Murder and Salutations (Book 3 in the Cardmaking Mysteries) (15 page)

“
Nonsense,” Lillian said.
“Certainly we discussed what happened in her shop earlier, but I
didn’t say a word about her coming here to apologize.”

“
Then how did you know she
apologized?”

“
Why else would she bring
you such a lovely gift bag, Jennifer? I trust you
reciprocated.”

“
I gave her a beginning
card-making kit,” I admitted.

“
That was exactly the right
thing to do,” Lillian said. “I’m proud of you.”

“
Don’t rush your judgment,”
I said. “The entire afternoon I’ve been standing here wondering if
there was an ulterior motive behind her present and
apology.”

“
Whatever do you
mean?”

“
Think about it, Lillian,” I
said as I picked up the bag. “What better way to throw me off her
trail than by killing me with kindness? She knew why we were at her
shop this morning. It was pretty obvious we’re digging into Eliza’s
murder. Addie wanted us to think about her
sympathetically.”

I’d half expected a blast of scorn from
Lillian, but instead, she laughed.

“
What’s so funny?” I finally
asked.

“
I’m sorry, Jennifer. It’s
just perfect. I’ve somehow managed to turn the sweetest young woman
in Rebel Forge into a paranoid skeptic. My work is done
here.”

“
You’re not disappointed in
me?” I asked. “Are you kidding me? I couldn’t be prouder.” What
kind of family had I been born into, anyway? “You’re insane; you
know that, don’t you?”

“
I’ve heard the rumors,” she
said, “but I choose to ignore them. So, are you excited about this
evening?”

“
Why, what’s happening? Oh,
that’s right. I’m having dinner with Greg.”

Lillian said, “I certainly hope you’ll be
able to muster up more enthusiasm than that when he picks you
up.”

“
I don’t want to go at all,”
I said. “As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to go cancel this
mistake before it goes any farther.”

As I headed for the door, Lillian grabbed my
arm. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.”

“
Why not?” I asked, pulling
away. “What possible good can come from this?”

Lillian took my hands in hers, something
she’d not done since I’d been a child. It meant she had a point to
make, and wasn’t about to give up until she made it. “Jennifer, you
and Greg have been dancing around this for years. It’s not healthy
having things unresolved between you. Have you ever considered the
possibility that you haven’t been able to move on romantically
because you still have such strong feelings for Greg?”

“
That’s utterly ridiculous,”
I said.

“
Is it? Then you have
nothing to fear tonight. If your love for Greg is as dead as you
claim, then all that will happen tonight is that you get a free
meal in the finest restaurant in seven counties.”

“
I still don’t see why I
should go through with it,” I said. “But if it will keep you off my
back, I will.”

She released my hands, then said, “You’d
better get going. I’ll close up, and you can go get ready for your
... evening out.” It was pretty clear she’d wanted to say “date,”
but had thought better of it at the last second.

“
Fine—especially if it’s the
only way I’m going to get you to drop this, once and for
all.”

If my aunt noticed the bite in my words, she
chose not to comment on them. I left her at the shop and went home
to shower and change clothes. Had I been protesting too much when
Lillian had pressed me about my feelings for Greg? There was a
great deal of history between the two of us, much of it good, but
that didn’t mean I wanted to go back and do it all over again. I
hated to admit it, but his girlfriend was right. It was time for
Greg and me to move on. My head kept telling me that, anyway, but
my heart was another matter. There was something about that
man—something I’d never been able to put my finger on, but real
nonetheless. Intellect seemed to vanish when I was in his presence,
and emotion took over. I’d just have to find a way to keep it in
check tonight.

Then maybe, finally, we could both get on
with our lives.

I fed the cats, then showered and dressed,
just in time. I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup when
the doorbell rang.

One last check in the mirror, then I
answered it.

“
Hi, Greg. Don’t you look
handsome.” He did, too, wearing a charcoal gray suit I’d never seen
before, and a burgundy tie that looked expensive.

He looked me up and down, then said, “I’d
whistle at you, but I’m afraid you’d slap me.”

“
Go with those instincts,” I
said coolly, though for some reason I was happy he liked the way I
looked. The red dress managed to hide most of my figure’s flaws
while highlighting the few assets I had.

“
I’ve always loved you in
that dress,” he said as we walked down the steps to the front
door.

“
This old thing?” I asked,
smiling despite my earlier promise to keep this light.

“
You wore it to our last
engagement party,” he said softly. “Remember?”

Blast it all, I’d forgotten all about that.
“I can change,” I said. “Give me two minutes. Honestly, I didn’t
mean anything by it.”

“
Don’t you dare. You look
great,” he said. “Besides, if we’re late for our reservation,
they’ll give our table away.”

“
Are you sure? I don’t mind.
Honestly, I don’t.”

“
Come on, Jen. If I let you
go back in your apartment, I’ll never get you out
again.”

We were just leaving the house when Barrett
walked out of his apartment. He looked at us both before saying a
word. Was that a touch of envy in his eyes? It was probably just my
imagination, but I sincerely hoped not.

“
Evening,” he
said.

“
Good-bye,” I countered, and
Greg held the door open for me.

“
What was that all about?”
he asked once I was safely in his vehicle.

“
Barrett has an overly
generous opinion of his own charm,” I said.

Greg laughed, and I asked, “What’s so
funny?”

“
I miss your wit, Jennifer,”
he said.

“
You didn’t seem to miss it
so much when you were dating Teresa Haywood.”

“
Hey, don’t forget, that was
after you broke up with me.”

“
How long did you wait to
ask her out? Ten minutes, or did you show remarkable restraint and
wait for fifteen?”

“
As a matter of fact, Teresa
asked me out. Is it my fault you were at Hurley’s the same night we
were there?”

