Penny Sue and Vic slept for nearly two hours, then woke and made love a second time. That loving had been even better than the first time because the hunger was less ravaging, the tenderness greater, with moments of lingering passion that built and built and built. And it was with the second loving that she realized Vic had used a condom, that he’d actually used one the first time, too, but she had been so caught up in the fantasy that reality had played only a minor part in what had transpired between them.
He had said some rough, crude things to her in the throes of passion, and his words had excited her, stimulated her in a way that made her feel almost ashamed. Almost.
Sitting at her dressing table in the corner of her big bathroom, Penny Sue brushed her hair as she gazed into the mirror. It was not her face’s reflection she saw, but Vic’s. He stood behind her, a cockeyed grin on his face.
“I’m sorry I didn’t shave last night,” he said. “I’m afraid my beard stubble scratched you.”
She sighed. “I didn’t mind in the least. And what my clothes didn’t cover, makeup did.” Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled at him. “Are you ready to—”
“No, I’m not. If I had my way, we’d never go downstairs,” he told her. “We’d stay up here and make love all day, every day for at least two weeks.”
“As nice as that sounds, I’m afraid—”
“Nice?” He swooped down, grabbed her shoulders and kissed her on the neck.
“More than nice—wonderful, fabulous,” she corrected herself as she laid her hairbrush on the dressing table. Making love with Vic had been incredible experiences for her. She knew what they had shared was the kind of thing that made people rave about sex. “But if we don’t go down to breakfast soon, Aunt Dottie will be banging on my bedroom door wanting to know what’s wrong.”
“We can’t have that.”
“No, we can’t.” She tilted her neck and lowered her head, then kissed the top of his hand, which rested on her left shoulder. “If Aunt Dottie knew we had slept together, she’d be looking at wedding invitations by this afternoon.”
Vic’s hands tensed on her shoulders. “Penny Sue, we need to talk about—”
“No, we don’t.” When she jumped to her feet, his hands fell away from her shoulders and he took a step back, away from her.
She turned around and kept smiling at him, wanting to reassure him. After all, if he felt roped and hog-tied by what they’d shared, he might bolt and run. She couldn’t risk that happening. Not when she had big plans for Vic Noble, plans she intended to ease him into gradually. “You’re not ready to make a commitment. I understand.”
“I may never be ready.” He looked down at the floor instead of at her.
She reached out, clasped his hands in hers and said, “Then what’s there to talk about? You didn’t lie to me or make me any promises. I had my eyes wide open. I knew what I was getting myself into. But you didn’t, did you, my darling? You still have no idea that you’re mine completely, do you? But you will. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Even so, I—”
Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him. “There, I kissed you to shut you up this time.”
Chuckling, he lifted his gaze to meet hers and almost wished he hadn’t. As much as she tried to hide the rejection she felt, Vic was too astute not to pick up on her emotions. He gave her a questioning look, concern in his expression.
“Stop feeling guilty. I wanted you as much as you wanted me.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled against him. “I want you right now.”
He groaned. “Keep that up and we won’t make it downstairs until after Aunt Dottie walks in on us.”
After pulling away from him, she motioned for him to follow her. “When we get downstairs, try to act natural. Tell them we both overslept.” She whistled to Lucky, who rose from his comfy position on the bedroom rug and followed her out into the hall.
Once in the hall, she whispered to Vic, “And whatever you do, don’t touch me. Don’t even look directly at me. I’m liable to melt into a puddle if you do.”
“Ah, sugar, what a thing to say to a man.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I guess you know you’ve given me a hard-on.”
“Vic Noble, hush your mouth. What if someone overhears you?”
When she moved ahead of him, Lucky on her heels, he reached out and swatted her playfully on the behind. Giggling, she didn’t turn around or comment on what he’d done. Instead, she bounded down the back stairs ahead of him, humming softly to herself. Lucky rushed ahead of her straight into the kitchen.
