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Jo and Minnow had their talk in Minnow's apartment after they dropped Ida Belle and Gertie off at home. After Minnow told Jo as much as she could about why she and Marc were in Sinful, she demanded details on Jo's situation. In particular, why she wanted to live in Sinful.
"I expect you to keep my confidence as well," Jo warned before she began.
Min just tipped her head and rolled her eyes. "I'm not in a position to share your secrets when you know mine."
"Hey, I'm a journalist and it comes naturally." Jo paused for a second, then she blew out a sigh. "I'm currently between jobs and..."
"What?"
Jo scowled. "You want a loudspeaker so you can announce it? Or do you not understand what it means?" Min realized how upset Jo was when she lashed out so she patted Jo's arm and apologized. Jo massaged her neck. "I didn't mean to snap, but it feels like my world skidded out of orbit in less than a week. The paper I work for has been downsizing since more people get their news from the web. It was a financial decision to let me go."
"I know there's more you aren't telling me."
"Then get me a beer," Jo demanded. Minnow hopped up and returned with two beers. Jo drank half her bottle before she continued her story. "Ryan has a job offer in Chicago and I don't want to live in Chicago." Her eyes flashed. "That's all I'm saying on that subject. And finally, there's Trixie."
"Trixie?"
Jo chuckled and finished her beer. "My Great Aunt Fanny's best friend. Hell, she's about a million years old and always has been. Anyway, I look out for her because she always looked out for us. Well, Trixie's in a retirement community, or she was. She just got kicked out for stalking men." Minnow burst out laughing and Jo shook her head. "I'm not kidding. Trixie thinks she's in the prime of her life and wants a man who can keep up with her. The problem is she scares them off so she sort of follows them."
"Sort of?"
"It depends on who you ask. But this isn't the first place she's been bounced out of for her antics and I'm running out of good places to put her."
"And you think bringing her to Sinful is a good choice?" Min asked. "I doubt the senior men here can keep up with her either."
Jo shrugged. "I don't think it can be worse having her live with me in Houston, which is about the point we've reached. Health wise, she's doing great for her age, but she's not as sharp as she used to be. I'm worried she might get confused and end up lost or hurt if I take her in. I can't provide the same oversight she gets at the retirement community. At least if she wanders off in Sinful she can't go too far or end up in a bad part of town."
"So you can afford to just up and move to Sinful with Trixie?"
Jo grinned. "I made good money and took care of it, so I can afford to take some time off while I consider my options. And Trixie will lie to your face about this, but she's not hurting for money. Between the two of us we can make it work."
"How does Trixie feel about it?"
With a shrug Jo admitted, "I hope she's ready for a new challenge because I don't know what else to do."
"Hey, Jo? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Sinful isn't exactly bursting with rental opportunities."
"I already thought of that. I'm going to see the local realtor about renting a house that's on the market. There are several listings in Sinful so wish me luck." The conversation lagged as each woman pondered the changes Jo's move to Sinful would bring.
"You know my grandfather was gone a lot and I always wondered what it would be like to have a close family. I guess I'll find out," Min confessed.
"You're not going to cry, are you?" Jo asked gruffly.
Min smiled. "We'll leave that to Mo. I wonder when she and Tony will be back?"
"Ask your landlady," Jo suggested as she stood to leave. "Now, I have plans to make and you have a business to run. Oh, plus a torture session with the Sorcerer. I'll be back when Ida Belle unveils the real you." With a wave she was gone.
Minnow found Marc at the fitness center overseeing a small group of senior citizens who talked more than they exercised. He waved Min to the counter of the juice bar and showed her his laptop. "You're doing the FBI report?" she asked.
"Considering you were a suspect in the murder, I think it's best. How does it look?"
Min read through the report. "It looks like you should be doing all of them. Telling them the crime was spillover from Chalk Lake is good. And that our involvement was completely coincidental." She patted his back with a smile.
"Don't get too happy," he warned, lowering his voice. "We're officially under review and until we're cleared they won't be paying us a dime. Which means we have to make this fitness center work."
Minnow ducked beneath the counter of the juice bar and lifted a twenty pound bag of sugar. The senior citizens eyed the juice bar longingly. "I think we can do it."
***
A week later Jo, Min, Mo, Fortune and Gertie were at Ida Belle's staring over her shoulder at the computer monitor.
"What is it?" Mo asked as she tipped her head.
"It might be a dirty mop," Jo replied as her head went in the other direction.
Fortune covered one eye. "It's more like a bowl of brown spaghetti."
"I think it's a skeleton," Gertie told them. "Or an old mummy."
"Hey! That's my hair and my hand you're talking about," Minnow protested.
"If you can't keep quiet, you'll have to leave," Ida Belle warned. "I'm about to go on a kick ass mission and..." She turned frantically to the screen and the brown stringy object she controlled shattered an armored beast, then ate it.
"Well, I think I've seen enough," Minnow grumbled while the others laughed and Ida Belle waved them out of her computer room.
"I brought dessert." Gertie led the way to Ida Belle's kitchen. "Anyone for coffee?"
Jo pulled a bottle of whiskey from her bag. "I take mine Irish."
"Are we celebrating?" Min asked her.
"Absolutely!" Jo thumped the bottle down while Mo helped Fortune set the table with coffee cups and dessert plates.
"What are we celebrating?" Ida Belle asked from the doorway.
"Family," Min told her.
"In Sinful," Jo added.
Ida Belle's eyes narrowed and shifted to Fortune. "Is she saying what I think?"
"Sounds to me like Jo is moving to Sinful," Fortune replied.
"Lord help us all! Jo, pour me a whiskey and don't water it down with coffee. I don't know if this town will survive three Murphy girls."
Gertie spilled the coffee in her excitement and Ida Belle mumbled, "Hell, it's already started."
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Also by Kamaryn Kelsey:
Miss Fortune World Novellas:
The Wholly Moses! Series
The SS Beauty Series
Other Romantic Comedies:
Pary Barry & John- The PB & J Series
The Miranda Stevens Series
I Love You, What's Your Name?
Crazy Like Me
Introduced By Karma
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Please visit me at Kamarynkelsey.com for updates on new releases.