Lauren’s. Let us know when you’ll be free again. We’ll plan something. Caitlyn says we should try the Station Pub & Grill.”
Megan watched Erica pull away and then got into her own truck. As she pulled up to the street to check the traffic both ways before driving onto the street, she saw Jason Malone across the street staring at her. She thought about trying to have a discussion with him about the letter but before she could move, she watched his face transform into a sneer. He turned and quickly strode away. Megan shook her head. This was getting ridiculous.
Chapter Eight
Caitlyn carried the last of the arrangements to her van and returned to the counter in the front area of the shop. She was making some deliveries this afternoon and would leave as soon as her mom came to relieve her. Caitlyn decided to stay busy while she waited and flipped open her computer to double check the upcoming orders for the next few days.
She looked up when she heard the bells on the door chime, expecting to see Susan Anderson, her mom. Instead, a tall, model thin woman entered. Caitlyn’s brain registered that although she was wearing designer clothes, they didn’t appear to be from a recent year.
“Can I help you?” Caitlyn smiled a greeting.
“Oh, not really. I was just window shopping along the street and your shop looked inviting. Have you been here long?” The woman watched Caitlyn intently.
“Yes, we’ve had the shop for decades actually.” Caitlyn looked past the woman and saw her mother’s car going down the road slowly. She must be looking for an open parking space.
“I saw your neighbor, the photographer, going into his shop. It must be nice having such a handsome man right next door.”
“Well.” Caitlyn wasn’t sure how to answer that one, but she believed that she succeeded in keeping the smile on her face intact. “He’s not my type actually.” She was saved from saying more by the arrival of her mom.
In her mid-fifties, Susan Anderson was an older version of Caitlyn but beat Caitlyn’s five one frame by an inch. Her short black hair was now showing streaks of gray. Susan said she’d earned every one of them and refused to hide the gray with artificial color. Susan greeted the woman with a smile as she entered the store.
“Oh, you’re getting busy. I’ll let you go.” The woman turned and left the shop with a small wave.
Caitlyn looked back at her mom. Susan raised both eyebrows. “Friend of yours? I didn’t recognize her.”
“No, never saw her before. She wanted to know if it was nice having a handsome man next door.” Caitlyn made a face.
“Odd.” Susan moved over to the window in the front of the store to see if she could spot the woman, but she’d vanished. “Well, I’m here so you can take off.”
***
Caitlyn completed her deliveries for the afternoon and relieved her mother after making arrangements with Susan to cover for the time slot she’d be with Doug at the TeaFest on Saturday. The florist shop was closed on Sunday. Her mom wanted to know all of the details of Caitlyn’s weekend and expected to hear them all on Monday. Caitlyn crossed her fingers behind her back and promised her mother faithfully that she wouldn’t leave out any details.
She was happy to see that her mom had taken some more orders while Caitlyn had been out making deliveries. She headed back into the work area to begin creating the next arrangements on her to-do list.
That was when she first heard the voices. She could tell there were two men in the conversation. One was Jason Malone. She didn’t know who the other voice belonged to. She could tell they sounded angry. At least, she thought they did. At first, the voices weren’t quite loud enough to make out the words. Then she heard the other man yell.
“You’re sick and you shouldn’t be allowed to have a camera!”
Oh, yeah, Caitlyn thought. Definitely mad. She moved closer to the wall. She heard Jason’s voice say something in response, but she couldn’t make it out. His voice sounded more like a whine. Usually, when he spoke to her, he acted like a tough guy. He wasn’t sounding like a tough guy now.
“And I want every copy of every picture that you have destroyed. Creeps like you shouldn’t be allowed near women.”
What does that mean, Caitlyn wondered?
She strained to hear more of the conversation, but the men had apparently moved to another area of the shop and she couldn’t make out any words. She heard a final blast of voices and then it grew quiet. Caitlyn rushed to the other room near the front window of the shop and looked out toward the street.
She recognized the man storming past her window. He crossed the street and then jumped into a red truck and tore off down the road. Keith Baker was definitely not happy with Jason Malone. Join the club, buddy. Caitlyn shook her head. I wonder what that was all about?
Chapter Nine
Justin Dempsey felt the shooting pains going all the way up his arm. At first, it had only been a mildly painful numbness but after the first twenty minutes he’d tried to shift his position to ease the excruciating pain. He looked down at his sleeping five year old sprawled across him and wondered again how something so small could defy all laws of physics and weigh so much when he slept. The part that really amazed him was that Noah looked exactly like Justin did at the same age.
“Daddy, do you think the bad monster is going to win?” Mia, his seven year old daughter, thought she was whispering but in reality her voice was loud enough to be heard in the next room.
Justin glanced down at Noah. He hadn’t moved. When Noah played, he ran at full engine on top speed at all times. When he slept, it was so deeply that even Mia couldn’t penetrate his rest. Justin was watching a princess movie with his daughter. The only time they could do it together was when Noah was safely asleep. Noah had zero patience for princesses.