She entered the kitchen, an explanation of her tardiness on her lips, but abruptly skidded to a halt in the doorway. Sitting there at the breakfast table with Aunt Dottie was a man. A young man. Young in comparison to her aunt, that is. The man couldn’t be much over forty, if that. Broad and sturdily built, like a massive bulldog, with wide shoulders and huge arms, the blond-haired man wolfed down scrambled eggs and sausage while Penny Sue watched.
Aunt Dottie glanced up and smiled pleasantly. “Come in, dear, and meet Mr. Monday.”
Vic came up behind Penny Sue and stopped.
“You got here bright and early,” Vic said to the man, as he nudged Penny Sue in the back, urging her to move. “I assume you introduced yourself to Ms. Paine.”
With his mouth full of food, the man wasn’t able to respond before Aunt Dottie replied for him. “He most certainly did. Mr. Monday showed up about half an hour ago and told Tully who he was, and Tully brought him straight back here to the kitchen for a nice, big breakfast.” She glanced from Penny Sue to Vic, her keen brown eyes revealing her curiosity. “I told Mr. Monday—”
“Geoff,” he said.
“Oh, yes.” Aunt Dottie smiled. “I told Geoff that I had no idea why you two hadn’t come down for breakfast, that undoubtedly you’d both overslept.” She eyed them speculatively, as if studying them closely might reveal some deep, dark secret they were keeping from her.
“We overslept,” Penny Sue and Vic said in unison.
Geoff strangled on a sip of coffee.
Aunt Dottie cleared her throat and said, “Yes. Well, like I said, I assumed as much.”
Ruby looked right at Penny Sue and shook her head.
Smiling, Penny Sue tried her best to look totally innocent.
“I put everything in the oven to keep it warm. It’ll just take a minute to get it on the table.” Ruby glanced at the coffeemaker on the counter. “And I just put on a fresh pot of coffee.”
Penny Sue felt as exposed as if she had walked into the room naked as a jaybird. Was it her imagination or did everyone—Aunt Dottie, Ruby, Tully and even Mr. Monday—know that she and Vic were now lovers?
“Coffee—” Once again Penny Sue and Vic spoke at the same time, saying the same word.
Knowing everyone was looking at her and that her cheeks were flushed, Penny Sue tittered. Ignoring the curious stares, she headed straight for the coffeemaker. But so did Vic, and the two collided, then jerked apart and stared at each other. Oh, lordy, lordy. This wouldn’t do. If she kept acting as if she was guilty of some secret sin, then if everyone didn’t already know what she’d done, they soon would.
Penny Sue laughed. Vic grinned.
“Excuse me,” he said.
“It was my fault entirely.”
“Sit down, both of you,” Ruby said. “I’ll get the coffee.”
“That’s not necessary,” Penny Sue told the housekeeper, but when Ruby cocked one eyebrow and gave her a sit-down-young-lady look, Penny Sue pulled out a chair and sat. “Thank you, Ruby.”
Vic followed Penny Sue’s lead and sat down beside Geoff. “How was the flight from Atlanta?”
“I didn’t fly,” Geoff said. “I drove. We left at about three this morning and came through Chattanooga. I had to drop Dom off. He’s starting on a new assignment today.”
“I didn’t know he’d finished up his last job.” Vic frowned. “I thought there were no other agents available.”
Geoff popped the last bite of buttery biscuit into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. “I love Southern cooking.” He glanced at Ruby. “And this is some of the best food I’ve eaten since coming to the U.S.” Geoff turned to Vic. “Dom and I both just completed our assignments. I arrived back in Atlanta yesterday morning and Dom flew in last night. He didn’t even have time to unpack.”
“It’s a good thing Sawyer hired a couple of new recruits,” Vic said. “We’ve been working shorthanded for months.”
“The bodyguard business must be so exciting,” Dottie said. “Traveling all over the world, protecting interesting people.” She sighed, then reached across the table and patted Vic’s hand. “Being here in Alabaster Creek to protect Lucky must be boring for you.”
“Not at all, Miss Dottie,” Vic replied, his gaze lifting to meet Penny Sue’s. “I’ve found this assignment to be very…stimulating.”
Geoff made a noise, something that sounded like a cough mated with a laugh.
