Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“Henry?” I asked.
“Yes. Hi. I was hoping we could speak.”
I glanced at Oliver, who just shrugged. “Sure. Take a seat,” I finally said.
Henry stepped farther inside, his hair slicked back just like last time. At least he’d shaved, though a few small dots of blood spotted his chin where a razor had gotten too ambitious.
“What can I do for you?” I asked.
Henry sat in the chair across from me and smiled like we were about to discuss something pleasant. “I’ve always thought you were very pretty.”
“I appreciate that,” I replied, wondering what the heck he was doing in my office.
“I was hoping you’d like to attend the St. Paddy’s Day parade in Silverville with me on Saturday.”
I blinked. “As a date?”
“Yes, as a date,” he said, nodding earnestly. “I know it took me a while to find my footing in life, but I’ve got a good job now, and I think a chick like you might be interested.”
Did he just call me a chick? “That’s a kind offer, Henry,” I said carefully. My gaze drifted down to his white socks peeking out beneath black pants that were too short.
“What do you say?” he asked, his eyes lighting.
“I’m dating somebody, Henry.”
He rolled his brown eyes. “You and Devlin? That thing still happening?”
“Pretty much,” I said flatly.
“Really?” Henry shook his head. “Come on, he’s not going to stick around. Everybody knows that.”
Ouch. “Do they?” My voice rose just a bit.
“Yeah. I mean, I don’t want to hurt your feelings or anything, but Aiden’s not a guy who’s going to settle down. He was wild as a kid, and I’ve heard he’s always off traveling the world. I mean, you’re very pretty, and I can see someone wanting to land for a while with you, but honey, it ain’t going to last.”
I stared at him for a beat. “I appreciate the dating advice,” I said, keeping my tone even, “but right now it is lasting.” I wasn’t about to tap into insecurities I might have because of Henry Johnston. “Is that it?”
“Well, no.” He reached into his lapel pocket and pulled out an envelope, then handed it across the desk to me.
I reached for it. “What is this?” Was Gloria adding to her suit? If so, she didn’t need a process server for that. I flipped the envelope open and scanned the pages quickly. “Wait a minute. Gloria’s suing me.”
“Yes.” Henry leaned back in the chair. “Apparently, last night at the Clumsy Penguin, you called her names and slandered her.”
I tried to think back. I couldn’t even remotely remember what I’d said, but I knew we’d talked about Gloria. “How did I damage her?”
Henry gave a slight shrug. “You’re Anna Albertini. You’re practically a public figure in this town, and anything you say could damage somebody.”
I snorted. “A public figure? I hardly think so.”
He appeared unbothered, his expression remaining serene.
I glanced at the top left corner of the pleading. “Zippy O’Bellini. He seems to be getting a lot of business from Gloria. Who is this guy?”
Henry pursed his lips. “I think he’s an attorney out of Portland, but I heard he wants to move to Idaho.”
“No kidding,” I muttered. “This is how he does it?”
Henry nodded. “Yeah. From what I can tell, he’s close to retirement age and wants to settle here, just taking small cases.”
I took a deep breath, already exhausted. “I really don’t have time for this. How serious is Gloria?”
“Oh, deadly,” Henry said solemnly. Then he corrected himself. “She wants to take your whole family down.”
How dumb. “Why?”
“I think it’s mainly the pies,” he said, nodding as if that made sense. “She really wants to win the pie tasting contest. Plus, she’s tired of how uppity you all are.”
My chin dropped. “Uppity?”
“Her words, not mine,” he said smoothly, leaning forward like he was about to close a deal. “If you go ahead and say yes to a date with me, I might be able to talk her out of this.”
“Really? You know that’s extortion, right?”
He shrugged. “Only if you can prove it.”
I studied him for a moment, and, damn it, he wasn’t wrong. Maybe the guy had a brain after all. “Are you and Gloria close?”
Henry grinned. “Her husband’s been my optometrist my whole life, and I was on a couple of teams with her kids. She’s all right. I’m getting to know her more through these lawsuits.”
“Really?” I asked. “How are you involved?”
He straightened his tie, clearly pleased to explain. “Zippy has hired me not only to be a process server for him, but also to do some research and legwork. That kind of thing. I’ve been conducting witness interviews for the case against your grandma.”
“Sure,” I said slowly. “Have you found out anything interesting?”
Henry clasped his hands together. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I took another sip of my latte, watching him over the rim. “Yes,” I said. “I would like to know. Can you tell me anything?”