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Kitt had thrown him for a loop when she asked where he worked. He’d answered with Fruits of the Sea, the name of the place where he used to be employed. The way she’d worded the question, his reply only seemed like half a lie. However, when she said she’d been planning to visit there, that freaked him out.
It was too bad Sug had a sick day, but it was a break for him. And it was a good thing he’d made the special seafood salad at home that he’d often prepared at the restaurant. Maybe taking it to their house and his offer to cook would stave off a visit. But what if it didn’t?
If Kitt found out he didn’t work there…
Rob was almost certain they’d rehire him but he’d make less money than he did with Suzette and he’d have to work six nights a week again. Perhaps he could negotiate a raise and they’d let him work just five. Working for Suzette wasn’t going to cut it if things panned out between him and Kitt the way he hoped.
He’d jumped at the deal Suzette offered because he wanted to show off for Kitt and the rest of the town where he’d been born. Stand tall in everyone’s eyes. But now that he’d sampled this life, he wanted this little bit of luxury for himself.
Last night, Suzette had wanted to go to some theatre performance and didn’t want to attend alone. It made him nervous to escort her now that Kitt was in the area. Before that, he didn’t worry about being seen out with an older woman. Since she was attractive and well-dressed, it couldn’t hurt his reputation too much. Of course, there was the chance somebody would call him a gigolo. And he didn’t want that, but he knew it wasn’t true.
He didn’t plan to do this forever. He aspired to work at a more upscale restaurant where they’d pay him what he was worth, or better yet, manage or own one. But first he’d wanted to get back to Summerville where he could find out how to locate Kitt. He’d never been able to forget her. Never even wanted to let the memories go.
He might have overreacted concerning The Silver Spoon. After all, it wouldn’t have killed him to take her there, and they could have come back here later. He’d been wound too tight worrying he might lose his last chance with her. Just thinking about her made him hard and horny—and soft and mushy inside.
Maybe he’d give her a quick call now and apologise. He didn’t have her cell phone number, but he could look Sug’s home number up in the phone book, if he could find one.
Rushed and frantic, he yanked open every cabinet and drawer, one after the other and couldn’t find a phone book anywhere. Out of time, swearing furiously, Rob turned on the shower. Kitt would have to call him if she wanted to make up. Her request was unreasonable, after all, so maybe she’d realise that. He hoped she was willing to admit it if she did.
Kitt shouldn’t have been surprised when Rob didn’t call and apologise, and she wasn’t totally, but she was disappointed. She could have gone back to The Silver Spoon in her car but she remembered it was almost out of gas. Too bad she hadn’t been driving when Dan called. By the time she’d filled the tank and drove back to the tavern, Jason would likely be gone. If he’d been there in the first place.
“Stop looking at your phone. Something probably came up,” Sug said.
“I’ll just bet it did.” Kitt grabbed up the newspaper and stomped out the door onto the front porch.
“Sour grapes?”
Sug had followed her out, and in spite of herself, Kitt chuckled. She’d told her aunt an altered story of what had happened, and like Rob, Sug thought Kitt was jealous of the woman on the matchbook cover. Even if she was a performer and Rob frequented the place, Kitt wasn’t worried about him and eye candy. She had more important concerns. She was on a case. And a visit to The Silver Spoon might have yielded some clues.
She stared at the newspaper unseeingly. She was unhappy with the way the afternoon turned out for more reasons than one. She didn’t like the disagreement between her and Rob. She knew he didn’t understand why she’d gotten so ticked off. But he’d acted unreasonably by refusing to go there and dumping her off at home without a word of explanation. It wouldn’t have hurt him to grant her request, and he must have realised that by now. So, why hadn’t he called?
Aunt Sug took a seat in the other rocker. “Does Rob have your cell phone number?” she asked.
“Ohmigosh. He doesn’t. I never thought of that.” She mulled it over for a minute before smiling. It wasn’t an airtight excuse but she felt better anyway. Kitt forced her thoughts away from Rob.
“Jonesy said I should stay a while. She thinks you need me.”
“Doesn’t that woman ever mind her own business?”
“She brought you soup because you were sick. Is that any way to talk about an angel of mercy?”
“Ha! Between the hot soup and her rattling on about nothing, I began dripping sweat, and then she thought I had a fever. She wanted to feed me aspirin. I started the whole thing by telling her I had a pain and touched my breast and it snowballed from there.”
Her breast? Is that what she has? Breast cancer?
“I’ll keep my complaints to myself from now on. I’m lucky she didn’t start feeling me up to find out where it hurt.”
Kitt chuckled but quickly sobered “What did you mean when you told Dad you might have cancer?” Kitt asked. “What led you to say that?”
Sug threw up her hands. “The verdict isn’t in yet. That ache was in my chest but when Jonesy thought I had a problem with my breast, she brought up the subject of cancer. So, when she left, I did a self examination and found a lump. I got scared.
“I didn’t want to go to a doctor and hear bad news. So I put off going and got more and more worried. And frightened. I didn’t even want to hear the verdict alone. So I called and your father answered and I told him.” Sug clutched one breast. “I hoped my sister might want to make up before I cashed in my chips.”
“What can I say except you’re both stubborn?” Kitt patted her aunt’s hand.
“When I realised she wasn’t coming, I finally went.” She wrapped her fingers around Kitt’s. “I didn’t go see him right away and Doc said I’d probably made myself sick by worrying. He did a biopsy and it was benign. He found more growths but had the nerve to say he thinks I just have ‘lumpy breasts’ like a lot of women do. But what if he’s wrong?”