“I’m going to have to hurry to make it to the shop on time,” Penny Sue said, deliberately taking the focus off Vic. “Ruby, don’t bother with more than coffee for me.” She glanced at Vic. “Why don’t you and Lucky stay here this morning and you can do whatever you need to do to bring Mr. Monday up-to-date on the case.”
“Please, call me Geoff,” the big blonde said in a distinctive British voice, with just a hint of a Scottish brogue.
When she looked at him, he smiled, and she thought that although he wasn’t really handsome, he was extremely masculine in a Viking-raider kind of way. “And you must call me Penny Sue.”
Vic glowered at Geoff, which made Penny Sue very happy. A little jealousy was good for a man’s soul. And very good for a woman’s ego. Hmm…that bit of perceptive reasoning should be added to the Southern Women’s Code, for future use.
“You shouldn’t have called me at home,” Tommy Rutland whispered into the phone.
“This can’t wait,” Candy told him. “I need to know if you’re going to tell Cherie about us.”
“I—I don’t know. To be honest, I was hoping we could figure out a way to persuade Penny Sue not to expose our dirty little secret.”
“Is that the way you think of our affair—as something dirty?”
“Don’t go getting upset,” Tommy said. “You know I didn’t mean it that way. But if Penny Sue tells Douglas about us, then it’s bound to get out and I’ll be ruined politically in this town, not to mention that Cherie will divorce me. God, Candy, I can’t let that happen.”
“Then what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll think of something. I have to. We have to stop Penny Sue and that bodyguard fellow from ruining everything.”
“I have an idea,” Candy told him. “But you’re not going to like it.”
Geoff Monday joined Vic in the backyard when he took Lucky out to do his business. Ever since the incident with the pit bulls, Vic had kept Lucky on a leash, even in the fenced yard. Considering how many times the little mutt had come close to death, it paid to be extra careful. After all, not only would he be a laughingstock at Dundee if he failed to keep Lucky safe, it would break Penny Sue’s heart if anything happened to her dog. And the last thing he wanted was to see Penny Sue’s heart broken.
Then why did you make love to her? She thinks she’s in love with you. When you leave her, you’ll break her heart.
“Ms. Paine is a beautiful woman,” Geoff said. “Why is it that since I came to work at Dundee, I haven’t been given the opportunity to guard someone like her?”
“Luck of the draw,” Vic said. “I was the only agent available at the time.”
Geoff chuckled. “Guarding a dog has to be a low point in your career, but considering how chummy you are with his owner, I’d say it’s well worth the embarrassment.”
“What makes you think I’m chummy with Penny Sue?”
Geoff slapped Vic on the back. “Even the old auntie knows what’s going on between you and her niece.”
“Did she say—”
“She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. Everyone sensed something the minute you two walked into the kitchen doing your best not to look at each other or touch each other. But the thing no one knows for sure is whether or not you’ve shagged her yet.” Geoff clamped his hand down on Vic’s shoulder. “Want to share the details with Uncle Geoff?”
Vic slung off Geoff’s hand and walked away, following Lucky as he sniffed around the back fence. What had happened between Penny Sue and him had been private, not something to be shared with anyone else.
“Wait,” Geoff called. When he caught up with Vic, he said, “Sorry, old chap. I didn’t realize that you were serious about the lady.”
Vic clenched his teeth tightly, not wanting to lose his temper and say something he would regret later. Changing the subject, he asked, “I assume you came with information I need, right?”
Falling into step alongside Vic, Geoff told him, “So I have. First of all the blood on the toy dog left on Ms. Paine’s front porch was cow’s blood, from a fresh cut of beef. And the stuffed toy dog was one sold at many retail stores nationwide. It would probably be difficult if not impossible to find out who bought it, especially if they didn’t buy it locally.”
“I figured as much. What about the butcher knife?”
“It’s one you can pick up just about anywhere and there were no fingerprints on it. So that leaves the bullet that the vet dug out of Lucky. It was a 32-20, commonly used years ago, especially in Winchester rifles. We should find out if one of the heirs owns an old Winchester.”
“Hmm… I doubt anyone is going to volunteer that information.”
