As she headed out the door, she passed Old Man Cramer at his mailbox. He leaned on his cane and scowled at her. “Where are you off to, missy?�
“Good afternoon, Mr. Cramer,� she said cheerfully, ignoring his accusing tone. “Are you going to go for a walk? It’s a beautiful day!� Despite his age, the older man was actually in great shape and often walked around town. He liked to take notes in his little notebook and report everything that he deemed as a crime to the police. A few times, Olivia had been the perpetrator of those crimes because Cramer was certain that she was using the dogs to break into people’s homes. Of course, despite his great physical shape, his mind was deteriorating. When he reported Olivia, he didn’t always know that he was reporting Olivia.
“Someone has to keep an eye on this town. That lovely girl was murdered, and that sheriff is no help! No help at all!�
A week ago, that lovely girl had been a gypsy, no doubt peddling drugs from her truck. Olivia held back a smile. “Sheriff Limperos is spending every waking minute trying to solve her crime. I’m sure that it was just someone passing through. He’ll catch them, and we won’t have anything to worry about.�
“Shiny baubles,� he muttered. “Shiny baubles.�
Cramer’s nonsensical mutterings reminded Olivia of the ring that Andrew was probably carrying around in his pocket—and the romantic picnic she was about to be late for. “Mr. Cramer, is your nurse coming today?�
“Lydia? She’s late. She’s always late,� he muttered as he started back to the house. “She’s going to forget my chicken salad, too.�
Lydia was never late, and she never forgot the chicken salad. She was the reason that Cramer didn’t have to live in a nursing home.
Waving goodbye, Olivia headed to the park. It faced several of the businesses behind Main Street, and while it didn’t attract a lot of tourist attention, it was the perfect spot for locals. The mayor wanted to add picnic tables and vending carts to lure in visitors, but the town always vetoed it. Lexingburg liked their secret oasis.
There were only a few people scattered about, so it wasn’t hard to spot Andrew. He was still dressed in his business suit and sprawled out on a checkered red and white blanket. He had a large basket, two wine glasses with a bottle of red, sandwiches, chips, and cupcakes. It looked like a scene out of a picture book.
“I didn’t think they actually made red-and-white checkered blankets,� Olivia commented as she approached him. “I thought they were just in movies and television shows.�
“Hey, I hold nothing back for you,� he said as he pushed himself up and leaned over to give her a kiss. “I had Janelle make your favorite.�
Olivia’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. “Turkey with grape jelly?�
“Exactly how did you get onto that combination?� he asked as he poured the wine.
“Janelle made me eat it on a dare when we were kids. Joke’s on her because I loved it! It’s the most amazing thing ever, and I take personal offense that you won’t at least try it.�
“For the sake of our relationship, I think it’s best if I don’t,� Andrew said with a grimace. “I’ve also got jalapeño chips and black-and-white cupcakes.�
“Is it my birthday? This is amazing,� she said thoughtlessly. An unreadable expression settled on his face, and she hurried to change the subject. “Have you heard any updates about Yvette’s case?�
“The case that you’re not supposed to be thinking about anymore?� he reminded her gently.
Scowling, she took a bite of her sandwich. “Everyone in town is talking about it. You can’t be mad at me for showing interest.�
“As long as that interest doesn’t lead to any actions on your part.� He watched her intently. “Slow down. You don’t have to inhale your sandwich.�
Slow down? It wasn’t like Andrew to criticize her. She went to take another bite before an unwelcome idea occurred to her. Some men put engagement rings in glasses of champagne and decadent desserts. Her boyfriend wouldn’t put one in her turkey and jelly sandwich—would he?
Clearing her throat, she slowly put the sandwich down and reached for her wine. Trying not to seem too obvious, she swirled the glass and checked it for foreign objects. Satisfied that there were no rings hidden inside, she took a sip.
Now she wasn’t even going to be able to enjoy her sandwich. With a forced smile, she reached for her plate again and focused only on her chips. She would fill up on those and ignore the sandwich. He wouldn’t force feed it to her, and that would buy her a little more time.
“These chips are so good,� she moaned. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.�
“I haven’t heard any updates on Yvette’s death, but I’ve heard rumors. Someone at the hospital suggested that the psychic did it.�
“People in Lowell are talking about the murder?� The city dwellers didn’t usually concern themselves with small town concerns, despite the fact that they were neighbors.
