A Flicker of Doubt (Book 4 in the Candlemaking Mysteries) (16 page)

She smiled brightly. “You’re welcome. Now
I’ve got to get out of here. We stayed out on the water longer than
I thought we would, and I’ve got a group coming by the shop to
watch a white-water rafting video.”‘

“
Sorry to keep you so long”
I said.

“
Are you kidding? I had a
blast. See you soon, Harrison.”

After she was gone, I walked over to the
steps that led down to the water and sat. My shoulders were sore
from paddling, but it had felt grand being on the water again. It
wasn’t fair to the Gunpowder to blame the river for what had
happened.

“
Becka,” I said softly to
myself. “What happened to you?”

“
Were you talking to me?” I
heard a voice say behind me.

I turned around, and Jeanie, Runion’s
assistant, was standing there studying me.

“
I’m sorry, I didn’t know
you were there.”

She said, “I just got here. The water’s
really beautiful, isn’t it?”

“
It’s a million-dollar
view,” I said.

She shuddered. “Don’t say that, please.”

“
Why not?”

Jeanie sat beside me. “It’s Runion’s
favorite expression.” She looked out onto the water and added, “You
can’t put a price tag on this. At least you shouldn’t be able
to.”

“
You’re right. So, do you
have something for me already?”

She shook her head. “No, I haven’t had a
chance to do any digging. I was just curious about your setup out
here, so I thought I’d stop by.” She glanced back at the darkened
stores and said, “I’m too late, aren’t I?”

It’s never too late for a tour of the
candleshop,” I said “Come on in.”

“
Are you sure it’s not a
problem?” she asked. “I don’t want to keep you from
anything.”

“
My schedule’s all clear,” I
said.

She enjoyed her tour of the shop, and I
persuaded her to take a pack of wax sheets. “Let me pay for this,”
she said.

I pointed to one corner of the sheet. “The
honeycomb is crushed here, do you see? You can trim it and make a
perfectly good candle, the directions are printed on the back, but
I won’t sell it if it’s damaged.”

“
You really care about this
place, don’t you?” she asked.

“
It’s not just my job; it’s
become my life.”

“
I envy you that,” she said
as I walked her out of the shop and to her car.

“
Thanks for the tour,” she
said.

“
I’m glad you came
by.”

To my surprise, she leaned forward, as if
she was expecting me to kiss her. I wasn’t sure what to do next,
but I was saved by a call from the deck of the complex. “Harrison,
do you have a moment?”

“
I’ll be right there,
Pearly.”

Jeanie started to kiss my cheek, then paused
and settled for a handshake instead. “Thanks again.” ‘

“
Come back any time,” I
said.

“
Even if I don’t have
anything to report?” she asked.

“
My door’s always open for
you, Jeanie. I love sharing what I know about making
candles.”

She studied me a second, then asked, “You’re
not like most guys, are you?”

I laughed. ‘It depends. Is that a good thing
in your eyes or not?”

She smiled. “Oh, it’s a good thing, you can
believe that. We were alone together for half an hour and you never
made a single pass at me.”

“
I don’t know you that well
yet,” I said, surprised by her candor, and mine in
reply.

“
Believe me, that’s usually
not an issue. Good night, Harrison.”

“
Good night,
Jeanie.”

I waited until she drove off, then joined
Pearly in front of The Crocked Pot. He was sitting in one of
Millie’s cafe chairs, and I pulled another one from under the
awning and joined him.

Pearly said, “I didn’t mean to
interrupt.”

“
You didn’t,” I said. “I
wasn’t expecting Jeanie to come by.”

“
I saw the way she was
looking at you. She’ll be back, and soon.” He paused, then added,
“And I’m willing to wager you’ll be glad when she does.”

“
Forgive me, but I’m not in
the mood to be analyzed this evening,” I said.

He looked as if I’d slapped him. “I’m the
one who should be asking for forgiveness. Sometimes I forget
myself.”