“Well, we’ve still got the fire at the clinic and the pit bull attack. If we can come up with a lead on either of those—”
“Add kidnapping Lucky to that list,” Vic said.
“When did this happen?”
“Last night.”
“Maybe I should ask how it happened, but since you obviously recovered your client—” Geoff glanced at Lucky who was busy hiking his leg on a nearby tree “—a better question is who dog-napped the little bugger?”
“Penny Sue’s cousin, Chris Paine. Long-story-short, Chris Paine owes a bundle to a local bookie, so he stole the dog and says he planned to give the dog away, out of state, then Lucky would have been presumed dead and the heirs could have collected their inheritance.”
“Do you believe the guy?” Geoff asked. “I mean, about him planning to give the dog away and not kill him? If he meant to kill the dog, then he could well be the one who shot—”
Vic shook his head. “He’s not the type. The guy was a basket case when we caught him. And I don’t think he’d burn down a clinic or let pit bulls loose on his cousin.”
“Well, somebody sure wants Lucky dead. Three attempts on his life, if you don’t count the kidnapping. We’re looking for someone capable of shooting Lucky, of torching a veterinary clinic and killing a dozen or more animals, and of setting pit bulls loose on Lucky, Ms. Paine and you.”
“We don’t have much to go on,” Vic said. “No one saw anything when Lucky was shot. And learning the bullet was used in an old rifle won’t help us unless we can find out who owns the rifle. Other than the fact the fire at the clinic was deliberately set, the fire chief hasn’t shared any other info with me. And as far as I know, the police can’t do anything to the owner of the pit bulls because he claims someone stole his dogs.”
“Looks as if we have quite a mystery on our hands. You should concentrate on protecting Lucky and let me take over working the investigation. And if at any time, you want to swap jobs, just let me know.” Geoff winked at Vic.
Vic resisted the urge to sock Monday in the jaw. He knew the burly Brit was kidding him about getting in over his head with Penny Sue, which was a major no-no in their business.
“I’ll fill you in on everything I’ve learned about this case and I’ll work with you today,” Vic said. “I’ll phone Penny Sue and tell her that I’m keeping Lucky here at the house all day so we can concentrate on the investigation.”
“Tell me something—going strictly on gut instinct, which one of the suspects would you say did it?”
Vic took a deep breath and released it. “By process of elimination, I’d say Valerie and Dylan Redley, or Douglas Paine, or his wife Candy. And even possibly Reverend Clayton Dickson.”
“You think a minister could have—”
“Dickson is also a man,” Vic said. “A man with a wife who writes a lot of bad checks. And after seeing the guy only twice, I don’t like him. He’s got phony written all over him.”
“Okay, so going by your gut instincts, we can rule out Miss Dottie, Chris and Stacie Paine and Eula Paine.”
“No, we shouldn’t rule them out. It’s just my gut feeling that those people aren’t capable of committing any of the life-threatening crimes against Lucky.”
“Where do you suggest we begin?”
“We begin by finding out who owns a rifle that uses 30-20 ammo.”
“Phone call for you,” Ruby told Dottie as she handed her the portable telephone. “It’s a man. Said his name is Hal Esmond. Do we know him?”
“Hal? Oh, my…” Dottie giggled. “You don’t know him. But Mr. Esmond is a friend of mine. A new friend.”
Ruby rolled her eyes heavenward.
“There’s no need for you to act like that,” Dottie said, placing her hand over the telephone receiver to block her conversation from the caller. “I’ll have you know that Hal Esmond is a true gentleman.”
“Yeah, and so were Howard Yarborough, Edward Terrell and Lawrence McDaniel. And all three men broke your heart. And Edward Terrell swindled you out of a small fortune.”
“Hush up,” Dottie scolded. “Don’t remind me of unhappy times. That’s all old news. Hal is nothing like Howard or Lawrence and he’s most certainly a far better man than Edward ever thought of being.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so!”
Dottie tossed her head high, cut her eyes to give Ruby a sidelong, condemning glance and then rushed into the front parlor, seeking privacy. As soon as she was alone, she put the phone to her ear and said, “Hello, Hal. So sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
“Everything is just fine.”
