Chapter Three

“They taste better fried,” Jim’s dad said.

Jim slid the pan with the pork steaks under the broiler.

“That may be, but your doctor was very clear. “No fried foods.’”

James took a sip of his water, set it down and turned a page in the newspaper. “You’re as bad as your mother. You’re going to love me to death.”

Jim opened the freezer. “We’ve got carrots, mixed veggies, or broccoli.”

“Broccoli gives me gas.”

“In that case we’ll skip the broccoli.” He grabbed a steamable bag of mixed vegetables.

“I don’t like vegetables anyway.”

“Doctor says eat ’em, so you’re going to eat ’em.”

James opened his mouth to reply but was mercifully interrupted by the doorbell.

“I got it,” his dad said, getting out of the kitchen chair and heading for the front door. “You could fix potatoes,” he called over his shoulder.

Jim filled a pot halfway with water and set it on the stove as a murmur of voices moved toward the kitchen.

“This lovely lady’s here to see you,” his father said. “I’ll give you two some privacy.” He winked at Jim. “Call me when supper’s ready.”

Vicki sidled up close and laid her hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I don’t know what got into me.”

She pressed against him. “I don’t want to fight.”

“All right.” He reached for the beer he’d set on the counter and took a long swallow, moving away from Vicki at the same time.

She puffed her lower lip out in a flirty pout. “I just can’t help but get a little jealous. You know how crazy I am about you.”

“Excuse me.” He reached past her to pull the pan out of the broiler and place it on the stove. He grabbed the jar of spices he’d used on the other side and began sprinkling it over the meat.

“I do understand about your photography, really I do.”

He noticed she didn’t mention understanding about his father.

After he put the pan back in the oven she reached for him. Jim sidestepped her, leaned against the counter and crossed his legs at the ankle.

“I’m not quite sure where this apology is going. To be honest, I’m not quite sure where we’re going.”

“Well, I think we could be heading toward something very special.”

She stepped close, resting her hands on his chest. “I was thinking we could start looking at houses or apartments, move in together. My place would be way too small.”

“I have a place to live.”

“Sweetheart, you’re thirty-four years old. Too old to be living with your father.”

“My mother has only been gone a few months. My father’s lost without her. They were married for forty-three years. He needs me right now. That’s why I moved back to Lawton in the first place.”

“Dinner ready?” his father called out from the living room. “I’m about to starve.”

Vicki leaned forward to place a passionate kiss on his lips, a kiss that left him strangely unmoved.

“Just think about it, sweetheart. For me?”

****

Aubrey looked at the scrimshaw doll displayed in the glass case. Maybe she should move it somewhere less visible. Every time she looked at the doll she thought of Jim Tanner. Every time she thought about him she wanted to hear his voice, see him…

“He has a girlfriend,” she reminded herself.

Einstein canted his head to one side, obviously thinking she was speaking to him.

“Shit fire!”

Why couldn’t her grandfather have taught the bird to say “Polly wants a cracker?”

She kept herself busy for the next few hours taking care of online orders, getting items ready to go to the post office, and taking care of the few people who actually came into Tanner’s Antique Toys.

At one Tess called. “You’ve had a couple of bids on the doll already.”

“I saw. It might end up going for more than I’d expected.”

“What does your doll partner think about that?”

“I haven’t talked to him in a couple of days, not since I told him about the website devoted to it.”

“Call him and let him know.”

She finally dialed his cell number, both relieved and disappointed when it went straight to voicemail.

****

Aubrey checked the store to make certain she was alone. She had almost an hour to go before closing. Behind the counter, masked by a painting of a carousel ridden by teddy bears, her grandfather had hidden a small wall safe. She opened it now, slid the two hundred dollars a customer had paid for one of the antique banks, into the bank deposit bag. She grabbed a roll of quarters and closed the safe just as a teenage girl walked in the store.

“Whoa! Nice hooters!”

Aubrey’s cheeks flamed. The girl rolled her eyes.

“Never heard of a perv bird before.” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. “My grandma wants to know if you got any Nancy Drew books. She’s trying to find one she remembers from when she was a kid.” She looked at the paper. “She doesn’t remember the title. It was about a secret clock or something.”

“Go all the way to the back of the store. There’s a lawyer’s bookcase. You won’t be able to handle the books, but you can see the titles.”

The girl walked off. Aubrey started toward the old cash register, turning when the frog by the door gave out a ribbit.

Jim came in the door, juggling two cups of Starbuck’s, a bag and a notebook.

She set the quarters on the counter and rushed to help him. The aroma of fresh coffee nearly eclipsed the spicy smell of his cologne. She grabbed the bag and the notebook.

“Hey!” Jim shouted. “Put it back.”

“I didn’t take nothing.”

Aubrey looked at their faces—Jim’s angry, the girl’s defiant.

“She picked something up off the counter and slipped it in the pocket of her hoodie.”

Jim stepped forward, moving like a stalking wolf.

“Don’t even think about patting me down,” the girl said. “I’ll call the cops and tell them you tried to molest me.”

Aubrey picked up the cordless phone. “Tell you what, I’ll call the police right now. The three of us will stand here until they arrive. One of the officers can pat you down. I’ll even ask them to send a female officer.” Without taking her eyes off the girl she said to Jim “What did she take?”

“I couldn’t tell.”

“Because I didn’t take anything, you jackass.”

“Liar, liar,” Einstein cackled.

The girl’s eyes shifted wildly between Jim, Aubrey and the parrot. “Tell your stupid bird to shut up.”

Aubrey glanced at the counter. The roll of quarters was gone.

Her head began to pound. She was tired and ready to go home. She hadn’t slept well for months, her legs hurt… She didn’t want to spend the next few hours dealing with a police report over a ten dollar roll of quarters.

“Just put the money back on the counter and leave. Don’t come back to my store.”

“I ain’t giving you nothing.”

She felt Jim’s gaze on her. She didn’t have the energy to fight with the girl anymore. She didn’t want Jim to see how tired she really was.

She startled when his arm slid behind her back, silently giving her support. With his free hand he took the phone from her, taking the core of the battle from her as well.

“Two choices,” he said. “Put the money back and go, or wait for the cops.”

The teen’s lips pursed in anger. She reached into the hoodie pouch.

“If you slam that roll of quarters on the counter and break the glass,” he said, “you’ll be waiting for the police and charged with destruction of private property. Think about it. You have to the count of three. One. Two.”

The girl set the quarters gently on the counter. “I wasn’t stealing it. I was going to pay her back. I just needed a pack of cigarettes. My mom told me to get her some, but she forgot to give me the money.”

“Liar, liar,” Einstein said.

Aubrey waved a hand toward the door. “Just go. Peddle your lies to someone else.”

The girl stomped out the door, slamming it behind her. She turned around, giving Aubrey the finger.

Aubrey just shook her head.

Before the girl could turn away, alarm crossed her face, her arms waving wildly as she tried to regain her balance. She went down hard.

Aubrey and Jim raced for the door. The sudden cold stung Aubrey’s face. She knelt next to the girl who lay unmoving on the sidewalk.