“
Pearly, I didn’t mean
anything by it It’s just been a long day.”

“
For me as well,” he
said.

“
So, what’s on your
mind?”

“
I’ve spoken with both
Sanora and Heather, and I’m afraid I need some advice before I
decide how best to proceed.”

“
You want advice from me?” I
asked. “If we’re down to that, I’m afraid it’s pretty
hopeless.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be so certain of
that, Harrison. It appears that the main source of contention
between them is you.”

“
Me? You can’t be serious” I
said. “How could I be the problem?”

“
Oh, I’m not even certain
they’re aware of it. They both claim it’s a territorial issue, but
I feel you’re at the heart of their conflict.”

“
I’ve never dated either one
of them,” I said. “Are you telling me they both have crushes on
me?”

Pearly let a slight smile slip out before he
reined it in. “Nothing that dramatic, I’m afraid,” he said. “They
aren’t fighting over your affection, but rather your friendship. In
my conversations with both women, the recurring underlying theme
was how much time you spend with the other woman. The currents of
discord are rather strong.”

“
So what do I do about it? I
barely have time enough to handle everything as it is, let alone
add extra visits to each of them.”

“
We make time for the things
that are important to us, Harrison. If you want both women to stay,
I’m afraid it’s up to you.”

“
Of course I want them to
stay,” I said. “But I can’t do anything as overt as coming right
out and telling them.”

“
I’m afraid that’s exactly
what you’re going to have to do, or both women will
leave.”

“
How sure are you?” I asked.
It was hard to believe that the dispute between Sanora and Heather
was as simple as Pearly was making it out to be.

“
I’m as certain as I can be,
given the circumstances. Talk to them, Harrison. Make them fell
needed and wanted here.”

“
And if it doesn’t work?” I
asked.

“
Then I’m afraid you’re
going to have to find two new tenants.”

I stood and stretched. “I’ll do my best,” I
said. “Thanks for looking into this, Pearly.”

“
It was more rewarding than
I expected,” he said. “Perhaps I was premature in my decision to
retire.”

Oh, no. Was I going to lose Pearly, too? “I
don’t know how I can run this place without you, but I want you to
do whatever makes you happy.”

“
Thank you, my friend. Good
night.”

I said good night as well and headed
upstairs. I was on the third step when I remembered the cash till
and report I’d shoved under the counter to go canoeing with Erin.
Letting out a loud sigh, I turned and headed back to At Wick’s End.
If I was lucky, the report would balance and I could get the
deposit to the bank before I nodded off and crashed my truck. The
balance was off by five dollars, not a horrible deficit, but one
that would bother me the rest of the I night I’d just about
resigned myself to losing the money when I started to put the till
back into the cash register and found that an errant bill had
slipped under the I drawer somehow. Relieved with the corrected
balance, I made out the deposit but found I was too tired from the
day’s events to risk driving to the bank. I tucked the deposit bag
under my arm, promised myself I’d take care of it early the next
morning, then went upstairs and straight to bed. The emotional time
I’d been going through lately was finally catching up with me, and
all I really wanted was to go to my place and forget the outside
world even existed.

Chapter 13

When I woke up the next morning, it was
spitting rain outside my window and thunder boomed in the distance.
From the look of the sky, we were in for more before the storm
system was through with us. At least I wouldn’t have to go back on
the river anytime soon. I’d enjoyed my time with Erin on the water,
but I wasn’t in any real hurry to repeat it. Maybe some day. I’d
take the kayak out again on my own, but I wasn’t I ready, despite
the success of yesterday’s excursion. I didn’t doubt Erin would
have knocked on my door first thing if it hadn’t been storming out
I’d take the reprieve where I could get it

I opened my door and found my copy of the
Gunpowder Gazette on my stoop. It cost me a little extra to have it
delivered upstairs, but I was willing to pay for it, since it meant
that if the young man delivering didn’t do it I’d have to climb
down the steps and back up again in my robe.

