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CHAPTER12
Iwas still sitting at my desk, frowning down at the little love poem from my admirer, when my cell phone rang. I dropped the purple card and fished for my cell in my purse.
“I’m stepping out for lunch, Blondie,” Ray said, jingling his keys. “Try not to make any sales while I’m gone. I’d hate to have to cancel the goodbye party I’m planning for you.”
Harvey plucked one of my daisies from the bouquet as Ray headed for the back door. “You want me to fill his ass with buckshot?”
Yes! “Maybe later.”
Aunt Zoe’s number filled my phone’s screen. Now what did Layne want for his archaeological dig? A sarcophagus? “Hello?”
“Mom,” Addy’s voice greeted me. “Can I stay at Kelly’s tonight?”
Hell, no!I sighed. “Addy, can we discuss this later?”
Across my desk, Harvey glanced up from playing she-loves-me-not with the daisy, a smirk on his lips.
“No, Mom. You keep blowing me off.”
I was not in the mood to be flogged by the Queen of Dramaland. “I’m not blowing you off, Adelynn. This is just …”
Never going to happen.
“Complicated.”
Harvey dropped the flower and grabbed a pencil and a Post-It note.
My desk phone rang. I glanced at the phone number on the LCD screen. A 415 area code greeted me. Wolfgang was calling me on his cell. My heart pitter-pattered a bit faster.
“And all you have to do is say, ‘yes.’” Addy wrapped up, and I realized that the shrilling whine in my ear had been her arguing her point.
“There is more to this decision than you realize, Addy.” I reached for the other phone as it rang again. “Honey, I have another call. I have to go.”
Harvey placed the note and pencil in front of me and waved goodbye. I glanced at the words ‘going next door’ scribbled on the paper and looked up as he pushed open the front door and stepped outside.
Three rings.
Next door? The only thing next door was Doc’s office. Why was Harvey going to Doc’s?
“But, Mom!” Addy’s voice sounded watery. “She’s the only friend I have in the whole world.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I promise I’ll be good at her house.”
Four rings.
“Please, please, please, Mommy. I’ll even give away one of my kitties.”
Bribery. I was tempted.
Five rings.
I caved—well, kind of. “Why don’t you see if Kelly can spend the night with us tonight.”
A scream of excitement made me wince as the phone rang for the sixth time.
“Addy, I’m hanging up now. Bye.” I closed my cell while picking up my desk phone. The smell of Ray’s Stetson cologne on my receiver made me yank the phone away and frown at it. The jerk probably licked it.
