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A snort-laugh pushes past my lips. “The place needs work. That doesn’t mean it’s haunted.”
“Iris was always looking over her shoulder as if she expected the boogeyman to be there…”
“Again, that doesn’t mean her house is haunted.” Iris hadn’t always been like that. But the hypervigilance had been more noticeable during the last decade of her life.
It was the same for my brother, Lucas, after he left the Marines and was struggling with PTSD. In his case, he had good reason for constantly looking over his shoulder. It hadn’t been the same for Colton. His problem wasn’t the fear of being attacked.
“She was old,” I remind Olivia. “You can’t blame her for that. Who knows what was going through her mind at that point? Anyway, how do you know her great-niece has rented out the house?”
“My neighbor was playing bridge at a house down the street, and her friend told her a woman our age moved in. She assumed the woman is just renting the place and didn’t buy it. That’s all I know.”
I need to talk to Anne and see what’s going on. I’d planned to do that on Tuesday, but then I got busy and haven’t had a chance yet. If she’s just renting the house to the woman for the short term, I could talk to Anne about my offer to buy the house.
I don’t mention this to Olivia. She has no idea what I’m up to.
Butterscotch flops onto his side in front of Nova. She giggles and does a cute little dance for my dog’s benefit. I bite into my sandwich. “This is delicious. If you weren’t such a great elementary school teacher, I’d tell you to open a café.”
Olivia’s lips spread into a grin, and amusement lightens her eyes. “Zara’s café is the most popular spot in town. Not sure I’d ever be delusional enough to try to compete with her.”
I laugh. “Good point.” I remove my wallet from my back pocket and hand Olivia a fifty.
She looks at me, her forehead pinching into a frown. “What’s that for?”
“Café or not, Aramis, I’m still a paying customer.” I don’t want her to spend what little money she makes from teaching on the food she occasionally brings for my crew and me. She and Nova need it more.
Her frown deepens, but I know it’s not because I used The Three Musketeer nickname. “You’re not a customer, Athos.” Her voice is low, her tone stiff, and the pride I know her for burns bright.
“I’d still feel better if you’d take the money. It’s sweet that you bring us food, but you shouldn’t be the one paying for it.” I shove the bill at her, keeping my hand down so no one else can see the cash. Olivia can be plain stubborn at times, especially when it comes to her pride.
“Is that why you think I’m here? To feed you guys?”
“Not entirely. Nova loves visiting Butterscotch.”
Olivia mutters something under her breath I don’t catch.
“What was that?” I ask.
She doesn’t respond beyond rolling her eyes and shaking her head. I’ve known Olivia long enough to recognize the expression that says I’m an idiot.
I might be an idiot, but I also know when to keep my mouth shut. I fill it with the sandwich.
The guys chuckle, their attention on Nova.
“Nova, you’re a great dancer, like your momma.” Amusement soars in Lance’s voice, and his gaze shines with affection.
She grins at him and runs over to Olivia. Her mother picks her up, and Nova throws her arms around Olivia’s neck. With Olivia distracted, I slip the fifty into her basket.
She kisses Nova’s cheek. “You ready for your lunch?”
Nova nods, the movement overly enthusiastic, the way only a little kid can do.
“You want to sit on the blanket or on the wall between Troy and me?”
Nova wiggles off her mom’s lap and drags the small blanket from next to the basket to where Butterscotch is sitting. She doesn’t bother to straighten the fabric. She just sits her butt on it, her short legs stretched in front of her. She’s not facing us. She’s facing the street like we are.
Butterscotch shifts closer to her and flops next to her legs. Nova strokes him on the head. And I smile at how cute they are together.
Olivia removes two smaller plastic containers from the basket and takes them over to Nova. She opens one and produces a wipe, which she uses to clean her daughter’s hands. She then removes the lid from the other container and puts the plastic box next to Nova.