I opened the paper as I walked back inside
my apartment and suddenly lost my appetite. There was a front page
article about Greg Runion, accompanied by a photo of him with his
largest grin glued firmly in place. I scanned the article to see
that the Gazette was backing Runion’s development plans, and I
wondered how much the endorsement had cost the developer. I hoped
it was a fortune.

I got dressed quickly without having the
stomach to finish the article, let {done the rest of the paper, and
headed down to Millie’s for a quick cup of coffee and one of her
baked ambrosia treats. The place was half- full with a smattering
of customers, but no one even looked up from their papers or their
meals as I came in.

“
Morning,” I said as I
reached for the coffee she had ready and waiting for me the second
I’d walked in.

“
Good morning, Harrison.
It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?”

I looked back outside for a second,
wondering if the sun had broken through the clouds when I hadn’t
been paying attention. No, it was still cool and wet and gray
outside. “You like this weather?”

She laughed. “Harrison Black, if I wanted
sunshine every day, I’d move to Southern California. I like having
lots of rowdy weather. It makes me feel alive.”

“
So why don’t you move to
New England?” I asked. They get lots of interesting weather up
there.” “

She huffed once. “I see you’re in a mood
today, aren’t you? What’s brought that on?”

“
Have you read the paper
today?”

She frowned. “Are you talking about that
Runion man’s advertisement that doubled as a stray? It’s shameful,
isn’t it?”

“
I think so. He’s not going
to be happy until all of Micah’s Ridge is paved over, but I was
beginning to think I was the only one upset about it.”

I hadn’t noticed Sanora sitting in back. She
piped up, “Harrison, that’s a rather narrow way of looking at
things, isn’t it? Not all development is bad.”

“
Sanora, don’t tell me you
support him.”

She sipped her coffee, then said, “I like to
make my decisions on a case-by-case basis. If a developer hadn’t
come in here and erected this building, we’d all be working in
huts. I, for one, cherish a roof over my head.”

“
That’s not what I meant,” I
said.

She stood and drained her coffee. As she
walked to the door, she said, “So as long as the expansion stops
after you’ve got your place, you’re a happy man.”

Before I could think of anything to say in
rebuttal, she was gone.

Millie smiled gently. “You know what? She’s
got a point.”

“
Don’t you turn on me, too,”
I said. “Any chance you have one of your glorious treats for me
this morning? I’m in dire need of your baking”

“
I’m sorry, Harrison, I
don’t have a single thing for you today.”

She noticed the shocked expression on my
face, then added quickly, “I’m teasing you, Harrison. You know I
always hold something just for you.”

She disappeared in back and came out a
minute later holding a platter covered with a gingham dish cloth.
“I think you might like one of these. I don’t ordinarily make them
this time of year, but I thought you could use a special little
pick-me-up.”

I could smell the heavenly aroma before she
even unveiled the plate. “Pumpkin doughnuts,” I said as I took the
offered goodies from her.

“
They’re all just for you. I
made one batch, and every one of them has your name on it, if
you’re interested. I love to bake when it’s raining, and I know how
you love these.”

“
I feel like I just won the
lottery,” I said as I inhaled the heavenly aroma.

A man from one of the back tables joined us
and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Okay, that’s a lie.
The second I smelled those doughnuts, I knew I had to have one. How
much are they?”

“
I’m sorry,” Millie said,
“but these aren’t for sale. They’re a gift. If you come back in
October, I make them through Christmas Eve.”

He looked so sad that I broke down and
handed him one from the pile. I’d just have to find a way to live
with eleven. “Here, have one on me. I’ve got to warn you though,
they’re addicting.”

He took a bite, then another, and as we
stood there, he polished the whole doughnut off.

“
Ma’am, that was the best
thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. I want to place a standing order
with you, a dozen of those beauties every Monday morning. I don’t
think I’d be able to get through the week without them now that
I’ve tried one.”