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“What in the hell just happened?” Claire sounded as if she'd had the wind knocked out of her.
Beth knew the feeling. “I have no idea.”
“Boloney sausage.”
As always, Claire's prettied-up version of bullshit made her laugh. “He's your brother. Totally off limits. Anyway, my life's crazy enough lately without adding in your fucks-everything-that-moves brother.”
“Hey now, that's my brother you're talking about.”
“Yep, and I believe you were the one who called him that just a few weeks ago.”
“No, I said dates-everything-that-moves brother. You're the one whose dirty mind took it down that path.” Her warm hand covered Beth’s suddenly cold one. “But what makes him off limits? Don’t give me crap about him sleeping around, you and I both know small-town gossip blows everything out of proportion. He’s a great guy. You’re awesome. Really, you two would be perfect for each other.”
Beth slid her fingers from her friend’s grasp and brushed the crumbs on the table into a pile.
Claire had never been without a loving family. She didn't understand how awful it was to lose it. She hadn't grown up without parents, hadn’t found her grandfather dead on the laundry room floor or watched dementia push her grandmother deeper and deeper into her sepia-toned memories. Beth had become a woman knowing good things come to an end way too soon and that the people you loved always left.
Even those who hadn’t arrived yet.
Beth fiddled with her spoon as guilt rose up. Best friends didn’t keep secrets from each other, but she hadn’t told Claire about the hysterectomy. Talking about it would make it real, solidify it as fact, and she wasn’t ready for that yet.
Claire cleared her throat. “Earth to Beth.”
“Sorry, I've got a lot going on right now.”
“So what's making you nuts?”
Beth hadn't wanted to burden her best friend with her troubles. However, judging from the spill-it-now wrinkle on Claire’s brow, the time had come.
After looking around to make sure Margaret was still ensconced somewhere relaying gossip about Hank's kiss, she leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table's cold Formica top. “So, you know how everyone near my grandparents' house has been selling to some mystery buyer?”
Bringing her up to speed about the late-night threats delivered over the phone by a heavy-breathing man, the nasty texts, the vandalism, Sheriff Wilcox's response and her answer to his recommendation that she sell took ten minutes, punctuated by Claire’s gasps.
“Oh man, I bet the sheriff’s head almost popped off his body when you told him what he could do with his advice to sell.” She broke off a piece of Hank's abandoned chocolate sprinkle donut and popped it in her mouth.
“Yep, you could say that. He slammed the door shut so hard the windows rattled.”
“That man's always been an ass. Hank says the other sheriffs avoid him like the plague.” Her friend's brown eyes narrowed. “So why haven't you told me or Hank about this sooner?”
“Up until this week, it didn't seem that serious. Just some angry phone calls and such. Hell, most of the people who live out near my grandparents' house hate my guts right now for not selling. Sara Jane told me the other day that if I don’t sell, the developer is threatening to renege on his promise to buy everyone else's land.” She paused for a breath. “Besides, you and Jake are finally drama-free after that psycho Burlington went to jail. I didn't want to wreck that.”
“You are such a dork,” Claire chided. “We've been best friends since grade school. What matters to you, matters to me. Now, I know you—what have you done to figure out who's behind all this?”
The bell above the bakery door chimed and Beth jumped in her seat. One of the construction workers tearing down the burnt remains of The Harvest Bistro across the street strolled in. This whole situation had her on edge more than she wanted to admit.
At least her quick trip to Vegas would provide a distraction. Giving her first presentation at the National Estate Attorneys Conference would take all her concentration and give her some distance from angry neighbors and pushy developers.
“I've looked through as many of the public records as I could get ahold of. Every time I find a company name, it turns out to be a front.” Beth sipped her warm brew. It slid down her throat, heating her body from the inside out. “The whole thing stinks to high heaven and that fool Wilcox is in it up to his third chin.”
“You really need to tell Hank about all this.”
“My grandparents’ house is in Council County. Hank's jurisdiction ends at the Dry Creek County line.”
“Uh-huh, so what's with him branding you like a prized calf, because you and I both know that's what that kiss was all about.”
Her heart raced at the idea and she clasped her hands tighter around her mug to keep them from shaking. “Nothing.”
“Has he asked you out?”