At first, Mia tried to insist that Noah suffer through ‘her’ shows the way she watched his. No matter that she appeared to enjoy his shows just as much as Noah did. In the end, Justin had convinced her that daddy-daughter time watching the princess movies whenever Noah fell asleep during the day was much better.
“No, sweetheart, I think the princess is going to knock him silly.” Justin glanced at the time. He’d need to get moving soon to make it to the hospital in time for his afternoon shift.
Slowly, he began to pull his arm from under Noah. Unbelievably, just as his fingertips cleared Noah’s warm body, Noah’s eyes popped open. Busted.
“Hey, buddy. Did you have a good nap?”
Noah’s eyes fluttered a few times before he was really aware. When he realized where he was, he smiled the most angelic smile Justin had even seen. Then he heard the voice of a princess coming from the TV and scowled. Sitting up quickly, he scooted away from Justin and Mia, kicking her leg accidentally with his foot in the process.
“Daddy!” Mia yelled. Justin sighed. Noah grinned. Thankfully, the princess movie ended. Justin turned off the TV with the remote.
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“Daddy has to go to work. All the sick people need their nurse to show up on time. Grandma Bev will be here any minute. You two promise to behave for her.” Justin looked up as his mother appeared in the doorway.
“Grandma’s here,” she said.
She nodded to Justin and signaled with her eyes that he should go.
“Grandma, Noah kicked me!” Mia said, indignantly.
“Accidents happen, sweetie. Noah, tell your sister that your sorry.”
Justin heard his mother’s soothing tones and his children’s arguments as he headed toward his wife’s work kitchen. This kitchen was separate from the regular kitchen in the house. They’d added it on special when they’d first learned that Mia was on the way so that Lauren could run her business from home. Justin grabbed his lunch bag from the fridge in the regular kitchen and passed through it to the addition where he found Lauren frosting cupcakes. His favorite. He snagged one on the counter behind her.
“I heard that,” Lauren said. “Good thing I made extras for you.”
Justin smiled around a mouthful of cupcake.
“Is your mom here?” Lauren glanced over at the oven to check on the next batch of cupcakes.
“Yes, so you’ll be good to go for your delivery this afternoon.”
Some of the goodies scattered around the kitchen were for Mayor Vance. The rest were for the TeaFest. Justin looked around at pies, cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. They were everywhere. He knew there were some already in the large commercial refrigerator units that lined one wall. Justin looked down at his lunch bag and wondered how to put another cupcake in there without smashing it.
“I already put one in there in a small plastic container,” Lauren said as she piped some frosting onto another cupcake.
“I love you,” Justin said as he wrapped his arms around Lauren from behind. She tilted her head back and kissed him then began frosting another cupcake.
“Love you too. I’m going to need your help tomorrow getting some of this to the TeaFest.” Lauren had a booth at the TeaFest each year. It was a large money maker for them. In addition to cakes and pies, she also sold homemade cookies sometimes by the bucketful.
“Not a problem. I’m on afternoon tomorrow so I can help with that in the morning. Then I’m off on Sunday so I’m all yours.”
Lauren glanced at her husband with a smile. “That’s the way it should be. Have a good one this afternoon.”
They both looked toward the main house when the doorbell rang. Lauren pointed in the other direction toward the outer door with her chin.
“Go on to work. Your mom will get it.” Lauren watched Justin leave in one direction as she heard someone enter from the main house on her other side. She smiled when she saw Megan.
“I was hoping you’d stop by before the weekend hits us.” Lauren took another batch of cupcakes from the oven and put in a couple of pies. She placed the cupcakes on cooling racks and then began wrapping up smaller bundles of cookies to make them easier to sell.
“How has your week been?” Megan asked.
“Mine was fine. You’re the one with all of the excitement. What have you heard from your lawyer?” Lauren tore off more sheets of plastic wrap in small squares to use for the cookies.
“Nothing. Jennifer said Jason Malone’s lawyer isn’t returning her calls now.” Megan leaned against the counter and wrapped her arms around herself.
Lauren stopped moving and looked at her cousin. “I know what that means when you do that. You’re scared.”
Megan nodded. “Yeah, I’m scared. And I’m frustrated. I don’t understand why Jason’s lawyer sent me a letter that may or may not have threatened to take away my home and why they won’t return Jessica’s calls now.”
Lauren took a deep breath and then started wrapping cookies. “Maybe his lawyer figured out that he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Maybe he’s afraid to speak to your lawyer.”
Megan thought about it for a second. She guessed it was possible. “Do you really think so?”
Lauren shrugged. “Do you have any idea why Josh may have owed Jason a large sum of money?”
Megan shook her head. “Oh, I’ve thought about it. But with Josh…” Megan shrugged. “It could have been anything.”