“The press release was national. Everyone is talking about it,� Andrew pointed out. “Do you remember our first date?�
“I remember that you think dinner at Hollendale’s was our first date, and I still have to remind you that simply because we were both there at the same time, and simply because you chose to sit next to me at the bar and bother me, it does not actually count as a date. Our first date was a month later when you took me to that fancy steak place in Lowell. Stagwaff?�
“Wagstaff, and I told you that I’d be at Hollendale’s, so you obviously followed me there so we could have dinner together,� he said with a smile. “It does count as a first date.�
“I didn’t follow you there,� she protested in an exasperated voice. “You never told me that you would be at Hollendale’s, and if you did, I wasn’t paying attention. You just want to believe that was our first date because it went better than our actual first date.�
He chuckled. “You asked our waiter if you could have ketchup with your steak. I thought he was going to have a stroke right there at the table.�
“I didn’t want it for the steak! I thought I was getting fries! I had no idea that they didn’t serve fries there.�
“I knew you were going to be a handful,� he muttered as he took a sip of his wine. “And I was right. How’s your sandwich?�
“Should you be drinking? Aren’t you going back to work?�
“I don’t think a glass is going to hurt. I’m an IT guy, not a doctor.�
“You’re not just any IT guy. You’re the IT guy.�
“You’re not eating your sandwich.�
“Is that Kristy? That’s totally Kristy!� Giddy with relief, she watched Janelle’s real estate agent walk out of one of the offices across the street. This was her only chance to escape the perfect proposal moment. “I’m so sorry, Andrew, but I still have some questions for her.�
“You could call her,� he pointed out. “She’d be more than happy to take your call, considering that you’ve been ducking hers.�
“Not ducking,� Olivia said as she scrambled to her feet. “Just busy. I’ll only be a few minutes.�
“Olivia, I only have a few minutes!�
She was already off the blanket and hating herself. “I’ll be right back,� she called over her shoulder as she hurried to intercept Kristy.
The perky brunette was dressed in a sharp khaki skirt and a bright pink button-up shirt. She always had a large smile on her face and a bubbly personality, but Olivia suspected that was a perquisite for all real estate agents. Part of the reason that Olivia ducked her calls was because the woman’s voice had a way of grating on her nerves.
Right then, Olivia didn’t care if the woman sounded like Minnie Mouse. Kristy was her salvation. “Kristy! Kristy!�
“Olivia!� Surprise filled the woman’s face, but it was immediately replaced by that million-watt smile. “What a lovely surprise! I was just on my way to see your sister, to get an update on your sale. Are you meeting us there?�
Great. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. The last thing that she wanted to do was meet with Kristy and Janelle together. “I,� she swallowed hard, “I had a few questions that I wanted to ask you.�
“I am more than happy to answer any questions that you have! Walk with me!�
“Actually, I was just going to ask them right here.� She glanced nervously over her shoulder to see the annoyed expression on Andrew’s face. It was entirely possible that when this was all over, she wouldn’t just not have a fiancée. She wouldn’t have a boyfriend.
“You aren’t going to the meeting?�
“I wasn’t planning on it. I’m actually having a picnic with Andrew right now.�
“Okay. Well, what were your questions?�
Immediately, Olivia’s mind went blank. She did have questions about the sale. She had a world of questions, but at that very minute, she couldn’t think of any. “Um … what could we negotiate on the inspection report? I know there were quite a few pages of repairs that could be made.â€�
Kristy gave her an answer that she already knew. “Franklin Kennedy is looking for a quick sale, so he’s not offering to make any of the repairs, but he’ll greatly reduce the price to make up for it. We spoke about that last week.�
“Yes, I remember that now.� She glanced over her shoulder again, and her heart sank when she saw Andrew packing up the picnic.
Kristy caught that too. “It looks like your picnic is over. So I guess you’ll be joining Janelle and me for our meeting?�
“Yes,� she said dejectedly. “It looks like I am. You go ahead. I’m going to tell Andrew goodbye.�
Kristy waved cheerfully at Andrew and nodded her head before heading to Happy Endings. With her heart in her stomach, Olivia jogged back to Andrew. “You’re leaving?�
“I’m on my lunch break, Olivia. I didn’t have a lot of time,�
“Are you mad? I’m so sorry. I just saw Kristy and …â€� words failed her. How could she explain her actions without admitting that she was ducking his proposal?
“I’m not mad,� he said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I should have planned it when we had more time. I just got so excited when I saw how nice the weather was today.�
Incredulous, she searched his face. “You’re not mad at me? Are you sure? I think I’d be furious.�
“You have a lot going on. I get that.�
Her shoulders dropping, she stepped back. “Okay, well, Kristy is on her way to talk to Janelle, so I guess I should go be there for that.�
“That’s a good thing. She can answer all your questions, and you can get the ball rolling. That’s what you want, right?�
How many times was he going to ask her that question? Not wanting to lie to him anymore, she gave him a small smile. “Thanks for thinking of me today. I’ll make it up to you.�
“You’re racking things up, Olivia. Don’t think I’m not keeping track.�
Sure, he was keeping track of the times that she’d abandoned him, but he couldn’t have the decency to call her out on it. He was so passionate in other aspects of their relationship, but so cold in others. Didn’t he care?