“Do we still have a date for a ride out in the country this afternoon?”
“We certainly do. I’ll be ready for you to pick me up at two.”
“I can hardly wait.”
“Neither can I.” Dottie knew in her heart that this time things would be different. Hal was a true gentleman and he wouldn’t disappoint her.
“I have a little surprise for you,” he told her. “I believe it’s something that will please you. And if it does, then your pleasure will make me the happiest man in the world.”
“Oh…oh, my…” He was going to ask her to marry him. She just knew he was. He had hinted of a future for the two of them several times in various e-mails during the past month.
“Hal, I—I’d like for you to come to church with me tomorrow for Palm Sunday services, and then come home with me for dinner.”
“Why, Dottie, my dearest, I’d be honored.”
“I want you to meet my family,” she told him. “Everyone’s been invited so they can all meet you at the same time. I know they’re going to love you.” Just as I do.
Business at Penny Sue’s Pretties had been brisk. Everyone was gearing up for Easter, which was only a week away. And half the customers had been bold enough to ask her about Chris’s arrest last night. Since word had spread around town quickly this morning, everyone who’d heard the news assumed Chris had not only cold-cocked Tanya and kidnapped Lucky, but that he was responsible for all the other crimes committed against Lucky. If Penny Sue had said once, she’d said a hundred times, “But Chris didn’t shoot Lucky and he didn’t torch the clinic and he didn’t set the pit bulls loose.” She truly believed her cousin was innocent and that his kidnapping Lucky had been a spur-of-the-moment, desperate act.
By lunchtime, she and Eula were both ready for a break—more from answering questions than making sales. At Eula’s suggestion, they had ordered in and when lunch arrived, they’d left the part-time workers, Mary and Kira, to handle the customers.
Hiding away in the storeroom, they spread out their bagged lunches on a table and closed out the inquisitive world of Alabaster Creek.
“We’ve been so busy since I came in that I haven’t had a chance to tell you that Douglas phoned me this morning and asked for a loan,” Eula said.
“Oh, dear. Then it’s true that he’s spent every dime he has on Candy and he’s flat broke.” Penny Sue had heard the rumors, of course, but had hoped they weren’t true.
“He wanted the money to post Chris’s bail.” Eula sipped her tea through a straw.
“Did you loan him the money?”
Eula nodded. “Enough for bail, but Chris is going to need a good lawyer. I expect Douglas will be coming to you, hat-in-hand.”
“I wish to goodness that Aunt Lottie hadn’t left her money to Lucky. Surely she knew I would take good care of him. It would have made more sense for her to take care of the family by giving them their inheritances, and not making them wait for Lucky to go to puppy-dog heaven.”
“Lottie was a shrewd woman,” Eula said. “No doubt she knew that you’d take care of Dottie and handle any financial crises that came up in the family. But she also knew that if she left everything outright to her heirs, most of them would squander the money. Dottie would just have had more plastic surgery, bought herself more expensive jewelry she doesn’t need and probably wasted a great deal on some gigolo. Chris would have gambled away his share and Candy would have spent every dime of Douglas’s share. And Clayton—that nutcase—he’d have donated every last cent to that weird church he belongs to. And considering the fact that Valerie and Dylan are in debt up to their eyeballs, I dare say they’d have gone through their inheritance within a year or less.”
“What about you, me and Stacie?”
Eula laughed. “Well, you and I don’t need the money. I’m not as rich as you by any means, but I’ve socked away quite a bit over the years. And Stacie, bless her, would probably have wound up giving Chris and Douglas most of her share.”
Penny Sue groaned. “I suppose I should call Uncle Douglas and tell him I’ll pay for Chris’s lawyer.”
“That would be very kind of you.” Eula unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite.
“Eula?”
“Hmm…?”
“I need to ask your opinion about something.”
Eula swallowed, washed her food down with a sip of tea and said, “You sound very serious.”
“I have to swear you to secrecy.”
“Oh, my. Yes, of course.”