“Have you tried speaking to Jason Malone directly?” Lauren asked, watching her cousin as she did. Lauren’s eyes narrowed when she saw Megan’s face. “You’re afraid to, aren’t you? You don’t really want to know what Josh was up to.”
Megan sighed. “Would you?”
Lauren took another deep breath and shook her head. “Probably not. But I think you’re going to have to. It’s the only way you’ll know what’s going on. And the only way you’ll know what you need to do to fight for your home. If it comes to that.”
Megan nodded. “I know you’re right. I just needed to hear you say it, I guess. I’ve been telling myself the same thing for days. Okay, I’ll do it when I leave here.” Megan looked around the room. “Is all this for the TeaFest?”
“No, some of it goes to Mayor Vance. She’s having some friends staying with her for the weekend.” Lauren took a box from the counter on one side of the room and started putting bundles of cookies into it.
“I have some of her friends staying with me this weekend also. In fact, I’m full up because of her. I think she’s been funneling customers to me all along and I didn’t even realize it.” Megan walked over to one of the refrigerator units and took out two bottles of water.
“Yes, you aren’t the only one. She’s been funneling jobs to me for years. I think it’s her way of ensuring that the smaller businesses in Teaberry have a better chance of succeeding. Speaking of which, I still have one full box of pamphlets advertising your bed and breakfast so I should be okay for this weekend to put them out at my booth.” Lauren took one of the bottles from Megan and twisted off the cap. “Are you going to the TeaFest?”
Megan swallowed her water and nodded. “I’m planning on going with Dan for just a little bit on Sunday if it works out. Mayor Vance expects her guests to spend much of their time with her Saturday and then they’ll be checking out of my place on Sunday. I think they’re planning to stay in the area for part of Sunday with Mayor Vance but my role in their weekend should be done by then.”
“Well, I’ll see you there if you can make it. Either way, let me know how your talk with Jason goes.” Lauren chugged the rest of her water and began wrapping more cookies.
Chapter Ten
Megan found an empty parking space on Main Street and negotiated her truck into it. She sat there for a few moments, staring at the sign on the front of the photographer’s shop. Taking a deep breath, she left the truck behind, crossing the street quickly. She didn’t find anyone in the front of the shop, so she headed back into the studio.
She found Jason sitting at a desk in a small office in the hallway connecting the front of the shop with the studio in the rear. She watched him clicking through some screens on his computer. It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t alone. When he looked up and realized it was her his upper lip curled into a sneer.
“Well, well. I wondered when you’d show up.” Jason Malone leaned back in his chair.
“Your lawyer is dodging my lawyer. I want to know what’s going on.” Megan crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. She wasn’t leaving until she got an answer.
Jason scowled. “My lawyer is an idiot.”
“What does that mean?” Megan asked.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll convince him to agree with me. That’s not the important part. The important part is, you owe me money.”
Megan shook her head. “I don’t owe you anything.”
“Your husband did, and that means that you do now.” Jason’s voice grew louder and he leaned forward.
“If you were stupid enough to loan him money, that’s on you.” Megan kept her voice even.
“The law says I can get my money back from your property if I have to. And I’ll do it, to
o.” Jason looked down at his desk. “Stupid lawyer is saying now... Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s an idiot.”
“If you really did loan him money, what was it for?” Megan asked, and was immediately sorry when she watched Jason’s face transform into the creepiest smile she had ever seen.
Jason sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “So, that’s why you’re here. You want to hear about Josh and his antics.”
Megan thought about how happy she’d been when she saw Dan earlier today. About the life that she had made by herself since Josh’s death and the work that she enjoyed doing. Did she really care what Josh had been up to? Looking at Jason with clear eyes, she straightened from the doorway.
“Not as much as you might think.” Turning around, she began to walk away.
“Wait, what are you doing? Get back here!” Jason shouted from his office.
“When you have valid documentation that I legally owe you anything, let me know,” Megan said without looking back.
Jason jumped to his feet and started following her but stopped at the door of his office when he realized she was already gone. He picked up an old magazine from the chair in his office and threw it across the room. Not feeling better, he kicked the trash can then fell onto the chair holding his foot.
He hadn’t expected her to have a backbone. He thought it would only take a little pressure and she’d cave. It had taken him forever to find a lawyer that would write a letter threatening a lien against her farm. It was the one thing he knew she truly loved. He thought for sure she’d cave and offer him anything he wanted. And he needed the money. He was sure he’d be able to trick Megan into believing that Josh had borrowed money from him. Everyone in town knew he was up to no good.
Now the lawyer he’d found is worried that everything might come back on him once he realized that Jason doesn’t really have any evidence of a loan ever taking place. And why should he? Josh had never given Jason the time of day. Jason thought about manufacturing some evidence again. Maybe he’d have to do that after all. He’d originally discounted the idea, assuming that Megan would just roll and pay him whatever he asked. He certainly never expected her to call a lawyer.