An alarming thought ran through her head. Andrew didn’t do short-term relationships. He had been with his ex-girlfriend for four years before life got in the way and split them up. What if this wasn’t about love? What if this was just his way of making certain that history didn’t repeat itself?
Maybe that was why she didn’t want to say yes. Maybe, subconsciously, she knew that something was wrong. Maybe Andrew didn’t want to marry her so much as he just wanted to finally be married.
11
In an attempt to push that horrible feeling away, Olivia shoved her ear buds into her ears to listen to more Rose Palmer as she slowly walked to Happy Endings, but her heart wasn’t in it. The low and sexy voice of the narrator discussed the obvious spark between Rose and the detective, but she was rooting for James, the patient and understanding lover who was waiting for Rose to realize that they were meant to be together.
Maybe Rose kept him at a distance because she understood that they simply didn’t fit. Maybe James was yearning for something that was never going to be.
Olivia used to constantly walk away from Andrew. Even now, she was pushing him away, but he never let her go. She’d thought that it was romantic, but maybe Andrew was just making sure that he was getting a solid return on his investment.
By the time she made it to the bakery, she was disgusted with Rose Palmer. Maybe everyone was right. It was time for her to get her head out of her mystery books and focus on reality. If she’d done it sooner, she would have seen this coming.
“Olivia!� Janelle opened the door excitedly. “I put a lot of effort into that picnic, but I’m too happy to be mad. I didn’t think I’d get you and Kristy in the same room ever again. She tells me that you have questions? Why didn’t you tell me that you have questions?�
“You don’t always listen,� Olivia said under her breath.
“What was that?� Janelle ran her hands through her short hair, and flour dust rose in the air.
“Nothing! If I’m going to do this, I’m going to need coffee and a vanilla scone. Actually, make that a cannoli. Please tell me that you have cannolis.�
Janelle smiled and pointed to the table. “I have two waiting for you.�
“Wow. That’s actually really sweet of you. Thanks.�
“Olivia, I’ve known you your whole life. Don’t act so surprised. Now come on!�
The lunch crowd had already left, and the small cafe was empty, so there would be no distractions for her. Sitting in front of Kristy and that terrifyingly happy smile was one of the scariest things she’d ever done. If the coffee wasn’t so piping hot, she would have guzzled it to fortify herself.
“Is Andrew as excited as you are about the sale?� Kristy asked.
“More,� Olivia said honestly. “He’s just thrilled about it!�
“Well, I know that you have some questions, but I want to point out that buying the brownstone before it hits the market is your best chance at snatching it up at rock-bottom pricing. Mr. Kennedy would like the sale to go through as quickly as possible, but once other people start showing interest, he may relax a little and decide to wait for the highest bidder.�
“I’m sold,� Janelle said instantly. “I’d like Franklin to replace the pipes, but at this price, I’m sure that we could afford to fix it, right?�
Olivia gave her an incredulous look. “Janelle, you’ve used most of your credit to get the bakery started. Even with the low mortgage rate and amazing price, you don’t have the kind of savings that would cover any big repairs, and replacing the pipes is a huge repair
.�
“I’ve done an estimate on the pipe and roofing repair. Based on your finances, we’ll easily be able to make the down payment and still have enough left over to make the required updates,� Janelle said cheerfully.
Gaping at her older sister, Olivia tried not to lose her temper. “Based on my finances? How did you get my finances?�
Kristy’s smile slipped just a little. “We went over all the finances the last time we got together. You weren’t at that meeting.�
“That’s right, and I couldn’t get a hold of you, so I spoke to Andrew …â€�
Olivia held up her hand to stop her sister. “You talked to Andrew about my finances? You talked to him about this sale? Why?�
Her sister cocked her head in confusion. “I don’t see why you’re so upset. I talked to Patrick as well.�
“Of course you talked to Patrick. You’re married! Your finances are all tied together, and he’s got a stake in this business!�
Janelle sighed. “Is that what this is about? Sweetie, you have nothing to worry about. You and Andrew will be married soon enough, so of course he cares about your future.�
“Really?� Olivia felt her control slip. “We’re going to be married soon enough? I don’t believe that I’ve discussed marriage to Andrew with anyone, and it certainly shouldn’t be a discussion in my financial business.�
Janelle obviously didn’t understand the root of Olivia’s anger. “Andrew knows how you feel about him. You two don’t need to discuss marriage. It’s a given. Are you concerned that you’re going into this alone? You’re not! Andrew has your back, and so do I!�
Clenching her teeth, Olivia was about to tell Janelle that she didn’t need her support when the bell over the door rang. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she watched Janelle get up to handle the new customer.
It was Samantha. Kristy’s eyes widened in surprise, and she ducked her head. “Do you know who that is?� she whispered.
Barking up the Wrong Bakery (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 1) Page 10