“Last night when Vic and I were searching for Lucky, we…we found Candy in bed with Tommy Rutland.” There, she’d said it out loud and the heavens hadn’t come crashing down on her.
Eula’s eyes widened in surprise, then she burst out laughing. “Well, I imagine you’ll win the mayoral race hands down.”
Penny Sue whimpered. “This isn’t funny.”
Eula sobered, but couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. “Serves Douglas right for marrying a woman younger than his daughter. And an ex Vegas showgirl at that.”
“It’ll break his heart when he finds out.”
“He’ll survive. Besides, he’ll be better off without her.”
“Should I tell him?”
“Oh, now there’s the rub.” Eula patted her fingers on her lips as she thought. “Someone will have to tell him.”
“There’s no need,” a man’s voice said.
The door they had thought was closed was now open and Douglas Paine stood there with a stricken look on his face. Oh, dear Lord, how much of their conversation had he heard? Penny Sue wondered.
“Uncle Douglas, how long—”
“Long enough,” he replied.
Penny Sue rose to her feet. “I’m so sorry you found out this way.”
Leaving the door wide open, Douglas entered the storeroom. “I knew before I came here. Candy told me this morning. She was under the impression she had no choice in the matter, that if she didn’t tell, you would.”
“Are you all right, Douglas?” Eula asked.
“No, I’m not all right,” he said, “but I will be. However, I didn’t come here to discuss my wife’s infidelity. I came here to ask Penny Sue to pay for a decent lawyer for Chris and plead with her to do all she can to help him out of this terrible trouble he’s in.”
Just as Penny Sue opened her mouth to respond, her uncle continued, “Remember that Chris didn’t intend to hurt Lucky. And he is your cousin. He’s family. And if Lottie hadn’t done such a darn fool thing, leaving her money to a dog, none of this would have happened.”
Penny Sue put her arm around her uncle’s shoulders. “How much does Chris owe this bookie?”
“Fifty thousand.” Douglas hung his head in shame.
“I’ll take care of it,” she promised. “And I’ll pay for a lawyer, too, of course. But after this, don’t come to me for any money for Chris. Do you understand?”
Douglas nodded. “I need to ask one more favor.”
Penny Sue took a deep breath. She had spent years helping Aunt Lottie care for the family, doing them favors, keeping them out of trouble. “What’s the favor?”
“Please don’t tell anyone else about Candy’s indiscretion. She doesn’t want word of it to get back to Tommy’s wife, and she and I… Well, we want to try to work things out.”
“Oh, Douglas, really.” Eula moaned, then murmured under her breath, “No fool like an old fool.”
Patting her uncle on the back, Penny Sue assured him, “I won’t tell another soul. I promise.”
“Somehow, someway, I’ll pay both of you back.” Douglas glanced from Penny Sue to Eula. “And that’s a solemn vow.”
Business had been steady all afternoon. Hectic really. And Penny Sue hadn’t had a minute to herself or a chance for her and Eula to talk over what had happened with Douglas.
She had taken a few minutes to phone Vic, and told him everything about her morning, especially Uncle Douglas’s visit.
“Your uncle is a fool to forgive her and think they can salvage that marriage.”
“Love makes fools of all of us,” Penny Sue had said.
“Yeah, and so does senility,” Vic had replied.
“I miss you,” she’d told him.
“Lucky and I miss you, too, sugar.”
“But you’re getting more work done there at the house, with Mr. Monday, than you would here with me, aren’t you?”
“Sure am. But later on, what do you think about Lucky and me coming to the shop to meet you and walk you home?”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” she’d told him.
That had been right after lunch and she’d been watching the clock ever since, counting the minutes until she and Vic would be together again.
While Penny Sue carefully wrapped the cloisonne Easter eggs Stella Lowrance had just purchased, a new customer entered the shop. Glancing at the front door when the bell chimed, she gasped softly when she saw Wayne Boggus. It wasn’t that he’d never been in her shop. He had. But since they were no longer dating, she’d hardly expected him to show up out of the blue.
But he doesn’t know you two won’t be dating anymore. You haven’t told him.