I laughed, remembering the look of abject
discomfort that had been on Greg’s face that night. “You looked
like a deer blinded by headlights. Whatever happened to
Teresa?”

“
She moved to West
Virginia,” he said.

“
You seem to have a
difficult time keeping your women,” I said.

“
Funny, it never was a trend
until you came along,” Greg said.

“
What can I say? I’m special
that way.” As he drove us to the restaurant in his pickup truck, I
said, “You know, we don’t have anything to prove tonight, and I
know you can’t afford The Chateau. Why don’t we go to The Lunch Box
and eat there instead?”

“
Are you kidding me?
Savannah would never let you live it down that you were silly
enough to go out with me again.”

I touched his arm lightly. “Then let’s go to
Hurley’s. I agreed to this farce, but I’m not going to put you in
debt on my account.”

“
I can cover it,” he said
grimly. I knew how much his pottery shop made when the mass of
tourists were one, and we’d all gone through a lean winter, with
summer nearly there.

“
To be honest with you, I’d
feel more comfortable at Hurley’s,” I said. “The Chateau is just a
little too exclusive for my taste.”

“
Are you serious?” he
asked.

“
I am. Greg, let’s at least
have some fun, since this is the last time we’re doing
this.”

Greg shrugged, then turned the truck around
and headed for Hurley’s. As he drove, I said, “You can take your
tie off, too. I know it’s got to be choking you.”

“
Come on, at least give me
this much. Leave me with a little delusion that this night’s
special.”

I said softly, “It is, because it’s the last
time we’re going to do it. There’s no pressure tonight, no final
farewells or anything so melodramatic. Let’s just be two old
friends sharing a meal and some time together.”

He nodded. “I’ve got to admit that sounds
wonderful.”

We parked in front of Hurley’s. Greg jumped
out to open my door, but I was too quick for him. Before I could
get out, he said, “You’re not playing fair. You never minded me
opening doors for you before.”

“
Okay, I’ll let you win, but
just this once.” I closed my door and waited for him to open it,
but when nothing happened, I looked up to see him grinning at me. I
was about to reach for the handle again when he popped my door
open, and I barely managed not tumble out onto the curb.

“
You’re out of practice,” I
said as I got out.

“
I guess my timing is a
little off,” he said. “That’s the story of my life.”

We walked into Hurley’s, and I was surprised
that the place was only half full. Jack was frowning at his
reservation book when he spotted us.

“
We didn’t call ahead,” Greg
said. “I hope you have room for us.”

“
You and a marching band,”
Jack said. He took in our outfits, then added, “My, don’t you two
look nice. Jennifer, if I weren’t married with a zoo of kids, I’d
ask you out myself.”

“
But would I say yes?” I
said, fighting a losing battle to hide my smile. It never failed.
Every time I was around Jack Hurley, I felt like I was fifteen
years old a freshman with a crush on a senior.

“
There’s no doubt in my
mind, because I wouldn’t give up until you did.”

“
Hey, in case you weren’t
sure, we’re on a date here.”

The tone of Greg’s voice surprised me. Had
the banter made him jealous?

Jack said, “Sorry, we were just teasing,” as
he led us to a table by the window, one of my favorite spots in the
restaurant. “Beth will be serving you tonight, but in the meantime,
can I get you something from the bar?’

After we ordered our drinks, Jack went away
to, make them, but not before pausing long enough to wink at me. I
just shook my head and smiled.

Greg asked, “What was that for?”

“
I just find it surreal
being here with you tonight. So tell me about Stephanie,” I asked.
“She seems nice, and she’s certainly pretty.”

“
Do we have to talk about
her? I thought tonight was going to be about us.”

I looked at him, but it was difficult to
read his expression in the dim light of the restaurant. “Okay, if
it’s a stroll down memory lane you’re after, then I’m your
gal.”

“
Jennifer, at least try to
act like this was a good idea.”

I suppose I had been a little hard on him.
After all, if I wasn’t prepared to be gracious about it, I never
should have agreed to the evening out. I was still refusing to call
it a date, even in my mind.

“
I’m sorry,” I said as I
reached across the table to touch his hand. I’d done it with no
conscious volition, just a habit resurfacing from the past, but I
didn’t pull my hand away, and neither did Greg.

Jack slipped our drinks in front of us, then
said, “Beth will be right with you.”

That broke the spell between us, and I
picked up my drink and I started to take a sip.

Greg said, “Hang on a second. We should make
a toast.”

“
Go ahead,” I said, still
rattled by the spark of his touch.

“
To us,” he said
simply.

I had no choice. “To us,” I echoed, and we
both drank.

Beth showed up with the menus, and though
she wore a simple black skirt and white blouse, her rainbow hair
coloring diluted the attempt at creating a formal impression.

“
Would you like a second?”
she said.

“
No, I think we’re ready to
order,” Greg said. “Jen, do you still like steak?”

“
Slide one in front of me
and we’ll see,” I said. Usually I hated it when men ordered for me,
but I knew how much Greg liked to do it, so I let him.

After Beth left to place our order, I said,
“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

He nodded. “Thanks for letting me order,
and, thank you for coming tonight.”

“
It’s fun,” I admitted, then
I said, “If you’ll excuse me for a second, I need to go to the
ladies’ room.”

He stood as I did, and I was still laughing
about his courtly manners when I walked toward the restroom.

I was nearly there when Jack approached.
“Jennifer. I need to speak with you a second.”

“
Come on, you’re a happily
married man and I’m out on a date. We can’t keep sneaking around
like this,” I said with a smile.

“
This is serious. Someone
outside needs to talk to you.”

I followed him through the kitchen and out
toward the loading dock. Before I went outside, Jack put a hand on
my arm. “I’ll be right here if you need me.’