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)
I knew better. “I think you should talk to him yourself. He wouldn’t like me in the middle of you two.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Gloria crossed her arms and gave me a look that wasn’t quite unfriendly, but was definitely curious. “That was quite the spectacle last night.”
I groaned. “I know, but I think we got a lot of things cleared up.”
Brooke snorted. “The news article was hilarious. The picture of you should be framed.” She turned and moved to the other side of the booth to start stacking protein supplements, just as Henry Johnston walked up, handing her a bouquet.
She giggled and took them. Apparently he’d been able to track her down. That woman definitely wasn’t ready to settle down, and she didn’t have a type at all. Clark was sweet and brilliant, Henry was clumsy and kind of slimy, and Brad Backleboff was an ass.
Henry waved at me. “Hey. You looking to hire me yet?” He wore a white sweater with bright green pants that were a mite too short.
“Sorry, but we’re happy with the folks we have in place.”
He leaned over to whisper to Brooke.
I decided to ignore them and took another drink of my latte, enjoying the warm taste of hazelnut. The spirit of community and fun surrounded us, and hopefully had sunk into Gloria’s stubborn bones. At least I could try to get her to see reason. “Since we’re already clearing the air, maybe you could drop the civil case against my Nana?”
Gloria straightened, her chin lifting. “Anna Albertini, you know you can’t talk to me without my lawyer present.”
“Last I saw your lawyer, he sat in a jail cell next to mine,” I said, keeping my tone dry. “I’m pretty sure we’re past the point of legal formality.”
Her mouth twitched into a half-smile fighting its way out. “Maybe so. But I still think your grandmother was the one who put the lotion in my pie. Nobody else could’ve done it.”
“You know Nana wouldn’t have done such a thing.” I took another sip of coffee. The warm paper cup felt good against my palms.
“There’s nobody else who’d want to sabotage me like that.”
I shook my head. “Come on. None of that makes sense. You know she wouldn’t hold a grudge from childhood.”
Gloria’s smirk deepened. “I didn’t mean to steal Zippy from either of your grandmothers, you know. They were friends. They just both lied to each other about dating him because that’s who he was. Zippy could talk anyone into a bad idea. He was dating all three of us at the same time, and when I found out, I made him choose.”
“And he chose you.”
She smiled wider. “He did.”
I nodded slowly. “That was a million years ago, Gloria.”
“Maybe. But some things stick with you.”
I studied her for a long moment. Gloria Walton looked every inch the woman who won her battles and didn’t apologize for it. My grandmothers had more grace in one wrinkled pinky than Gloria could summon on her best day. Instead of saying so, I smiled politely. “All right, you won that one. Can you let this go now?”
Gloria glanced toward the parade banners fluttering overhead, then back to me. “We’ll see. I have to say, I don’t like your grandmother setting up shop right next to mine.”
“You aren’t selling the same things.” Not even close.
Gloria shrugged. “What if she decides to sell supplements? Even so, we both sell luxury and fun stuff. People don’t have a lot of money in town, so if they buy her lotions or teas, they can’t buy my vitamins or protein powders. It’s pretty simple.”
That was just silly. I searched for another avenue with her. If I could get Gloria to withdraw the civil complaint, maybe I could convince the prosecuting attorney to drop the criminal one too. That would be two problems handled before lunch, and I’d call that a win.
So, I decided to try a little flattery. Sometimes that worked better than logic. “From what I could tell last night,” I said casually, setting my coffee down on the edge of her booth, “Zippy still seems pretty enamored with you.”
Her eyebrows lifted just slightly, and the corner of her mouth twitched. “Enamored,” she repeated, tasting the word like it was dessert.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s an old-fashioned word, but it fits.”
Gloria let out a soft, self-conscious laugh. “Yes, I know,” she said finally, her voice airy.
I laughed too, because that seemed safer than gagging. “Well, it’s got to feel somewhat good, right? The guy never forgot you. I mean, sure, you’ve got Dr. Walton, and he’s a great guy, a fantastic eye doctor, but still. After all these years, someone carries a torch for you. That has to feel kind of nice.”
She looked down, pretending to straighten the row of bottles in front of her. A faint color touched her cheeks. “Zippy was always a little dorky, if you want the truth.”