She hurriedly put the carefully wrapped eggs in a box and handed the box to Stella, along with her receipt. “I know you’re going to love these.”
“I’m sure I will.” Stella looked at Wayne when he approached. “Good afternoon, Chief Boggus.”
He nodded. “Ma’am.”
Stella turned back to Penny Sue. “We’ll see you at church tomorrow, won’t we? And you’ll bring that handsome Mr. Noble with you, of course.” Stella smiled innocently, tucked her box of cloisonne eggs under her arm and walked away.
“Hi, Wayne,” Penny Sue said. “What brings you to Penny Sue’s Pretties this afternoon? If you want to buy your nieces and nephews something for Easter, we have an entire children’s section.” She came out from behind the checkout counter. “They’re right over—”
He grasped her arm and jerked her close, then said in a quiet, hard voice, “Is it true that there’s something of a personal nature going on between you and Mr. Noble?”
Penny Sue’s heart sank. “Wayne, I—I don’t know what to say.”
“Just tell me the truth. Are you still my girl or…” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Everyone is talking about what happened last night at Doc and Angela’s. That man practically told everyone that you two were lovers.”
“He did no such thing!”
“Didn’t he and Dylan Redley nearly get in a fight over you? And didn’t Mr. Noble tell Dylan that it’s not a woman’s first lover that she never forgets, but it is the best lover she always remembers?”
“For goodness sake, Wayne, lower your voice. People are staring at us.” Indeed, half the customers had stopped shopping and were doing their best to overhear her conversation with the fire chief.
“My relationship with Vic Noble has nothing to do with you and me.” Lord, help me be kind to this dear man. I don’t want to hurt Wayne, but it would be cruel for him to think we have a future together.
“Then there is nothing but business between the two of you?”
She reached out and took Wayne’s hand. “I’m very fond of you.”
He looked hopeful. “And I am of you, too.”
Try again, she told herself, and just get straight to it. Be tactfully honest. “I don’t love you, Wayne, and there’s no point in our dating any longer,” she whispered. “You should be free to find someone who truly deserves a wonderful man like you.”
His face fell. Penny Sue felt just awful.
“Is it Mr. Noble? Are you in love with him?”
Penny Sue didn’t know how to respond honestly without causing more harm to Wayne’s ego.
“You barely know the man,” Wayne reminded her. “He came to town only a few days ago. And he’ll leave again just as soon as his job is finished. He’ll walk away from you and never look back. Surely you know that.”
She squeezed Wayne’s hand. “Whatever does or doesn’t happen between Vic Noble and me doesn’t change the fact that you need to find someone else, someone who’ll want you the way you want them.”
“And you don’t want me any longer, do you?”
Before she could respond, he yanked his hand from hers, turned and left the shop. Curious stares followed him until the door closed, then they focused on Penny Sue. She forced a smile, then crept over to Eula and spoke to her in a hushed voice.
“I thought everyone in town was talking about Chris kidnapping Lucky, but that hasn’t been the only thing they’ve been gossiping about, has it? They’ve been talking about what happened between Vic and Dylan last night at the party, haven’t they?”
“Oh, Penny Sue, I thought you knew.” Eula glanced around and smiled at the customers within earshot. “The whole town believes you and Mr. Noble are lovers.”
A flush crept up Penny Sue’s neck and spread to her cheeks. Merciful heavens. She was the talk of the town and hadn’t even known it.
As if on cue, the front door opened and in walked Vic, Lucky several feet ahead of him, his retractable leash secure in Vic’s big hand. Was it closing time already? Or had Vic arrived a bit early? What did it matter? She was glad to see him. And there was nothing she wanted more than to run into his arms and tell him.
Why not? a devilish inner voice asked. If the good citizens of Alabaster Creek wanted something to gossip about, she’d give them something.
Without a logical thought in her head, Penny Sue ran across the shop, stopped, knelt down and patted Lucky quickly and then threw herself at Vic. He opened his arms and grabbed her. Smiling at him, she stood on tiptoe and whispered against his lips, “I’m so glad you’re here.” Then she kissed him. A good old wet, tongue-thrusting kiss.