AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Nobody ever tells me anything,” Addy bemoaned.
“I promise I will.” I squeezed her hand. “But I need you to do me a favor right now.”
“Fine!” So much attitude for such a small body. “What?”
“Go get the twenty-dollar bill out of my wallet, grab your brother, walk to the Candy Corral, and buy whatever you want.”
Addy’s mouth fell open, her eyes bugged. “Really? Can we?”
“Just be careful and don’t talk to strangers.” Especially any offering sparkly jewelry. I’d searched for Addy’s jewelry box for her unicorn broach late last night and come up empty. She must have it stashed somewhere else. I’d have to keep an eye out for it so I could make it magically disappear. “And get back here as soon as possible,” I added. No need to completely let go of the reins, exterminated monster or not.
She squeezed me around the neck with her cast-free arm. I wrapped my arm around her and clutched her against my side, turning and inhaling her fruity-sweet smell, blinking back an ambush of tears. I’d come close to losing this. Too close.
“Mom, you’re squishing my cast.”
“Oops.” I sniffed and released her. “Now get out of here.”
“Okay. Be back in a bit!” She ran out the back door screaming her brother’s name.
With Addy out of earshot and my eyes no longer leaking, I turned to Natalie. “Sorry we interrupted your evening with Doc last night.”
A white lie on my part, nearly transparent in the daylight.
“Oh, you didn’t interrupt anything. Doc was saying goodbye when his cell phone rang.”
Did that goodbye involve any kissing?
“Are you two going out again?” I ignored the pointed look that Harvey was giving me.
“I hope so.”
“You haven’t made any plans, though?” Much more pressing on my part and I’d be leaving fingerprint bruises on her.
“No. He said he’d call.” Her smile seemed wistful. I wanted to smear brownie goo all over it. “He’s such a great guy. Do you think I should wear a white dress at our wedding?”
I inhaled latte. Harvey snickered as I coughed and gasped. Aunt Zoe watched us both with a gunslinger stare. Natalie’s smile faltered.
The phone rang.Thank God!I practically ran to it. “Hello?” I covered the mouthpiece and coughed off to the side.
“Hello, Violet Parker.”
I cringed mentally. “Hi, Jeff. What’s going on?”
“I heard about last night.”
Already?It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours yet. “How?”
“It’s a small town.”
“So I’m told.”
“You sure add excitement to this place, Violet Parker.”
“Thanks.” I think.
“I’m calling to see if Kelly can stay over there tonight. I need to be in Spearfish at dawn and her mother is too busy with her girlfriend to watch her.”
